Chapter 344: Exorbitant Generosity
Seeing the warmth and courtesy with which Teuchi, the ramen chef, greeted him, Ye Wen responded just as amiably and began browsing the menu. At this point, Ichiraku Ramen was still a modest six seat establishment, far from the franchise it would become under Naruto's future leadership as the Seventh Hokage. Yet, even as a small ramen shop, every surface was spotless, with no trace of grease. This simple cleanliness immediately made Ye Wen feel at ease, unlike some lesser eateries from his previous life.
The price, however, was not exactly budget friendly 60 ryo for a basic ramen bowl. But given that Konoha was the economic heart of the Land of Fire, second only to the capital, the high prices made sense. And with the friendly service included, the price seemed justified.
As Ye Wen thought about this, he realized he didn't have any of the local currency. No matter he figured he'd simply offer something else as payment if needed. To start, he decided to order a classic bowl of Ichiraku ramen with extra chashu, opting to keep it simple for his first taste.
Before long, a large, steaming bowl of ramen arrived, filled to the brim with noodles in a rich broth and neatly arranged toppings. This wasn't one of those places that served fancy food on oversized plates here, the serving was substantial, filling the bowl generously. No wonder Naruto had managed to survive on this as a staple during his difficult childhood.
Ye Wen didn't bother with any customary phrase before digging in; he picked up his chopsticks and began to savor the meal. The broth did not disappoint, with layers of flavor that coated his palate. The noodles, crafted by Teuchi's expert hands, had the perfect bite neither too soft nor too firm, harmonizing well with the rich broth. The chashu and other toppings were well prepared, if not particularly extraordinary. After evaluating it by his five star standard, Ye Wen found Ichiraku ramen easily deserved at least three and a half stars. For a humble shop in the ninja world, it was genuinely impressive.
Teuchi watched eagerly as Ye Wen drank the last drop of broth, a look of satisfaction on the chef's face. For any cook, seeing a customer relish every bite was the highest praise.
Noticing Ye Wen's attire, which looked refined yet different from Konoha's usual style, Teuchi was about to ask for feedback when a small figure dashed in. It was Naruto Uzumaki, holding a small slip of paper. Skipping class, as usual, Ye Wen thought with a wry smile. As the unofficial "dead last" of his class, Naruto often snuck away or pulled pranks sometimes even vandalizing the Hokage Rock to get attention.
"Teuchi ossan, here!" Naruto handed Teuchi his ramen coupon. "Just a sec, Naruto," Teuchi replied warmly. Ironically, while the Third Hokage had isolated Naruto to make him dependent, it was Teuchi's kindness more than any words from the Hokage that gave Naruto comfort. When Naruto was lonely and hungry, it was Teuchi who served him a bowl of warm ramen, filling the void the village had left.
After preparing Naruto's bowl, Teuchi turned back to Ye Wen. "So, what did you think of our ramen?" he asked, eager for feedback.
Ye Wen smiled. "Of all the dishes I've tasted, it's among the top hundred. I'm no chef myself, so I can't give you much advice, but I hope you keep it up. I'd love to taste it again someday."
While slightly disappointed by the "top hundred" rating, Teuchi could sense the sincerity in Ye Wen's words and gave a grateful bow. "Thank you, sir. I'll keep working hard to improve."
Ye Wen appreciated the humble attitude Konoha's residents, while flawed in many ways, had their merits. Satisfied, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small gold ingot, and placed it on the counter. "For the meal," he said.
Teuchi's eyes widened as he saw the gold. For the first time, his famously squinting eyes opened fully in shock. So this was the rumored "Ōtsutsuki uncle" look? Ye Wen couldn't help but chuckle internally.
"Sir, this is far too much. A bowl of ramen is only 60 ryo!" Teuchi protested, pushing the gold back toward him. In this world, even the Third Kazekage's so called "Gold Dust" ability used relatively low purity gold; a single finger sized ingot of real gold like this was worth tens of thousands of ryo. Using it to pay for ramen was, indeed, over the top.
Quick to deduce the situation, Teuchi realized this finely dressed man was likely an outsider who didn't carry Konoha's currency, hence the use of gold.
(End of Chapter)
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