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Naruto rushed over and hugged Ikeno excitedly.
"Haha, you beat him! That's amazing! To celebrate, you have to treat me to ramen after school!"
Well… all right.
From start to finish, Sasuke stood in a daze. Toshi dispelled the ninjutsu, and the massive flame dissipated into the air, leaving behind only a faint cloud of smoke.
Everyone was left in stunned silence.
When they looked at Toshi again, it was as if they had seen a ghost.
All of the classmates had been envious of Sasuke's Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique. But none of them could have expected that this new transfer student from the blacksmith shop would be even more powerful!
Iruka was so shocked that he couldn't even close his mouth. When the Third Hokage placed Ikeno in his class, he had been puzzled. Could a student who had dropped out and didn't even know the Three Body Technique graduate in three months?
Now he finally understood—this kid was a hidden genius!
"The purpose of going to school is just to get a diploma, then naturally become a ninja..."
"All right, the test is over... Ikeno, don't forget the Seal of Reconciliation."
Ikeno nodded and approached Sasuke, extending his hand.
Sasuke, still in shock, was no longer the same overconfident figure. However, he refused Ikeno's help and stood up on his own.
The classmates looked at them with a mix of sympathy, surprise, and some with schadenfreude.
Sakura shot a disgusted look at Ikeno. "Another idiot as annoying as Naruto, idiot!"
On the contrary, Hinata had little stars in her eyes, clearly impressed by Ikeno. He caught her gaze and smiled warmly at her.
Once the test was over, Iruka calmed down and asked, "Ikeno, you must have trained hard to reach this level, right? Can you share your experience with your classmates?"
Toshi was unsure how to answer. How could he explain that he'd used the technique hundreds of times in some mysterious space to improve his proficiency? He just scratched his head and laughed. "This was actually my first time using it today..."
What?!
First time using it?!
Hearing this, the crowd exploded with astonishment. How could he be so strong the very first time?
Sasuke felt conflicted. The inconspicuous new guy was actually a master in hiding, and in his mind, Sasuke thought, "This guy isn't someone to underestimate."
However, Sasuke still maintained his dignity. Walking up to Ikeno, he gave a faint smile.
"You win this time."
With that, he put his hands in his pockets and walked away from the training ground, while his admirers cheered him on regardless.
Meanwhile, across the village, Danzo sat in a dim room surrounded by close advisors. His eyes were narrowed as he thought deeply. He had been shocked by the strength displayed by this new kid, Ikeno. Danzo suspected that Ikeno's association with Naruto was no coincidence.
Naruto, the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails... This was what concerned Danzo. Could it be that Ikeno was trying to use Naruto for his own plans?
Danzo, caught in his own paranoid thoughts, saw Ikeno as a threat that could undermine his ambition of becoming Hokage. "Assemble a team of ten," he ordered grimly.
…
After school, as the golden sunset bathed Konoha, Naruto couldn't contain his excitement. He demanded ramen to celebrate, and Ikeno agreed with a smile.
"Really?! Oh yeah, long live!"
Naruto jumped up in joy. "Ikeno, you're truly my best friend!"
He usually ran out quickly, and by the end of the month, he would have to rely on Iruka for ramen. Today, however, Naruto was thrilled to have Ikeno foot the bill.
The two made their way to Ichiraku Ramen.
"Alright! Let's dig in!" Naruto clapped his hands in excitement.
Half an hour later, Naruto leaned back, rubbing his full stomach with satisfaction. In front of him, eight empty bowls were stacked high.
"I've been tight on money lately, so I haven't eaten ramen in over a month... I didn't realize I'd order this much, haha."
Ikeno stared at the towering stack of bowls, speechless. "A little much? That's eight bowls! In my past life, you'd be a mukbang star…"
Normally, the prices in Konoha weren't high. The cheapest ramen was just sixty Ryo. But Toshi had spent most of his money on ninja tools and weights, leaving him with only two hundred taels in his pocket.
As Naruto smiled innocently, Ikeno glanced at the window, thinking quickly. He touched his nearly empty wallet and grinned mischievously.
Naruto, feeling completely satisfied, said, "Toshi, I'm sorry to have cost you so much today..."
Bang!
Naruto turned, expecting to see Ikeno beside him, but instead saw a doll of a traveling frog, the same one displayed in the toy shop across the street.
Ikeno had pulled a fast one, using the Body Replacement Technique to slip away!
Naruto nearly exploded with frustration. Even eating just one bowl of ramen usually stretched his budget for the next few days, but today, there were eight bowls!
Sister, the ramen server, smiled brightly and stretched out her hand toward Naruto. "Thank you for your business!"
Ichiraku Ramen had been kind to Naruto, sometimes offering free meals. But this time, Naruto was once again forced to pay on credit.
Despite the mishap, it didn't affect Naruto's friendship with Ikeno. They quickly grew closer, bonding over their shared antics and personality quirks.
And as Toshi pondered his now-empty wallet, he realized he had to find a way to earn some quick cash. He decided to return to the blacksmith shop and help out with an innovative idea.
Bringing an electric blower from his space storage, he demonstrated its use to the blacksmith, who was amazed by its efficiency. In exchange for the invention, Ikeno earned 1,000 Ryo!
With his money problem solved for now, the system suddenly jumped out with a new sign-in task...
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