Still exhausted, Ryuku made his way toward old man Teuchi's shop at his own pace.
He had used too much chakra earlier while witnessing his first operation. The resulting depletion had left him weak and mentally strained, and he was still dealing with the aftereffects.
The graduation exam is the day after tomorrow… Five days already passed, huh…
Time in this world was slipping by so quickly that he couldn't help but feel amused. It reminded him of Earth, where he would maximize every hour, only to realize the entire day had vanished in the blink of an eye.
After a short walk from his house, he arrived at the rendezvous point—Ichiraku Ramen.
The moment his eyes landed on the front seating area, he spotted a familiar blonde girl enjoying her ramen in silence.
Yamanaka Ino.
However, despite scanning the area, he couldn't find Iruka Umino, his classroom teacher, anywhere.
And he's the one who told me not to be late… What trickery.
Cursing his luck, he decided to sit down and wait a few minutes. If Iruka didn't show up by then, he'd leave. He had better things to do at home that would actually benefit his future. But first, he needed rest—proper rest—to return to peak condition.
"Good evening, Teuchi-san," he greeted the old man.
"Oh, if it isn't little Ryuku," Teuchi greeted him warmly, his usual kindness evident.
Only the old man was present in the shop today. His daughter was rarely around—a peculiar detail he had noticed. He had no need to ask why, so he refrained from doing so.
"Shall I prepare the usual?" the old man asked with a smile.
Ryuku simply nodded, deciding to forget about his meeting with Iruka. Since he was already here, he might as well fill his stomach and enjoy some delicious food first.
Confirming the order, Teuchi began preparing the Deluxe Special Ramen.
It was then that Ryuku noticed someone sneaking glances at him—quite intensely—from the corner of her eye.
Turning his head, he met her gaze directly.
"Is something wrong with my face, Ino?" Ryuku asked with a smile.
"Argh, n-no... Nothing's wrong!" Ino, caught red-handed, became flustered. She quickly turned her head away, pretending to focus on her ramen.
But then something clicked in her mind.
"Wait, do I know you? How do you know my name?" she asked, her eyes holding back curiosity.
What the... She's just like Naruto. My facial features haven't changed that much, so why are they having trouble recognizing their own classmate? Ryuku thought, a little disturbed. Instead of answering directly, he decided to do something unexpected.
Unclipping his tied hair, he let some locks fall over one eye, partially covering his forehead. His hair was long enough that he did this in seconds. "What about now? Do I still look unfamiliar?"
Ino stared at him for a long moment before her eyes widened in realization. "Ah! You're that Wood Release guy, right?" she asked in surprise, a little too loudly.
Wood Release guy...
Ryuku didn't know how to respond, so he simply nodded.
"H-how did you change so much in just a few days?" she asked, still bewildered. Her gaze lingered on his face, his sharper eyes, and—most of all—his posture. He seemed far more composed and confident than any of their classmates. From what she remembered, this guy was always alone, quiet, and uninterested in socializing. Not to mention how thin and frail he used to look.
But the person sitting before her was nothing like the one in her memory.
She fell silent, lost in thought.
"Who knows..." Ryuku smirked, deciding to test the waters. "So, can you guess my name now?"
Hearing his question, Ino suddenly remembered what she had called him earlier—Wood Release guy—and her face reddened slightly.
"Hmph, don't take me for a fool," she said with a confident smile, masking her embarrassment. "I know you're Ryuku. Unlike Sakura, my world doesn't revolve only around Sasuke."
Oh, really...
Although he would have loved to say that to her face, Ryuku held himself back. He wasn't here to piss her off—no need to get involved too deeply.
Instead, he simply offered a slight smile and began tying his hair back.
Ino, despite not intending to watch, found herself sneaking glances at him from the corner of her eye, all while eating her ramen.
Ryuku, fully aware of her antics, decided to tease her again, clearly enjoying himself. "Something else you'd like to say, Ino?"
Caught once more, she almost choked on her food. "N-no..." she mumbled before quickly devouring the rest of her ramen. Standing up to pay, she reached into her pocket—only to find it empty.
Shit... Did I drop my money somewhere?
Panic flickered across her face, and Ryuku, sharp as always, noticed immediately. Without hesitation, he pulled out a 100 Ryo bill and handed it to her. "Here, take it."
Flustered, Ino tried to refuse, but Ryuku's next words put her at ease. "Just return it next time."
Taking money from someone she barely knew would usually make her wary, but since he was lending it to her, she accepted it with a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Ryuku. I'll pay you back for sure."
"No problem." He nodded casually.
It was just a hundred Ryo—not something worth worrying about.
After paying up, she turned to leave but paused for a moment. "Good luck on the graduation exam. Let's meet again—"
God truly worked in mysterious ways. Just as she finished speaking, she stumbled and fell flat on the road.
"..."
Ryuku turned his head to the side, pretending not to notice.
Teuchi, ever the experienced old man, played along, keeping his gaze elsewhere as if nothing had happened.
Utterly mortified, Ino scrambled to her feet and briskly walked away, refusing to look back—as if nothing had happened.
Everyone played it cool. Nothing serious.
Her figure soon disappeared from sight.
Teuchi-san gave Ryuku a thumbs-up, flashing a knowing grin.
This guy...
Ryuku returned the gesture before patiently waiting for his ramen.
A few minutes later, Iruka finally arrived—along with Naruto.
"Hey!! Ryuku!! You're here too?!" Naruto shouted, grinning excitedly.
Ryuku lazily waved a hand. "Yo, idiot."
"Ah, I'm not an idiot, you—"
Before he could finish, Iruka smacked him on the head. "You two know each other? That's a surprise…"
Ryuku shrugged. "One thing led to another. Before I knew it, we ended up like this."
"Yeah, we're good friends! And you know what, Iruka-sensei? This guy can cook!! You should totally try his food someday!" Naruto practically shouted, loud enough for the entire street to hear.
Ryuku nodded to himself, appreciating the praise.
But exhaustion weighed heavily on him.
Damn, I need rest...
Unfortunately, his day was far from over.