Chatting as they walked, the group soon arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.
Ichiraku had since expanded into a full-fledged restaurant.
It now occupied several hundred square meters, and even with all the extra space, it was often packed to the brim.
"Welcome to Ichi—oh!"
Nodding at the server, Mirai and the others made their way to the front counter.
Ayame was working the register. The moment she saw Mirai, her eyes lit up.
"Mirai! Here for ramen today?"
Mirai smiled. "Ayame, been working hard lately?"
Ayame chuckled. "Not too bad. The busier it is, the better business is."
"If you're ever worn out, remember—you can always come home for a few days."
Mirai's voice was gentle.
Even after becoming his partner, Ayame had chosen not to move into his estate. Instead, she continued running Ichiraku from the outside.
And in just a few years, she'd transformed the humble ramen stand into what it was now.
Mirai's words warmed her heart.
She greeted Hinata Hyuga, Ino Yamanaka, and Kurotsuchi.
"You three head to a private room—I'll personally make your ramen today."
Mirai had once praised Ayame as the "perfect seasoning" for ramen, so whenever he came by, Ayame would always cook for him herself.
It had become their special ritual—just the two of them.
The others were used to it by now. Hinata smiled. "We'll leave it to you then."
...
They had barely sat down in the private room when the door burst open.
Kakashi Hatake strolled in casually with Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno in tow.
"Yo! Mirai, long time no see."
"No more open tables out there—mind if we share?"
Seeing Kakashi already halfway into his seat, Mirai's expression darkened slightly.
Did his answer even matter at this point?
Looking at Kakashi's smug grin, Mirai scoffed and fired back,
"So, Kakashi, how's work? Get a raise yet?"
"You've been at it a while—should have some savings by now, right?"
"You're not getting any younger. Still haven't found a girlfriend?"
"The whole Hatake legacy depends on you, y'know!"
"..."
The rapid-fire questions stabbed straight into Kakashi's heart like kunai.
He clutched his chest. "Okay, okay, Mirai! I'm paying for this meal, alright?"
Ouch.
That hurt.
Mirai's words were too on point—it was brutal.
Naruto, Hinata, and the others burst out laughing. They'd seen this happen more times than they could count. Kakashi always got wrecked whenever he ran his mouth around Mirai.
And yet, for some reason, he kept coming back for more.
If he weren't always reading Make-Out Paradise, Naruto might have started to suspect his teacher had a thing for getting roasted.
...
Before long, Ayame came in with an entire parade of steaming ramen bowls.
"Dig in! If it's not enough, just holler."
Knowing how much Hinata and the others could eat, she'd brought out supersized portions across the board.
The savory aroma instantly perked everyone up.
Naruto, practically drooling, glanced at Mirai while the ramen was being passed around.
"Oh yeah—after today, we'll be officially graduating. How about a spar to commemorate it?"
It had been years since they last sparred with Mirai.
And back then… they'd been utterly crushed. The loss still stung.
But they'd spent those years training relentlessly, and their strength had improved by leaps and bounds.
According to Kakashi-sensei's assessment, they were already among the elite of Kage-level shinobi.
Basically, the best of the best.
Naruto and Sasuke had long been itching for a rematch with Mirai.
Hearing Naruto's suggestion, Mirai responded with an indifferent smile.
"Sure. Think of it as a little graduation gift."
Naruto and Sasuke lit up instantly.
Getting the chance to fight the Emperor himself? Not everyone could say they had that honor.
Naruto practically bounced out of his seat.
"Awesome! Let's go now!"
Ino frowned slightly. "Naruto, could you not be so impulsive for once? Can we at least finish our ramen first?"
Mirai waved it off. "No worries—it won't take long."
With a mere flick of thought, they vanished from the room before anyone could even blink.
...
They reappeared in one of Konoha's training grounds.
"That space-transfer technique... terrifying."
Even just a casual display of Mirai's power left Kakashi stunned.
His old friend's strength had become utterly unfathomable.
Back then, he could still sort of imagine Mirai's power.
Now? That power had completely redefined his understanding of the world.
Mirai clapped his hands. "Alright—begin."
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a quick glance, then charged at him from opposite sides.
Their movements were swift, their jutsu seamless, their strength explosive—their coordination impeccable.
Even Kakashi felt a cold sweat watching them.
If it were him in the middle, he doubted he'd last more than a few exchanges.
Unfortunately, their opponent was Uchiha Mirai.
With overwhelming pressure and effortless precision, Mirai shut them down completely.
Naruto and Sasuke were left wide-eyed, stunned.
In that brief clash, they'd felt a despair that reached deep into their souls.
After all those years of hard work… the gap between them hadn't shrunk at all.
No—maybe it had grown even wider, so wide they couldn't even see the difference anymore.
They both turned slowly toward Kakashi.
Back when the Emperor was a kid… was he really bullied and beaten by Kakashi-sensei?
Seeing their suspicious stares, Kakashi broke into a cold sweat and quickly said,
"Alright! Now that that's done, let's head back and finish our ramen."
...
At Mirai's signal, they were transported back to the private room in Ichiraku.
The ramen on the table was still steaming hot.
----------------
Hey everyone!
I recently found a really good fanfic called "Starting from One Piece with the Rinnegan", you can also find it on my Webnovel profile. It's about a character with the Rinnegan who ends up in the One Piece world.
He's not some overpowered guy crushing Yonko on day one, but he's definitely not weak either. He's strong enough to survive and grow, which gives the story a nice balance.
I'd say the pacing is smooth, easy to read, and packed with action. Personally, I didn't feel bored even when rereading it, which is rare for me!
Highly recommend checking it out if you're looking for something fun and engaging to read.
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (476 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)