"After all this time… we finally have the eyes we've been waiting for."
In a dark underground chamber, Black Zetsu clung to the body of a Venus Flytrap–like White Zetsu, his gaze fixed on the eerie Mangekyō Sharingan floating in a glass container.
Off to the side, Tobi complained with visible irritation as he watched Black Zetsu's almost fanatical fascination.
"Easy for you to say. You have no idea how much trouble I went through to get these eyes. Luckily this body isn't weak—and those Hashirama cells helped too—or else even I might've died at the hands of those Uchiha lunatics."
Hearing the complaint, Black Zetsu turned and gave him a sideways glance.
"Indeed, you've done well this time. But with these eyes, our plan can finally move forward again… As a reward, I'll give them to you."
Tobi blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Give them to me?"
"That's right," Black Zetsu said. "These eyes are yours to use from now on. They're crucial to your next mission—so make sure you don't damage them. Eyes with this much power shouldn't go to waste."
Tobi snorted.
"Tch. After all that talk, it still sounds like you're just sending me off on another errand."
Black Zetsu gave a chilling smile.
"Not this time. You've been hiding in the shadows of the shinobi world for so many years without ever tasting what power truly feels like, haven't you? Well, here's your chance—to experience what it's like to be a Kage."
"But before you enjoy that, there's one little thing you need to take care of first."
"Sheesh, stop being so cryptic already. Just spit it out."
At Tobi's impatient urging, Black Zetsu finally revealed the intel he had recently uncovered.
"At the border of the Land of Wind, there's a small nation called Rōran. According to the White Zetsu scouts stationed there, a mysterious figure appeared a few days ago—and ever since, strange phenomena have been occurring throughout the entire region."
"After some further digging, we learned that beneath Rōran lies a unique underground chakra stream known as the Ryūmyaku (Dragon Vein). It's a remarkable place. Even after all my centuries of existence, I had never heard of such a thing."
...
"Ahh… another beautiful day."
Early in the morning, Hoshiyomi stretched lazily as he looked out over the bustling village streets. People were already out and about, the air filled with chatter and warmth.
"Can't believe I'm saying this," he muttered to himself, "but I'm really not used to peaceful days anymore. Hah… it's funny, isn't it? Before I crossed over into this world, my life was always peaceful—and now that it is again, I actually feel restless. Humans really are fickle creatures."
As he was mumbling to himself, something caught his eye—an unusual commotion further down the street.
It looked like half the village was heading in that direction.
Curiosity piqued, Hoshiyomi followed the crowd. Before long, he could hear a lively voice shouting from ahead:
"Grand opening of Ichiraku Ramen! Everything half-price today!"
That single announcement instantly lifted Hoshiyomi's spirits.
"Wait—so the old 'Teuchi Ramen' finally changed its name to Ichiraku Ramen!?"
Excited by the thought, he quickened his pace. Sure enough, when he arrived at the familiar shopfront, it was overflowing with customers, the atmosphere lively and joyous.
The humble ramen stand that would one day become legendary—Ichiraku Ramen—had officially opened its doors.
Not only Hoshiyomi had come—there were plenty of familiar faces in the crowd as well: Might Duy and his son Might Guy, Kakashi, Asuma, and others were all lined up among the customers.
The ordinary townsfolk hadn't seen Hoshiyomi for quite some time, so at first, few of them noticed his presence.
But Duy and Guy, being loud and sharp-eyed as always, immediately spotted him and shouted at the top of their lungs:
"Ah! Isn't that Lord Hoshiyomi? Lord Hoshiyomi, are you here to try the newly opened Ichiraku Ramen too?"
Right beside him, Guy enthusiastically chimed in:
"Ah! Hot, steaming ramen—just like the burning passion of youth that my father and I share!"
A short distance away, Kakashi quietly took two steps to the side, muttering under his breath:
"Idiots… I was actually kind of looking forward to the ramen, but after hearing that, I've completely lost my appetite."
But that wasn't the main issue.
The real problem was that the surrounding crowd, upon hearing the father-and-son duo shout Hoshiyomi's name, suddenly turned their attention toward him.
"Ah! It really is Lord Hoshiyomi!"
"Yeah, it's been so long since I last saw him—I almost didn't recognize him! Damn it, how could I make such a mistake? I didn't even notice our village's guardian deity standing right there!"
As the crowd began to surge toward him, Hoshiyomi felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected his casual appearance to cause such a commotion.
From the ramen stand, Teuchi—busy tending to customers—also noticed Hoshiyomi from afar.
Sensing a golden business opportunity, he immediately called out loudly:
"Lord Hoshiyomi! Long time no see! How about coming to try my ramen? Even my father says my noodles are the best he's ever tasted!"
Hearing that, Hoshiyomi couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth.
And they say Teuchi is just an ordinary ramen shop owner?
As expected, never trust a man with squinting eyes—he's always scheming something.
That impromptu advertisement was perfectly timed, catching everyone off guard.
Still, Hoshiyomi had come precisely to try Ichiraku Ramen, so he didn't mind.
Besides, Teuchi's loud invitation meant he didn't have to wait in line anymore.
He could just sit down, enjoy his ramen, praise it a bit, then excuse himself and slip away gracefully from the crowd.
Thinking so, Hoshiyomi went ahead and took a seat inside Ichiraku Ramen.
He ordered a bowl of tonkotsu ramen and began chatting casually with Teuchi.
Through their small talk, he learned that Teuchi's father had recently retired, leaving the shop entirely to his son.
Teuchi had since taken over, expanded the restaurant by buying out two neighboring shops, and officially renamed it Ichiraku Ramen.
As for the ramen itself—Teuchi wasn't lying. His skills had already surpassed his father's.
After taking a few bites, even Hoshiyomi couldn't help but praise it, realizing why Naruto in the original story had loved this place so much.
But as he was finishing his bowl, something suddenly struck him.
Come to think of it… this scene—the opening of Ichiraku Ramen—felt oddly familiar.
Hadn't he seen this event before in his past life?
Could the shop's grand opening be connected to some kind of important incident?
It had been thirty years since he'd transmigrated—no wonder some of the less significant storylines had started to blur in his memory.
Just as Hoshiyomi was frowning in thought, trying to recall what event the opening of Ichiraku Ramen might have coincided with, two ANBU suddenly appeared from the distance.
"Lord Hoshiyomi," one of them said, bowing slightly,
"The Fifth Hokage requests your presence in the Hokage's office."