As Kazehaya Hayate was lost in thought, pondering life and destiny, a familiar voice suddenly called out to him from across the street.
"Hey, Hayate! You finally graduated from the Ninja Academy! Congratulations!"
Hayate turned toward the sound and spotted Teuchi, the cheerful owner of Ichiraku Ramen. For a brief second, Hayate wondered if the man might have been part of his "preset backstory" arranged by the system.
Still, ramen was ramen. So with a smile, he walked over and sat down at the counter, eager to try the famous Ichiraku noodles for himself.
But the moment he sat down, Teuchi suddenly pulled out a small box, opened it, and dumped a stack of bills right in front of him.
"Hayate," Teuchi said seriously, "you've become a ninja now. A man who stands on his own two feet should have the courage to take responsibility, don't you think?"
His tone was so bold and sincere that for a moment, Hayate almost found himself nodding in admiration—until he glanced at the bills and saw his own name written across every single one.
"Uh… Uncle Teuchi," Hayate said weakly, his smile freezing, "do I really… owe this much money?"
The sheer number of debt slips made his head spin.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Teuchi barked, folding his arms. "Are you accusing me of forgery?!"
"Ah—no, no, of course not!" Hayate laughed nervously, though inside he was screaming.(System! Seriously?! What kind of preloaded debt scam is this?!)
But the system, as always, stayed silent—calm and immovable as a mountain.
Then, suddenly, Teuchi laughed heartily. "Just kidding! It's your first day as a full-fledged ninja—I couldn't resist teasing you. Here, have a bowl of ramen. It's on the house."
He slid a steaming bowl in front of Hayate, the fragrant aroma immediately filling the air.
"Ah…" Hayate blinked, momentarily stunned. The golden broth shimmered, the noodles glistened, and the smiling face of the ramen master before him… somehow looked radiant, even heroic.
"Thank you, Uncle Teuchi!" Hayate said sincerely. "Itadakimasu!"
He grabbed his chopsticks and began devouring the noodles with hunger-driven enthusiasm.He hadn't eaten all day, and the warm broth and soft noodles hit his stomach like a blessing. His body came alive again, almost humming like a well-oiled engine.
From behind the counter, Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, peeked out and giggled."Hayate, you've got to keep working hard from now on. No more slacking off like before, okay?"
"Mm!" Hayate nodded enthusiastically, cheeks stuffed with noodles.
The cozy shop filled with laughter and warmth, the kind that made Konoha feel like home.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
"Lord Third," a Chūnin said urgently, "if Naruto unlocks the techniques inside the Scroll of Seals, the Nine-Tails' power might resurface! Please issue your orders immediately!"
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, frowned deeply, his lined face shadowed by the weight of years. After a long silence, he finally nodded."Summon all available Chūnin. Retrieve Naruto Uzumaki—no matter what."
"Yes, sir!"
When the Chūnin left, the Hokage turned toward the crystal ball on his desk. The image reflected inside it… was of Hayate, happily slurping ramen at Ichiraku.
"…A boy who didn't even know basic ninjutsu a few weeks ago, suddenly mastering the Clone Technique," Hiruzen murmured. "And earlier, I caught a glimpse of him using the Body Flicker… a technique even I couldn't clearly detect. Intriguing…"
If Hayate had known the Hokage was literally spying on him while he ate ramen, he would've choked on his noodles right then and there.
When he finished his meal, Hayate thanked Teuchi and Ayame, then stepped out onto the street.The night air was cool, carrying the faint scent of cooking fires and blooming flowers.
He began thinking hard about one practical problem—(Does anyone actually know me in this world? Like… as part of my "system background"?)
He scratched his head, realizing he didn't even know where his own house was supposed to be.
"…"
A few days later, the day of team assignments finally arrived.
Hayate stood among the new graduates, palms slightly sweaty. Despite everything, he couldn't help but hope—(Please, let me be in the same team as Hinata… come on, system, don't fail me now.)
"Team Seven," Iruka announced. "Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno."
Hayate's heart skipped. (All right, next is Hinata's team... please, please, please—)
"Team Eight," Iruka continued. "Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka—"
(Yes! It's coming! Come on, let it be me—!)
"—and Kazehaya Hayate."
(YES! Finally!)
Hayate nearly fist-pumped in triumph, only stopping himself at the last second.(Praise the system! It actually came through!)
Meanwhile, Shino Aburame, who was originally part of Team Eight, had been reassigned to Team Nine.
Iruka clapped his hands. "All right, that's everyone. The Jōnin instructors will arrive soon. Until then, class dismissed!"
Outside, a light wind drifted down a narrow street, scattering leaves across the ground.Hayate caught one gently between his fingers.
"A leaf... the symbol of Konoha's life and rebirth," he murmured. The simple gesture stirred a wave of nostalgia in his chest.
"Yo, Hayate!"
A loud, brash voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Hayate frowned slightly and turned."Oh, it's you… Kiba. What's up?"
Kiba Inuzuka was grinning ear to ear, his little white dog Akamaru perched proudly on his head."Nothing much. Just wanted to see who I got stuck with. Didn't expect it to be you, old man."
Behind him, Hinata peeked out timidly, her fingers twisting together."Um… B-Brother Hayate, I didn't expect us to be in the same group. Please take care of me from now on…"
Her gentle voice and rosy cheeks could've melted steel. Even someone as mentally weathered as Hayate felt his defenses crumble.
"Yeah, of course. I'll be counting on you too, Hinata," he said warmly.
Kiba snorted. "Hah, just don't slow us down, gramps. The dead-last of the Academy doesn't need another one holding him back! Right, Akamaru?"
"Arf!" the little dog barked, as if in agreement.
A cold gleam flashed in Hayate's eyes.
(Ignored, huh? If I don't put him in his place now, he'll be a headache later...)
He smiled faintly—a slow, dangerous curve of the lips.
To Kiba, that expression looked mocking—almost like a challenge. His temper flared."What's with that look?! You picking a fight, huh?!"
"D-Don't fight, please… We're all on the same team…" Hinata tried to interject softly.
But before Kiba could finish his next insult, he suddenly felt a dark shadow fall over him.
He froze.
Hayate was already standing right in front of him, towering over him by a full head. His hand reached out—firm, deliberate—grabbing Kiba by the collar.
His voice dropped to a calm, icy tone."Now… what was that you said?"
Kiba's eyes widened. He hadn't even seen Hayate move.
(W-When… when did he get here?!)