"It's been over ten years here, but only one year has passed in the Dragon Raja world, huh?" Uchiha Sogetsu silently calculated in his mind, feeling a bit emotional.
The inertia of the world is truly immense. Even though the storyline had twisted into something else, it had still returned to its original course after over a decade.
"Can I go see that?" Erii asked carefully, pulling at his sleeve and looking at him with anticipation.
Uchiha Sogetsu followed the direction of her finger and saw a bustling commercial street. He smiled and nodded, "Alright, let's go."
After over ten years of development, Konoha had become even more prosperous.
Especially with the Chunin Exams, which were being jointly hosted by various countries, Konoha had become even livelier.
The streets were filled with all kinds of goods, and the lively shouting of vendors made the atmosphere very festive.
Erii, who had been confined to a room since childhood, loved this lively atmosphere. She dragged Uchiha Sogetsu around, and before long, her hands were full of things.
After walking for a while and getting tired, Erii returned, fully satisfied, with her "spoils."
"I'm hungry~"
A growl of hunger came from Eri's flat stomach. The girl blinked and looked at Uchiha Sogetsu with bright eyes.
Uchiha Sogetsu gently pinched the girl's cheek and smiled. "Let's go, I'll take you to try the must-visit food in Konoha."
Soon, the two arrived at the front of Ichiraku Ramen.
They lifted the curtain and entered. A cheerful man, rubbing his hands and smiling, greeted them. "Welcome, two guests. You must be new to Konoha. I recommend trying the classic flavor!"
Uchiha Sogetsu pulled out some bills and smiled. "Two bowls, please."
Since his rebirth in Konoha, Uchiha Sogetsu had never tried Ichiraku Ramen.
Now, thanks to Eri, it was the perfect opportunity to see what made it so delicious that even the prince couldn't forget it, eventually becoming Hokage.
Even after exhausting days, he would always find time for a quick bite.
The man quickly made the noodles, chopped the vegetables, and plated the dish in under two minutes. Two steaming bowls of ramen were placed on the table.
"Enjoy your meal~" The cheerful man smiled and stepped back.
Eri sniffed the aroma and her eyes lit up. Eagerly, she picked up the bowl and devoured it enthusiastically.
"Another bowl!"
"Another bowl!"
"Another bowl!"
The cheerful man's smile slowly faded into a stunned expression.
Stacks of empty bowls piled up, reaching the ceiling. When counted, there were an astonishing 70 bowls!
He vaguely remembered that the last time a girl sat in this spot, she had broken the shop's record by eating 46 bowls, which was already impressive.
But now, just two months later, the record had been shattered again!
"Are you alright, miss?" The man was genuinely scared. This girl, with her distinctive clothes, looks, and aura, didn't seem ordinary. He feared she might eat herself to death in his shop.
Eri smiled gently and politely said, "I'm fine~ Thank you for the meal. It tastes really good!"
"Are you full?"
Uchiha Sogetsu rested his chin on his hand and smiled at the girl.
Erii could eat. He wasn't surprised at all. After all, she had dragon blood, so eating that much was nothing.
"Mm, about seventy percent full~"
Erii smiled gently, her lips pressed together. "Can't eat too much, or I won't be able to eat dinner~"
Seventy percent full?!
The shopkeeper stared at the bowl, which was so full it almost touched the ceiling, completely stunned.
Isn't this girl's stomach a black hole?!
"Sorry to bother you."
Uchiha Sogetsu smiled and, under the shopkeeper's stunned gaze, took Erii by the hand and walked out of the noodle shop.
"Where to next?" He gently ruffled the girl's hair and asked softly.
"That way!"
Erii's eyes, like crescent moons, sparkled with joy.
In Konoha, besides the commercial street, there were many other sights. However, Sogetsu didn't remember them too clearly, so he just let Erii lead, wandering around.
As they passed a bridge, they coincidentally ran into some Sand ninjas on their way to the Chūnin Exams.
One carried a gourd, one had a puppet, and one had an iron fan.
Clearly, they were Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari.
Suddenly, Gaara in the front stopped, as if sensing an unusual gaze. He turned to look at Erii, his voice hoarse. "What are you staring at?"
This sudden movement immediately alerted the other three.
Gaara's reputation in the Sand Village wasn't exactly good. He was a pure psychopath with a murderous nature. Even his own siblings, Kankuro and Temari, saw him as a "monster" and didn't dare speak against him.
However, the girl in red seemed completely unfazed, her gaze locked on Gaara.
"Gaara, don't cause trouble!"
Kankurō shouted in a low voice, trying to snap Gaara back to his senses.
"Are you pitying me with that look?!"
But, from the girl's eyes, Gaara saw a hint of sympathy.
Sympathy?
It was the thing he hated the most—when others looked at him like that!
It felt like someone had touched a forbidden nerve, and veins popped out on his forehead. Cold killing intent surged, spreading like a tide!
"Gaara, here—"
Kankurō, who was nearby, was about to speak but was silenced by a mound of sand.
Gaara's icy gaze made Kankurō's heart race, his pupils shrinking in shock.
"Gaara, calm down!" Temari, seeing this, quickly took a few steps back and spoke, "This is Konoha, you—"
"Shut up!"
Gaara's chilling killing intent cut off Temari's words. "If you say one more word, I'll kill you!"
Temari went silent, knowing full well that Gaara wasn't joking. If she said another word, she'd really be killed!
Having dealt with the 'nuisances,' Gaara refocused on the girl who had angered him. "Your eyes… they really irritate me!"
"You're annoying."
Erii's eyebrows furrowed slightly, sensing the dark thoughts emanating from the boy before her.
Oh no!
Kankurō's pupils constricted, and he silently cursed, realizing things were going wrong.
As expected, Gaara's eyes turned cold and violent, as if a hidden beast had been unleashed within him, his killing intent overflowing.
"Nice... your eyes are beautiful, but unfortunately, you won't need them anymore!"
A large amount of sand poured from the gourd on his back, extending like arms, enveloping the red-clad girl.
"Mother will love your blood!"
Gaara's eyes were bloodshot, his smile twisted and manic as he controlled the sand to trap the girl. His fingers clenched suddenly.
"Sand Coffin!"
Just as the girl was about to be engulfed by the sand, a figure appeared, swift as lightning!
"Konoha... Whirlwind!"
With a sharp whip-like kick, the gathered sand was shattered.
When the whirlwind dissipated, the three Sand ninjas could finally see who had saved the girl—it was a female ninja.
The girl appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen, wearing a seemingly loose but form-fitting gray top and black ninja pants.
Her chest was slightly curved, and she wore the Konoha headband on her forehead, with her hair tied up in a refreshing high ponytail. She looked both strong and elegant.
But what truly caught attention was the fleeting red and white fan crest on her back when she performed the Konoha Whirlwind!
Gaara's cold gaze fixed on the girl before him. "You're the genius everyone's talking about this year... Uchiha Sasuke?!"
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