Chapter 36 — Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku
"Where… am I?"
Kinoshita Hikaru was woken by the sound of teasing laughter. His vision was blurry, and he rubbed his eyes hard before finally seeing clearly.
"Uh… (︶︿︶)=凸"
Shouldn't an older brother be worried at a time like this? How could he still have the energy to flirt and joke around?
"You're awake? If you're fine, you should go home first! Hospitals are expensive, you know." Kinoshita Muraichi said, then turned to leave.
"Brother, where are you going? What about everyone else?"
"They've all gone home since they're fine. I'm taking Saisei-chan home myself—girls shouldn't walk alone, it's not safe (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)."
"No need, just spend some time with Hikaru. I can manage myself," Saisei quickly said.
"No worries, (ಡωಡ)," Muraichi smiled brightly, eyes only on Saisei.
As the older brother, he wanted to continue the Kinoshita family legacy. Don't blame me… forgive your brother. This will be the last time. ∪･ω･∪
"Huh?" Hikaru's face froze. He felt a surge of uncontrollable primal power, and just as he was about to act, he realized Muraichi had already left.
Could… this brother be returned?
He tried to move and discovered that his body had fully recovered—even his broken arm had healed completely.
"Amazing…"
Hikaru had broken numerous bones, yet a single sleep had restored him entirely. He couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of chakra.
What he didn't know was how many resources had been spent to heal him.
Flipping off the bed, he jumped a few times—completely fine, no trace of injury remained.
Guu~ His stomach growled loudly. A wave of hunger surged through him.
"So hungry!"
His face instantly went pale. All energy drained away, and he staggered forward, mind consumed by a single thought: meat.
Activating his Second Gear had consumed enormous stamina. In the final battle, he had fought himself to exhaustion. The hospital could heal injuries, but it didn't provide food.
…
The sky had darkened. Hikaru had no idea how long he had slept, and Muraichi hadn't said a word.
Hikaru switched to "wandering mode," eyes vacant, tongue lolling like a ghost.
Suddenly, a strong, appetizing aroma drifted to his nose. Unlike the sharp scent of grilled meat, this fragrance awakened his appetite in a subtler, more tantalizing way.
Hikaru looked up and saw the sign: "Ichiraku Ramen."
Even better, a red banner hung above: "Grand Opening Special – 30% off everything!"
Hikaru's interest instantly piqued. Ichiraku had finally opened a branch in Konoha.
This was the legendary shop that supposedly could never close—even surviving Pain's attack on the village. The man nicknamed "Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku" had finally arrived.
Excited, Hikaru strode toward Ichiraku Ramen—then stopped. He realized he had no money.
"My wallet… my frog wallet… where is it?"
Hikaru wailed. This was all his savings—gone.
Though he wasn't materialistic, as a big eater, he couldn't ignore the lack of funds. Every coin in that wallet came from selling hunted beast meat—earned through sweat and effort.
…
Meanwhile, Muraichi had the frog wallet in hand, buying gifts for Saisei with a flourish.
He hadn't realized his younger brother was so wealthy. What a careless older brother he was, not noticing earlier.
The small wallet contained over 200,000 ryo—equivalent to the reward for an A-rank mission.
"Sorry, little brother. I'm holding it for you. You're still young and can't handle it yet. Forgive me… this is the last time. (˘︶˘).｡.:*♡"
…
No money aside, food couldn't be skipped.
Hikaru took a deep breath and adjusted his stance. At this moment, his face flushed with health, showing none of the hunger that gnawed at him. He looked more like a curious child discovering something new.
He stepped into Ichiraku Ramen and immediately saw a young shop owner working hard, with two customers eating noodles at a table.
"Brother, what are you selling?" Kinoshita Hikaru asked, his large eyes full of curiosity.
At just twenty years old, calling him "brother" felt perfectly appropriate.
Hikaru then noticed a chubby, rosy-faced boy with bright lips and teeth.
"I sells ramen. It's really delicious! Would you like to try some? It's a new shop, and there's a special opening discount!"
"What kind of discount?"
"Thirty percent off everything, for three days."
Ichiraku held up three fingers. Between the discount and his skill, he was confident he could make a name for his ramen in Konoha.
"Even one bowl is thirty percent off?"
"Yes."
"What if I can't finish a bowl?" Hikaru's cheeks flushed red, and he looked shy.
Ichiraku thought carefully. He realized his ramen portions were huge—many kids couldn't finish a single bowl.
"You're right, little one. Tomorrow I'll offer small portions. To thank you, brother will treat you to a bowl."
Hikaru waved his hands repeatedly, face bright red. "I'm just asking. Mom always said we shouldn't take advantage of others."
So thoughtful and well-mannered—a good first impression immediately formed in Ichiraku's mind.
Satisfied with his own charm, Hikaru revealed his real purpose: "I'll go for now, brother. I forgot my money because I left in a hurry. I'll definitely come tomorrow to try your ramen."
He inhaled deeply, intoxicated by the aroma. "It smells amazing!"
If this weren't Konoha, Ichiraku might have been suspicious. But in the ninja world's busiest village, who would expect someone couldn't even afford a bowl of ramen? Besides, he had planned to treat him anyway.
"Don't worry, little one. You can eat first and pay tomorrow."
Mission accomplished.
Hikaru's face lit up, yet he pretended to be modest. "But I eat a lot."
Ichiraku didn't care. A little kid… how much could he possibly eat? He asked about not finishing a bowl—he's probably just embarrassed, he thought.
Without hesitation, Ichiraku made a bowl of tonkotsu ramen for Hikaru.
And then… Ichiraku's nightmare began.
One bowl.
Ten bowls.
A hundred bowls.
Ichiraku's eyes went blank. His hands shook nonstop, and his expression shifted from surprise, to shock, to sheer terror.
Hikaru, now round and full, shouted, "I'll pay tomorrow!" and bounced away.
Ichiraku didn't stop him. Only one thought ran through his mind: This is a ninja village kid? He's terrifying!
…
Full and satisfied, Hikaru smiled, recalling Ichiraku's expression.
He could have used some clever words to trick Ichiraku into giving him the meal for free—but he didn't.
No other reason than that it would ruin his image and wasn't worth it.
He strolled home slowly. Passing by the bath house, he noticed a patch of white hair on the roof.
It was dark now; without sharp eyes, one wouldn't notice. Curious, Hikaru crept closer. (*￣m￣)
There, hidden under a large camouflage cloth, only a tuft of hair was visible.
The cloth could fully cover the person, but they were too excited, wriggling around and exposing themselves.
Hikaru instantly knew who it was.
Lecherous. White-haired. Loves peeping.
Jiraiya.
His steps steady, Hikaru approached the bath house and leapt up the roof, yanking off the disguise. Eyes narrowed with suspicion, he asked, "What are you doing?"
Jiraiya: (´﹃｀)
***
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