Chapter 4: Team 8
Just as Ryouma was lost in his philosophical thoughts, a cheerful voice called out to him.
"Hey, Ryouma! I heard you finally graduated! Congratulations!"
Ryouma turned to see the owner of the famed Ichiraku Ramen stand. He figured this "Uncle Teuchi" must be part of the background the system had woven for him.
He walked over with a smile, eager to finally try the legendary ramen.
However, the moment he sat down, Teuchi brought over a small box with a wide grin, pulling out a stack of papers and placing them in front of Ryouma.
"Ryouma, you're a full-fledged ninja now! A man who can stand on his own two feet. Isn't it time you showed some of the responsibility a man should have?"
Teuchi's voice was booming and full of conviction, making his words sound utterly trustworthy.
That is, they would have, if the papers in front of Ryouma weren't covered with his name, detailing a staggering amount of unpaid food tabs.
"Um... Uncle Teuchi... did I really... run up this much debt?"
Looking at the dense list of charges, Ryouma felt a headache coming on. He was cursing the system a thousand times over in his mind, but it remained silent and unmoved.
"What, are you accusing me of forgery?!" Teuchi said, feigning sternness.
"This... this..." Ryouma stammered, utterly defeated.
"I'm just kidding with you! I know it's your first day as a ninja," Teuchi said, his stern expression melting into a warm smile as he slid a steaming bowl of ramen in front of Ryouma. "Here, eat this while it's hot. On the house."
"Ah..." Ryouma looked from the fragrant ramen to the kindly, smiling man, and felt for the first time that Uncle Teuchi was genuinely the most handsome man in the world.
"Th-thank you, Uncle!" Ryouma thanked him, picked up his chopsticks, and said, "Thanks for the meal!" before digging in heartily.
Having not eaten all day, his stomach had been empty. The moment the warm ramen hit his system, it was devoured as if by a powerful engine.
"Ryouma, you have to work hard from now on, no more slacking off like before!" Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, popped her head out from the back and encouraged him with a bright smile.
"Okay! I will!"
The small, steam-filled ramen stand was filled with laughter and warmth. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Hokage's office was thick with tension.
"Lord Hokage, if Naruto learns a technique from the Scroll of Seals and accidentally breaks the fox's containment, the demon could reappear. You must act quickly!"
A chunin stood before the wizened Third Hokage, his face etched with anxiety.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, his gaze heavy, before finally giving a slow nod. "Mobilize all available chunin in the village. Find Uzumaki Naruto. All out."
"Yes, sir!"
After the chunin left, Hiruzen's eyes returned to his crystal ball. The image shimmering within wasn't of Naruto, but of Akizuki Ryouma, happily slurping down his ramen.
"Before this, he showed no aptitude for ninjutsu or taijutsu. Yet today, he masters the Clone Technique, performing it as well as any student in his year. Not only that, I observed him using a short-range teleportation ability in the forest... Is he a late-blooming genius, or has he been hiding his true capabilities all along?"
Ryouma, blissfully unaware that he was already under the scrutiny of the Hokage himself, finished his meal. He thanked Teuchi and Ayame profusely before stepping back onto the street, now faced with a more immediate problem.
He needed to figure out who, if anyone, actually knew him—or rather, the "him" the system had created.
He didn't even know where he was supposed to live.
A few days later, on the day of team assignments, Ryouma felt a knot of anxiety in his stomach. He desperately hoped to be placed in the same team as Hinata.
"Team 7: Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke."
Hearing Iruka read the list, Ryouma's heart jumped into his throat. The next one was Hinata's group. System, please, just this once...
"Team 8: Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba..."
Here it comes... here it comes... it's me, please let it be me!
"...and Akizuki Ryouma."
(Yes! It really is me!)
Ryouma let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He had made it. The original member, Shino Aburame, seemed to have been assigned to Team 9 instead.
"Alright, the groupings are complete. Your jōnin instructors will meet with you shortly. Dismissed!"
Later, on a narrow side street, the wind rustled, sending fallen leaves dancing in the air.
"Are the leaves... new life from the dying forest?"
Ryouma reached out, caught a single leaf, and murmured to himself, his mind wandering back to his old life.
"Hey! Ryouma!" A somewhat assertive voice yanked him back to the present.
Ryouma frowned slightly, turning with a hint of annoyance toward the source of the voice.
"Oh, it's you, Kiba. What is it?" Seeing it was his new teammate, Inuzuka Kiba, Ryouma forced his tone to soften. They would have to see each other every day; it was best not to start off on the wrong foot.
"Hey, Hinata, you're here too," Ryouma added, noticing the timid Hyūga girl standing behind Kiba.
"Y-yes... Ryouma-nii. I didn't expect we'd be on the same team. Please take care of me from now on." Hinata's voice was, as always, soft and gentle, her face easily flushing. Even for an 'old soul' like Ryouma, her shy charm was utterly disarming.
"Yeah, right. 'Take care of you'?" Kiba interjected, his hands behind his head, showing a row of sharp teeth in a smirk. The small white puppy, Akamaru, on his head, let out a disdainful little "Bark!" "He's the one who'll probably need taking care of, the dead-last. Heh!"
"Oh? Is that so?" A cold glint flashed in Ryouma's eyes, his expression turning frosty.
Being looked down on? If he didn't correct this attitude now, it would cause nothing but trouble later. Maybe it was time for a little lesson.
A slight, dangerous smile touched the corners of his mouth.
That smile, to Kiba, seemed like the ultimate provocation. "What's with that look?! You think I won't mess you up?!"
"P-please don't fight... we're teammates now..." Hinata stammered, trying to intervene.
"Hinata, stay out of this—" Kiba began, but before he could finish his sentence, a shadow fell over him.
Ryouma was over four years older and naturally much taller. He now loomed over Kiba, his large hand shooting out to grip Kiba's collar, his gaze icy and full of intent.
"How about now?"
"This guy...!" Kiba's eyes widened in shock and a flicker of fear as he stared at Ryouma. "When... when did he get so close...?!"