Uchiha Shisui had heard plenty about Itachi's younger brother, so meeting him in person wasn't much of a surprise.
Naruto, on the other hand, lacked the patience for such deep thoughts. His conclusion? If Satoru was Itachi's best friend, then he must be awesome.
Meanwhile, Kakashi studied Satoru with quiet intrigue. The boy had effortlessly led them through the winding streets of Konoha, dodging 58 people, making three unnecessary turns, and yet still arriving at their destination—Ichiraku Ramen.
That shouldn't have been possible.
The real kicker? He did it all while wearing a blindfold.
Satoru had special perception abilities—ones that had nothing to do with the Sharingan. Kakashi had initially dismissed the idea. After all, Uchiha relied on their dojutsu for almost everything. So why would one handicap himself like this?
An Uchiha without Sharingan?
The thought was bizarre.
Still, Kakashi tucked away his curiosity. He wasn't here for a research paper on weird Uchiha habits. He had a mission.
Before he could overthink it further, Satoru clapped his hands dramatically.
"Alright, here we are!"
Naruto buzzed with excitement. Shisui looked intrigued. Sasuke and Itachi... less so.
Satoru grinned at the ramen shop owner.
"Boss, we're here to take on the ultimate challenge!"
Teuchi, the owner, blinked in surprise. "The super challenge? Are you sure?"
"A true ramen lover never backs down from a challenge, right, Naruto?" Satoru prompted.
"YOSH! NEVER BACK DOWN!" Naruto declared, flames of passion practically bursting from his tiny frame.
Teuchi looked ready to weep. "That's the spirit, my boy!"
Kakashi, on the other hand, had a bad feeling about this.
"Wait a sec—"
"Too late, you're all in now," Satoru interrupted smoothly.
Kakashi sighed. He should've known.
The moment they were led to the competition area, Satoru promptly vanished.
"Huh? Uncle Teuchi, where did big brother go?" Naruto asked, confused.
"That bastard didn't just ditch us, did he?" Sasuke grumbled.
"Sasuke, respect your elders," Itachi chided, his tone mild but firm.
Sasuke sulked. He still respected his second brother. He just wasn't thrilled about being abandoned in a food challenge with no prior warning.
Kakashi wasn't too worried. He figured he could gather information just by watching Naruto. Still, something about Satoru's sudden disappearance felt… ominous.
Before he could dwell on it, the loud clang of a gong silenced the room.
Teuchi stepped forward, smiling brightly.
"Welcome to the Ninja Big Stomach Championship!"
The crowd murmured in excitement.
"But today," Teuchi continued, "we also have five brave challengers who will attempt to conquer the legendary King Ramen!"
A ripple of awe went through the contestants.
Teuchi wasn't finished. "And to make things even more exciting, we have three special guest judges!"
He gestured grandly toward the stage.
"Please welcome—the Third Hokage, the Uchiha Clan Patriarch, and the Akamichi Clan Patriarch!"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then, as one, the participants turned to stare at Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, Shisui, and Kakashi.
The five of them sat frozen, realization sinking in.
This wasn't just a ramen-eating contest.
This was a diplomatic disaster waiting to happen.
And worst of all?
Satoru had abandoned them to it.
—
(A/N: Don't Forget To Add In Your Collection And Support via Powerstone)