The meeting with the Hokage was just as boring as Chad had expected, but as the person primarily responsible for Kumo, he couldn't avoid it.
That said, the Third Hokage really didn't know how to be a good host.
Knowing he was going to have visitors, couldn't he at least air out his office of all that tobacco smoke?
By the time he left the Hokage's building, he had to release a small burst of chakra throughout his entire body to get rid of the foul, repugnant stench clinging to his skin, clothes, and hair.
Once he no longer smelled bad, he went looking for a place to eat.
"Ichiraku Ramen?" a place he couldn't help but notice entered his field of vision "Well, let's see if its reputation lives up to the hype."
He pushed aside the curtain and ducked to enter. There weren't many customers, just a handful of children and a couple of adults. Chad recognized most of them, including a certain blond kid who, judging by the way he ate his ramen, clearly didn't understand the concept of table manners.
"Boss, what's the most filling ramen you have? No pork, preferably with beef."
Teuchi looked at the man, who could easily be mistaken for a marble statue, with some surprise. Even the Kumo customers he had served in the past hadn't been this imposing.
He took a moment to consider the request.
"We have a jumbo-sized beef tantanmen ramen," he pointed at the wall menu, to one of the less visible lines "It takes a while to make, but even an Akimichi is satisfied after finishing it!"
"Sounds good. I'll take two."
"Are you sure? We don't accept wasting food here."
"Show me the size of the bowl."
Teuchi took out the bowl specially ordered for that ramen and showed it to him.
"You're right, I'll change my order."
Teuchi nodded. It was good to know one's limits.
"Make it three instead of two. I thought it would be bigger," Chad glanced at the price and took out the money "Also, add extra meat. How long will it take?"
"...Ten minutes." Seeing that his customer wasn't joking, Teuchi decided to believe him and honestly took the money as he prepared to cook the largest batch of ramen to date.
Chad nodded and waited patiently with his arms crossed.
"Tch, show-off," Naruto shot a sideways glance at the dark-skinned ninja as he noisily slurped another noodle "Even I can't finish one of those…"
"It just means that's your limit," Chad replied without even bothering to turn his head, finding Teuchi's cooking far more entertaining "Forcing your own limits onto others proves you're still a child."
"What did you say?!" Naruto nearly jumped off his stool when he heard that.
Chad grabbed Kakashi by the shoulder and used him as a human shield to intercept the bits of noodles, drops of broth, and toppings that went flying out of Naruto's mouth.
"And what did I do?" Kakashi looked at Chad irritably, covered in splashes as he searched for a napkin.
"He's your student. Naturally, you cover for his mess," Chad said casually as he let go.
"You seem very well informed for someone from Kumo," Kakashi's gaze sharpened—not only because Chad knew Naruto was one of his genin, but because he hadn't seen that grab coming at all until it was too late.
Also, this guy's face felt familiar…
"I know many things," Chad didn't take Kakashi seriously—not with the Sharingan constantly draining his chakra reserves, stunting his growth and potential for years— "I expected something from Konoha's new generation of ninja, but…" Chad finally looked away from Teuchi and gave Team Seven a quick glance— "Don't worry. I'll tell my students not to go too hard on the kids."
That supposed display of mercy only grated on Team Seven's nerves. Even Sakura was starting to get annoyed.
"Oh yeah?" Naruto pointed at him and started shouting "Well, just so you know, we're really strong! If anything, you should be begging us to go easy on your students. You think just because you're taller, more handsome, and have the biggest muscles I've ever seen, we're scared of you? Ha! You're standing before Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage! Believe it!"
By the time Naruto finished his tirade, he ran into Kakashi's dead stare. Kakashi was now covered in even more splashes and noodles. Chad had used him as a shield again, and to his eternal frustration, he hadn't been able to avoid the grab.
Meanwhile, Sakura and Sasuke covered their faces with their hands.
Was Naruto praising the guy or insulting him?
"Uzumaki, huh? You might want to use a napkin before you keep talking," Chad let go of Kakashi again, who was starting to consider changing seats if this conversation dragged on— "I'm not convinced this lack of manners would have pleased your parents, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki."
Kakashi looked at Chad in horror.
Man, you can't drop a bomb like that while we're eating (or waiting for) ramen!
That's a village secret!
Oh, right. This guy's from Kumo…
Why do I feel like this secret has way too many holes?
"You… you know about my parents?" Naruto stared at Chad, completely stunned. His accusing arm fell limply as his voice trembled.
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged looks, clearly recognizing one of the names.
Was the worst student ever to graduate from the ninja academy the son of the Fourth Hokage?!
Both arrived at a similar line of thought.
What were the chances that the Fourth's wife had cheated with another blond guy…?
"Obviously," Chad nodded "How could I not know? You're a carbon copy of your father. Anyone in the village with two eyes could tell. And you're a ninja—didn't you ever see your father's photo in the Hokage's office when you went on missions?" he asked, looking genuinely puzzled "I just came from there. It's hanging in plain sight. Impossible to miss."
Naruto didn't know what to say. Whenever he went to the Hokage's office, he tended to get lost in his imagination, thinking about how awesome he'd look sitting where the old Hokage was, receiving admiring looks from the whole village.
"Minato… Kushina… are they my dad and mom?"
Naruto ran out of the stand, overwhelmed by the emotions and implications that information carried.
Kakashi hurried after him, deeply thinking about how he could calm Naruto down before he started firing off Bijūdama left and right.
The kid would have questions. Should he send him to the Hokage?
That could go badly—or worse!
Sakura and Sasuke were more pragmatic. They quickly finished their food and then ran after their sensei and teammate.
Sasuke paused for a second, looking at Chad with doubt before shaking his head and leaving.
"Your ramen!" Teuchi placed a huge bowl of ramen in front of Chad— "The next one will be ready shortly."
"Thanks." Chad took the chopsticks, but noticed Teuchi was returning his money— "Did I not pay correctly?"
"It's on the house!" the man smiled, suddenly in an excellent mood.
"Why?"
"Naruto deserved to know who his parents are." Teuchi's expression turned sad for a moment "There are things I don't like as part of the village but can't get over… but that's not your case. Thank you."
He still remembered that young couple eating at his stand. Even if he couldn't do much to help their son, he at least made sure he never went hungry.
"I didn't do it on purpose," Chad brushed off Teuchi's thanks as he started eating.
"You said their surnames," Teuchi insisted, placing the money back beside Chad.
Chad gave him a look, then ignored him.
This cook was unexpectedly perceptive about matters that didn't concern him.
"The ramen is actually pretty good," he thought.
As for Sasuke's quick glance, Chad knew why he did it, but he wasn't worried.
…
Kakashi had no choice but to send a message to the Hokage, and between the two of them, they managed to convince Naruto using complicated words and lots of "deep reasons," stabilizing his emotional state before he completely lost it.
Sakura and Sasuke were still processing that what the Kumo ninja said wasn't a lie, but they had also heard the conversation, and unlike Naruto, neither believed things were as simple as they were told—especially remembering how the village had treated Naruto since he was little.
Still, the Third Hokage's warning not to spread the information was firm.
"This is so unfair," Sakura had seen the place where Naruto lived, and it was a wreck.
If Naruto's father was the Fourth Hokage, where was his home and his inheritance?
With that money, Naruto wouldn't have to eat such low-quality food.
But aware of her civilian origins, Sakura had no choice but to keep silent for her own safety and her parents'.
Sasuke, on the other hand, seemed to have understood something.
"So kaa-san wanted me to get close to Naruto because of that?" He remembered his mother occasionally mentioning a red-haired friend with the surname Uzumaki, on the rare occasions she drank sake.
Since the academy, Mikoto had encouraged Sasuke to befriend Naruto, no matter how much Fugaku protested—something that usually earned him a night on the couch.
If his mother's friend was Naruto's mother, everything made sense.
"And dad wants to stay on good terms with a village like this? That's stupid," he thought angrily, remembering how the village continued to treat the Uchiha, before sighing— "If only nii-san were still here…"
When he was three years old, news arrived that his brother Itachi had died on a mission outside the village. At the time, Sasuke hadn't asked for details because he was too young, but now that he had graduated as a ninja, he brought it up again with his parents.
"Kirigakure!" Sasuke clenched his fists— "They stole the Byakugan once. Even though they denied involvement in his death, the evidence points to them…"
If he ever found a Kiri genin, he wouldn't show mercy!
Lost in his own thoughts, Sasuke forgot the strange yet familiar sensation he had felt when he was near that Kumo ninja.