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Year 55 of Konoha—
After enduring three Great Ninja Wars, the ninja world had entered a prolonged period of peace.
As the strongest hidden ninja village, Konoha was now the second most prosperous place in the ninja world, surpassed only by the capital of the Land of Fire.
But all of this was an illusion. Beneath the surface of peace, undercurrents surged.
The gears of fate had begun turning seven years ago during the Nine-Tails' attack, rolling downhill like a boulder from a mountain, unstoppable.
"This world really reeks of that 'small days' vibe."
Standing atop the Hokage Monument, Ye Wen looked down with amusement at the seemingly peaceful scene before him.
However, Ye Wen didn't harbor any thoughts of destroying this world.
The sins of war always rested on the shoulders of a few, while the masses were often swept along without a choice.
To blame them would be both foolish and reckless.
Still, this world was as nauseating as Ye Wen had imagined.
Children who didn't yet understand the cruelty represented by ninjas were being indoctrinated into glorifying their supposed nobility and greatness. Oh wait—no, it wasn't indoctrination; it was the Ninja Academy. At this moment, a group of children were playing ridiculous ninja games.
Among them, one figure stood out distinctly.
Short golden hair paired with slightly hollow, lonely azure eyes.
This was the tragic protagonist of this "passionate" world, the main character who would later ascend to the peak of life through a technique called "Bijuu Mode," the reincarnation of Asura's chakra, the second son of the Sage of Six Paths, the future savior of the ninja world, the Seventh Hokage of Konoha, the ninja best known for making "rasengan"-style energy balls—Uzumaki Naruto.
Uzumaki Naruto also wanted to fit in, but the other children either avoided him or insulted him, calling him a "demon fox."
Since becoming independent at the age of three, Naruto had grown accustomed to such treatment, but he still felt a deep sense of loss. In the end, he could only sit alone on a swing beneath a crooked tree, staring blankly into space.
"What a pitiful and tragic fellow," Ye Wen sighed.
It was only when he was young and naive that he had liked this work.
Facing so much injustice, yet choosing to forgive others and even seeking their approval?
Come on—he would later become an unrivaled powerhouse. If others weren't groveling at his feet, it would already be a miracle. The hypocrisy of those who once despised him and later fawned over him was utterly disgusting.
Surely no one actually believed that people accepted Naruto later in the story simply because he was a cheerful and outgoing boy? Without his overwhelming strength to subdue his enemies, his childish verbal battles would have amounted to nothing!
Thinking about this, Ye Wen recalled another reincarnation of Asura's chakra—Hashirama Senju.
On the surface, Hashirama had united all the ninjas within the Land of Fire under a seemingly noble vision, but he hadn't addressed the root problems of the ninja world. Instead, he planted a massive time bomb.
The only redeeming quality about him was that he seemed to be a good person—but a brainless one, much like Naruto.
Yet, somehow, this man had earned the respect of Uchiha Madara, the great antagonist of later arcs. It was baffling.
One reason Madara gained many fans later on was his philosophy of unification through absolute military power. Even if he didn't overthrow the noble clans led by the daimyo, his approach would have been better than Hashirama's "one country, one hidden village" system.
The "one country, one hidden village" policy had concentrated the ninjas' cohesion to an unprecedented degree. While Hashirama and his pseudo-Six Paths-level strength were alive, things were stable. But once these two monstrous forces were gone, the ninja world became like a wild beast breaking free, and the Great Ninja Wars quickly erupted.
What a disaster. The harm caused by incompetent leadership was evident.
Ye Wen briefly analyzed the historical reasons behind the ninja world's issues and then stopped paying attention to Uzumaki Naruto.
After all, no matter how strong Naruto became, he was still limited.
Though Ye Wen had some sympathy for Naruto's plight, compared to his own plans, this little guy would have to wait.
Regardless of Naruto's status as the protagonist, causing too much commotion might alert Isshiki, and that wouldn't be good.
A little more suffering, a little more waiting—that was all.
The pieces were already in motion. Finding Isshiki was only a matter of time.
The ninja world was simply too small, and Isshiki's characteristics were too distinct.
For now…
Having arrived at the sacred site of his childhood, how could Ye Wen not visit some iconic landmarks?
With light steps, Ye Wen silently entered the Hidden Leaf Village.
Would the village's rudimentary barrier detect his presence? Heh, if it did, Ye Wen would feel so ashamed that he might as well commit seppuku.
Speaking of which, the ninja world's tech tree was a mess. Though they were still in an agricultural era, various electrical appliances had quietly spread, and utility poles were everywhere on the streets.
But Ye Wen had his own theories about this distorted world.
After all, Naruto was created during a relatively less information-saturated era, which explained its strong sense of temporal disconnection.
Based on Ye Wen's calculations, this universe was likely a projection of a higher-dimensional cosmos, which explained why his Douluo world and the Naruto world were clustered here.
Additionally, Ye Wen had discovered some familiar worlds in his own universe, though they had already been conquered, so there wasn't much to say about them.
As he walked, Ye Wen suddenly caught a whiff of an enticing aroma.
"This scent…"
Ye Wen's palate, which had tasted countless delicacies, was unexpectedly stirred by this sudden fragrance wafting through the air.
Though Ye Wen had long since reached the state of abstaining from food, he followed the source of the smell with delight, indulging his appetite whenever he pleased.
Drawing on his experience as a connoisseur, Ye Wen analyzed as he walked.
"This scent is quite complex—it must be a rich broth made from the bones of several animals.
While they do use such broths for other dishes in this region, the only food in this area that would use such a flavorful broth is probably ramen."
Sure enough, when Ye Wen reached the source of the aroma, a large sign reading "Ichiraku Ramen" came into view.
Though Ye Wen generally didn't favor heavy-flavored foods, an occasional indulgence wasn't bad. Besides, watching Naruto eat Ichiraku Ramen in his childhood had made him quite envious.
"Welcome!"
Ye Wen gently pushed aside the cloth curtain used to block sunlight and dust, and two hearty greetings greeted him immediately.
The voices belonged to Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen—the strongest hidden powerhouse in the ninja world, affectionately nicknamed "Uncle Otsutsuki"—and his daughter Ayame, who looked nothing like he remembered and hadn't fully matured yet.
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