Lin Yu and Namikaze Minato walked to an open space, unwilling to let a group of red-eyed patients ruin the ramen shop's opening.
Not far away, Shinju Sho said smugly to the fruit store owner, "This is great. The Uchiha clan has come to cause trouble. Ichiraku Ramen is really unlucky, hahahaha."
The fruit store owner also sighed, encountering such a thing on their first day of opening. If it wasn't handled well, they might have to close down tomorrow.
Fugaku, leading the Uchiha contingent, followed Lin Yu and the others. The location didn't matter to them. Their goal was to beat Lin Yu and Namikaze Minato to a pulp, unrecognizable even to their mothers!
Fugaku stood aside with his arms crossed, sneering, "The great clans have the demeanor of great clans. I can let you choose your opponents first."
"The Konoha clans don't have the demeanor of your Uchiha!"
A rather imposing voice echoed. A path opened in the crowd, and the Byakugan clan, clad in white training uniforms, arrived!
Hyuga Hiashi stepped forward, looking indifferently at the Uchiha opposite him, "We Hyuga don't have your Uchiha's habit of ganging up on the few. Twelve against two, one of whom is a genin and the other a student. Tsk!"
"Hyuga Hiashi! Let your father speak to me. You're not important enough!" Fugaku's face darkened.
Hyuga Hiashi sneered. If it were against other clans, the Hyuga might have hesitated to confront them directly. But precisely because it was the Uchiha, there was no need to hold back. They would confront them head-on!
The Konoha leadership didn't want the great clans to get along harmoniously; it would seriously threaten their positions. The Hyuga and Uchiha were the most prominent among them, and their constant rivalry was implicitly condoned by the higher-ups.
"You, Uchiha Fugaku, have quite the airs. One would think you've already become the clan head. I am the same as you, a young clan leader. What do you mean by 'important enough'?"
"Hyuga Hiashi, this is an internal Uchiha matter. Are you sure you want to interfere?" Fugaku said coldly. He wasn't afraid of their Hyuga clan. In terms of overall strength, the Uchiha were definitely the strongest clan in Konoha!
Hyuga Hiashi scoffed, "I was invited to have ramen with my classmates today. You're bullying my classmate in front of me, do you really think Hyuga Hiashi is easy to bully?"
Lin Yu glanced at Hyuga Hiashi, a hint of surprise in his heart: That's not right. Hiashi was quite arrogant when he was younger. Why has he become so timid as an adult, even sacrificing his own younger brother to protect himself? Does becoming the clan head make people stupid?
"That's right! We came to eat ramen together. For you Uchiha to bully Minato is to disrespect us!"
"Exactly! Besides, there will be 'important people' arriving soon. You Uchiha had better behave yourselves!"
Fugaku sneered. Important people? He really wanted to see how important they were that even the Uchiha would have to back down!
"I'd like to see who else is coming to eat this lousy ramen! Uchiha Fugaku has stated his position today. Whoever eats ramen from this shop, my Uchiha..."
"What will your Uchiha do?"
The crowd quickly parted to reveal three paths. The Yamanaka clan, the Nara clan, and the Akimichi clan, the three great families allied with the Hokage, had arrived!
The one speaking was the Akimichi clan leader. He didn't mince words when speaking to a junior like Uchiha Fugaku. Besides, with Shikaku by his side, what did he have to fear!
Although he had heard from Uchiha Yushiro that the Ino-Shika-Cho would be present, Fugaku never expected the clan heads of the three clans to show up together for ramen. At most, he thought it would be someone from Shikaku and Choza's generation.
Who would bring their clan heads to eat ramen? How outrageous!
Fugaku's face turned grim as he forced a calm tone, "Are the clan heads of your Ino-Shika-Cho families also here for ramen?" Uchiha Fugaku couldn't believe that this ramen shop would attract so many people. He refused to believe it!
"That's right! We've been waiting in line for days. Wouldn't it be a waste if we didn't eat!" Akimichi Choza, appearing from behind his father's robust physique, held up two numbered tickets with pride.
As for the Yamanaka and Nara clan heads, they remained silent. With their personalities, the squabbles of the younger generation were of no concern to them. They gave a slight nod to Tsunade on the other side and then joined the queue to collect their numbered tickets.
"Hehehe, it's quite lively here, Lin Yu-kun."
Besides Orochimaru, no one else in Konoha could make such a sound!
"Orochimaru-sensei, if you had come any later, your student would have been mobbed!" Lin Yu said to Orochimaru, feigning being bullied.
"Is that so? Then I truly wish to see Lin Yu-kun's strength with my own eyes." Orochimaru paid no mind to the odd glances from the surrounding people. What interested him more was the strength of Uzumaki Lin Yu, and he even wished to personally...
"Orochimaru..." Fugaku's expression tightened. Of the Sannin, he feared Orochimaru the most. Tsunade had the Senju clan behind her, and although few of her clansmen remained, she wasn't alone.
Jiraiya, that fool, was beyond mention. Only Orochimaru, with his immense power, ruthless nature, willingness to use anyone, and lack of attachments, was the most dangerous enemy. Yet, he was also the Third Hokage's disciple and, on the surface, stood opposed to their Uchiha.
"Even the Sannin are being dragged into a dispute between youngsters?" Fugaku said, his eyes flicking to Tsunade, who was watching from the sidelines, as if to say: Tsunade, who is on your level, is just watching. Do you have the face to support Uzumaki Lin Yu?
"I am merely here by invitation to eat ramen. Please continue," Orochimaru said, stepping aside. The people who had been standing there instantly scattered. Within a two-meter radius of Orochimaru, no one dared to approach!
"You're also here to eat ramen?" Fugaku gritted his teeth. He couldn't contend with the Sannin's level and could only swallow his anger.
"Hmph, brat, no one can save you now. Are you ready to be beaten?" Unable to deal with the others, Fugaku took out his anger on Lin Yu and Namikaze Minato.
"Oh, so many people are here to eat ramen? Looks like I'm a bit late!"
Just then, another voice rang out. Fugaku, about to curse angrily, froze upon seeing the newcomer!
"Third Hokage!"
"Lord Hokage, how did you get here?"
"Oye, it's the Third Hokage himself!"
"Lord Hokage, hello, I'm from the Ninja Academy..."
Lin Yu suppressed a smile and said to Fugaku, "What? Didn't I hear someone say earlier that if anyone eats ramen from this shop, your Uchiha would do something?"
"You!"
"Lord Hokage! I have something to tell you. Just now, the Uchiha..." Lin Yu waved at Sarutobi Hiruzen and shouted loudly.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen turn his head in their direction, Fugaku, without time to consider the consequences, quickly shouted, "My treat today, Uchiha! Everyone, eat to your heart's content!"
"Oye! That's great, we can eat for free!" The one saying this was, of course, Akimichi Choza, who was now excitedly thinking about how many bowls he should eat later. Ten bowls? Twenty bowls?
The fight was naturally averted. Just as everyone thought it was over, a hoarse voice sounded, "Wait! Our Shimura clan has something to say!"