Slurp!
"Mmm, Uncle, your cooking is incredible! And Big Sister is beautiful too!"
Tonbo Tobitake stuffed his cheeks with noodles, singing praises to the father-daughter duo with shameless enthusiasm.
"Haha, really? Of course! I learned my craft from a famous chef in the Land of Fire!"
Teuchi beamed, his chest puffing out with pride. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened with joy at having his culinary art recognized.
"That's right—my dad is the best," Ayame chimed in, giggling. "By the way, you're a ninja, right? Why aren't you on the battlefield?"
She pointed at his forehead protector and the heavy bandages wrapped around his head. It wasn't unusual to see ninja with masks, but seeing someone wrapped like a mummy was a bit distinct.
"Oh, this? I'm in logistics," Tonbo grinned, tapping his temple. "Just got back from the Iwa front. I've racked up quite a few merit points, you know."
"Big Brother, I'm Ayame—what's your name? And why the bandages? Are you... ugly?" Ayame asked with the innocent cruelty of a child.
"Nonsense!" Tonbo nearly choked on his broth. "I was the most handsome guy in the Academy! Better than the Taijutsu genius Might Guy, better than the prodigy Kakashi, even better than Genma Shiranui or Inabi Uchiha! I cover my face to stop them from feeling inferior!"
Tonbo could tolerate many things, but being called ugly by his future wife (in his head) was not one of them. He rattled off the names of his classmates with increasing volume.
"Hehehe! You're bluffing," Ayame laughed. "I've never seen Kakashi without his mask, but I've definitely seen Hayate and Inabi. You can't be better looking than them."
Ayame was young, but she wasn't stupid. She knew a braggart when she heard one.
Slurp!
Tonbo finished the last drop of soup and set the bowl down with a heavy thud.
"Since you insist, I'll make an exception just for you."
He reached up and began to unspool the grey cloth. Layer by layer, the bandages fell away.
When the last strip dropped, Ayame gasped.
Beneath the wrappings was a face of delicate, almost ethereal beauty. He had pale, hazy blue eyes framed by striking white eyelashes. His hair was a shock of white, and his smile was so bright it seemed to light up the small stall.
"Wow... your eyes are so pretty!" Ayame stared, mesmerized.
Even Teuchi paused mid-stir, blinking. The kid really is handsome.
Swish!
Before they could stare for more than a few seconds, Tonbo rapidly rewound the bandages, hiding his face once more.
"See? I told you. Dangerously handsome."
Tonbo was satisfied. He had checked the mirror before; in this life, his appearance was S-rank.
"Oh right, I almost forgot—I'm Tonbo Tobitake."
"Okay, Tonbo Tobitake, you are the most handsome guy I've ever seen," Ayame giggled, pointing a finger at him. "But you still have to pay!"
"..."
Tonbo paid his bill silently, walking out to a chorus of "Come again!"
He strolled down the street, a dopey smile plastered beneath his bandages.
She's the one, he decided. Ayame is the perfect wife.
Sweet, pretty, a hardworking father who owns a business that becomes a village staple... and most importantly, she survives. In the original story, Ayame and Teuchi live through everything—Pain's invasion, the Fourth War, everything. They are the ultimate survivors.
His life goal was simple: Peace. A wife, kids, and a quiet death in old age. Chasing after Kunoichi like Kurenai or Anko was a death trap. Ayame was safe.
Decision made. From now on, my diet is Yakitori, Onigiri, and Ichiraku Ramen.
Whoosh!
Overhead, dark shapes blurred across the rooftops.
Whoosh!
Tonbo looked up. ANBU Black Ops. They weren't hiding their presence, which meant urgent dispatch.
Must be the intelligence I got earlier, Tonbo thought. The Hokage is making a move.
He knew the script. The war with Iwa was over, which meant the focus was shifting to Kumo and Kiri. The Third Raikage was dead. The chessboard was resetting.
Soon, the tragedies would start rolling in. Might Duy opening the Eight Gates to save Guy from the Seven Swordsmen. Rin's death. Obito's descent into madness. Minato becoming Hokage. Orochimaru defecting.
Tonbo sighed. I'm glad none of that involves me.
In his past life, reading the manga, he had wanted to save everyone. But now that he was here? Without a cheat system? Without Kurama?
Sorry, world. I choose life.
"Ha, Captain Tonbo! Finally decided to come to work?"
Seishi winked at him as Tonbo walked into the Analysis Team's underground base the next morning.
"Don't start," Tonbo grumbled. "What's the assignment? An ANBU woke me up at dawn."
He had planned to go back to Ichiraku Ramen to flirt with Ayame, but the cat-masked messenger had ruined his plans.
"Briefing room. Director Inoichi is waiting," Seishi said, his tone turning serious.
They walked through the dimly lit corridors, the faint sound of screams echoing from the interrogation cells. It was a stark reminder that this wasn't a ramen shop. This was the dark underbelly of the village.
Inoichi Yamanaka stood in the center of the briefing room, surrounded by a dozen agents.
"Alright, listen up. Assignments for today," Inoichi announced, reading from a clipboard.
"Inoichi, Interrogation Room 1."
"Seishi, Room 102."
"Mawari, Room 405."
"Tonbo Tobitake... Room 404."
Tonbo raised an eyebrow. The room numbers corresponded to security clearance. Room 404 was deep in the secure sector.
He followed a service ninja down a long, torch-lit tunnel. The air grew colder.
Room 404 was different. There was no body strapped to a table. There was no blood.
Instead, there was a chair and a strange, bulky device resting on a pedestal next to it. It looked like a helmet wired into the wall.
"That is a Mental Amplifier," the service ninja explained. "It uses chakra induction to boost a sensor's range and memory extraction capabilities by three hundred percent."
"Put it on. Your target is remote."
Tonbo's eyes lit up. Now this... this is interesting.