Naruto: Skill Editing System

"No, no, no, I insist. This meal was my idea in the first place!"

"Come on, Yuuki, I ate more than all of you combined. Let me pay. Besides, my family owns a share of this place, so I can get a discount!"

"How could I possibly agree to that? Sigh, I guess I have no choice but to let you cover it this time. Choza, don't worry! Next time, it's on me!"

Creak.

Hirakawa Yuuki stepped out of Barbecue Q, patting his full stomach with his left hand and his still-plump wallet with his right. His mood was rare and cheerful.

He moved aside from the entrance to make room for the others as they came out.

"So, what do we do next?"

Mikoto Uchiha, who had been quiet and reserved the entire time, finally spoke up.

Yuuki was momentarily at a loss for words.

Weren't they supposed to go their separate ways after the meal?

"I know a great spot! Want me to take you there?"

As expected, Kushina Uzumaki, always the lively one, had thought of something fun and couldn't wait to share it.

The girls were immediately on board. Without giving Yuuki or Minato a chance to refuse, they dragged them along.

Of course, the now round-bellied Choza Akimichi got roped in as well.

Although Kushina kept the location of this "great spot" a secret no matter how they asked, as they drew closer, Yuuki started to figure it out.

"Are we going up to the Hokage Rock?"

Climbing the spiraling stairs, Kushina finally stopped being mysterious.

"Yep! I'm telling you, up there, there aren't any houses. Just a few administrative buildings, so there's a huge open space. It's the highest point in the village, and the view is amazing. You can see all of Konoha from up there. You're gonna love it."

Leading the way, Kushina brought the group up to their destination.

Just like she said, the top of the Hokage Rock was a wide, unobstructed space.

They walked to the edge, and soon everyone was admiring the scenery.

From up there, Konoha spread out like a painting, with the Hokage Tower at its center and buildings fanning outwards.

It was afternoon now, and the sun hung low, casting golden light that bathed the village in a warm glow.

The sweeping view, the soft breeze brushing their cheeks, the tranquil atmosphere...

It made you want to lie down and relax.

And that's exactly what Yuuki did. He found a patch of grass shaded by a tree and flopped down.

Minato and Choza followed his example, lying down and gazing lazily at the clouds.

The girls stayed by the edge, sitting together and taking in the view.

Time slipped by, and before long the sky darkened. Everyone was thoroughly content.

Gurgle.

A strange noise broke the peaceful moment. Yuuki turned to look.

Choza had sat up, rubbing his belly with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten all afternoon. Got hungry again."

"Then let's go eat!"

Kushina was quick to suggest.

"I just found a really great noodle shop the other day."

"Sounds good."

Her eyes fell on Yuuki.

"You promised to treat today, but Choza paid for lunch. This time, it's your turn."

Yuuki's mouth twitched. In the end, his wallet hadn't escaped its fate.

Refusing would seem stingy now, so he could only agree.

"Alright. Where's this noodle shop?"

He asked, though deep down he already had a good guess.

Hokage. Konoha. Noodle shop.

The answer was obvious.

"Come on, I'll take you there!"

Kushina led the charge down from the Hokage Rock.

Ichiraku Ramen

Yuuki stood on the street, staring at the sign.

"I didn't expect Ichiraku to have opened this early."

He lifted the curtain and stepped inside. The rich aroma hit him instantly, making his eyes light up.

Even without tasting it, the smell alone promised a good meal.

He glanced around and spotted the legendary ramen master himself, Teuchi.

At this point, Teuchi was still young, no wrinkles on his cheeks, his posture straight, looking full of energy. He was far younger than when he appeared in the original story.

Beside him, instead of his daughter Ayame, there was a pretty woman Yuuki didn't recognize. Judging by how close she stood to Teuchi, she was probably the wife who never appeared in the original timeline.

Despite his youth, Teuchi already had those signature squinty eyes. When he saw them come in, he greeted them cheerfully.

"Welcome! What would you like today?"

"One Ichiraku special, please!"

"I'll have char siu."

"Green onion ramen?"

Yuuki studied the menu on the wall. It was all noodles, but there was actually a surprising variety.

In the end, he ordered the Ichiraku special and found an empty seat.

Teuchi worked fast, and soon six steaming bowls were served.

Snap.

Yuuki broke apart his chopsticks and looked at his bowl.

The creamy white broth glistened beneath a swirl of noodles, with thick slices of char siu covering the top. Halved marinated eggs, naruto slices, and bright green scallions completed the dish.

He picked up a mouthful of noodles. The steam rose up, bringing with it the mouthwatering scent of pork bone broth and roasted meat.

Slurp.

The noodles were perfectly chewy, neither too soft nor too firm.

Yuuki savored the taste, then took a sip of the broth.

His eyebrows rose in pleasant surprise. This was good.

Without hesitation, he dug in.

By the time he polished off his bowl, he was comfortably full.

Meanwhile, Choza was already on his third bowl.

Thankfully, Yuuki had glanced at the prices when they came in. Even if they ordered every type of ramen on the menu, it wouldn't cost as much as that barbecue feast earlier.

"Ahh, I'm stuffed."

When Choza finally hit his limit after his seventh bowl, he leaned back against the counter, rubbing his belly in satisfaction.

Yuuki went to pay. The pretty woman who seemed to be Teuchi's wife waved off the small change, and the total came to two thousand ryo.

Full and happy, the group parted ways outside the shop, each heading home.

Walking through the streets, Yuuki looked up at the bright, round moon.

He thought of his parents waiting for him at home, and his heart felt at peace.

But the tension in the shinobi world still weighed on his mind.

War could break out at any moment.

All Yuuki could do was train harder each day and be ready.

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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter