"This Sealing Technique is truly amazing."
In the kitchen of Chiba Ramen Restaurant, Tetsuya felt the Chakra in his body while kneading the dough.
Even though he now had at least three Kakashi's worth of Chakra, under the influence of the Chakra Sealing Technique, it appeared as though he had only just started extracting Chakra.
Even Sakuya, who brought Sakumo to eat ramen several times during this period, didn't notice anything unusual about him.
However, he had recently begun to detect a slightly different atmosphere.
When he went to buy ingredients these days, he noticed that the prices of staple supplies such as rice, flour, and grain had started to rise.
Typically, when the prices of these essentials increase, it signals that something significant is about to occur.
The Ninja World War.
Uchiha Madara controlled the Nine Tails and attacked Konoha. There were rumors that Senju Hashirama was injured in his battle with Uchiha Madara. Consequently, the other martial factions in the ninja villages, like sharks smelling blood, were starting to circle.
The most critical point is that there has been less and less news about the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
What happened to him remains unknown.
Once Senju Hashirama's death is confirmed, then...
"If nothing else happens, the Ninja World War is about to begin."
The reason why the current ninja world can maintain peace is largely due to Senju Hashirama's presence.
Once the influence of Senju Hashirama is lost, this temporary peace will be shattered.
Nowadays, more than half of his shop's income comes from ninjas. After all, although the ramen he sells is already very affordable, it is not something that ordinary families can afford frequently.
If the Ninja World War starts, a large number of ninjas will be deployed to the battlefield, and his income will decrease significantly.
"Tsk, it's so annoying. Hashirama, Hashirama, please hold on until I make enough money."
After placing the cooked ramen in the pot, Tetsuya put on his trademark smile and walked out with the noodles.
"Guest, please enjoy the signature ramen you ordered."
"Boss!"
Suddenly, a slightly immature voice with a loud tone sounded.
Three figures walked into the shop.
There was a carefree white-haired boy with a spiky hairstyle, a fair-skinned, feminine boy with long black hair whose gender was indistinguishable, and a blonde girl with a single ponytail.
Tetsuya recognized these three people immediately. Aren't they the future Konoha Sannin, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade?
"You three, what would you like to eat?"
Tetsuya pretended not to recognize the three of them and asked with a smile.
Jiraiya said, patting his chest.
"Boss, bring me an extra-large signature ramen as a treat."
He was quite heroic when he said it, and after finishing speaking, Jiraiya pushed Orochimaru forward.
Tsunade glanced at the menu and said.
"Boss, I want an assorted ramen."
"Okay, no problem. And you, what would you like?"
Orochimaru glanced at the menu but didn't seem to find anything particularly appealing.
Before Orochimaru could speak, Jiraiya grabbed his neck and recommended.
"Listen to me, Orochimaru, and try the signature ramen. Let me tell you, the best and most delicious dish of a store is definitely their signature."
But apparently, Orochimaru didn't really want the signature ramen.
Tetsuya asked at the right moment.
"Is there no flavor you like? Would you like to try the cold noodles that our store is developing? Since it's still in development, how about I only charge you the cost price this time?"
"Cold noodles?"
Hearing this unfamiliar name, Orochimaru became interested. Although he didn't like cold food, his curiosity about the unknown made him very interested in these cold noodles.
"Alright, boss, please bring me some cold noodles."
"Okay, please wait."
Tetsuya quickly walked into the kitchen and started working.
Outside, the future Sannin found a table and sat down.
Jiraiya asked carelessly.
"Tsunade, what's wrong with you lately? You seem to be absent-minded during training recently."
Tsunade smiled reluctantly.
"No, it's nothing. I just didn't sleep well."
Orochimaru spoke in his unique voice.
"You don't look like you haven't slept well. You seem worried. Tsunade, we're teammates. If something's bothering you, you can tell us."
"That's right, Orochimaru is right. We're teammates. If you have any problems, just tell me, and I'll help you solve them!"
As he spoke, Jiraiya patted his fleshless arm, looking very confident and capable of handling anything.
Tsunade replied.
"There's no point telling you, you can't help at all."
"How do you know if I can help you if you don't tell me?"
Jiraiya persisted in asking, but Tsunade clearly didn't want to say anything.
And all these interactions were observed by Tetsuya in the kitchen.
Tsunade's reaction further confirmed his suspicion that something must have happened to her grandfather, Senju Hashirama.
"You three, your ramen is ready, come and try it."
Tetsuya served the ramen for all three and smiled as he brought Orochimaru's cold noodles.
"Our store is still developing new cold noodles. Please give them a try, and I hope you can provide some feedback after eating them."
Orochimaru nodded, glanced at the ramen in the bowl, and compared it with Tsunade and Jiraiya's ramen.
It was indeed different from theirs. Their ramen was steaming hot, but the cold noodles were, as the name suggested, cool to the touch.
"Is this cold noodles? Orochimaru, can I taste what it tastes like?"
Even though there was an extra-large signature tonkotsu ramen in front of him, Jiraiya was immediately attracted to the cold noodles. Before Orochimaru took the first bite, he wanted to try them first.
Tsunade couldn't stand it and punched Jiraiya in the head.
"Idiot Jiraiya, that's Orochimaru's noodles. He hasn't even eaten them yet, what are you thinking?"
"Can."
However, facing Jiraiya's request, Orochimaru agreed directly.
"Ha! Orochimaru, why did you agree to this guy's rude request?"
Orochimaru gave a rare smile.
"As I said before, we are teammates."
After hearing this, Tsunade didn't say anything further. She understood that Orochimaru was subtly reminding her that teammates should support one another.
But there are some things she simply couldn't say.
"Yeah! This is delicious!"
After taking a mouthful of cold noodles, Jiraiya's eyes widened.
This was a taste he had never experienced before. It was cool and refreshing, with a balance of sour and sweet, yet it wasn't greasy. It was the kind of dish where, after taking the first bite, you still want to take a second.
Seeing Jiraiya's reaction, Orochimaru also took a bite.
His eyes immediately lit up. It was a taste he had never experienced before, and it was a taste he liked.
However, it was a bit too cold for his preference.