Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Tunan sat inside Ichiraku Ramen, waiting for Minato Namikaze.
Tunan glanced around the small ramen shop. It was ordinary, with a slightly worn appearance, but nothing out of the ordinary.
As for the rumors he had heard in his past life—about the "sacred tree" and "background music"—he had no interest in exploring them. Whether true or false, it wasn't worth the risk.
Soon, Minato Namikaze arrived at Ichiraku Ramen, accompanied by a red-haired kunoichi wearing a green flak jacket.
Minato gestured toward her and introduced, "Tunan, Kakashi, let me introduce you—this is Uzumaki Kushina."
However, Kushina was far from reserved. She pushed open the door with enthusiasm, rushed over to Kakashi and Tunan, and looked them over curiously.
"So, you're the rumored Konoha genius?" she asked. "Hello! I'm Uzumaki Kushina."
Kakashi merely nodded indifferently.
Tunan, on the other hand, offered a polite smile and replied, "Nice to meet you. I'm Uchiha Tunan, a disciple of Minato-sensei."
Minato scratched his head with a sheepish grin and said, "Alright, let's sit."
Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, emerged from the kitchen, handing out menus. "Since you're here, you've gotta eat something."
Kushina immediately raised her hand. "Large portion of tonkotsu ramen," she said, then glanced at Minato and added, "Make that two."
Tunan didn't even glance at the menu. He smiled and said, "I'll have the same, but with less seasoning. I prefer lighter flavors."
Kakashi, still uninterested, said, "Same as him."
Teuchi nodded. "Got it." He took the menus and returned to the kitchen.
A short while later, four steaming bowls of tonkotsu ramen were placed in front of them.
"I'm digging in!" Kushina eagerly grabbed her chopsticks and took the first bite.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind.
"Kushina."
"Hmm? What is it, Kurama?"
"I sense something dark in that kid."
Kushina froze mid-bite, then subtly shifted her gaze toward Kakashi.
"Not the white-haired one," Kurama clarified. "The Uchiha."
Kushina frowned slightly as she glanced at Uchiha Tunan. He appeared calm, gently chewing his food, his expression serene.
"Are you sure? He seems as gentle as Minato."
"My perception is never wrong," Kurama growled. "His chakra reeks of something sinister. And that's nothing compared to the darkness in his heart. It's unsettling."
At that moment, Tunan's gaze flickered toward Kushina.
"He's looking this way," Kurama warned.
Tunan met her eyes and wiped his face with a napkin, feigning confusion. "Is something on my face, Kushina-san?"
There was something off about the way he looked at her. A calculating glint.
By the way… what would happen if Kushina died? Would the chakra of the Nine-Tails be transferable?
If that were the case…
A chilling thought crossed Tunan's mind. If he could acquire the power of the Tailed Beasts through a cycle of inheritance…
His eyes darkened momentarily as he looked at Kushina.
"He's planning something," Kurama whispered.
Kushina stiffened, then quickly changed the subject. "Oh, right! I've heard a lot of talk about you around the village lately."
Clatter!
Tunan's chopsticks slipped from his fingers and hit the floor.
His head lowered, and his voice turned hoarse. "…Yes."
Minato silently handed him a new pair of chopsticks. "Eat while it's hot, or it won't taste good."
Tunan nodded, picking up his chopsticks. But as he ate, silent tears fell into his bowl.
Kushina blinked, startled. "Tunan… what's wrong?"
Tunan raised his head, his red Uchiha eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He forced a smile.
"Huh? Nothing… It's just… this ramen is so delicious. I've never had anything like it before."
With that, he lowered his head again, eating as if trying to distract himself.
Minato reached out and patted Tunan's back gently. "You can have another bowl if you'd like."
Suddenly, Tunan stood up.
"No, I'm full. I have things to take care of at my new house tonight. You guys enjoy your meal."
He turned and walked toward the door. As he stepped outside, he subtly wiped his eyes.
Minato started to say something, but hesitated. Instead, he called out, "Remember to meet at the Hokage Building at 8 AM tomorrow."
Tunan paused, nodded, then left without looking back.
Kakashi set down his chopsticks, glanced at Kushina with an unreadable expression, and said, "I'm done too."
Without another word, he left.
Minato sighed as he noticed neither of them had eaten much. He and Kushina quickly finished their meal in silence before stepping out of the shop.
As they walked, Kushina frowned, deep in thought. "Minato, did I say something wrong?"
Minato shook his head. "I don't think so, but… just be mindful around him."
Kushina crossed her arms, still puzzled. "I only mentioned how the villagers were talking about him. Why would that make him so sad?"
Minato's expression turned serious. "What exactly were they saying?"
"They called him a genius. Said he graduated just one year after joining the Academy. That's all."
Minato sighed with a small smile. "I see. We misunderstood something."
Kushina tilted her head. "Huh? What do you mean?"
She hesitated before saying, "Did you know Kurama can sense people's negative emotions?"
Minato's brows furrowed. "What are you getting at?"
"The Nine-Tails said Tunan harbors a lot of darkness."
Minato shook his head. "From what I've seen, I don't believe he's a bad person."
Kushina pursed her lips. She trusted Minato, but… she also trusted Kurama's instincts.
"I hope Kurama was wrong," she murmured.
Minato exhaled and explained softly, "Tunan has been through a lot. In just six months, he lost his parents, his brother, and his lover."
Kushina's eyes widened. "That's… awful."
Minato nodded. "When I spoke to him yesterday, he told me his dream is to gain the recognition of others. And I believe he meant it."
Kushina mulled over his words. "So… he's someone who's in the dark but yearns for the light?"
Minato smiled. "That's one way to put it. The Third Hokage even spoke to me about it. He wanted someone to help guide Tunan."
"…Is that why you were assigned to lead this team?"
Minato chuckled. "It seems so."