Whoosh!
In the dead of night, a vortex suddenly appeared above the dimly lit streets of Konoha.
Kai emerged from the swirling space.
He wore black clothing that blended perfectly into the darkness.
Beneath his hood was a new orange mask covered with black markings.
Through the two eyeholes, his Sharingan gleamed in the night.
“Finally…”
“I’ve made it here.”
Kai looked at the four characters on the shop sign before him.
Ichiraku Ramen.
He couldn’t help feeling emotional.
He lifted the shop’s curtain and walked inside.
“Welcome!”
Behind the counter, which also served as the dining area, stood a youthful-looking Teuchi wearing his chef’s uniform.
This was a time when the Ichiraku owner was still in his prime.
There wasn’t a single wrinkle on his face.
Nearby, his daughter Ayame was sleeping soundly in a baby carriage.
“One large bowl of rich tonkotsu ramen.”
Kai sat down at the seat on the far right of the three stools at the counter, against the wall.
He had come alone this time.
He hadn’t brought Spiral Zetsu with him.
The last thing Kai wanted was for Spiral Zetsu to spend his entire meal talking endlessly about poop and ruin his appetite.
Teuchi filled the bowl with rich tonkotsu broth.
He lifted the noodles with a strainer and placed them into the broth, then added green onions, pickled ginger, and other toppings.
The colors, aroma, and flavor all came together in one steaming bowl.
He placed it in front of Kai.
“Here you go.”
“Your rich tonkotsu ramen.”
“Mm.”
The aroma immediately stimulated Kai’s appetite.
He could hardly wait.
He snapped his chopsticks apart, removed his mask, placed it beside him, and lowered his head to eat.
Slurp!
The noodles were springy and smooth.
The broth was rich and deeply flavorful.
It was incredible.
Far better than any ramen Kai had ever tasted in his previous life.
At least ten times better.
Once he started eating, he simply couldn’t stop.
While Kai was enjoying his meal, the shop curtain was lifted again.
Two shinobi walked in side by side.
Coincidentally, they were Might Guy and…
Kakashi Hatake.
Guy wore his trademark green jumpsuit.
Kakashi’s left eye was covered by a black eyepatch.
Beneath it was no longer the Sharingan.
Only an empty eye socket remained.
“Boss!”
“Two large bowls of miso chashu!”
Guy’s large eyes sparkled beneath his thick eyebrows as he held up two fingers toward Teuchi.
He dropped himself onto the seat on the left.
Kakashi calmly sat in the middle.
As he casually turned his head, he caught sight of Kai’s side profile, partially concealed beneath his long hair.
For some reason, Kakashi stared for a moment.
“Here you go!”
“Two bowls of miso chashu.”
Teuchi placed the bowls in front of them.
Only then did Kakashi look away.
“To this day, our score is twenty wins and twenty losses!”
“For today’s competition, how about seeing who can finish their ramen first?”
Guy spoke with his usual boundless energy.
“Sorry.”
“I really don’t feel like it today.”
Kakashi sounded listless.
He snapped his chopsticks apart, pulled down his mask, and began eating absentmindedly.
Guy looked at Kakashi with a complicated expression.
Six months ago, Kakashi had lost both Rin and his Sharingan.
After being rescued and brought back to Konoha, he had suffered severe physical and emotional trauma.
He had spent months recovering in Konoha’s medical facility.
It had only been a month since he was officially discharged.
And ever since then, he’d remained in this depressed state.
Guy looked away.
He snapped his chopsticks apart and began devouring his ramen.
Less than a minute later, the entire bowl was empty.
He even gulped down the remaining broth.
After setting the bowl down, Guy wiped the soup from the corner of his mouth and looked solemnly at Kakashi.
“Kakashi.”
“As your rival and your closest friend, I understand what you’re going through.”
“I’ve experienced something similar myself.”
He was referring to what had happened to his father, Might Duy.
“Losing yourself in despair isn’t what the dead would want.”
“I believe what Obito entrusted to you wasn’t merely his eye.”
“He entrusted you with his will.”
“If he were still alive, he would never want to see you like this.”
Kakashi’s chopsticks stopped.
He spoke wistfully.
“I understand everything you’re saying.”
“I really do.”
“But understanding it doesn’t mean I can let go.”
“I failed to protect Rin.”
“I don’t deserve to possess that eye.”
“I think this must be Obito’s punishment from beyond the grave.”
“Perhaps he took his eye back because he hates me to the bone…”
Guy frowned.
“Kakashi.”
“Don’t you think you’re being a little too hard on yourself?”
“Maybe.”
“But I’ve already made my decision.”
“I’m joining Root.”
Kakashi’s words stunned him.
Bang!
Guy suddenly stood up.
“Root?!”
“Kakashi, are you serious?!”
After noticing Teuchi looking over, Guy realized he’d lost control.
He quickly apologized before sitting back down.
Then he lowered his voice.
“Is this the Fourth Hokage’s decision?”
“No.”
“It was my own.”
Kakashi spoke quietly.
“Half a month ago, Root’s headquarters was attacked by a mysterious shinobi.”
“Several Root members were killed.”
“Danzō exaggerated the incident when he reported it to the Fire Daimyō.”
“He claimed that the Fourth Hokage had deliberately allowed the enemy into Konoha and was trying to undermine the foundations of the village.”
“Would the Daimyō actually believe such nonsense?”
“If this had happened before, probably not.”
“But a month ago, Kitake, who was directly under the Fourth Hokage’s ANBU, attempted to assassinate the Fire Daimyō.”
“That incident already made the Daimyō suspicious.”
“Combined with what happened this time…”
“The situation is extremely unfavorable for the Fourth Hokage.”
“Kitake…”
“His strength was considerable, but he didn’t seem like the kind of person who would dare to do something like that.”
“Could Root have been behind it?”
“ANBU suspects the same.”
“So they sent people to pursue Kitake and uncover the truth.”
“But tonight, the ANBU team that was sent out died.”
“And the one who killed them was their own leader, Yūhi Yūyū.”
“This dealt another serious blow to the credibility of the Fourth Hokage’s ANBU.”
“It was only because the Third Hokage personally stepped forward and used his own reputation to vouch for the Fourth Hokage that the situation was barely brought under control.”
“But Root made a demand.”
“They wanted the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Kushina Uzumaki, placed under Root’s supervision.”
“The Fire Daimyō agreed.”
Guy immediately understood.
“The Jinchūriki…”
“Could Danzō be trying to…?”
Kakashi’s voice became solemn.
“Exactly.”
“Danzō has coveted the position of Hokage for a long time.”
“He must be planning to take control of the Nine-Tails and undermine the Fourth Hokage’s position.”
“The situation has reached the point where even the ANBU can’t interfere.”
“The only thing I can do is join Root.”
“I’ll do everything I can to protect Kushina.”
“That way, the Fourth Hokage won’t have to worry about her while he deals with the current crisis.”
Guy looked worried.
“But Kakashi…”
“You know what kind of person Danzō is.”
“You could end up dead!”
Kakashi’s expression was resolute.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I failed to protect Obito.”
“I failed to protect Rin.”
“Someone like me doesn’t deserve to live.”
“At the very least…”
“I can take some of the pressure off my teacher.”
Nearby, Kai finished his ramen.
He paid the bill, picked up his mask, and put it back on.
Then he stood and walked out of the shop.
On the sparsely populated street, Kai looked up at the moon hidden behind the clouds.
His eyes were deep and contemplative.
I don’t intend to capture the Nine-Tails right now.
But if Kurama falls into Danzō’s hands, it’ll create countless problems for me later.
In the story I’m going to create, Naruto is no longer the protagonist.
At the very least, I’ll give him the peaceful childhood he deserves.
I won’t let history repeat itself.
Kushina…
You will be the final Nine-Tails Jinchūriki in shinobi history.
Whoosh!
An ominous wind swept through the street.
Kai turned his head toward the darkness within Konoha.
“Danzō…”
“Looks like it’s time to pay him a visit.”