Chapter 35: Ichiraku meetings and assistance ramen stand

Chapter 35 - Ichiraku meetings and assistance ramen stand At Ichiraku Ramen, Ren and his teammates entered together, deciding on ramen since it was a favorite food among most people in Konoha. Teuchi glanced up from behind the counter, and upon spotting Ren, greeted him warmly. "Oh, Ren-kun! You're here. Congrats on becoming a genin. You and your friends get a bowl on the house!" He smiled, noticing Ren's headband and the two people standing beside him. Ren grinned. He had been visiting Ichiraku Ramen at least once a week since arriving in this world two years ago, so he had naturally built a good relationship with Teuchi. "Thanks, Teuchi-san. These are Yugao and Hitoshi, my teammates," he said, introducing them. Teuchi nodded before glancing around. "I don't see your sensei. Is he on the way?" Just as Yugao was about to answer, a sudden whoosh filled the air, and Utakata appeared behind the three. "Good. I was expecting to see you spend some time together to get to know each other even if I wasn't here. You didn't disappoint me. Sit. I'll treat you." He said all this in one breath and then signaled Teuchi with his eyes, a silent message that made the older man chuckle. "Well, since your sensei is treating you, I'll hold onto that free bowl for another time," Teuchi said, shaking his head lightly as he moved behind the counter. The three young genin sat down, feeling as if they had somehow passed an unexpected test from their teacher. Silence lingered for a moment before Yugao turned to Ren and asked, "How old are you?" Ren blinked. He had expected something more meaningful, but he still answered, "Eight." She turned to Hitoshi, who simply responded, "Nine." "I'm ten," she finished, and once again, silence settled over them. None of the four were particularly talkative, so casual small talk wasn't something that came naturally. Teuchi soon returned with four steaming bowls and placed them in front of them. "I remember when your sensei and your father used to come here with their team," he remarked, pointing at Ren. Yugao turned toward Ren, who nodded. "Yeah, my dad told me in my first year that he was teammates with Utakata-sensei," he confirmed before continuing to eat his noodles. Teuchi then glanced at Yugao. "How's Shinrai? I haven't seen him in quite a while." "You know my dad?" Yugao asked, a bit surprised. "Of course! Shinrai used to get forced by his friends to pay for their meals all the time, so he's quite memorable," Teuchi said with a chuckle. Yugao blushed and quickly stuffed her mouth with noodles, mumbling, "He's fine." Teuchi then turned to Hitoshi, but knowing the Aburame clan's reserved nature, he didn't push him into conversation. Instead, he simply nodded, and Hitoshi gave a silent nod in return before continuing his meal. Once they finished, Utakata paid the bill and stood up. "Training ground one. 8 AM," he instructed before flickering away, leaving the three genin to process the day's events. {At night} Late at night, Ren once again found himself at Ichiraku Ramen, this time accompanied by his father. As they stepped inside, Teuchi glanced up from behind the counter and greeted them with a warm smile. "Oh, Ren-kun, twice in a day? And this time with your father, I see." Ren nodded, and Juichi chuckled. "Hey, Teuchi-san. Just wanted to celebrate this brat becoming a genin." He reached over and ruffled Ren's hair, making the boy scowl slightly. "Haha, sit down! I'll bring you something good." Teuchi laughed and disappeared into the kitchen. As they settled into their seats, Juichi glanced at Ren and asked, "So, how does it feel to be a genin?" Ren shrugged. "Doesn't feel any different. Just an extra headband. But it's nice to not be stuck in the academy all day." Juichi chuckled. "You'll feel it soon enough when the missions start," he said knowingly. Before Ren could respond, Teuchi returned with steaming bowls of ramen, setting them down with a satisfied grin. They both dug in, enjoying the warmth of the food, when Ren suddenly asked, "Hey, Dad... can you get someone you know as your jonin sensei?" Juichi glanced at him, then nodded. "Yeah, if a jonin volunteers to take a student, the village usually allows it." He paused, then continued, "It's not really a big deal. Konoha already has a shortage of jonins willing to train genin squads, so if someone steps up, the village agrees. The only exception is for direct family members." Ren nodded in understanding. "So... did Utakata-sensei volunteer to train us?" Juichi shook his head. "No. The village assigned him your squad, and he didn't object." Something about the way he spoke made Ren pause. His father had turned his face slightly to the side, avoiding his gaze. Ren could tell Juichi wasn't telling him the whole story maybe he had asked Utakata to take him as a student but he decided not to press the matter further. They continued eating, finishing their last bowls in silence, when Juichi suddenly turned to Ren with a more serious expression. "All right, listen up, kid." His tone was firm, and Ren immediately straightened. "You might not feel anything different now, even after becoming a genin, but remember this the moment you put on that headband, you became a shinobi." Ren remained silent as Juichi continued, "When an enemy sees a kid as young as you wearing a Konoha headband, they won't underestimate you. In fact, they'll see you as an even bigger threat than an adult ninja. Do you know why?" Ren shook his head slightly. "Because anyone who can earn that headband at such a young age is undoubtedly a genius. They'll assume you're dangerous. So what will they do?" Juichi leaned in slightly. "They'll make sure to eliminate you first." "You'll have a teacher for now, but he won't always be there to help you. If something goes wrong, you'll be on your own. That's why you must always be cautious. Always take every mission seriously, no matter how easy it seems. And most importantly" Juichi tapped his temple, "always listen to what your gut tells you. A shinobi's instincts are their greatest weapon." There was a heavy silence between them. Then Juichi exhaled, his expression softening slightly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace, shaped like a flame, and placed it in Ren's palm. "This was given to me by my father when I became a genin," he said, his voice laced with nostalgia. "It's been my lucky charm ever since." Ren stared at the necklace, tracing its edges with his fingers. Juichi gave a small chuckle. "During the Nine-Tails attack, the string on this broke. I knew it was a bad sign, but even then, I couldn't stop. Do you know why?" Ren looked up, shaking his head. Juichi smiled, though there was something bittersweet in his expression. "Because there were people I cared about who were in danger. And even if I knew I might die, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. If I could help, even a little, then it was worth it." Ren held onto his father's words, letting them sink deep into his heart. Juichi patted his shoulder. "Even though I told you to always trust your instincts, there might come a time when you'll have to ignore them for the sake of something or someone you can't abandon. And when that time comes..." he gave Ren a knowing look, "at least you'll be able to live without regrets." Ren clenched the necklace in his hand. Juichi let out a sigh, then ruffled Ren's hair again, breaking the tension. "All right, enough serious talk. Get going, brat. I've got something to take care of." Ren stood up holding the necklace and walked away after glancing at his father. {After some time} Utakata slipped onto the seat beside Juichi, his movements so quiet that most wouldn't have noticed, but Juichi didn't even lift his head as he spoke. "So, how were they?" "Better than I expected," Utakata answered, his tone as neutral as ever. "For their first time fighting together, they were unexpectedly good. They even managed to dispel my clone." Juichi let out a laugh, slamming his thigh. "I told you they'd be good. The old man personally picked the other two." Utakata nodded slightly. "I thought he would pair Ren with Eiji Nakamura, but I didn't expect him to form the First Dispatch Team when one of its members is still in active duty." His gaze shifted towards Juichi, his meaning clear. Juichi picked up the cup of juice that Teuchi had placed in front of him at some point, taking a slow sip before answering, "The team got an urgent mission about the snake's whereabouts." He paused, meeting Utakata's eyes. "They've been unreachable for two months. One more month, and they'll be declared dead." Utakata fell silent, his fingers lightly tapping against the counter. He finally let out a quiet sigh. "Looks like I've been out of touch with village affairs for a while." Juichi didn't comment on that, instead shifting the topic with a smirk. "So, how does it feel to be leading a team? I always knew I wasn't suited to be an instructor, but you? The old man had his eyes on you as a teacher the moment you made jonin." Utakata glanced at Juichi, then exhaled lightly. "I considered taking a team under me for a while... but after what happened to his team, my motivation faded." His voice was steady, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. "But when I saw your boy during his first spar, he reminded me of him so much. So I decided whether I became his jonin instructor or not I would train him after the academy." Juichi's casual expression darkened instantly, his voice turning cold. "He might have similarities, but don't shape my kid as you see fit just because you feel guilty." The air between them grew heavy, but Utakata merely met Juichi's gaze without flinching. For a long moment, neither spoke. Then, Teuchi placed another drink in front of them, cutting through the tension like a silent mediator. Juichi finally leaned back, exhaling through his nose. "You're not wrong," Utakata finally said, breaking the silence. "But I won't force anything on him. The boy's already walking his own path. All I can do is make sure he survives it." Juichi stared at him for a moment longer before scoffing, picking up his drink again. "Hmph. Just don't screw it up." The tense atmosphere was abruptly broken by Teuchi's sudden laughter. "You know, Juichi," he said, amusement lacing his voice, "Utakata here actually forgot to treat his team or do any real bonding with them. And when he finally remembered, he turned it into a test to see if the students would bond on their own." Juichi, instantly catching onto Teuchi's intentions, scoffed and smirked at Utakata. "Seriously? You turned your own forgetfulness into some grand plan? That's the most Utakata thing I've ever heard." He leaned back, clearly enjoying himself as he continued, "What was next? If they didn't bond, were you going to give them another 'test' to see if they could figure out teamwork without a sensei?" Utakata remained as expressionless as ever, but if one looked closely, they'd notice the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips just enough to betray the fact that he wasn't entirely unaffected by the teasing. Teuchi chuckled again, shaking his head. "Some things never change." {A whole Chapter at Ichiraku's}