In Konoha Village, on a bustling street.
People came and went, creating a lively scene.
Mo Yu stood in front of a ramen shop and looked at the sign that read "Ichiraku," a slight smile appearing on his face.
He lifted the curtain and entered, calling out,
"Boss, one bowl of tonkotsu ramen, extra spicy, please!"
"Okay, coming right up."
The young chef, dressed in a cook's outfit, instinctively responded, then paused in surprise and joy.
"Mo Yu !"
Mo Yu walked over and sat down.
"Long time no see, Ichiraku."
Ichiraku was very happy and teased, "Yeah, it's been at least a month or two since you've been here. Did you finally get tired of my little ramen shop?"
"I could eat your ramen for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. How could I dislike it? It's just that school has been too busy. Now I can finally take it a little easier."
Mo Yu stretched lazily.
"Could it be that you've..."
Ichiraku seemed excited.
Mo Yu smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I officially graduated."
Ichiraku excitedly punched Mo Yu's shoulder.
"Good job, I knew you'd make it! No more talking, today's meal is on me. Eat as much as you want, it's all on the house!"
"That sounds great, thank you."
Mo Yu replied calmly.
"Hey, why be so polite? Wait right here, I'll get it ready right away."
After saying that, Ichiraku turned and went to work, humming a tune. He was happy for his good friend, Mo Yu.
Mo Yu felt warm inside.
In the whole of Konoha, or rather the entire ninja world, apart from the two elusive figures who were rarely seen, the only person he could truly trust and connect with was the young boss in front of him.
Back when they were in the orphanage, Ichiraku missed the opportunity to attend the ninja academy because of his age.
Of course, he never really thought about becoming a ninja—his biggest dream was to pass down his family's ramen-making skills and make them known to the world.
Now, he had started to achieve that small goal.
Like Mo Yu, Ichiraku had spent the last six years waking up early and working hard, learning the craft while working part-time jobs.
Half a year ago, he finally saved enough money to rent a small shop and open his ramen restaurant.
At just over sixteen years old, Ichiraku wasn't exactly wildly successful, but he could still be called a "promising young man."
However, according to the original story, decades later, Ichiraku still only ran this small ramen shop.
He never expanded the business or opened any chain stores.
Was it because he lacked the talent for business, or was it simply because he had no ambition?
Mo Yu felt it was more likely the latter—Ichiraku was the kind of person who could find contentment even with little.
But he decided that he would ask him someday. If Ichiraku wanted to expand, Mo Yu would help however he could.
Soon, Mo Yu's ramen arrived—steaming hot, its aroma filling the air.
Mo Yu took a deep sniff, a look of enjoyment on his face. "This is the taste."
Ichiraku grinned. "Of course, this is my special recipe just for you. I've never seen anyone in Konoha who can handle spice like you."
As he spoke, Ichiraku put up the "Closed" sign.
Mo Yu, breaking his chopsticks, looked at him and asked, "Why are you closing the shop now?"
Ichiraku replied, "It's quieter this way. You can eat, and we can chat. It's been a long time since we've caught up."
"Alright."
Mo Yu ate while chatting with Ichiraku.
Of course, for the most part, Mo Yu did the talking, and Ichiraku did the listening.
Mo Yu knew that Ichiraku was still a little worried about him.
After all, his reputation as a "failure" was widely known; even Ichiraku, an ordinary person, had heard of it.
To reassure him, Mo Yu briefly explained his situation.
Naturally, he didn't mention anything about the "system" or "killing." He only shared the parts that he could talk about.
So, Mo Yu's version of the story was something like this:
"I recently had a sudden breakthrough, and my ninja skills improved incredibly fast. During the exam, I was provoked by a certain member of the Uchiha clan, and I showed off my skills, beating him up and even winning 50,000 ryo from him."
Ichiraku didn't understand much about ninjas and didn't ask many questions—he just listened to whatever Mo Yu said.
When Mo Yu mentioned his conflict with Uchiha Fugaku, Ichiraku's face lit up with excitement.
"Good! You did the right thing! Those arrogant, condescending people need a lesson. They shouldn't look down on us common folks. They deserve it!"
Ichiraku slapped the table in approval, then sighed, "Wow, 50,000 ryo... Big families have money. My shop can't even make 5,000 ryo in a month. Xiao Yu, you just earned my yearly income in one go. Ninjas are something."
Mo Yu didn't tell him about the risks involved—if he had lost, he would have been lucky to escape with just some injuries.
Ninjas earn money quickly, but they risk their lives doing so.
However, hearing his friend's praise, Mo Yu felt extra happy, especially after six years of frustration.
"It's nothing special."
Even the usually composed Mo Yu couldn't help but feel a little proud.
"But, Mo Yu," Ichiraku said, his face showing concern, "The Uchiha clan is so powerful. Won't they cause you trouble?"
Mo Yu's smug expression vanished, and a flicker of gloom passed through his eyes. However, he quickly regained his confident smile and said,
"There's no way to avoid trouble, but this is Konoha, not the Uchiha clan's dictatorship. I beat him fairly in the betting contest, so even if the Uchiha clan wants to cause me trouble, they can't do it openly. They might just try some small underhanded tricks, but it won't matter."
"That's good, that's good."
Ichiraku was reassured by Mo Yu's confidence.
The two of them chatted casually. When Mo Yu finished eating, he suddenly remembered something and asked,
"By the way, Ichiraku, I'm planning to move out of the orphanage and rent a place. Do you know of any good leads?"
Although Ichiraku was young, he had been working and socializing for many years, so he probably knew a lot of people from all walks of life.
As expected, Ichiraku didn't disappoint Mo Yu.
"You're in luck! I have a good place for rent. I'll take you to see it. But don't be shocked."
"You have a place?"
Seeing Ichiraku acting mysteriously, Mo Yu asked curiously.
Ichiraku smiled slyly. "You'll know soon enough."
Then he closed the shop and led Mo Yu toward the east side of the village.
Mo Yu was even more puzzled now.
Every place has its social circles, and Konoha was no different.
Ordinary civilians mostly lived on the west side of the village, which was the most densely populated.
The east side, however, was where wealthier families lived. Most of them had independent small courtyards, with quiet, beautiful surroundings.
Of course, this was talking about ordinary people. The ninja clans were different.
Ninja families with some influence typically set up their residences outside Konoha, with their independent lands surrounding the village like stars around the moon.
As for the south, that's where the shopping streets were, the most lively and bustling area for residents to shop, eat, and have fun.
This was where Mo Yu was now, at Ichiraku Ramen.
On the west side of the village, there were only two notable buildings: the Ninja Academy and the Death Forest, which were very quiet.
Lastly, there was the Hokage Building, the heart of Konoha, located in the far back, backed by Hokage Rock.
Most of the ninja institutions in Konoha were built here.
Those who came to this area were mostly ninjas, and you rarely saw ordinary people except for those who came to take on missions.
This is the basic layout of Konoha Village.