The moment the academy let out, I made a beeline for the exit like a man on a mission. Because I was.Not a training mission, not a top-secret reconnaissance mission—something far more important.
A culinary mission.
"Where are we going in such a hurry?" Azula asked, easily keeping pace with me. Her tone was curious, but I could tell she already suspected something ridiculous.
"You'll see," I said with mock mystery. "It's a sacred pilgrimage… a rite of passage in this world."
She narrowed her eyes. "If this 'sacred pilgrimage' ends at a weapons shop, I'm going home."
"Please. This is much bigger than weapons. This is about destiny."
And by destiny, I mean that I refuse to be the only isekai protagonist in history who doesn't eat Ichiraku Ramen.
Ichiraku Ramen wasn't hard to find. It was a humble little stand tucked away along the street, with the comforting smell of broth spilling out into the air like an open invitation.
I pulled back the curtain and stepped inside with the reverence of a monk entering a temple.
"Welcome!" Teuchi greeted warmly from behind the counter. He had that friendly smile that could make even S-rank criminals feel like regulars.
Azula took a seat next to me, clearly amused at how seriously I was taking this. "I'm starting to think you're more excited about this than you were about your Sharingan."
"Don't be ridiculous," I said. "The Sharingan is a priceless ocular treasure. This is ramen. They're obviously equal."
Teuchi chuckled as he set down two steaming bowls in front of us. The aroma hit me like a genjutsu. Rich, savory broth… perfectly cooked noodles… tender slices of pork…
I picked up my chopsticks and took the first bite.
…
Okay. Now I understood why Naruto practically lived here in the future.
"This is—" I stopped mid-chew. "Nope. I can't even put it into words. Just… yes."
Azula twirled her noodles elegantly, like she was trying to make eating ramen look like a high-class art form. "Hmm… not bad. The flavor's rich, the broth has depth—"
"Azula, I swear if you start giving it a average review, I'm going to drown you in the broth."
She smirked. "So dramatic."
We devoured the bowls in record time, and then I shamelessly ordered seconds. By the time we left, both of us were officially Ichiraku converts.
But because one food pilgrimage wasn't enough, Azula steered us toward a famous dango shop afterward.
"You already had ramen," I said, trying to sound disapproving.
She gave me a look that screamed don't pretend you're not going to eat some too. "You've never had proper dango either, right?"
I sighed. "Fine. But if I don't get enough sugar, I'm blaming you."
The dango shop was buzzing with life, the sweet smell of syrup in the air. We sat at a small table, and soon enough, a plate of glossy, perfectly round dumplings was set before us.
I took a bite.
Oh. Oh, this was dangerous.
"You know," I said through a mouthful, "I think I finally get it. Why the Uchiha all have tragic backstories."
Azula raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"It's because they burn through their sugar supply too fast and go insane from withdrawal."
She smirked. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculously correct," I said, grabbing another skewer.
By the time we rolled out of there, I'd spent way more of my pocket money than I'd planned. Kuroha, the orphanage director, would probably give me a lecture about budgeting if she found out.
Totally worth it.
We started heading back toward the Uchiha district. I was still riding my post-food high when it happened—
That chakra.
The same strange, faint chakra signature I'd been sensing for weeks now.
It was like an itch in the back of my mind, one I'd scratched at over and over with no luck. I'd tried chasing it. No good. I'd tried focusing all my mental energy on it until I got headaches. Still nothing. I even pretended to trip and injure myself once to see if the mystery person would get close out of curiosity. They didn't.
At some point, I'd decided this was future Kazuki's problem and stopped trying. But I had also sworn—on my honor—that when I found them, I was going to beat them so hard their ancestors would feel it.
Today, though… something was different.
I was passing near the Hokage building when my senses flared.
One strange chakra. Then another. And another.
Wait a second… why am I sensing the same weird chakra in multiple places at once?
Shadow clones? That was my first thought. But then one of the signatures came close—really close—and I finally nailed the location.
Underground.
That's when the puzzle pieces slammed together in my head.
Travels underground. Nearly impossible to detect. Multiple bodies.
No way… White Zetsu?
If it was, that was… bad. Like, "this could derail the entire timeline" bad.
White Zetsu—the intel-collecting creepshow of the Naruto world. They worked for Black Zetsu, who worked for Madara… or rather, manipulated Madara… who wanted to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
I stopped walking and pretended to adjust my sandals, but my mind was spinning.
The thing about spotting a Zetsu is that it's never just spotting a Zetsu. You can't brush it off as "random underground guy" and move on. Zetsu doesn't take casual walks. If they're here, they're here for a reason—and I needed to figure out what that reason was before it decided I was better off as compost.
After thinking it through (and resisting the urge to panic), I boiled it down to three possible scenarios.
1) Regular Intel-Gathering Round
This is the "please let it be true" option. Just a routine sweep—White Zetsu poking around for Madara and Black Zetsu, stealing secrets, maybe eavesdropping on the wrong couple's relationship drama. In this version, they don't know I exist. I'm just another face in the crowd, blissfully irrelevant.
And if that's the case? I'm fine with being irrelevant. Relevance gets you noticed. Noticed gets you dead—or worse, drafted into someone's world-ending scheme.
Still… the timing bugs me. Call it paranoia, call it instinct, but in my experience, things in this world don't happen just because.
2) Madara's Interest
And now we're in the part where my stomach starts doing backflips.
Everyone in Konoha believes Madara Uchiha's been dead for decades. Noble duel, final valley, Hashirama's victory, cue the heroic ballad. But I know better. I know he cheated death with Izanagi and has been hiding ever since—plotting, manipulating, slowly weaving his big dream: the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Right now, in this timeline, he should already have the Rinnegan and be at the tail end of his lifespan. Which means he'll need someone else to act for him in the outside world. In canon, that was Obito—bright, cheerful, kindhearted Obito—broken beyond repair after watching Rin die.
Now… am I on Madara's radar? I have no idea. No confirmation, no signs. Just speculation and a bad feeling. If I am, though, there's a good chance he'd see me as a viable replacement for Obito. Young Uchiha, solid potential, maybe a bit too smart for my own good—check, check, check.
If he follows the same playbook, that means finding the person closest to me—in this case, Azula—and using their death to snap me in half emotionally. The image alone is enough to make me clench my fists.
But it's not the only way this could go. He could just as easily flip the roles—pick Azula as his successor, and make me the tragic corpse that seals the deal. She's bright, magnetic, someone who could rally others. And me? I'd make a convenient sacrifice.
Either way, the result is the same: one of us dies, the other becomes a pawn.
I can't predict which scenario he'd pick without twisting myself into knots. So I won't. I'll just prepare for both. Be careful in the war. Keep Azula close. And if Madara's eyes are on us, make damn sure we never give him an opening.
3) Black Zetsu's Interest
This one's simpler—and in some ways, worse.
Black Zetsu isn't just a spy. He's the will of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki itself, a centuries-old parasite playing the long game to bring his mommy back. In the grand scheme, he's the real mastermind pulling strings behind Madara's plan.
If he's interested in me, it could be because of my Yin chakra. Maybe he sees it as a threat. Maybe he sees it as a tool. Either way, I doubt he's thinking, "Wow, what a nice kid, I should leave him alone."
The only slight comfort is that his plan's already in its final stages, and I'm not actively interfering. Yet. Which means there's a chance he'll ignore me. Of course, there's also a chance he'll decide eliminating me early is the safest bet.
I rubbed my temples.
"This is so confusing," I muttered under my breath.
Azula glanced over. "What is?"
"Nothing. Just thinking about… tactics."
"Tactics or dessert?" she teased.
"…Both," I admitted.
In the end, I told myself overthinking wouldn't help. I just needed to be careful on the battlefield and keep Azula safe. If any Zetsu tried anything, I'd make them regret crawling out of the dirt.
The silver lining?
I could sense them. That alone was a massive advantage. In the future war, almost nobody could sense Zetsu except Naruto—and that cost the alliance dearly. But me? I had pure Yin chakra on my side.