Naruto: I get stronger by drawing lots

Page 375

"By the way, your ramen is ready."

Ichiro placed the food in front of them, and they sat at the bar, facing Ichiro.

"I don't believe it. Uncle Ichiraku was definitely shorter than me back then."

"Naruto, you little brat, I was much taller than you back then."

Ichiraku placed the ramen noodles down and then directly reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Eat more if you want to grow taller."

Naruto looked at the ramen and realized something was wrong with it.

The portion is very generous; not only are there noodles, but there's also a lot of char siu (barbecued pork).

Even such a small thing made Naruto's nose tingle. This wasn't the first time this had happened; it was always the same every time Naruto came here, and his ramen was always the largest portion.

"Eat up, it tastes best when it's fresh out of the oven."

The Third Hokage had already broken the chopsticks, and Naruto took a breath and followed suit.

"I'm starting to eat."

Yi Le just stood there watching, the sound of slurping noodles echoing across the steaming bar.

This is the scene Ichiraku loves to see the most.

"good to eat!"

"Eat more if you like it. Don't you want to be taller than me? You can't do it without eating more."

Yile smiled.

"You wait, Uncle Ichiraku. I'll grow taller than you soon. I'm going to be Hokage someday."

Naruto grinned, revealing his teeth, and his words stunned everyone present.

Especially the third generation, his eyes flickered repeatedly, and in an instant, too many things flashed through his eyes.

"Naruto, do you want to become Hokage?"

"Yes! I want to become Hokage, be recognized by everyone in the village, become the strongest ninja in the village, and then protect everyone."

"Hahaha, that's a great goal. You'd better work hard, or you might just become the Fifth Hokage."

The third generation burst into laughter, and Ichiraku joined in.

"What are you laughing at! I will definitely become Hokage."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks, his resolve hardening once more.

Next, it was time to eat noodles. There wasn't much conversation, just the slurping sound of ramen.

"I'm so full, I feel bloated."

Naruto finished the soup and then started rubbing his stomach.

"How about it? Want to eat some more? It's on me."

The Third Hokage tempted him, and Naruto wanted to continue eating, but his stomach wouldn't allow it.

"That's enough, that's enough, I'm already full, I can't eat anymore."

Naruto waved his hand, and the two adults laughed again.

"Bill, please."

As the third generation spoke, he took out a small card from his person.

"Okay, I'll make a note of that."

Naruto watched the two's strange behavior from the sidelines, noting that they hadn't given him any money, which piqued his curiosity.

"This is a great thing! With this card, you can eat 100 bowls of ramen for free every month. It's really hard to get one like this."

"Really? That's amazing."

Naruto stared wide-eyed at the card; this tiny thing was a treasure to him.

"Oh right, Naruto, you're going to school soon, and I haven't given you a present yet. How about this be my present for you?"

"Huh? But this one is extremely precious."

"Grandpa is very busy with work and doesn't have time to eat, so wouldn't that be a waste?"

"But--"

"That's the decision."

Grandpa simply shoved the gift into Naruto's hands, forcing him to give it away.

"Thank you, Grandpa Three Generations."

Naruto was overjoyed, looking at the small card over and over again, his face beaming with happiness.

The Third Hokage and Ichiraku looked at Naruto like this, then exchanged a glance and laughed at each other.

This was a plan by the third generation, and Ichiraku cooperated with him. In fact, all these grievances were attributed to the third generation.

Every month thereafter, the three generations would settle their accounts.

------

"Take care, and welcome back next time."

The Third Hokage pulled Naruto out of Ichiraku Ramen, the two walking side by side.

"Grandpa, it's my treat next time."

"You little rascal, you've already figured out how to use it so quickly."

The third generation laughed angrily.

"hey-hey."

Naruto laughed, his steps almost skipping.

Life may be cold, but the warmth of ramen lingers, warming my heart as well.

Chapter 374: The Night of Life and Death

Is there anything going on?

This is Sunagakure, and as usual, the sandstorm is blowing everywhere, as if throwing a tantrum.

A small group of people stayed here on standby. Although the headquarters had changed, they still had to take good care of their own homes. They couldn't just leave them empty. So, a portion of the people remained in the village.

A complete squad, possessing intelligence, combat strength, and other capabilities, takes into account the possibility of being ambushed. The Akatsuki members are all seasoned veterans; they are all experienced and understand each other's plans.

"Nothing was found. There was no trace of human presence."

"Be careful, some intelligence about the enemy has already come out. They will basically use surprise attacks, and their most common tactic is to emerge from underground."

"Received. Don't worry, there's not a single sign, not even underground."

"That's good. Everyone be careful. We must win this battle decisively and return safely."

"Oh!"

These are the kinds of things they often say, some inspirational quotes and fantasies. Even if they are far out of reach, and it's uncertain whether they will even get a chance, holding onto such fantasies always gives them a sense of hope.

Maybe I'll survive to the end, make a name for myself in the war, and become a hero.

Such fantasies are something everyone can have, but reality is far more cruel, offering only nightmares.

The two men met, looked at each other, and then smiled, a smile tinged with bitterness.

No one cares about the tragedy of the insignificant. There are many martyrs, and even if they were all respected, history wouldn't even record their names. They crowd around "heroes" to ascend to the altar, becoming the human ladders before that altar.

How to live, how to die—this is a choice history presents to all life.

If you make the right choice, you will be remembered by history; if you make the wrong choice, you will just be a fallen leaf, drifting alone, eventually merging into the yellow earth beneath your feet, becoming nothing more than a little nourishment.

Not only Sunagakure, but also Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha have people stationed there, especially in the lands of noble families. These places have the most guards, and sometimes even half of their own people are stationed there.

These noble and aristocratic lands have deep historical roots and cannot be trampled or plundered casually. These are also places that the Ninja Alliance needs to consider and protect.

This was inevitable, and thus it led to a certain outcome—

That means the conflict between the two sides must have intensified in such a place.

And as expected, the conflict did indeed begin in these very places.

It was night, and the sun had long since clocked out, leaving only the moon hanging quietly.

The situation is tense enough at this time of year, and there will still be enough people to keep watch at night.

Even with sufficient manpower, it is definitely less efficient than in the morning, as people's mental state is quite different during the day and at night.

Besides that, there was one more thing that was inevitable, and that became Xiao's breakthrough point.

The environmental factors at night are unchangeable. Humans are not nocturnal creatures and are naturally limited at night, even for ninjas. After all, even ninjas cannot constantly expend chakra to minimize the impact on their vision. That's unrealistic.

Regardless, this time of night is the time Xiao and Shang have agreed upon.

Combined with their surprise attack, this would be a startling "surprise" for the Allied Shinobi Forces.

And now, the time has come.

Obito stood in the base, still not resting, his eyes behind the mask watching Kabuto begin his attack.

He wore a hood, which covered his face, but you could still see a slight smile showing.

"Nighttime is closer to life and death, and more fitting."

Dou spoke calmly, a chessboard in front of him, and his hands began to move.

He picked up a chess piece and started playing chess.

"First, let's give our rivals a surprise."

------

"How boring."

In the hidden sand dunes, the night watchmen patrolled with torches.