Naruto: From Shikotsumyaku to Otsutsuki

The sun was high in the sky, two kilometers away from Konoha Village.

Kaguya Kazama stood on a treetop, gazing into the distance at the most prosperous and powerful village of ninjas, identifying the enormous Hokage rock sculptures one by one.

"1, 2, 3, 4..."

"The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju; the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju; the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi; and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

From the first to the fourth generation, each character is highly recognizable, and can be identified at a glance even when they are far apart.

The rugged granite stands tall, with the four enormous heads of the Hokage overlooking the entire Hidden Leaf Village like lions patrolling their territory.

This scene deeply moved everyone who arrived in Konoha for the first time.

Kimimaro exclaimed in amazement, "No wonder Lord Kazama wanted to come to Konoha to see the Hokage Rock Sculpture; it's truly amazing."

He took out a small scroll, crossed out the first line of text, and whispered, "I've seen the Hokage Rock Sculpture. Next up are the Thunderclap of Kumogakure and the three great Summoning Grounds. I must accompany Lord Kazama to experience them one by one."

Kisame Hoshigaki caught up, looking at Konoha Village with a solemn expression, and said, "Konoha is covered by a barrier. Any chakra of Chunin or higher passing through will attract the attention of the security forces and the Anbu. I can't go in. We need to retreat to the Forest of Death and lie in wait for an opportunity. You'd better be careful these next few days."

Kaguya Kazama nodded: "What if an emergency occurs?"

"Take this."

Kisame Hoshigaki handed over a glass jar the size of a fist, inside which a mini shark about the length of a finger was swimming. "This is my summoning beast. If you encounter an emergency, break it, and I will immediately infiltrate Konoha to save you."

His expression was somewhat grim, his eyes frequently glancing at Kaguya Kazama's legs, muttering, "If I broke your legs now, would you still refuse to go to Konoha?"

"Heh, even if my leg is broken, I'll still crawl in."

Kaguya Kazama snatched the glass jar and turned to leave.

"Let's go, Kimimaro. From now on, we are wandering ninjas."

"Yes, Lord Kazama."

Soon, the gates of Konoha came into view.

On the high wall, two gates bearing the insignia of Konoha Village stood open, guarded by ninja from the security forces. Most of them wore clothes embroidered with Uchiha fans and looked disdainfully at the passersby coming and going.

Merchants, commoners, beggars, ninjas—all sorts of people were there.

A vast, almost invisible barrier covered the sky, monitoring every passerby who entered or left.

Occasionally, a Jonin would pass by, which would attract the attention of the security forces for questioning; otherwise, Konoha would ignore them all.

Whether you are a wandering ninja or a spy from another country, Konoha doesn't care about any of that.

For this powerful ninja village, those below the rank of Jonin have extremely low destructive power and intelligence-gathering ability. Even if they have ulterior motives, they can be easily subdued by the capabilities of the Anbu, Root organization, and the guard forces.

Kaguya Kazama and Kimimaro swaggered into the gates of Konoha without anyone questioning them.

Kimimaro exclaimed in astonishment, "Lord Kazama, this place is completely different from Kirigakure."

Since implementing the Blood Mist Policy two years ago, Kirigakure has closed off all channels of communication with the outside world, making it extremely difficult to enter or leave the village.

The Hidden Mist Village, shrouded in thick fog, resembled a rotting, moldy piece of flesh, a place rife with slaughter and death.

Konoha is different; even after several major battles, it remains the most prosperous place in the entire ninja world.

Kaguya Kazama surveyed the densely packed shops and bustling crowds around her, remarking with a sigh, "So, this is Konoha Village. Although its roots are rotten, at least its exterior looks decent."

"Where do we go now?"

"After a long day, let's grab a bite at Ichiraku Ramen. You'll need the energy to keep going."

"Ichiraku Ramen? Kazama-sama seems to really like ramen."

"Haha, if you come to Konoha and don't eat Ichiraku Ramen, then you've come for nothing."

As the two chatted and laughed, their figures disappeared into the crowd.

After entering Konoha, Kaguya Kazama's anxiety about being chased by death dissipated considerably.

Although there is only one month left to survive, we've already arrived in Konoha, so it won't make a difference if we have to eat a meal.

Besides, some things are only suitable to be done in the dark.

Ichiraku Ramen.

As soon as Kaguya Kazama and Kimimaro stepped through the gate, a girl immediately came to greet them.

Welcome!

She was dressed in a pristine white chef's uniform, and her sweet voice radiated youthful energy.

Inside the kitchen, the shop owner, Uncle Tsubaki, who was kneading dough, turned around when he heard the voice, a warm smile on his face. "What would you two like to eat?"

"Two servings of tonkotsu miso ramen."

This is something that could feed Naruto Uzumaki for several years, and Kaguya Kazama has long wanted to taste it.

"Please wait a moment. Sweet flag, come quickly to help."

"OK."

A few minutes later, two ramen dishes topped with seaweed sheets, tempura, yakitori, boiled eggs, and green vegetables were placed on the table.

The rich aroma filled the air, causing a surge of saliva production.

Kaguya Kazama picked up a piece of noodles and tasted it, finding it unexpectedly delicious.

The broth, made from pork bones, is incredibly fragrant and has a milky white sheen. The ramen is cooked to perfection, with a satisfyingly chewy texture. The addition of seaweed, yakitori, and tempura toppings enhances the flavor, creating a rich and diverse taste experience.

"It tastes better than the one Kisame-sensei had last time," Kaguya Kazama sincerely commented.

The shop owner, Uncle Hand-Struck, and Ayame watched the customers devour their noodles, and satisfied smiles appeared on their faces.

Just then, a young man walked in and greeted them familiarly.

"Uncle Hand-Pulled Ramen, Ayame, the usual, one tonkotsu miso ramen, no tempura."

"Okay, please wait a moment, Kakashi."

Upon hearing this name, Kaguya Kazama subconsciously thought of a certain stat on her evolution panel.

Chakra Level: 0.3 calories

He immediately turned around to look.

A young man with white hair, wearing a mask that covered his lips and chin, and a headband that covered his left eye, walked in.

He had a gloomy look on his face, a short knife on his back, and a novel in his hand with the title written on it: Intimate Paradise.

"Kakashi Hatake".

Kaguya Kazama's gaze lingered on the covered left eye for a few moments, immediately catching Kakashi's attention.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Not noticing Kaguya and Kazama's headbands, he thought to himself, "Wandering ninjas?"

However, after sensing the two men's weak strength, he lowered his guard.

Konoha never forbids wandering ninjas from entering, so it's perfectly normal to encounter two at Ichiraku Ramen.

Kaguya Kazama also withdrew her gaze and continued eating her ramen.

Kakashi Hatake sat down next to her, first secretly observing Kaguya Kazama's sickly appearance, then fixing his gaze on Kaguya and Kimimaro's faces.

"White hair, green eyes, and round red eyebrows?"

He frowned slightly, feeling like he'd seen this person somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.

Since the Battle of Kikyōyama, he has joined the Anbu and hasn't been on the front lines for several years.

Today, the Cloud Village negotiation team came to Konoha. Kakashi didn't want to watch the politicians bickering and exchanging of interests, so he took a break and went out to eat ramen.

A short while later, Kaguya Kazama and Kimimaro finished their meal and left.

Kakashi stayed behind to enjoy his meal alone, his attention already diverted from the two of them.

After Kaguya Kazama left, she walked to the corner of the intersection and caught a glimpse of a masked ANBU ninja quickly entering Ichiraku Ramen.