Taking a deep breath, Kuro stepped closer. Just as he approached the curtain-covered entrance, a loud, animated voice drifted out from inside.

  “Old man! I just got back from a top-secret mission! Give me extra soup, believe it!”

  Kuro stopped, eyes widening as he reized the voistantly. *No way… the guy with the wild catchphrase? The famous hyperactive knucklehead ninja?* Curiosity piqued, he carefully slid into the shop, eyes sing the interior. There, sitting right at the ter, was a blonde-haired boy with whisker-like marks on his cheeks, enthusiastically chatting with an older man who was undoubtedly Teuchi, the legendary ramen chef himself. The boy’s bright energy seemed to fill the small space, a bundle of endless optimism aement, so untai practically radiated from his hair.

  Kuro settled onto a stool a few seats away, doing his best to act casual, though he couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his lips. Teuoticed him immediately, nodding iing.

  “What’ll it be, young man?” the old chef asked, a warm smile on his face.

  “Just a bowl of miso ramen, please,” Kuro replied, trying to keep his excitement from bubbling over. *Calm down, it’s just ramen… no, it’s Ichiraku ramen! Focus, act cool.*

  Within moments, Teuchi set a steaming bowl in front of him. The aroma was almost hypnotic—rid savory, wafting up to around him like a f b. Kuro’s eyes lit up as he took his first bite, sav the warm, full-bodied broth and the perfectly chewy noodles. “This is… amazing!” he excimed, uo tain himself.

  Teuchi chuckled, clearly pleased by Kuro’s rea. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

  Kuro shook his head, still relishing the taste of the ramen. “I’m from Tsukigakure. Came here for the in Exams.”

  At this, Naruto’s head snapped in his dire, his blue eyes bright with i. “You’re here for the in Exams?” He looked Kuro up and down, almost as if assessing his petition, though Kuro had the sneaking suspi Naruto’s “assessment” didn’t go much beyond ‘Seems like an okay guy.’

  Kuro scratched his head, feeling oddly self-scious. “Well… kind of. An old man sort of pushed me into it.” He chuckled awkwardly, not wanting to go into too much detail about how he had stumbled his way into this mess.

  Naruto ughed, his voice loud and carefree. “Sounds me! I mean, who makes you take the in Exams if you don’t want to? That's like f a frog to learn to swim—uh, no, wait, frogs already know how to do that…”

  Kuro chuckled along, finding Naruto’s blunt hoy oddly refreshing. “Yeah, tell me about it. I’m still figuring that out myself.” He extended his hand, smiling. “I’m Kurotora Shigeno. Kuro for short.”

  Naruto stared at Kuro’s hand for a moment, his face breaking into a grin as he grasped it firmly. “Naruto Uzumaki! And unlike you, I actually *want* to be a in. Someday, I’m going to be Hokage! Believe it! (Dattebayo!)”

  Kuro blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sheer vi in Naruto's voice. While he had heard the words tless times in the anime, hearing them in person was something else entirely. Most people Kuro(James) knew ired to lead were self-absorbed, driven by fame or power, but Naruto was different. He seemed genuinely passionate about the vilge and its people. Kuro’s smile softened as he met Naruto’s unwavering gaze. "I believe you do it."

  Naruto’s expression flickered, his eyes widening in surprise, as though he couldn’t quite believe Kuro had taken his dream seriously. It was a brief moment, but Kuro could sense a quiet vulnerability there—like no one had ever really believed in him like this before. A pang of sympathy tugged at Kuro’s heart. But then, in a fsh, Naruto’s griurned, brighter and more eic than ever. “You really think I do it, Kuro?!”

  Kuro chuckled softly, his smile warm. “Yeah, I do. I don’t know much about you or your vilge, but I tell—when someone has a clear goal and puts in the work, they achieve anything.”

  Naruto’s grin stretched even wider, and without missing a beat, he shouted across the room to Teuchi, “Hey, old man! His ramen’s on me!”

  Teuchi raised an eyebrow at this. “Naruto, are you sure? You barely have enough to cover your own meals most days.”

  Naruto scratched his cheek, chug sheepishly. “Uh, right… maybe ime then.”

  Kuro ughed, waving a hand to reassure him. “It’s all good, Naruto. Don’t worry about it.” Inside, he couldn’t help thinking, *A generous gesture, even with empty pockets. Kid’s got spirit, I’ll give him that. Maybe more than the rest of us bined.*

  The two tialking as they ate, sing stories about the exams, Naruto’s various misadventures, and Kuro’s quieter life in Tsukigakure(made-up ninja story). Naruto was a natural storyteller, regaling Kuro with tales of pranks he’d pulled on his teachers, especially the hard-to-fool Iruka-sensei. Each tale was more eous tha, and Kuro found himself ughing along, momentarily fetting his own worries.

  It was strange—Kuro had e to the Leaf Vilge expeg little more than a brief, awkward stay, but here he was, genuinely enjoying himself in the pany of someone he’d only just met. And not just anyone—a kid, at that. Yet, Naruto’s enthusiasm was iious, and his opeedness made Kuro feel at ease, as though they were old friends who’d shared hundreds of bowls of ramehe years.

  After expining his mission whivolve Zabuza and Haku, Naruto looked over at him with a grin. “So, Kuro… got any crazy stories? I mean, if you’re here for the exams, you must have done something iing, right?”

  Kuro hesitated, scratg the back of his head. *Crazy stories?* He wasn’t sure “crazy” was the word he’d use, unless running from Reika’s death gres ted. But he couldly share that story with Naruto, could he? Well he then mixed one of his earth story to ninja world story-

  Kuro smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, let's just say I've had my share of run-ins with the darker side of the ninja world," he began. "One particur i involved a rather unsavory character, a bully who thought he could get away with anything."

  "This guy was more than just a schoolyard tyrant. He art of a rger criminal anization, involved in all sorts of nefarious activities, including child traffig. He'd use his influeo lure young, talented ninja into his clutches, promising fame and fortune, only to exploit their skills for his own gain."

  "I'd heard whispers about his operations, and I knew I had to put a stop to it. I infiltrated his anization, moving through the ranks, gaining their trust. It was a dangerous game, but I was determi him down from the inside."

  "Wheime was right, I struck. I exposed his crimes to the authorities, leading to his arrest and the dismantling of his anization. It wasn't easy, and it came at a cost, but I k was the right thing to do."

  Naruto's eyes widened ihat's incredible, dattebayo, you are also role model of ninja!"

  Kuro chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't go that far. I just did what o be done. But it's always satisfying to know that you've made a differeno matter how small."

  As they smiled, Naruto spped him on the back. “You know, Kuro… you’re alright. If we’re both in the in Exams, let’s make sure to give it everything we’ve got!”

  Kuro raised his chopsticks in a mock salute. “Here’s to a fair fight, then. But don’t go easy on me, or you might end up paying for my rameime.”

  Naruto fshed a mischievous grin. “Yeah, yeah, right! I’m going to be Hokage someday—I don’t go easy on ahe fire in his eyes was unmistakable, and for a moment, Kuro could see it too: Naruto standing atop the Hokage Mountain, looking out over the vilge he so clearly loved.

  After they’d finished eating, Naruto cpped Kuro on the bae st time before dashing out of the shop with a wave, disappearing into the crowd. Kuro watched him go, a strange feeliling over him. He hadn’t expected to find a friend here—especially not someone so different from himself. But Naruto’s openness and his unwavering dream… it made Kuro think, maybe there was more for him here than just passing through.

  As Kuro stood up to leave, Teuchi gave him a smile and waved him off. “You made a good friend today, Kuro. I tell. Everyone in this vilge may hate him, but he’s a good kid.”

  Kuro nodded, casting a brief g the bustling street with a faint smile. “Yeah… I know he’s a good kid. One day, he’ll ge everyone’s opinion. He’s going to be a world-css hero.”

  Teuchi looked at him, surprised by his words, but chose not to say anything.

  Seeing the expression on Teuchi's face, Kuro smiled. He then thought to himself, *I don't know how many days or years I'll be here, but if I witness Naruto’s rise, that will be enough for me.*

  Suddenly, he had the feeling that he’d heard something from a Boruto hater: *Kuro doesn’t want to be part of Boruto’s story, that’s why he wants to leave before the Boruto series even starts.*