Chapter 122: Ichiraku Fortress, Reopening
The night was deep and quiet; the craftsmen had long since finished their work.
Haruko was crouching at the base of the Ramen Shop wall, holding a blue-green metal piece covered in fine, dense runes.
"This is the last one..."
Click
With a press of his finger, the metal piece sank into the stone seam of the wall, fitting perfectly. If one didn't know beforehand, it would be impossible to detect.
"Done."
Haruko brushed the dust off his hands, stood up, and then formed a hand seal, "Rise!"
Hum—
Haruko felt that familiar flow of Chakra—the three layers of Barrier Ninjutsu activated simultaneously, and the entire Ramen Shop was enveloped by an invisible force field.
"Hmm... it should be done; let's test the effect."
Haruko walked to the opposite side of the street, about fifty meters away, and slowly closed his eyes.
"Byakugan!"
The pedestrians on the street, the Chakra pathways of the Anbu Ninjas in the distance, the young couple in their home—everything was in plain sight.
Only the Ramen Shop, as if covered by a giant black pot, was completely impenetrable to his vision.
"Wind Release: Detector Wind."
He tried detection-type Ninjutsu again, but it couldn't penetrate either.
"Hmm, the anti-reconnaissance perception Barrier Ninjutsu is qualified. Next is defense..."
He walked to the front of the shop and took a deep breath.
"Tenshu Kyaku."
Bang—
Haruko's body paused for a moment in mid-air, then was bounced back by an invisible force, causing only slight ripples on the defensive Barrier Ninjutsu.
"Hmm, one more time."
This time he didn't hold back. Chakra condensed on his palm, forming a sphere that grew larger and larger.
"Big Ball Rasengan!"
Zzzzz—!
The sound of friction between Chakra rang out. After drilling for a dozen seconds, cracks began to appear on the Barrier Ninjutsu, which then grew larger and larger.
Until the end, the Barrier Ninjutsu was not broken through, and after Haruko stopped attacking, the cracks quickly shrank and disappeared.
"Hmm... it should be able to block ordinary attacks. If it's a Tailed Beast Ball or something similar... I'll have to hide there."
"There's one more item... I'll leave it for tomorrow."
...
The next day, the renovation of the Ramen Shop was completely finished.
The expanded shop occupied the vacant lot next door, becoming a two-story building made of wood and stone.
Compared to the original small shop with only a semi-open bar, the current Ichiraku Ramen Shop was more like a restaurant.
The first floor was the business area. The front hall had expanded several times over; besides the bar, there was a dining area with booths.
"Wow—! Brother Haruko, this is too spacious!"
"Ayame's dessert room is over there." Haruko pointed to a corner of the shop, where a separate space had been partitioned off with glass, containing a small oven and a display cabinet.
"Oh! The kitchen is also very spacious; we won't be crowded together anymore." Tayuya's excited voice came from the kitchen.
"There's also a staff lounge and changing room." Haruko pointed upstairs again, "They are all on the second floor, as are Old Man and Ayame's rooms."
Kin Tsuchi ran upstairs excitedly, while Kaguya Kaede threw a flirtatious glance at Haruko before following.
Teuchi stood in front of the bar, looking at the brand-new shop, his eyes a bit moist.
"Good... really good." He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, "Our little shop finally looks like something."
Ayame ran out of the dessert room and threw herself into Teuchi's arms.
"Dad, thank you!"
"Silly girl, this is all Haruko's credit." Teuchi patted his daughter's head.
"Brother Haruko is also our family." Ayame said matter-of-factly.
Haruko turned around and scratched his head, but the red on his ear tips had already betrayed him.
"There's one more thing that needs testing." Haruko formed a hand seal, "Suppression Barrier Ninjutsu, rise!"
!
In an instant, the few people exploring the shop excitedly all felt something strange.
"Brother Haruko, I suddenly feel my body is a bit heavy..." Kin Tsuchi walked down from upstairs.
Kaguya Kaede, who was following behind, was also frowning, but the moment she saw Haruko, she seemed to understand. She put her hands on her hips and scolded, "Geez, can you give us a heads-up next time? Also, the lounge isn't completely soundproof!"
"Next time for sure. How does everyone feel?"
Haruko looked at Teuchi and Ayame; the two seemed a bit confused.
"Haruko, did you do something? I see Kin Tsuchi and Kaguya Kaede don't look too good..."
"Big Brother! I suddenly can't mobilize my Chakra!" Tayuya ran out from the kitchen.
"Me too."
"I can barely mobilize a tiny bit."
"Hmm, that's right." Haruko explained, "Except for those who are marked, everyone in this Barrier Ninjutsu will have their Chakra suppressed. Jonin will be suppressed to the level of Genin, and those below Chunin will be about the same as ordinary people."
Haruko focused his mind and dispelled the Barrier Ninjutsu.
"Right, there's one more place."
Haruko walked to the corner of the kitchen, lifted a floorboard, and revealed the stairs leading underground.
"The basement, the core of the Barrier Ninjutsu is down there, and it's also an emergency shelter."
Everyone followed Haruko down the stairs. The space in the basement wasn't large, only about twenty square meters, with thick steel plates and rune stones embedded in all four walls.
"This is the strongest place in the entire fortress. If you shrink all the Barrier Ninjutsu from above to only protect this basement, the defensive power can triple." Haruko pointed to the folding bed and emergency supply box in the corner, "If you really encounter a major disaster, just hide here, and everything will be fine."
When everyone left the basement, Haruko stayed behind with Kaguya Kaede for a while longer.
"That is the real core of the Barrier Ninjutsu." Haruko pointed to the blue-green crystal that looked like a chandelier, "Although there are terminals upstairs for charging and operation, you have to come here to operate it directly when necessary."
"Hmm, I understand." Kaguya Kaede nodded earnestly.
"Besides..." Haruko leaned into Kaguya Kaede's ear, "This basement is the only place that is completely soundproof."
Kaguya Kaede was stunned for a moment, then realized, and a seductive blush appeared on that beautiful face.
She bit her lower lip lightly, glanced at Haruko with seductive eyes, and whispered into his ear:
"Then... do you want to teach me how to use the Barrier Ninjutsu properly tonight, and maybe test the soundproofing while you're at it?"
...
Ichiraku Ramen Shop reopened.
The news of the expansion had long since spread among the regular customers, and coupled with the commotion Haruko had caused in the Village before, a long line had already formed at the shop entrance as soon as it was mealtime.
"Welcome!"
Ayame was wearing a brand-new uniform, greeting guests at the door with a sweet smile. Kin Tsuchi and Tayuya were moving through the shop; although Tayuya still kept a straight face while serving ramen, her movements were much more agile.
The interior of the shop was brand new, with a spacious and bright dining area, independent booths, and even a special dessert display cabinet, inside which were the desserts Ayame had tried making.
"Whoa! This environment is so much better than before!"
"Boss Teuchi, you've made a fortune!"
The old customers exclaimed one after another, and the sound of slurping ramen rose and fell.
"I'm very sorry, I forgot to pay for the ramen last month."
"Customer, you really don't have to do this..."
There were also customers who seemed unnatural, somewhat trembling.
As for outside the shop—
"Are you sure you didn't see wrong? That " Kakashi Hatake " is working as a waiter inside?"
"That's right, it's him. I wouldn't mistake that head of white hair. I really didn't expect that a genius who became a Jonin at twelve would be like this."
"Forget it, let's stay away from that shop. I heard the Kumogakure Ninjas have arrived; let's go check them out."
The foreign Ninjas with ulterior motives didn't realize their misunderstanding and slunk away.
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