**Chapter 12: Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku**
Uchiha Shisui watched Naraku's adorable profile, beads of sweat streaming down her face from the immense exertion. He couldn't help but marvel at her extraordinary talent. Despite her young age, she possessed the ability to single-handedly defeat a Chūnin and displayed remarkable aptitude in medical ninjutsu. She was truly an all-around prodigy. Yet, within the Uchiha Clan, such medical talents were often overlooked and buried.
*What a pity... Even the village elders probably wouldn't value this aspect of the clan's potential.*
Beside him, Uchiha Itachi wore a look of quiet astonishment. He noticed the elderly woman's eyelids twitching, as if she were about to awaken. However, Itachi wasn't one to gush with praise. He merely glanced at Naraku with surprise and remained silent.
The rescued woman's son, however, was a different story.
"Mother! Mother! Oh my god, thank you so much! You... you're practically a monster! No, no, I mean... I'm so sorry for doubting you earlier!"
The man was overjoyed, likely never imagining this young girl could be so capable.
He rambled a bit, but eventually seemed to realize his words had gone too far.
Left with no other option, he bowed deeply and respectfully to the girl who had saved his mother.
"It's nothing," Naraku said. "Your mother isn't completely out of danger yet. I could only provide emergency treatment. Once the Medical Ninjas arrive, she'll need further care at Konoha Hospital."
Uchiha Naraku really wanted to ask the boy, "Were you just complimenting me?"
But to maintain her image as a kind and innocent girl, she could only offer a bright, innocent smile.
Congratulations, Host! Your favorability with Uchiha Shisui has increased. Reward: 5 currency points.
Congratulations, Host! Your favorability with Uchiha Itachi has increased. Reward: 5 currency points.
Hearing the System's notifications, Naraku's smile widened even more.
In truth, Naraku could have easily revived the old woman using her Water Energy.
The healing principle of Water Energy lies in infusing the most fundamental life force.
Theoretically, as long as the target retains even a single breath, Water Energy can sustain their life.
Even if Naraku were to reach the end of her natural lifespan and face death from old age, as long as Water Energy remained, she could continue to live.
However, this doesn't mean Naraku has achieved immortality.
Forcibly prolonging life through this method rapidly depletes Water Energy.
Since Water Energy isn't infinite, once it's exhausted, she will still meet her end.
Naraku stood up and checked her character panel, finding she had 75 points of Water Energy remaining.
This meant healing the old man had cost her a full 25 points.
Amidst the applause of the crowd, Naraku slipped away.
Uchiha Itachi and Shisui exchanged amused glances and followed her out of the crowd.
Shortly after, Medical Ninjas arrived and transported the old man to Konoha Hospital.
***
"I never expected you to be so skilled in medical ninjutsu, Naraku! No wonder your injuries healed so quickly!" Uchiha Itachi said with a smile.
"It's nothing, just a bit of surface knowledge," Uchiha Naraku replied, turning his face away with a natural air of bashfulness. "Let's hurry and get some ramen. I'm starving!"
About two minutes later, Naraku and Itachi followed Shisui to a familiar sight: Ichiraku Ramen.
"So this is the legendary Ichiraku Ramen!" Naraku exclaimed, looking around as if he were at a tourist attraction.
This confirmed it: this was the real *Naruto* world. Ichiraku Ramen was exactly as he remembered it.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui exchanged puzzled glances. *Legendary?* Was there some legend about this place?
Amidst this strange atmosphere, the three Uchiha entered the shop. The first thing that caught Naraku's eye was the man rumored to be a god: Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku.
At this time, Ichiraku's owner, Teuchi, was only in his thirties, looking much younger than in the original series.
Naraku wanted to greet Uncle Teuchi warmly, but he held back, fearing he'd be mistaken for an idiot.
The restaurant wasn't crowded yet, so the three of them easily found a triple seat and settled in.
"I haven't heard any legends about this place, but their ramen is seriously amazing! I come here all the time when I'm not on missions, Uncle Teuchi!" Uchiha Shisui introduced Ichiraku Ramen to Itachi and Naraku before calling out to the owner, Uncle Teuchi.
"Oh, Shisui's here! And you've brought two adorable juniors with you today?" Uncle Teuchi greeted them warmly, wiping sweat from his face with a towel.
"Yep, Uncle Teuchi! Same as always for me. What do you guys want? Just tell Uncle Teuchi!"
Naraku watched Shisui and Uncle Teuchi's familiar interaction with surprise. She never expected Uchiha Shisui to be a regular here; it wasn't mentioned in the original story.
"I'll have the signature ramen."
"Me too."
After quickly placing their orders, Uncle Teuchi expertly prepared the ingredients, chopping vegetables and boiling noodles with practiced efficiency. Within minutes, three steaming bowls of ramen were set before them.
For him, seeing customers happily savoring his ramen brought him immense joy. This was his passion for ramen, his culinary path.
For Uchiha Naraku, this wasn't just a bowl of fragrant ramen; it was a taste of nostalgia, a reminder of her years of devotion to *Naruto*.
"This is seriously delicious."
Uchiha Naraku couldn't help but praise, "This is truly delicious!"
Hearing the customer's compliment, Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, beamed with joy. Seeing his customers happily enjoying his food was the greatest reward for a chef.
"Shisui-nii, how long will you be staying in the village this time?" Itachi asked between bites of ramen.
Although Shisui was only twelve or thirteen years old at the time, he was already a Jonin-level ninja, and missions outside the village were commonplace for him.
"I might be leaving tomorrow, which is why I rushed here to eat with you all," Shisui sighed, gazing at his two adorable younger siblings. Deep down, he felt a pang of reluctance to leave.
But there was no choice. As Uchiha Shisui, he would always charge ahead on any mission, so long as it served the village and his clan.
"What are your thoughts on the Sarutobi Kuima incident earlier?"
Uchiha Naraku paused, surprised by Shisui's question. Normally, such an incident would be dismissed as a typical drunken brawl. As the Konoha Military Police Force, the Uchiha Clan dealt with countless similar cases daily.
If there was anything particularly noteworthy about this incident, it might be the Uchiha Clan's attitude toward the Third Hokage. While not outright hostility, there was certainly no respect.
This was the current state of the Uchiha Clan, and Shisui was likely deeply concerned about the growing rift between the clan and the village.
.....................
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(End of Chapter)