Teuchi Ramen!
At this time, Teuchi was still a young man, busy in the kitchen with his wife. Even though the peak dining hours had passed, Teuchi Ramen was still packed with customers.
"Shisui, is there any kind of ramen you'd like to eat?"
Perhaps because the scene he had just witnessed had been too much of a shock for young Shisui, the boy had been in a daze ever since.
Seeing that Shisui was somewhat absent-minded, Shinichi sighed softly and didn't press him about what he wanted to eat.
"Boss, two bowls of tonkotsu miso ramen, please!"
A moment later, a young Teuchi walked over carrying two bowls of steaming tonkotsu miso ramen, which exuded an enticing aroma.
"Enjoy your meal," Teuchi said with a smile before turning back to the busy kitchen.
Shinichi picked up his chopsticks, picked up a few noodles, blew on them gently, and put them in his mouth to taste.
"The flavor is really good."
Shinichi looked at Shisui, hoping to cheer the boy up.
Shisui looked at the ramen in front of him, but his thoughts were still stuck on what he had just seen.
Why had those clansmen acted in such a manner? Such behavior filled Shisui's heart with anger and incomprehension.
"Teacher Shinichi, is it really impossible for the Uchiha Clan to get along well with everyone else in the village?"
"Why can they completely disregard the feelings of the other villagers?"
"Isn't Konoha everyone's shared home?"
Shisui's voice trembled slightly, his eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.
Looking at Shisui's expectant gaze, Shinichi felt a stirring in his heart.
He pondered for a moment, then slowly began to speak: "Shisui, this world is complicated, and people's actions are often influenced by all sorts of factors. You have to believe that the majority of people are kind-hearted and hope to coexist peacefully. Although there are some individuals in the Uchiha Clan who behave improperly, they do not represent the entire family. Konoha is indeed our shared home, and we should all strive for its harmony and prosperity."
"Besides, that moment just now couldn't really be called the Uchiha's fault either. After all, the village had already clearly stipulated that setting up stalls was prohibited there. I can only say that the way those few people handled the situation was a bit inappropriate, but their underlying actions weren't wrong."
Shinichi paused for a second, then continued:
"Shisui, don't think about it too much. You're too young to be dwelling on these things right now, and don't put too much pressure on yourself. All right?"
Shisui raised his head slightly and looked into Shinichi's eyes, the anger in his heart gradually subsiding.
Hearing Shinichi's perspective on what had just happened made him feel a lot more at ease.
Just now, Shisui had simply fallen into a mental blind spot. Now, listening to Shinichi explain it this way, his natural intelligence allowed him to snap out of it.
Seeing that Shisui had moved past the recent incident, Shinichi gently reached out and stroked Shisui's hair, trying to offer the young child some comfort.
"Eat your meal properly. Once you're done, go home, take a hot bath, and get a wonderful night's sleep."
Feeling the warmth from atop his head, Shisui felt an indescribable sensation in his heart and simply ate his ramen in silence.
At the same time, he felt apologetic for his own discourtesy; after all, he had been way too much trouble for Teacher Shinichi today.
Shisui just opened his mouth to say something when he heard Shinichi say: "Don't think about anything else right now, just focus on eating your noodles."
In the kitchen, Teuchi paused his work, looked over at Shinichi and Shisui, and the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly.
After finishing their ramen, Shinichi paid the bill and led Shisui out of the ramen shop.
The sunlight outside was still brilliant, and Konoha's streets remained full of vitality.
Shisui knew that behind this seemingly wonderful facade, there were still many problems waiting for them to solve.
He secretly made up his mind to become much stronger—for the peaceful coexistence of the Uchiha and Konoha, and also so as not to disappoint Teacher Shinichi's guidance.
[Teaching session completed, calculating rewards]
[Rating: Good]
[The student Shisui's heart was filled with doubts; completed psychological counseling for the student, helping him out of his predicament]
[Reward obtained: Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation]
Seeing the ninjutsu rewarded this time, Shinichi felt a trace of surprise, as this could certainly be considered one of the strongest Fire Release ninjutsus.
Of course, whether it was truly the strongest depended on who was using it—just like how Madara's Great Fireball Technique during the Fourth Shinobi World War could also be counted as the strongest.
[Name: Uchiha Shisui]
[Chakra: 700]
[Potential: S+]
[Evaluation: A small fry at the current stage, but possesses exceptional talent in Fire Release and Genjutsu; a promising future awaits]
Looking at Shisui's evaluation and then at his own, Shinichi, who had originally wanted to order another bowl of ramen, suddenly wondered if he was being a bit too easily satisfied.
......
......
In the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage was smoking his pipe, a crystal ball resting on the desk before him.
"Shinichi Chiba?"
The crystal ball was currently replaying the scene of Shinichi's recent lesson, including the entire conversation with Shisui.
Watching the two part ways through the crystal ball, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a fierce drag from his cigarette and muttered to himself.
A knock on the door interrupted the Third's train of thought.
After adjusting his demeanor, Sarutobi Hiruzen called out toward the door: "Come in!"
"Lord Third!"
Nara Shikaku entered, gave a respectful greeting, and stood still.
"Shikaku, is something the matter?"
"We just received intelligence that the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has disappeared. Although they covered it up very tightly, the news still leaked out."
"Disappeared? Is the information accurate?"
Though shocked by the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, Sarutobi Hiruzen still wanted to verify the accuracy of the report first.
During the First Shinobi World War, there had been instances where villages survived by selling fake news.
"There should be no mistake. Security inside Sunagakure has noticeably tightened, and a large number of shinobi tracks have been discovered along the borders of the Land of Wind, Land of Rain, and Land of Rivers."
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent for a moment before saying: "You are dismissed for now. I will dispatch the ANBU to investigate this matter."
"Understood!"
Shikaku left.
Watching Shikaku's retreating figure and thinking of the new generation of young people emerging in the village, Sarutobi Hiruzen's anxious mood finally calmed down a bit.
At this thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a silent sigh.
"Perhaps, I really am getting old!"
After a short while, Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his fingers on the desk.
A moment later, a shinobi wearing an animal mask appeared in the Hokage's Office.
"Send people to investigate what recently happened in Sunagakure, and also..."
Saying this, Sarutobi Hiruzen paused for a moment, and only after a long while did he slowly speak: "Investigate Shinichi Chiba, and see if he is truly a successor of the Will of Fire!"
"Understood!"