Seeing Kakashi wasn't taking the bait, Ryuji clicked his tongue in disappointment, then lifted the hem of his raincoat and sat down on the other side of Minato.
At that moment, Minato, who had been lost in thought since stopping Kakashi's initial impulse, came back to himself.
He smiled at Ryuji and said, "Ryuji-san, you're also here for ramen so early. What a coincidence!"
"Yeah, quite a coincidence."
Ryuji shrugged innocently.
He knew Minato suspected he had deliberately sought him out. After all, people in this world generally preferred lighter flavors; not many came for ramen first thing in the morning.
But he swore to God…
Ryuji truly hadn't noticed Minato was here. He'd come purely for the 'Ichiraku Ramen' sign.
After all, Naruto had practically made it famous beyond the borders.
Could he visit Konoha without tasting it?
Moreover, in his past life, he was from a city known for spicy food.
Breakfast every day had been spicy noodles, far heavier than ramen, so flavor was not an issue for him.
It was normal for Minato, unaware of this, to be suspicious.
However, this was Konoha.
And the Sunagakure's delegation was here for a friendly exchange, so he didn't mind too much.
The two chatted idly, like old acquaintances catching up after a long separation. An outsider would never imagine they had been engaged in a life-or-death struggle just a month ago.
This was quite normal in the Shinobi World.
Shinobi often clashed due to mission conflicts. If no real damage was done to either side, they usually didn't hold grudges.
Just like during the Land of Waves' mission, when Gato brought out thugs to try and kill Zabuza to save on payment, Kakashi, holding the absolute advantage, stopped.
Even though he disliked ambitious men like Zabuza, once the reason for the fight vanished, he wouldn't continue.
Similarly, Naruto, during other missions, often encountered enemies who would initially try to persuade him to abandon the mission. Fighting only began after persuasion failed.
Of course, bloodthirsty and vindictive types were exceptions.
Those mentally unstable individuals… it was impossible to know what went on in their heads.
But neither Ryuji nor Minato were that kind of person.
Their conversation drifted from initial pleasantries to the war situation in the Shinobi World, then to hopes for future peace, and finally to Minato's team.
"Obito and Rin are fresh graduates from just a month ago. They need to be assigned some miscellaneous tasks first to get familiar with mission procedures, then gradually increase the mission difficulty level."
Minato had already finished his noodles. He was waiting for Obito.
The guy had spilled his bowl earlier and re-ordered. Now, he was eating while asking Kakashi something, his eyes frequently darting toward Ryuji, his face filled with surprise and disbelief.
Even Rin beside him occasionally covered her mouth.
It was unclear what they were discussing to be so shocked.
"Konoha is fortunate to have so many miscellaneous tasks for new Genin to gain experience," Ryuji remarked with some emotion.
Shinobi encountered many practical, everyday problems on missions. Doing more chores as new Genin broadened their experience, which was very useful for the future.
Like during the Land of Waves' mission in the original work, there's Demon Brothers.
Despite no rain for days, they disguised themselves as a puddle on the main road. That was a lack of common sense.
And because Kakashi understood the habits of snow rabbits, he deduced there were other unknown enemies, never letting his guard down.
Thus, he sensed Zabuza's ambush in advance, allowing everyone to dodge the flying sword from behind.
But Sunagakure had a small population, so there were few internal chores. The easiest and most frequent tasks for new Genin were delivery jobs.
Traveling between desert cities, delivering letters, shopping... While this offered more challenging experience, the danger also multiplied.
"What's so good about that?" Obito slammed the table and stood up, clearly displeased. "We're Shinobi! Yet we spend all day cleaning streets, helping old ladies shop, unclogging sewers... It's a complete waste of time!"
"Obito..."
Rin quietly tugged at his clothes, signaling him to stop talking.
They had just learned from Kakashi that this guy, despite his youth, was actually a Shinobi more formidable than their teacher, Minato.
While they didn't yet know exactly how strong Minato was, they at least knew he was a Jonin. So, the other was undoubtedly a Jonin too.
Neither by seniority nor strength should they interrupt their conversation.
"I heard from Kakashi you're a very powerful Shinobi. Your strength is probably because your village has few chores, right? Starting with difficult missions from the moment you become a Genin must be a different experience."
Ryuji first glanced at Minato, who was sighing and rubbing his forehead, then looked at the self-satisfied Obito.
Then, he looked away and continued eating his noodles.
Slurp!
The remaining half-bowl of noodles was sucked into his mouth and swallowed. Ryuji patted his slightly full stomach with satisfaction.
'Mhm, truly delicious.'
'Not as exaggerated as I'd imagined, but definitely better than most shops.'
"Hey! What do you mean by that?"
Obito clenched his fists, his face showing displeasure, annoyance, and a hint of resentment. He seemed ready to start a fight at the slightest provocation.
For reasons of his own, after a moment's contemplation, Minato did not stop his student's provocation.
Ryuji looked at him in surprise, then chuckled, turning back to Obito. "You know, the casualty rate for Shinobi is very high. Especially newly graduated Genin. They die the fastest and in the greatest numbers."
"So what? If you choose the path of a Shinobi, you must be prepared for death."
"No." Ryuji shook his head slightly, a mocking smile curving his lips. "My point is, you're exactly the type most likely to die young."
"What did you say?"
Faced with the other's disdainful expression, Obito felt his head grow hot, his mind consumed by the desire to defeat this guy and prove himself.
Then, he actually attacked.
Obito stepped onto the stool with his left foot, using the momentum to stand, then placed his right foot on the table. His right hand reached for a kunai in his thigh pouch, intending to throw it.
The entire motion was fluid, almost graceful.
However, just as he drew the kunai, before he could throw it, the stool beneath his feet wobbled, and he tumbled down.
"Ouch!"
Obito groaned, rubbing his backside.
Startled, Rin hurried over to check on him. Kakashi glanced over, muttered 'idiot' seeing he was fine, and looked away.
"Running into such entertainment first thing in the morning suggests today won't be boring." Ryuji took money from his pocket and placed it on the table. He then said to Minato, "I'll be in Konoha for a while. Let's chat again another time."
Minato withdrew his gaze from Ryuji's right hand and smiled. "Yes, let's talk again next time."
Ryuji nodded, put on his rain hood, and lifted the curtain to leave.
At that moment, Obito suddenly blocked his path.
"Wait!"