Sky Curtain: Short Video Commentary on Konoha Villagers

The scene changes.

The small Ichiraku Ramen shop was steaming hot.

Uncle Yile stood behind the counter, wearing his signature white apron, skillfully pulling noodles with both hands.

He always wore a gentle smile, whether he was facing an elite wearing a Jonin vest or a new kid who had just enrolled.

A disheveled ninja dressed in tattered clothes walked into the shop, head down, as if afraid of being seen.

Uncle Ichiraku looked up, his smile unchanged.

"Welcome! Your usual spot is reserved for you, how about the usual?"

The down-on-his-luck ninja paused for a moment, his eyes reddening slightly.

"...Yeah, the same as always."

Under the sky.

The atmosphere throughout the entire ninja world changed.

Hidden Cloud Village.

The Fourth Raikage, A, had an unusually serious expression.

"How can a ramen vendor, in a village full of bullies, manage to keep everyone from following his lead?"

"Such a strong will?!"

Hidden Rock Village.

Onoki stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"Someone who can remain untainted in an environment like Konoha where everyone is evil..."

The text on the celestial screen continues:

[In addition, his attitude towards Naruto was completely different from that of others.]

on the screen.

Young Naruto walks alone on the streets of Konoha.

The villagers on both sides avoided him as if he were a plague god.

Naruto kept his head down, his hands in his pockets, pretending not to care.

But his steps grew slower and slower, and his shoulders grew heavier and heavier.

Then Naruto passed by a stall selling candied hawthorns, his eyes lit up, he felt in his pocket and pulled out a few crumpled coins.

When the stall owner saw that it was Naruto, his expression changed, and he immediately hid the candied hawthorn behind his back.

"I'm not selling it anymore."

Naruto opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he said nothing and silently turned and left.

The scene on the screen shifts.

Ichiraku Ramen.

Young Naruto pushed open the curtain and cautiously poked half his head in.

His eyes held a probing look, as if he were ready to be kicked out at any moment.

Uncle Ichiraku looked up and saw Naruto; his smile was brighter than ever.

"Guests, come, come, have a seat!"

Instead of showing disgust like the others, he pulled out a chair and invited Naruto to sit down.

Naruto paused for a moment, then slowly sat down.

Uncle Ichiraku turned around and started cooking noodles, saying something without looking back as he cooked.

"What do you want to eat today? Miso chashu or salt tonkotsu?"

"I..." Naruto looked down at the few coins left in his pocket, his voice trailing off. "This is all I have..."

Uncle Ichiraku turned around, glanced at the change in Naruto's hand, and burst into laughter.

"We're having a promotion today! Free samples of our new dishes!"

"Please taste it for me, just to do me a favor!"

Naruto's eyes lit up immediately.

"Really?! Uncle Ichiraku, you're the best!"

A steaming bowl of ramen was served.

Naruto then buried his head in his food, while Uncle Ichiraku stood behind the counter, watching Naruto wolf down his food, his smile lines deepening.

[A villager from another village: Offering free samples at an event? That's such a kind excuse!]

[Konoha Villager D: Wait... why don't I remember Ichiraku Ramen never having any new dish tasting events?]

[Kurotsuchi: This uncle really knows how to handle people. He helped Naruto without hurting his pride.]

The text on the celestial screen continues:

Besides occasionally treating Naruto to free Ichiraku Ramen, he would also frequently encourage Naruto to strive towards his goal of becoming Hokage.

Konoha Village.

Naruto couldn't stop crying.

He squatted on the ground, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling.

"Uncle Ichiraku..."

The text on the sky suddenly changed its tone.

Besides these, the ramen he makes by hand is also quite extraordinary.

The entire ninja world was stunned.

Ramen? What's so special about ramen?

Konoha Village.

A Chunin who frequently ate Ichiraku Ramen scratched his head.

"It tastes good, but it's just a regular bowl of ramen, right? Noodles, broth, char siu, seaweed, I don't see anything special about it."

Another ninja nearby chimed in.

"Exactly, it's not like I haven't tried other people's ramen before. Ichiraku's ramen is indeed good, but it's not outrageous."

Hidden Cloud Village.

Ai frowned, his intuition telling him that what Tianmu was about to say would be mind-blowing.

"This isn't your average ramen... It can't possibly be a variation of soldier rations, can it?"

The celestial display lights up.

[The day before graduation from the Ninja Academy.]

on the screen.

Naruto was caught by Iruka for putting makeup on the Hokage Rock, and Iruka then took him to Ichiraku Ramen.

The video speeds up.

When Naruto graduated, he failed the exam. That night, under Mizuki's inducement, Naruto stole the forbidden technique scroll. Spurred by Iruka's near-death experience, he successfully learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique in a very short time.

The entire ninja world: ?

[Gaara of the Sandfall: ...]

[Nara Shikamaru: What a coincidence! How can such unrelated things possibly come together?]

[A certain Jonin: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique is an A-rank forbidden technique! Even Jonin might not be able to learn it!]

The aerial view continues.

[The night before the Chunin Exams, the night before the battle against Neji.]

on the screen.

Ichiraku Ramen.

Naruto sat in his usual spot, with a bowl of ramen in front of him that looked different from usual.

The soup base was darker, the noodles were thicker, the char siu on top was noticeably thicker, and there were some side dishes that Naruto couldn't name.

Uncle Yi Le said with a smile.

"You have an important match tomorrow, right? This bowl is a special edition, to cheer you on."

Naruto started eating without any hesitation.

"Uncle Ichiraku! You always make me delicious food! When I become Hokage, I'll definitely award you the Best Ramen in Konoha Award!"

Uncle Yile laughed heartily.

"Then I'll be waiting."

Screen switch.

The Chunin Exams arena.

Hyuga Neji, a genius boy, with his Byakugan fully activated and his Gentle Fist technique impenetrable.

Everyone thought the outcome of the match was a foregone conclusion.

However, Naruto withstood Neji's sixty-four palm strikes and stood up by sheer physical strength and willpower despite having his chakra sealed.

Finally, a sneak attack from underground completely pierced Neji's defenses.

The prodigy collapsed on the ring.

Rock Lee: This... huh?

[Hyuga Neji: ...?]

[Mei Terumi: ? A bowl of ramen can make a loser beat a genius?]

[Hidan: Holy crap, what kind of toppings did they put in this ramen?]

The visuals on the sky switched again.

[Afterwards, Naruto went on a training trip with Jiraiya, and returned to the village two and a half years later.]

[He ate a bowl of ramen before the mission began, and sure enough, Naruto performed another miracle afterward.]

Not only did he successfully pass Itachi Uchiha's test, but he also defeated his clone.

The entire ninja world fell silent.

If once is a coincidence, and twice is luck, then what about three times?