---
"Hmph, what's so great about it? I won't lose to you when it comes to eating!"
Seeing that Ye Dou hadn't left after finishing his bowl but instead set it aside and waited calmly, Uzumaki Naruto immediately yelled in protest.
"Oi! Teuchi-ossan! Hurry up! I'm gonna eat every last bowl of ramen in your shop today!"
With that, Naruto shot Ye Dou a competitive glare. This was a challenge — he was determined to defeat Ye Dou with sheer appetite.
"Bring me an extra-large miso ramen!"
When the steaming bowl was placed in front of him, Naruto's eyes widened.
"S-So big!?"
Normally, he would've been overjoyed, but today was different. The portion was enormous — easily enough to fill him up after just two bowls. How was he supposed to beat Ye Dou like this?
"Tch… Old man Teuchi, you're playing favorites!"
Grumbling, Naruto reluctantly grabbed his chopsticks and began shoveling down noodles with fierce determination, grief etched into his face.
"Even if I puke, I'm gonna win today!" he vowed.
From the next table, Might Guy suddenly stood up, eyes blazing with youthful energy.
"Yes! Only through relentless competition can one ignite the flames of youth! Iruka, as educators, we must not back down!"
He turned to the shop owner with a dramatic pose.
"Teuchi-san! Two extra-large bowls for us too!"
Iruka blinked in disbelief. "No, one is enough!"
"What? You want one more bowl?" Guy grinned. "As expected of Iruka! Teuchi-san, four extra-large ramen! We won't leave until we've finished!"
"I didn't say I wanted more!" Iruka groaned, covering his face.
This guy really is Konoha's rare beast. He doesn't understand human speech!
---
[The Night of Annihilation]
In the blink of an eye, July arrived.
In just a few short weeks, Konoha was awash with undercurrents — tension was mounting between the Uchiha clan and the village leadership. Secret meetings were held frequently by both sides.
The mysterious death of Uchiha Shisui had only accelerated the inevitable.
The Uchiha clan, unaware of the full truth, began preparations to stage a coup. Their chosen weapon was their own prodigy — Uchiha Itachi.
But what they didn't know was that Itachi had already made his decision. Instead of siding with his clan, he reported their plans to the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the Konoha council.
Fearing the potential for civil war and a possible invasion by rival villages, Hiruzen reluctantly gave the order to eliminate the Uchiha.
Behind the scenes, it was Shimura Danzo who truly pulled the strings. He struck a deal with Itachi: if he carried out the massacre, Konoha would guarantee the safety of his younger brother — Uchiha Sasuke.
---
July 20th.
That morning, Sasuke Uchiha left home and headed to the Ninja Academy.
He was in high spirits — it was his birthday, and he was excited to see what surprises awaited him when he returned home later.
"Good morning, Sasuke! And happy birthday!"
"Thank you, Granny Wen Xu!" Sasuke responded politely as he passed one of the elders in the compound.
When he arrived at school, many classmates congratulated him — especially the girls, who eagerly surrounded him at his desk, fussing over their carefully prepared gifts.
He didn't mind the attention. In fact, he sat up straighter, a smug smile on his face.
"Hmph! I got two presents — you only got one. How can you possibly compete with me?" he thought proudly, sneaking a glance at Ye Dou, who sat quietly nearby.
Just once, Sasuke wanted to feel like he had beaten the silent weirdo at something.
But the day dragged on — maybe it was because he was too excited about the birthday celebration waiting at home. Time felt unbearably slow.
Finally, the school bell rang, but just as he was about to leave, a teacher called him to the office.
"Seriously? You kept me for that?" Sasuke muttered under his breath as he left the building. By now, the sky had turned a dusky gray. Crows perched on power lines called out with harsh cries.
"Crap, it's already this late! I have to get home — Mom and Dad are probably waiting!"
The Uchiha compound wasn't far from the academy.
Within minutes, Sasuke arrived at the gate, but he stopped in his tracks.
"Why… is it so quiet?"
It was strange, but he brushed it off. After all, the Uchiha were Konoha's strongest clan. Even the Hokage treated them with caution.
They're probably all gathered at the Nakano Shrine again. Ever since Shisui-senpai disappeared, the clan meetings have become more frequent.
With that thought, Sasuke continued toward home — unaware of the nightmare awaiting him.
---
Elsewhere…
After teaching a greedy landlord a lesson in youthful justice, Ye Dou stuffed the man's rent into his pocket and stepped outside.
Suddenly, the mongoose perched on his shoulder stiffened, its tail rising straight into the air.
"Ye Dou. It's started."
"What has?"
Ye Dou froze — then it hit him.
The mongoose was talking about the Uchiha clan's extermination.
"Shall we go watch?" the mongoose asked eagerly. "This is going to be a masterpiece. Uchiha Itachi, the universe's finest actor!"
"No." Ye Dou replied coldly, turning his back on the chaos.
Without a second glance, he walked toward Might Guy's home.
---