When Mizuki stepped into the restaurant, Yuuta was genuinely startled.
This pitiful ninja, arguably one of the sorriest characters in the original series, might still be out of his league, even with a Chūnin-level puppet at his disposal.
But what truly unsettled Yuuta was the way Mizuki paid for Naruto's meal with an air of righteous generosity. Something about it felt… off.
What was it?
Yuuta tried to dig through his fuzzy memory of the early arcs. Ever since transmigrating, his recollection of the series had been hazy at best, especially the early chapters. So for the moment, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Naruto, emboldened now that someone had stepped in on his behalf, puffed out his chest and straightened his back.
"You're a greedy, heartless boss! I'm never coming back here again!"
And right on cue.
Ding!
[Special Mission Triggered: "Cheer Up the Unhappy Hero"]
[Mission Objective: As the future Supreme Culinary God of the Naruto World, how could you possibly let the main character walk away upset?!]
[Mission Requirement: Earn the hero's sincere admiration.]
[Mission Reward: Genin-level Chakra Aptitude]
Yuuta had planned to ignore the system.
Until he saw that reward.
Genin-level Chakra!
In this world, nothing mattered more than chakra mastery.
Sure, Genin-level chakra was technically the lowest tier in the ninja system, but for someone like Yuuta, born without chakra talent, this was beyond gold. It was a miracle.
Instantly, his mind began racing.
Admittedly, he'd always held a bit of jealousy toward Naruto. Living in poverty himself, he couldn't help but envy the "chosen one." Maybe that was why he'd teased Naruto earlier… just a little.
But now?
Now Naruto hated his restaurant and swore he'd never return!
If the system hadn't assigned this quest, Yuuta could've let it slide. But with chakra on the line?
Dammit, this is going to be a headache...
Everyone knew Naruto was stubborn.
Once he made up his mind, he stuck to it, no matter what.
Like when he promised Sakura he'd bring Sasuke back to the village. Everyone called him an idiot, but he never gave up.
And now, Yuuta had no idea how to undo the damage.
Mizuki, meanwhile, had stayed in the shop just long enough to understand the situation.
For the sake of his own shady plans, he forced down his disgust and put on a kindly elder act. Patting Naruto's head with false affection, he turned and said sternly to Yuuta:
"Boss, your prices are completely unreasonable. I have reason to believe your establishment is operating illegally. I'll be reporting this to Lord Hokage to have your shop shut down!"
"What did you just say?!"
"Unreasonable pricing?!"
Wait…
Yuuta's eyes suddenly lit up, he knew exactly how to flip this situation.
Naruto was angry because he thought he'd been ripped off, right?
But what if the high price… actually had a reason?
With newfound confidence, Yuuta smiled broadly.
He ignored Mizuki and instead turned to Naruto:
"Naruto, you've always had trouble using the Clone Jutsu, haven't you?"
"Yeah," Naruto replied instinctively.
He didn't even question why Yuuta would bring that up, it was common knowledge in the village.
Yuuta's lips curled into a smirk.
"Then let's make a bet. If you try using Clone Jutsu right now… I guarantee you'll succeed."
"Huh?!"
"No way!"
Naruto and Mizuki both shouted in disbelief, though for very different reasons.
"Stupid boss, how could you possibly know that I'd succeed now?"
Naruto eyed him suspiciously. He'd literally just failed the graduation exam. There was no way things had changed that fast… right?
"Just try it," Yuuta said confidently, thumping his chest. "Trust me."
Still skeptical, Naruto formed the hand seals, took a deep breath, and shouted:
"Clone Jutsu!"
A puff of white smoke burst out.
And when it cleared, two identical Narutos stood side by side.
He'd done it.
Naruto's Clone Jutsu… had finally succeeded!
"This… this can't be happening!"
Mizuki's eyes widened in disbelief.
How could the academy's eternal failure suddenly master the one technique he could never get right?
No, what about my plan?!
But Naruto didn't care about any of that.
He was too busy celebrating.
Laughing and cheering, he faced his clone and began tugging at its cheeks.
"Oww! That hurts, you idiot!"
"You're the idiot! Don't complain when you're the one who got pinched!"
"Shut up, you're asking for a beating!"
Naruto being Naruto, he got into a fight… with himself.
With a swing of his fist, he punched the clone, and it vanished in a puff of smoke.
He stared at his hands, overwhelmed, tears brimming in his eyes.
"I finally did it… I finally learned Clone Jutsu. I can be a real ninja now!"
No one could truly understand just how much this meant to him.
Becoming a ninja wasn't just a dream. It was his only way forward.
It was his only chance to be acknowledged.
For a kid like Naruto, who'd been hated and ignored his whole life, this belief was the only thing that kept him going.
Without it, he might have ended up like Gaara, a monster drowning in pain and isolation.
Naruto finally snapped out of his emotional daze.
Even an idiot could tell who was responsible for this miracle.
"You… It was you, wasn't it? Boss, how the heck did you pull that off?!"
Yuuta folded his arms and gazed skyward at a 45-degree angle, striking the classic "lonely master" pose.
"Can't say. It's a secret."
It was a dumb act.
But in Naruto's eyes?
Legendary.
This was what a true master looked like.
Compared to the old Third Hokage, who had crumbled before Naruto's Sexy Jutsu, this black-hearted boss was clearly the real deal, a mysterious expert.
Otherwise, how else could Naruto have suddenly learned Clone Jutsu?
Yes, he had to be a recluse with bizarre habits and genius skills.
Even the outrageous ramen prices?
It was probably just some eccentric quirk of a hidden master!
Everything suddenly made sense.
Naruto's eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked up at Yuuta and declared:
"From today on, Boss… you're my leader! My big bro!"
Meanwhile, Mizuki, having faded into the background like a wallflower, shot a final glance at the chubby puppet stationed at the door.
His eyes darkened.
Without saying a word, he slipped quietly out of the restaurant… already scheming.
<><>---------------------------------------
200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
Add to Collections!