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"Yo, young man, looks like it's your first time here," Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, said with a squinty-eyed smile as he asked Menma, "Would you like me to recommend some of our popular signature dishes?"
"It's not my first time, Uncle Teuchi." Menma snapped back to reality, looking at the squinty-eyed Teuchi in his chef's hat. He ordered with natural familiarity: "I'll have a Miso Chashu Ramen. No narutomaki, and extra bamboo shoots."
"Eh?" Teuchi studied the youth before him with some confusion, but he truly had no memory of him.
"So sorry, customer, perhaps I'm just getting old," Teuchi scratched his head in apology, then smiled again. "As compensation, I'll give you a mountain of 'Menma'!"
In Japanese, the word for dried bamboo shoots is pronounced the same as "Menma," while the fish cake narutomaki is pronounced the same as "Naruto."
Whether it was the influence of the "Limited Tsukuyomi world" or not, Menma disliked fish cakes and had a special fondness for bamboo shoots.
While waiting for Teuchi to start boiling the noodles, Menma focused his attention on the two Konoha shinobi chatting next to him.
However, whether because they had no more information to share or because there was an "outsider" like Menma in the shop, the two shinobi stopped talking about the previous topic and shifted to daily life and gossip.
They even started discussing the new adult romance novel recently published by Shueido.
The topic grew so scandalous that Menma had to reach up and push back the tiny Nine-Tails, who couldn't help but poke her head out from his fur collar.
*When exactly was Jiraiya's 'Make-Out Paradise' published?* Menma remembered that as the most famous romance novel in the shinobi world, *Make-Out Paradise* became an instant hit upon release. If it was already in circulation, these two shinobi would definitely be discussing it.
"Young man, your Miso Chashu Ramen is ready." Amidst his thoughts, Uncle Teuchi placed a bowl overflowing with ramen in front of Menma.
Looking at the thick layer of bamboo shoots covering the top and smelling the aromatic broth, Menma picked up his chopsticks and began to enjoy the meal.
In the three years since coming to this world, he had spent all his time in the orphanage and had never been out to eat.
At this moment, Menma was like a prisoner just released from a life sentence, slurping the ramen in huge mouthfuls.
He even attracted the attention of the two shinobi nearby.
However, seeing that he was just a youth without a headband eating like a starving ghost, they stopped paying attention.
After finishing the massive bowl, Menma set down his chopsticks, patted his stomach, and let out a long breath.
Though he used Transformation Jutsu, his physical body was still that of a child; eating this much was bound to leave him stuffed.
"Glad you liked it, customer." Uncle Teuchi laughed with his eyes closed.
As a ramen chef, seeing a customer's satisfied expression after finishing a meal was the highest praise.
"Left the money here." Placing a fifty-ryo note on the table, Menma stood up and departed.
Teuchi picked up the money and watched the departing back, feeling that there was something strange about the boy.
Stepping out of Ichiraku Ramen, Menma braved the night wind and slowly walked toward the Hyūga Clan compound, following the directions in his memory.
"Since I'm full, I might as well get some exercise." As he walked, Menma pulled out the white three-eyed fox mask and put it on.
---
**Hyūga Clan Residence.**
A shinobi masked with a cloth slipped silently into the courtyard of the Hyūga Head.
"This is too easy." Looking at the young girl sleeping soundly on the bed, the masked shinobi pulled out a handkerchief soaked in sedative and applied it to her.
Once the drug took effect, the masked man picked up the girl and made a swift departure.
*Swish, swish, swish—*
Inside the Hyūga compound, the masked shinobi sprinted rapidly while carrying the girl in one arm.
Seeing that he was about to escape the compound, the masked man grew increasingly excited.
"Just in time. The show is about to begin." A voice suddenly rang out.
The masked shinobi startled, skidding to a halt, and looked up.
On the courtyard wall ahead, a figure appeared, looking down at the masked man from a height.
"Dammit! Have I been discovered?" The masked man looked at the wall, his expression beneath the cloth changing drastically. He immediately prepared himself for death.
This was originally part of their plan!
"Wait! Not a Hyūga shinobi?" Suddenly, the kidnapper saw that the person across from him was wearing a mask, and his attire bore no Konoha headband whatsoever.
But why was this person here? What was his goal?
The kidnapper had no time to think further, as several figures landed around him.
"Who goes there! How dare you act insolently in the Hyūga Clan!" Hiashi Hyūga appeared between the kidnapper and the mysterious masked man, accompanied by several guards.
"Hizashi! Hold off the masked man! I'll save Hinata first!" Hiashi shouted to the Jonin beside him.
The priority now was to rescue the kidnapped Hinata.
"Yes!" Hizashi Hyūga bowed slightly. The veins around his eyes bulged as he activated the Byakugan and lunged toward the mysterious masked man standing on the wall.
"In such a hurry to fight? Aren't you going to ask what I'm doing here?" Menma Uzumaki extended a hand to block a Gentle Fist strike from Hizashi, while casually dodging Hizashi's subsequent attacks on the wall as if taking a stroll.
No matter how tricky the angle of Hizashi's Gentle Fist was, the mysterious person always seemed to predict his movements and techniques, dodging with effortless ease.
He countered Hizashi's various taijutsu moves using only one hand.
Hizashi, meanwhile, grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. The enemy seemed to know exactly which chakra points his Gentle Fist was targeting, protecting them with chakra in advance. It felt like hitting iron; he couldn't block the man's tenketsu at all!
In over twenty years, he had never encountered such an opponent!
*Damn it! Why is he so skilled!* Hizashi discovered to his shock that the mysterious man was extremely familiar with the Gentle Fist style, even giving him the illusion that he was sparring with the Clan Head.
On the street below, Hiashi Hyūga lunged at the kidnapper with a heavy blow.
His original plan was only to incapacitate the man and interrogate him about which power sent him.
However, the masked shinobi proactively lunged forward, slamming his own vitals against Hiashi's fist.
The kidnapper was sent flying. Hinata, slipping from his grasp, was caught by Hiashi the moment she hit the air.
"Lord Clan Head!" Several other guards rushed forward, surrounding Hiashi.
"The target is dead?" Hiashi handed the unconscious Hinata to a guard and stepped forward to check the man's pulse, only to find him dead.
Hiashi pulled off the man's mask. When he saw the Hidden Cloud headband on the man's forehead, his expression changed instantly.
"A Cloud shinobi?"
"Isn't this the Cloud Envoy who arrived yesterday?"
Two Hyūga guards also recognized the man and looked at their Clan Head with unease.
How could a Cloud Envoy, who was supposed to be at Lord Third's banquet, appear in the Hyūga compound?
After only a moment of shock, Hiashi Hyūga turned his head sharply to look at the mysterious masked man fighting Hizashi!
"Hizashi! Take him alive!" Hiashi shouted sternly, the veins on his face throbbing.
(End of Chapter)