Qingyu watched Minato walk ahead, a small smile finally tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Alright, it's on me," Qingyu agreed readily.
Even he didn't notice that his facial expression had softened considerably. As a transmigrator, he had always considered himself a man of "zero emotion," forever trapped in a sense of being an outsider. This was the ninja world, not the modern society he came from. Moreover, since arriving here, almost everything he had faced—everything he had touched and felt—had been the dark underbelly of this world.
It had turned his heart cold, training him to handle every situation with icy, calculated caution.
But through this simple act of Minato helping him secure a leave... he felt warmth.
It was a sensation entirely absent from his interactions with anyone else—a heart-healing power that made someone dwelling in the abyss look up toward an unreachable light.
What a pity, Qingyu thought, shaking his head with a grin as he watched Minato's back. Minato is such a handsome youth; if he were a girl, I might have to offer my hand in marriage. As it stands... we'll just have to be friends!
Qingyu followed Minato toward the Ichiraku Ramen shop. Before they even crossed the threshold, Minato's voice boomed out with its characteristic clarity, piercing through the air directly into Teuchi's ears.
"Old man Teuchi! The usual, two bowls!"
There was no verbal reply—just the silent understanding between the two. Inside, Teuchi had already started preparing the noodles.
"Let's go in!" Minato waved at Qingyu, his sunshine smile back in full force.
As they stepped inside, the owner, Teuchi, looked up. He squinted at Minato with a nod of recognition, then shifted his gaze to Qingyu.
For a split second, Teuchi froze. Then, he resumed his work as if nothing happened.
Interesting~ Teuchi thought playfully. He had expected Kushina to be the one trailing behind Minato, as that was the usual pairing. Seeing Qingyu today was a surprise. Teuchi said nothing, however, and focused on the rapid preparation of the ramen.
Minato took the same seat where he had run into Qingyu twice before, leaving the corner spot for his friend.
"Qingyu, tell me the truth. Do you actually not want to rest?" Minato's smile vanished, replaced by a sharp, serious gaze. He wasn't letting the topic go.
He didn't realize that the vacation itself was part of Qingyu's "strategy." He genuinely thought he was helping his friend, but seeing Qingyu out performing "secret missions" during his time off made him want to understand the boy's true thoughts.
"Just be honest with me."
Minato's impression of Qingyu was high; they were friends from the Academy, and he deeply respected Qingyu's work ethic and dedication.
"So serious..." Qingyu muttered. He had never seen Minato look quite this grave—even when he was advising him to rest earlier, he hadn't looked this intensely focused.
"Well... how do I put this..." Qingyu began, matching Minato's serious tone. He wasn't telling the absolute truth about the details, but the general sentiment was accurate. "This vacation came at the perfect time. I really was exhausted, and resting is good for my health. But I won't stay away for too long. Once I feel I've recovered enough, I'll be back in the Torture Force."
"Good."
Minato let out a visible sigh of relief. He cared deeply for Qingyu and was simply worried that his concern might become a burden. Minato's high reputation at such a young age wasn't just due to his ninjutsu talent—it was his high emotional intelligence and empathy. Hearing Qingyu's words put his mind at ease.
"Then I'll advise you one more time: when you rest, really rest. Let your body heal fully," Minato said kindly.
"Yeah, I will," Qingyu nodded. The sincere concern flowing from Minato felt like a warm current in his chest.
"Ramen's ready~!" Teuchi's voice rang out as he placed two steaming bowls in front of them. "I added an extra egg for both of you, on the house. Enjoy!"
"Thank you!" they said in unison.
"I can't wait anymore—I'm digging in!" Minato clapped his hands in a brief pre-meal ritual and immediately began slurping his noodles.
"I'm digging in too," Qingyu echoed the gesture. He ate slower, however, because his mind was no longer on the food. Now that Minato was occupied with his meal, Qingyu finally had a moment to process the memories he had just harvested.
He had read so many minds today but hadn't had a chance to organize the data. He needed to know exactly what had happened over the last three days.
As he chewed mechanically, fragments of memory flashed through his mind—footage from dozens of "living CCTV cameras."
I see...
The day he left, the crowd had surged toward the river. The same river. The same spot. Another body had surfaced.
The event had caused an absolute uproar, pushing public outrage to a fever pitch. There was clearly someone fanning the flames of these rumors, though he couldn't yet identify the specific instigators from these general memories.
Then, the Military Police Force arrived.
In the memories of the bystanders, Qingyu saw a familiar, stern face.
Uchiha Fugaku.
The father of Itachi Uchiha. The man who could be considered the indirect architect of the disaster that would eventually lead to the Uchiha clan's total annihilation.