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Teuchi quickly put on a harmonious smile and said,
"Honored guest, if you don't have any small change, you can pay next time you visit. I won't forget a handsome customer like you. Please take this gold to the mission office at the Hokage Tower and exchange it for local currency in the Land of Fire."
But who was Ye Wen? Would he, in his current state, care about such a trivial amount of money? Firmly pushing the gold ingot back toward Teuchi, Ye Wen said,
"Boss, just take it. This amount of money means nothing to me.
Moreover, I'm extremely satisfied with your ramen. If your shop continues to look so old and worn-down, it would be hard for me to overlook it.
Take this money and renovate your shop properly. I hope to see a completely different Ichiraku Ramen when I return next time."
Having his shop's shabby condition pointed out so bluntly made Teuchi flush red with embarrassment.
But Teuchi was neither the so-called "Uncle Otsutsuki," nor a hidden supreme powerhouse. In a world where bloodlines and ninjas reigned supreme, life was incredibly difficult for ordinary people like him.
Though Konoha was safe, there were still many harsh realities. One of them was the village's high taxation. Additionally, Teuchi had always adhered to the principle of using only the finest ingredients, which was a significant expense. A bowl of ramen priced at sixty ryō really didn't make much profit.
This was why he had never had the funds to renovate the shop or expand his business.
Watching Ye Wen's retreating figure, Teuchi couldn't help but tear up with emotion.
From his demeanor alone, Ye Wen was clearly no ordinary person. His luxurious clothing was something even the top-tier clans of Konoha wouldn't wear casually.
He must be a noble from some other country, Teuchi thought to himself.
Such a great figure not only gave him funding but also encouraged him so warmly, igniting an unprecedented passion for ramen in Teuchi. Looking at Naruto, who was still somewhat naive, Teuchi exclaimed loudly,
"Naruto, uncle's in a great mood today! How about I treat you to the super deluxe ultimate version of Ichiraku Ramen?"
Naruto's little brain hadn't yet processed why Teuchi was so excited, but the mention of the "super deluxe ultimate version" of Ichiraku Ramen made his mouth water as he eagerly responded,
"Sure thing, Uncle! Thanks a ton!"
Not long after leaving the shop, Ye Wen heard that familiar catchphrase behind him and couldn't help but twitch his lips.
"Come to think of it, why does Naruto have that 'dattebayo' quirk again?"
Ye Wen pondered for a moment but soon shrugged off the question, continuing his exploration of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Contrary to its portrayal in the anime, the actual size of the Hidden Leaf Village was far larger than depicted.
Beyond the central residential area, countless training grounds of various sizes surrounded the village, providing ninjas with spaces to practice their laughable ninjutsu.
It wasn't that these techniques couldn't kill.
Rather, the chakra-based techniques developed by the ninja world became a joke when facing the Otsutsuki. All the ninjas' chakra attacks essentially turned into batteries for the Otsutsuki's power.
Wasn't that ridiculous? Only senjutsu remained somewhat useful in the later stages.
This showed that foreign cultivation methods could never match those developed natively. As a result, the main method of combat for Naruto and others against the Otsutsuki later on became taijutsu (martial arts).
But how could someone who trained in taijutsu for mere decades possibly compete with Otsutsuki warriors who had honed their skills for millennia?
Thus, the latter part of Naruto was truly a mess, with power levels collapsing all over the place.
Especially absurd was the introduction of the Otsutsuki as an alien invasion race.
After finishing the later parts of Naruto, Ye Wen had a question: Did Kishimoto (Naruto's creator) get inspiration from Marvel?
After all, aliens crossing the stars to fight Earthlings using the same level of technology, only to be defeated—it all seemed rather idiotic.
And after learning about the sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem, Ye Wen understood the vast gap between the two.
The Otsutsuki attacking the ninja world was essentially a dimensional reduction strike. Even fighting their weakest warriors required the ninjas to exert all their strength. Put another way, if the Otsutsuki sent more than five of their elite warriors, they could easily annihilate the entire ninja world.
As for why the Otsutsuki would choose to destroy the ninja world—well, Ye Wen would similarly not hesitate to initiate planetary destruction if it posed any threat to Douluo.
Even the slightest probability of future danger should be nipped in the bud—that was the correct approach. After all, this was reality, and there were no second chances for anyone.
Ye Wen wandered aimlessly around the training grounds, but his steps unconsciously led him to a desolate area devoid of people.
Turning around, Ye Wen stared at the empty forest behind him, his gaze locking onto a specific tree.
"Sir, you've been following me for a while now. May I ask what you want?"
At that moment, a figure wearing a fox mask and sporting a spiky hairstyle quietly emerged from the tree.
Recognizing that iconic hair, Ye Wen immediately knew who it was.
[A/N: The son of the once pillar of Konoha, the White Fang, Hatake Kakashi—a super genius who achieved Jonin rank at the age of twelve, and also the unluckiest Sixth Hokage in the future.
Ye Wen vaguely remembered some educational accounts mentioning that "Kakashi" in Japanese meant "lonely scarecrow," which was tragically fitting for Kakashi's life. Though such Easter eggs were interesting, the fact remained that the later plot developments were utter garbage.]
In truth, Ye Wen had already noticed Konoha's barrier scans while in the village earlier. But for such a weak world, Ye Wen hadn't bothered to conceal himself. If he was exposed, so be it—as long as things didn't escalate too far.
Kakashi, still trapped in the shadows of his past, pulled out a kunai and coldly questioned Ye Wen from the tree,
"Who are you? Why have you suddenly appeared in Konoha?"
Ye Wen paid no mind to Kakashi's words and instead scanned the surrounding trees.
"All of you, come out. Your hiding skills are quite clumsy."
Though being criticized like this irritated the elite ANBU of Konoha, they realized they had already been discovered, so hiding was pointless. One by one, they emerged from the trees or corners, their eyes fixed intently on Ye Wen.
"How terrifying, Konoha. Ten ANBU appeared even though I haven't done anything. No wonder you're called the strongest ninja village."
Faced with Ye Wen's praise, none of the gathered individuals felt any joy. Instead, they all watched him with extreme vigilance.
Kakashi, as the captain, was particularly serious.
Though sensing techniques weren't Kakashi's forte, the man before him emitted no chakra at all, yet his instincts kept screaming warnings at him.
There was only one conclusion: this person was extremely dangerous.
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