"Hey, isn't that Yuzuriha Aburame?" pointed out a chunin acting as a security guard as he watched a stretcher being wheeled into the hospital. "Why does he look so terrible?"
"This week he and his insects were assigned to maintenance duty in the sewer sector beneath the Hokage Tower, but only the Sage knows what the last person who used the bathroom had eaten. Not even the Aburame clan's specialized insects could handle it," a doctor commented after giving him a quick examination and sending him to a room.
The Aburame were responsible for maintaining and overseeing the sewer systems, as they bred insects that handled most of the work.
It was a job that assaulted the senses, but it paid well enough.
Chad walked past the street beside the hospital while rubbing his stomach.
"Maybe I overdid it with the Sea King feces…?" he considered for a long second. "Nah…"
After leaving the Hokage Tower, he ignored the ANBU shadowing him and headed to Ichiraku Ramen.
"Oh, it's you!" Teuchi recognized him immediately. Even though he sometimes had customers coming all the way from the Land of Lightning on business, Chad definitely stood out. "The same as last time?"
Chad froze for a moment. Did he seriously remember his last order?
Impressive.
"No, my stomach's a little sensitive today. Can you make me something mild, but really filling?" if he was going to lie, he might as well commit to it.
"Coming right up, one healthy vegetable ramen!" Teuchi knew exactly what Chad needed.
Over the years, he hadn't just created ramen for delicate stomachs, but also hangover ramen, high-calorie Jumbo ramen (mainly for the Akimichi clan), and more.
"Give this a try." Teuchi placed down a normal-sized bowl, filled with translucent broth, a few slices of fresh vegetables, and very thin noodles. "My daughter helped me create this ramen three years ago. Not only is it gentle on the stomach, it's also packed with vitamins to help recovery, and young girls love it for dieting," he explained with obvious pride in his daughter's achievements in the family business. "The broth is made by simmering eight different vegetables for five hours before straining it, the noodles are kneaded three separate times before being stretched, and the sliced vegetables are harvested, cleaned, and prepared fresh every morning."
Chad took a sip with the spoon.
Contrary to what the broth's clarity suggested, the flavors of bell pepper, spinach, scallions, and the other ingredients were all vivid and distinct, while the temperature was just right.
He took his time savoring it slowly.
Teuchi noticed and nodded approvingly. Eating slowly was good when your stomach was fragile.
"Old man!" Naruto burst in looking like he hadn't eaten properly in two days. "One tonkotsu ramen with extra pork!"
"Coming right up!"
Chad only spared him a curious glance and nearly spat out the broth.
That awful orange jumpsuit Naruto always wore had now been replaced by a clean white shirt, earth-colored pants, and a sleeveless blue jacket. Not only that, but since he apparently wasn't on a mission, he hadn't even bothered putting on his ninja headband.
"All this just from giving him a few simple tips?" Chad thought in complete shock. "Damn, how much potential did this kid waste?"
The casual look made him resemble Minato Namikaze so much more. If anyone still doubted their relationship, they had to be blind!
"Naruto, how are your attempts at cooking in your new house going?" Teuchi asked with a smile as he poured Chad a glass of water after he'd nearly choked.
"The new kitchen can't even compare to my old apartment," Naruto replied, swinging his legs in a much better mood. "Simple salads and plain white rice are all I can make without ruining everything. I still can't make anything as good as your ramen!"
"Boy, that comes from years of experience and my own secret cooking techniques!" Teuchi served him the ramen. "But you look a lot better since you stopped eating all that instant ramen, Naruto. Did you get taller?"
Chad sighed inwardly. With real food and actual nutrients, of course there would be improvements.
"I grew a whole two centimeters!" Naruto's eyes lit up when someone finally noticed his growth. "Now Kiba can't say I'm the shortest guy in our generation anymore," he bragged.
Teuchi watched Naruto start eating enthusiastically, and nostalgia crossed his mind.
"Ah, Kushina, it seems your son's becoming more sensible lately," he thought, remembering one of his best customers. "Maybe Minato's genes are finally kicking in?" he theorized as he reflected on the changes Naruto had been making over the past few weeks.
The shop fell into a comfortable silence.
"Thanks for the meal." Chad placed the money on the counter. "Good ramen. I feel better now."
"I hope to see you again!" Teuchi took the money and bid him farewell.
It was always nice hearing that a customer had enjoyed the food.
Naruto finally noticed there had been someone else in the shop and nearly fell off his stool in surprise.
"Huh? That guy looks familiar…" he muttered while watching Chad's back disappear into the distance.
Teuchi heard him, but stayed silent.
On the nearby rooftops, the ANBU exchanged opinions on the situation.
"The target has not interacted with the jinchūriki. No need to intervene. Continue observation," the leader ordered as he sheathed the katana he had half drawn.
"It's possible he knew this was the jinchūriki's favorite place and deliberately waited for him based on his usual schedule."
"Unlikely. The jinchūriki came to eat an hour earlier than usual today, and the target didn't even say a word to him."
"Should we report this?"
"The ANBU assigned to the jinchūriki's side will handle the report. Don't lose sight of the target."
"Understood."
An ear that had appeared on the back of one of the ANBU vanished once the conversation ended.
"Of course Naruto would have his own ANBU watching over him," Chad wasn't surprised by the revelation.
He didn't go exploring Konoha. Having someone from Kumo wandering around at random would only make his watchers nervous, and honestly, knowing he'd be monitored at all times had completely killed any desire he had for sightseeing.
Besides, other than specialized shops like Tenten's family weapon store or the Nara clan's medicines, there wasn't much to see in Konoha.
At least, as long as you excluded anything related to, or created to promote, the village's Will of Fire.
"Knowing that woman is here, I need to be careful not to run into her, or I'll definitely lose control," Chad's gaze carried no emotion. "I need to stay alert while we're here. Even if monitoring her chakra inevitably makes me irritable, I just have to endure it until we leave the village."
Hopefully, Hibui would finish the negotiations today so they could leave.
…
"We have to stay another day?!"
"Unfortunately." Hibui could only spread her hands and shrug. "This Hokage is unbelievably stubborn. I feel like I'm negotiating with Raikage-sama," she admitted in exasperation. "The moment she dislikes something, she doesn't hesitate to resort to shameless or childish tactics."
I never expected such disgraceful behavior from an old woman her age!
The most frustrating part was that unless you stooped to her level, it actually worked…
"I was talking with her secretary and picked up something interesting from the conversation," Kiyui mentioned once Hibui finished explaining things and consoling Chad. "That blonde Senju didn't actually want to stay, but the higher-ups pressured her into taking the position… or at least that's what Shizune implied. But it seems the real reason behind all this is that she desperately needs money," she said with a smile.
After all, she and Hibui had been the ones taking out absurd loans in Tsunade's name.
They knew exactly how monstrous the Slug Princess's debt was.
Not to mention Chad had burned the Senju compound to ashes.
If debt collectors started swarming in to reclaim their money now that she occupied the Hokage's seat…
That was probably another reason why everyone insisted her position was only "temporary." The higher-ups needed someone in charge, but they were terrified Tsunade would mortgage the entire village just to pay off a fraction of her debt.
"Wait, hold on a second." Chad didn't focus on the money issue. He felt like there was something more important nobody had pointed out. "You're telling me none of the village clans offered her an apartment or even a room despite knowing her situation?"
Kiyui opened her mouth, then closed it again.
"Actually… that does seem to be the case?" the blonde looked confused after realizing that blind spot. "Logically speaking, even after the Senju clan's decline and the destruction of their compound, the other clans shouldn't be acting like this…"
Tsunade was still the granddaughter of Konoha's founder.
Maybe, deep down, the clans didn't want her to stay either?
Did they have their own candidates in mind for the Hokage position?
"I don't know if it's related, but we received a dinner invitation on our way back," Hibui said as she slipped a hand between her breasts and pulled out a small scroll. "Guess which clan it's from?"
Chad only needed to see the red-and-white fan emblem on the scroll to know the answer: the Uchiha.
"The Uchiha clan wants to invite us to dinner?" Chad's expression turned subtle. "Us, specifically?"
Fugaku, what exactly are you playing at?
Do you really think that old woman won't hear about this?
Or is this some kind of trap to complicate tomorrow's negotiations?
Does this have something to do with the Sharingan from the Konoha squad they captured during the war?
There was only one way to find out.
"Luckily for everyone, I always carry a set of our formal clothes with me!" Kiyui declared as she pulled her own storage scroll from between her breasts.