Naruto Dream Fulfillment Master!

Chapter 6 An Ordinary Ichiraku Ramen Employee

It was still early, and the ramen shop was rather deserted as there were no other customers.

The air is filled with the rich aroma of pork bone broth, making one's mouth water.

The soul of the noodle shop, Uncle Hand-Kneading, is wearing an apron and busy behind the stove, skillfully kneading dough and preparing the ingredients needed to open the shop.

Beside him, a black-haired, black-eyed boy, wearing the same apron, was methodically washing dishes and wiping the bar counter, his movements swift and practiced.

It was just the right time for rain.

"Yo! Naruto!" Shigure heard the noise at the door, looked up, and saw Naruto and the others. A teasing smile appeared on his face as he greeted them familiarly, "I could hear your loud voice from far away. What brings you here so early today?"

"Hehe! Brother Shigure!" Naruto was overjoyed to see Shigure. He plopped down on the highest stool at the bar and excitedly replied, "We're going on a mission today! Kakashi-sensei is treating, and I'm going to have a super-sized deluxe char siu miso ramen!"

As he spoke, he expertly picked up the menu and added, "By the way, Brother Shigure, where's Sister Ayame? I haven't seen her today."

While wiping the bar, Shiyu casually replied, "Sister Changpu? She went to get more stock."

In Konoha, the ramen shop owner Teuchi and Ayame, as well as Shigure, who was later adopted, were among the very few people who did not look at Naruto with strange eyes.

Especially Shiyu, who never discriminated against him.

When the shop wasn't busy, Shigure would often sneak out to play with Naruto, teach him some strange games, or listen to him confide his troubles.

Therefore, Naruto trusted Shigure very much.

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura each found a seat and casually ordered the ramen they wanted.

Kakashi ordered a regular bowl of miso ramen, Sasuke ordered a tomato ramen, and Sakura hesitated for a long time before finally deciding between "maintaining her figure" and "not wasting the teacher's treat" and ordered a relatively light vegetable ramen.

"Alright! One extra-large portion of char siu miso ramen! One portion of miso ramen! One portion of tomato ramen! One portion of vegetable ramen!" Shigure wrote down the orders one by one, then skillfully walked to the stove and began cooking noodles, preparing soup, and adding ingredients.

He had been working as a kitchen helper here for several years, and the ramen-making skills had long been passed down to him by the master chef. He had learned at least seven or eight parts of the true skills, if not surpassed.

"Sigh... Me, a top-notch 21st-century psychologist, transmigrated to the ninja world, and instead of learning the Flying Thunder God Technique or the Rasengan, the first skill I maxed out was... cooking Ichiraku Ramen?! What kind of nonsense is this?!"

Despite inwardly cursing, Shigure's hands moved with lightning speed.

Soon, four bowls of steaming hot and fragrant ramen were ready.

"Here comes the ramen, everyone!" Shigure carried bowls of ramen to the counter.

"Wow! It smells so good!" Naruto looked at the super luxurious ramen bowl in front of him, piled high with char siu, soft-boiled egg, naruto rolls, bamboo shoots, and seaweed, and his mouth was practically watering.

He clasped his hands together and said energetically, "I'm starting!"

Then, he couldn't wait to pick up the bowl of noodles, which was bigger than his face, bury his head in it, and start slurping it down like crazy, with soup splashing everywhere. His eating manners were indescribable.

"Hey, Naruto, your eating manners are really awful." Sakura immediately showed a disgusted expression, and didn't forget to turn to Sasuke on the other side and praise him in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Sasuke-kun is so elegant, even the way he eats is so handsome, he truly deserves to be the young master of the prestigious Uchiha clan."

Sasuke ignored Sakura's infatuation and, like a nobleman, picked up a small handful of noodles with his chopsticks, put them into his mouth with standard and elegant movements, and chewed them slowly.

Naruto, upon hearing Sakura's words, raised his head in dissatisfaction, his mouth full of noodles, and mumbled in protest, "Ugh, you annoying guy, trying to look cool again. Ramen is meant to be eaten in big bites, you know."

As he spoke, he slurped up a large mouthful of noodle soup, making a loud slurping sound, deliberately trying to annoy Sakura.

"You bastard..." Sakura was so angry that the veins on her forehead throbbed.

Kakashi looked at the three energetic brats in front of him, shook his head helplessly, and felt his stomach starting to hurt.

He silently ate the ramen in his bowl, while his exposed eye subtly observed Naruto, who was engrossed in eating.

The timing... is about right.

Kakashi put down his chopsticks and, feigning nonchalance, asked, "Speaking of which, Naruto..."

"Hmm?" Naruto looked up, soup still on his lips.

Kakashi looked at him and asked in a tone that tried to sound casual, "Do you... remember what your parents... looked like?"

"Eh?"

Naruto was taken aback upon hearing this.

Her bright blue eyes, which had been sparkling with excitement over the delicious food, instantly dimmed.

The atmosphere in the entire ramen shop seemed to become somewhat heavy because of Kakashi's question.

Sakura and Sasuke also stopped eating and looked at Kakashi with some surprise, not understanding why their teacher would suddenly ask such a question.

Naruto lowered his head, looked at the remaining noodles in the bowl, and remained silent for a moment.

He looked at Kakashi with a mix of confusion and bewilderment: "K-Kakashi-sensei...why are you suddenly asking this?"

Everyone seemed a bit strange today.

First Sakura inexplicably beat me up, then Sasuke looked at me with strange eyes, and now even Kakashi-sensei is asking me these weird questions...

He pursed his lips, his voice lowering, carrying a hint of barely perceptible loss and confusion: "What my parents look like... how could I possibly know... I..."

He paused, as if remembering something, then shook his head vigorously, forcing a smile that looked worse than a grimace.

"As far back as I can remember... I've always been alone... I've never... seen them."

Kakashi felt a pang in his heart when he saw Naruto's forced composure masking his disappointment.

He realized that his question might have been too direct and too cruel.

"Ah... I'm sorry, Naruto." Kakashi quickly apologized, his voice a little hoarse. "I was just... asking casually, I didn't mean anything by it."

"N-nothing!" Naruto immediately looked up, flashing Kakashi a carefree, bright smile, and waved his hand vigorously. "I'm used to it. I don't even know who they are, so there's no point in thinking about it. Eating ramen is more important! Hehe!"

Although he said that, the loneliness hidden deep in his smile did not escape Kakashi's eyes.

Naruto is optimistic by nature, or rather, he is used to using a carefree smile to cover up his inner pain.

It wasn't the first time he'd been unaware of who his parents were. Although he still occasionally felt sad and envious, he was able to adjust quickly.

He lowered his head, no longer dwelling on the issue, and continued to eat his favorite ramen with gusto, as if only the deliciousness of the food could fill the void in his heart.

Kakashi's expression darkened further as he watched Naruto engrossed in eating his noodles.

"As expected... he has no idea what his parents look like or hear... then what I saw and heard in my dream last night... could absolutely not be a reflection of Naruto's subconscious!"

This completely overturned one of his previous guesses.

So...

That being who can accurately recreate Kushina-senpai's image and voice in dreams...

What exactly is it?

What is its purpose...?

One question after another, like heavy dark clouds, weighed on Kakashi's mind, making even the ramen in his bowl seem rather tasteless.

……

Behind the bar, Shigure was methodically clearing away the dishes, taking in the whole scene.

Looking at Kakashi's furrowed brows, solemn gaze, and the fleeting hint of inquiry and apprehension in his eyes, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Tsk tsk... No wonder he became the Sixth Hokage. Former ANBU captain, copy ninja, Konoha technician—a 50/50 match... His sharpness, his analytical ability, tsk tsk tsk... But..."

"Go ahead and investigate! Even if you're the famous detective Kakashi, using your Sharingan as a magnifying glass, you still couldn't possibly find anything about an ordinary ramen shop."

Thinking of this, a pleasant yet mysterious smile once again appeared on Shi Yu's lips.

Kakashi's efforts were destined to be in vain.

……

The breakfast, which had a somewhat awkward atmosphere, came to an end quickly.

Kakashi paid the money with a heavy heart.

The three members of Class 7 also ate and drank their fill.

"Brother Shigure, we're off." Naruto patted his round belly, stood up contentedly, and announced triumphantly to Shigure, who was wiping the table, "We're going to carry out a great ninja mission now, the kind of super powerful and super dangerous mission that only true ninjas can take on. You just wait here for my triumphant return, hahaha."

Shi Yu smiled at his excited expression, as if he were about to save the world, and waved goodbye: "Okay~ Take care on the road."

"Silly boy... a dangerous mission, you think... you'll be catching cats, walking dogs, and pulling weeds, but..."

Shigure's gaze fell on Naruto's energetic back, and her eyes became somewhat meaningful.

"Today isn't all bad for you, at least... tonight you'll finally know..."

What do my parents look like now?