Time flew by. Autumn passed, and winter arrived.
A heavy snowfall blanketed Konoha, turning the entire village into a white world.
Yuzuru walked down the street, holding a skewer of tri-colored dango in his hand.
Suddenly, a tram roared past.
Sasori truly possessed extraordinary talent in mechanics.
In just a few short months, he had turned many of the ideas in his mind into reality, greatly improving people's daily lives.
Blueprints for automobiles, trams, and even airships had already been completed.
As long as Yuzuru was willing, these inventions could enter mass production at any time.
However, ever since obtaining the clan entry draws [All-around Development], the members of the Uchiha clan had been itching to make their move.
Within the clan, voices advocating war against the other hidden villages were growing louder by the day.
Yuzuru did not suppress these sentiments too much. Instead, he had Fugaku and the others draft a detailed plan.
After all, both the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire were nearly fully developed, and a new generation of shinobi had already been trained.
It was time to place the plan to unify the shinobi world back on the agenda.
"Lord Yuzuru!"
A pleasant voice called out from behind. Yuzuru turned and saw Kurenai jogging toward him with a bright smile.
His eyes lit up at the sight of her.
In the depths of winter, Kurenai was not dressed in her usual simple and efficient shinobi attire.
Instead, she wore a white dress hat wrapped with a red ribbon, adorned with several red roses above her right ear.
She had on a long red-and-white gown, its collar and shoulders trimmed with fluffy white fur, along with a pair of black lace gloves.
Combined with her ruby-like eyes, she exuded an elegant, vintage charm.
Noticing Yuzuru staring at her without blinking, she lowered her head shyly.
"Lord Yuzuru, are you free today?"
He asked curiously, "What's the occasion?"
"Well…" Kurenai pulled out a promotional flyer and smiled. "Ichiraku Ramen is holding a gluttony competition today. Whoever wins the championship will receive a lifetime fifty-percent discount."
"I heard a lot of people have signed up. It's bound to be lively."
"Lord Yuzuru, would you like to go take a look together?"
Ever since Yuzuru had helped Kurama Yakumo recover her health, Kurenai had treated him to meals several times.
And with Yakumo and Rin acting as a bridge, her relationship with him had grown quite close.
Naturally, he had no reason to refuse her invitation.
He smiled and nodded. "Let's go have a look."
A trace of delight appeared clearly on her face.
The two walked side by side through the snow and soon arrived at a magnificent restaurant.
Although the world's development had diverged greatly from the original timeline due to Yuzuru's influence, Ichiraku Ramen remained the most popular ramen shop in Konoha.
In fact, thanks to his large-scale reforms, Ichiraku had risen with the tide. Its current scale was far beyond anything seen before.
At this moment, several layers of people were already crowded in front of the entrance.
With a quick glance, Yuzuru spotted quite a few familiar faces.
"Yo, Kakashi! Appetite is an indispensable measure of a man's strength! So let's compete!"
"Let's see who can eat more this time!"
"Youth means devouring ramen with all your might!"
Dressed in a green jumpsuit, Might Guy shoved a thoroughly unwilling Kakashi into Ichiraku.
Behind them, Obito walked in with his hands in his pockets.
Soon after came Genma Shiranui, Ebisu, and Hayate Gekkō.
Once they entered, Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara quietly followed.
"Hehehe… This time I'm definitely going to see what Kakashi-sensei really looks like. I bet he's got sausage lips!" Naruto declared confidently.
Gaara frowned. "I think Kakashi-sensei should be a handsome guy."
"Sasuke-niisan, what do you think?"
Sasuke snorted lightly. "What's the point of guessing someone else's face? No matter how handsome he is, he can't be more handsome than me."
The moment he said that, Naruto exaggeratedly made a face as if he had smelled something awful.
"Who just let one rip? Hurry up, let's go. If we don't move, we won't get good seats."
Behind the three of them, a passionate Rock Lee walked in while doing a handstand in his green jumpsuit.
"Let's head in too."
Seeing the crowd growing larger, Yuzuru and Kurenai quickly went inside and found seats with a wide view.
No sooner had Yuzuru sat down than a slightly shy voice sounded nearby.
"Neji-niisan, do I really have to participate in this kind of competition?"
"Of course. Hinata, you're one of the top favorites to win. I absolutely don't believe anyone can surpass you when it comes to eating."
Neji finished confidently and pressed Hinata into the contestant's seat.
Before long, Ino and Sakura walked in as well.
Noticing Sakura studying her textbook intently, Ino complained, "Sakura, stop reading that dumb book at a time like this."
"We're not machines. We need to relax."
Without lifting her head, Sakura replied, "Ino, I'll close the book once the competition starts. Don't disturb me for now."
While the two were arguing, Chōza and Chōji walked in side by side.
Their arrival immediately drew most people's attention.
"Look, it's shinobi from the Akimichi clan. They actually signed up too!"
"Well, that's it. No need to think about it. The final champion is definitely going to be one of the Akimichi."
"Anyone want to open betting? Let's wager on who will win the championship."
At that suggestion, everyone grew excited, pulling out money and tossing it onto the table.
"I'm betting on Chōza."
"Me too."
"Why is everyone betting on Chōza? Isn't anyone picking someone else?"
"I'm betting on Hinata."
Hearing that, everyone turned to look and saw an ordinary-looking man.
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… Are you here to donate money? Even if you don't bet on a top favorite like Chōza, you shouldn't bet on a little girl!"
The man paid no attention to their mockery.
Beside him, Kurenai couldn't help whispering, "Lord Yuzuru, with Hinata's small frame, can she really win?"
Yuzuru nodded calmly. "Don't worry. When I win the money, I'll take you out to spend it."
"Days like this are perfect for soaking in a hot spring."