He had the habit of buying steamed buns filled with meat for breakfast after his morning training.
But this time, thanks to the headband, he overtrained. By the time he finished, it was already late, and the street vendors had disappeared.
Not overthinking it, he decided to go to Ichiraku Ramen to treat himself to a full meal.
Before that, during his encounter with Naruto, when he grabbed his wrist, he had "accidentally" scratched it and obtained a drop of his blood.
And, as always, the system didn't disappoint.
[Forge material detected: "Incomplete Immortal Blood" and "Remaining Power of Ashura." These materials allow the creation of the special item "Fairy Crystal." Do you wish to proceed with forging?]
With Naruto right in front of him, of course, he said no.
When Naruto left, he didn't rush to forge anything either. Although he was excited inside, outwardly, he remained calm, as if his encounter with Naruto had been insignificant.
By morning, the village was more lively than ever. Besides Konoha's residents, many visitors from outside filled the streets.
Kuro walked among the crowd, occasionally smiling at people he didn't know or returning greetings to those who recognized him.
Over the past few years, he had run around the village like crazy, and although he didn't know everyone's names, their faces were familiar.
As he moved forward, people began to scatter in front of him. Two figures dressed in black and wearing animal masks suddenly appeared in his field of vision.
ANBU?!
For a second, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
He had already anticipated this would happen.
Just by talking to Naruto, they were coming to interrogate him. As if he hadn't been born and raised in Konoha...
He sighed internally as the ANBU approached quickly, moving so fast that the people around probably thought they had teleported.
Kuro looked at them with a surprised expression, slightly opening his mouth as if confused.
"Don't worry, kid. We just want to ask you a few questions."
The ANBU with the fox mask, standing to his right, spoke in a neutral tone, his voice betraying no emotion.
Kuro took a deep breath and nodded, feigning calmness.
"Of course, go ahead."
The two ANBU exchanged a quick glance. They were slightly surprised by the boy's composure but showed nothing else.
In a world where children matured quickly due to circumstances, Kuro was not an anomaly.
"What did you talk about with Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Naruto Uzumaki?"
"The boy you met at Training Ground 14."
"Oh, him. We just talked about unimportant things..."
Kuro recounted everything he had said to Naruto, hiding nothing.
After hearing his explanation, the ANBU simply nodded and, without another word, disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.
Kuro barely had time to relax when, suddenly, two other "ANBU" appeared before him.
At first glance, their outfits were identical to the previous ones, but something was different in their eyes.
They were cold… almost inhuman, like emotionless machines.
"Don't worry. We just want to ask you a few questions."
The tone was similar to the previous ones, but this time there was a clear indifference and a subtle note of authority in their voices.
Kuro instinctively took a couple of steps back, but another "ANBU" appeared behind him, blocking any chance of escape.
The "ANBU" in front of him stared intently, and Kuro could feel a hidden killing intent in his posture.
This is a threat.
Kuro gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down.
I haven't done anything wrong. I was born in Konoha, grew up here. Even if these guys are from Root, they can't just target someone from their own village without reason.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to clear the fear from his mind, and when he opened them again, his gaze was calm and direct.
The "ANBU" in front of him seemed to notice the change, and even a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.
"What was your question?" Kuro asked with an indifferent expression, as if he hadn't heard properly.
Internally, he praised himself for his performance. In his previous life, he wasn't an actor nor had any special drama skills, but seeing his acting now, he could have been hired for Titanic.
Since arriving in this world, loneliness had forced him to learn to control his expressions. His face now reflected an almost natural indifference, as if he didn't care what was happening.
Even in front of a ninja with years of experience, Kuro knew he wouldn't let any hidden intentions slip.
The "ANBU" in front of him held his gaze for a moment longer, then withdrew his killing intent without saying anything.
"We're not from the same department as the previous ones. Some things need to be confirmed," he finally said coldly.
"Understood. Go ahead and ask."
The questions asked by the Root members were exactly the same as the previous ones. Kuro answered with the same sincerity, maintaining his calm.
When they finished, they didn't try to intimidate him further. However, before leaving, one of them issued a clear warning:
It would be best if you stayed away from Naruto Uzumaki.
Without waiting for a response, they both disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.
Kuro stood still for a while, reflecting on what had happened, but then a slight smile appeared on his face.
No matter. The goal remains the same. Ichiraku Ramen awaits.
With that thought, he resumed his path toward his well-deserved reward.
When it came to ramen, that place was the obvious choice. Since arriving in this world, Kuro knew that if he didn't try Ichiraku's ramen, it would have been a waste to be here.
He had been there before, and the taste was glorious. Plus, the prices were affordable, something crucial for someone like him who wasn't swimming in money.
He especially admired Teuchi, the owner, who kneaded the dough like a true expert and was generous with regular customers, often adding extra soup for free.
For this reason, when Kuro dined out, this place was his first choice.
"Uncle, give me pork ramen, extra spicy!" he shouted as he pushed aside the entrance curtain and sat on a stool by the counter.
"Coming right up!"
Teuchi disappeared behind the curtain. Meanwhile, Kuro took the opportunity to take a quick look around.
It wasn't peak hour, so there was only one person in the entire shop, sitting at the back. Kuro made sure to discreetly scan the corners where someone could hide.
Everything was clear.
Perfect.
He activated the system mentally.
[System Confirmation: Do you wish to use "Incomplete Immortal Blood" and "Remaining Power of Ashura" to forge the special item "Fairy Crystal"?]
Everything happened in his mind, unnoticed by anyone around him.
Kuro confirmed the action, and in an instant, a small green crystal appeared in his hand.
!!!
FUUUCK!
He quickly wrapped it in his fist and stored it in the system space before anyone could notice.
Although it was only a moment, he managed to see the crystal clearly. It was thumb-sized, completely solid, and emitted a faint fluorescent glow.
The light it radiated illuminated the wooden counter for a moment, causing small green sprouts to emerge before disappearing.
The information appeared before his eyes:
[Special item "Fairy Crystal" detected.
Effect: This crystal contains immense vitality. When consumed, the user's body will undergo a gradual transformation into a "Perfect Sage Body," thanks to the crystallized vitality contained within its core.]
Reading the description, he casually removed the small sprouts from the counter, leaving everything as it was before.
Just then, Teuchi's footsteps sounded from behind the curtain.
"Pork ramen, extra spicy, ready!"
The curtain was pulled aside, and Teuchi appeared with a large steaming bowl of ramen in his hands.
"HMMM~, IT SMELLS AMAZING!" said Kuro, looking at the bowl with bright eyes as Teuchi placed it in front of him.
Without waiting any longer, he grabbed the chopsticks and started eating as if he hadn't eaten in days, devouring the noodles eagerly.
Teuchi smiled as he watched him enjoy the meal.
For a chef, there was no greater satisfaction than seeing his customers happy with the food.