Senju Haruto frowned slightly. At first, he thought the mastery reward he received from the sign-in system was similar to the concept of "proficiency" from DNF.
"Check."
As soon as he gave the confirmation, a translucent interface appeared before him, offering clarification to his confusion.
In terms of levels, the system categorized mastery into four tiers:
Basic Mastery, Proficient, Exceptional, and Supreme.
At present, Haruto was at the Proficient level, meaning he could easily learn any ninjutsu of B-rank or below. Exceptional allowed for mastery of A-rank techniques, and Supreme corresponded to S-rank.
However, the panel didn't explain how to improve one's level further.
"Looks like future sign-ins will gradually unlock more rewards."
With the help of the interface explanation, Haruto finally understood how it all worked. And it made him even more eager for the upcoming sign-ins.
Ding!A new sign-in task has been issued!
No time limit.The host must go to Ichiraku Ramen to complete the sign-in.Sign-in will grant a reward!
Ichiraku Ramen — easily one of the most iconic places in the Naruto world.
Countless fans of the series had conjured up their own wild headcanons about it.
For example: the idea that the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, whose real name was Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku, was actually more powerful than the Sage of Six Paths himself. Supposedly, he had grown tired of the world of shinobi and chose to live in seclusion within the Hidden Leaf Village, passing the time by making ramen.
Some fans even joked that since Naruto was the reincarnation of Asura, the son of the Sage of Six Paths, and Ichiraku was the Sage's older brother…
Then logically, Ichiraku would be Naruto's uncle.
Cough cough…
Just as Haruto's imagination was spiraling out of control, Iruka cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, that wraps up today's combat training!"
"Class is dismissed!"
With Iruka's announcement, the classroom immediately erupted in cheers. Students grabbed their bags and began filing out.
Sasuke cast a quick glance at Haruto but said nothing, striding off coolly.
The girls who admired Sasuke, however, shot Haruto glares filled with envy and resentment.
"Alright, Senju," Iruka walked up to Haruto and took a deep breath, "Make sure you're on time for class tomorrow too."
Although Iruka personally believed that Haruto's strength and talent far exceeded his own, he was following a direct order from the Third Hokage.
"It really is surprising…"
Mizuki walked over at that moment, trying to strike up conversation with Haruto.
But Haruto had no interest in giving Mizuki the time of day. That guy was full of envy and always scheming behind people's backs.
"Want to grab a bite to eat together?" Mizuki offered with a smile.
"Haha, Mizuki-sensei's being unusually generous today!" Iruka teased.
Although Mizuki usually had a gentle and sunny personality, Iruka had never seen him offer to treat a student to a meal before.
"No thanks," Haruto replied with a polite smile, shaking his head.
Even though he was a transmigrator and the Senju Clan had long since declined, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
Haruto had been in this world for five years without any real income, but he was never strapped for cash.
Besides, the cost of living in the Leaf Village was quite reasonable.
The local currency was called ryō. Even the lowest-level D-rank mission paid between 500 to 10,000 ryō.
At Ichiraku Ramen, the cheapest bowl only cost 15 ryō.
In other words, even a low-ranked genin who completed just two missions a month could easily cover their living expenses.
Let alone someone like Haruto — a direct descendant of the Senju Clan.
"Ah, I see." Mizuki smiled, hiding any trace of awkwardness. He exchanged a few parting words with Iruka before leaving.
Iruka lingered a bit longer, chatting with Haruto before heading back to the office to organize grades.
"Hm?"
Haruto was about to leave the academy and head to Ichiraku Ramen for the sign-in when he spotted someone — Naruto Uzumaki — walking sadly toward the swing set near the school. The afternoon sun cast a long shadow behind him.
Haruto wasn't heartless.
Yes, Naruto was the protagonist of the series — the "hidden prince" of the Leaf Village, a central figure in the anime.
But to Haruto now, Naruto was a living, breathing child.
Just a six- or seven-year-old boy who had lost his parents and was treated like a pariah by the entire village.
More than once, Haruto had thought: if he were in Naruto's shoes, forget dreaming of becoming Hokage — he'd be up on a rooftop yelling, "How many floors can a sack of rice carry?!" just to stay sane.
The orphan of the Fourth Hokage. The son of a hero. Turned into a Jinchūriki for the sake of the village.
And the kid didn't even go by an alias — he openly used the Uzumaki name.
Did no one seriously connect the dots? Didn't they realize Naruto was Kushina's son?
No one was asking the villagers to bow in gratitude — just to treat him like a normal person.
Was that really too much?
So what if the Nine-Tails had attacked the village? That wasn't Naruto's fault.
"...Sigh."
Haruto couldn't help but let out a sigh as he looked at Naruto sitting on the swing, trying so hard to act tough.
Without thinking, he walked over.
"Yo, Naruto," Haruto called out, "Why aren't you heading home?"
"Huh?"
Even Naruto was surprised that Haruto had approached him.
He still remembered how Haruto had supported his dream earlier — something that moved him deeply. But in the end, they were just classmates.
And Haruto had just crushed Sasuke in front of everyone. Why would someone like him bother talking to Naruto?
So when Haruto stopped in front of him, Naruto froze in disbelief.
"I… I've always wanted to swing on this alone, haha. Finally got the chance."
Naruto laughed awkwardly and began swinging hard.
But before long, his stomach let out a loud gurgle.
His face turned red with embarrassment.
Watching Naruto pretend to be okay, Haruto felt a strange mix of emotions well up inside.
"I was just about to grab some ramen. Want to come with me?" Haruto paused, then added,"My treat."
"Really?!"
Naruto's eyes lit up instantly. His heart soared — not just because he loved ramen, but because someone wanted to treat him.
And more importantly, Haruto's gaze didn't carry the usual coldness or distance.
But then… Naruto's excitement faltered.
"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.
He suddenly remembered — once, someone else had invited him like this too.
But before he could even say yes, that person's parents had yanked them away, scolding them never to associate with him again.
"Of course I'm sure," Haruto smiled. "Or wait… don't tell me you don't like ramen? That would be a real tragedy."
"I love ramen! I love it more than anything!!" Naruto yelled, his voice full of emotion.
Not far from where they stood, a few Root operatives silently observed the two boys from the shadows.