Naruto was initially stunned, then his face lit up with joy as he looked at Kakashi with sparkling eyes.
"Really? That's awesome!"
[Yahoo! Ramen! I've been wanting to go for ramen for ages, but it's too expensive. I never expected Kakashi to be so considerate.]
For the first time, Naruto's inner thoughts matched his outward expression. A faint smile flickered across Kakashi's face as he pointed his thumb toward the door.
"Shall we head out now? To Ichiraku Ramen!"
Naruto's eyes shone even brighter, and he nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Let's go now, let's go now!"
The two of them headed straight for Ichiraku Ramen. Along the way, people occasionally cast unfriendly glances at Naruto, but he didn't care. His mind was completely focused on the anticipation of eating Ichiraku Ramen.
Soon, they arrived at the ramen shop. The owner, one of the few villagers who didn't discriminate against Naruto, greeted them with a warm smile as soon as they entered.
"What would you two like to order?"
Before Kakashi could speak, Naruto sat down and slapped the table in front of him with a loud thud.
"Give me the most expensive, biggest portion of ramen you have!"
[I finally manage to get Kakashi to treat a meal, and I'm going to make it worth it!]
Kakashi glanced at Naruto, shrugged helplessly, and sat down beside him.
"I'll just have a regular bowl of ramen."
"Got it! Please wait a moment, it'll be ready soon."
In no time, two steaming bowls of ramen were served. Naruto immediately dug in, devouring his meal ravenously. It wasn't just because he was hungry, but also because he had been eating instant noodles for days and was desperate for a change of flavor.
Soon, the large bowl of ramen was completely empty. Naruto patted his bulging stomach and let out a satisfied burp.
"Burp! Ichiraku Ramen lives up to its reputation. It's delicious!"
The owner chuckled at Naruto's heartfelt compliment. Kakashi had finished his meal faster than Naruto. He had wanted to strike up a conversation earlier but didn't want to interrupt Naruto enthusiastic eating, so he waited until Naruto was done.
"Naruto, are you full? If not, you can order more."
"Ah--I'm stuffed. Thanks a lot, Big bro Kakashi."
[Hehe, I'll call him 'Big bro' now. Even when Kakashi becomes my teacher later, I can still keep calling him that. That way he will treat me way better than sasuke. Just thinking about it makes me feel great.]
At first, Kakashi didn't think much of Naruto calling him "Big bro." After all, his father had been Kakashi's teacher, so technically its not that wrong and it was appropriate for Naruto to call him "Big bro." But after hearing Naruto's inner thoughts, he was shocked.
What?! I'm going to become Naruto's teacher in the future? Can Naruto predict the future? How is that possible?
Whether it was during Obito's time or Rin's time, Naruto hadn't even been born yet. While it was a bit strange that Naruto knew these things, Kakashi wasn't particularly shocked. Instead, he was more curious about the truth behind it. After all, these were events from the past, so maybe someone had told Naruto about them.
But now, Naruto claimed that he would become his teacher in the future, which was essentially predicting the future—something unheard of.
And if this were true, then Naruto would possess the terrifying ability to foresee the future.
No, I must test him!
Thinking this, Kakashi took out a three-pronged kunai from his ninja tool pouch and handed it to Naruto.
"Naruto, I don't have anything particularly valuable on me, so I'll give you this as a gift. I hope you like it."
Naruto looked at the kunai in surprise, then at Kakashi, pretending to be so moved that he was about to cry. He grabbed the kunai and immediately started rubbing his eyes, as if wiping away tears. In reality, he was just trying to force his eyes to turn red since he couldn't actually cry.
"Big bro Kakashi, you're so kind! Not only did you take the initiative to get to know me, but you also treated me to ramen, and now you're giving me a gift. From now on, you're my big brother!"
[What is Kakashi up to? Treating me to ramen is one thing, but now he's giving me my father special kunai. Is he trying to return it to its rightful owner? But wouldn't that expose my identity? Would the Third Hokage allow this?]
Naruto was still rubbing his eyes, so he didn't notice Kakashi's shocked expression. At this point, Kakashi felt that at least half of Naruto's thoughts were genuine.
He actually knew! Naruto had such a secret, which meant everything he had said earlier could also be true! Was Obito still alive? Did Rin commit suicide with his hand? What exactly happened back then?
With these questions in mind, Kakashi gradually snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, patting Naruto on the head.
"I'm glad you like it. I gave you this kunai in the hope that you'll become an excellent ninja in the future."
Naruto's act was almost done. He looked up at Kakashi with his artificially reddened eyes and nodded solemnly.
"Yes! I will definitely become an excellent ninja! I want to be the Hokage and earn everyone's recognition! Big bro Kakashi, I heard that children in the Leaf Village can enroll in the ninja academy at the age of six. I'm six now—can I go too?"
Hearing Naruto's ambition—not only aspiring to be an excellent ninja but also aiming to become the Hokage—Kakashi felt deeply moved and couldn't help but show a warm, affectionate smile.
"Hehe—I'm very happy to hear that. You can..."
[Ahhh, I really want to go to school! At least there, I won't have to worry about food. I'll sleep during class and chat with Hinata about life after school. She's such a rich girl—I'm definitely sticking with her! And Iruka will occasionally treat me to ramen. Life will be so good! Let school life come sooner!]
As Naruto imagined his future school life, he couldn't help but shout in his heart, filled with anticipation.
Kakashi, who had only spoken halfway, suddenly froze, his smile stiffening. He had thought Naruto was truly ambitious, but sleeping in class and chatting with girls after school? This was the epitome of laziness and self-indulgence.
Naruto naturally had no idea what Kakashi was thinking. Moreover, since Kakashi was still wearing his mask, Naruto couldn't see his expression either. He only found it strange that Kakashi had paused mid-sentence.
"Big Brother Kakashi? What's wrong? Why did you stop talking halfway through?"
"Huh? Oh! No, nothing. I think attending the ninja academy should be fine, but I need you to know that not just anyone can enroll. So, you'll have to work hard before you can join. you'll need to pay attention in class and, most importantly, avoid getting distracted by early romance."