The Arata residence was anything but peaceful as the sun dipped below the rooftops of Konoha. Inside, the scent of freshly baked pizza clashed violently with the unmistakable aroma of instant ramen. Sayuri Arata, Naruto Uzumaki's adoptive mother, stood triumphantly at the kitchen counter, slicing into a Sage of Six Slices Special, the crust perfectly crisp and each slice bursting with vibrant toppings.
Across the table, Naruto hunched over his steaming bowl of Ichiraku's Char Siu Deluxe, his eyes narrowing in defiance.
Sayuri's voice carried across the kitchen with a triumphant edge. "Naruto, you can't seriously tell me that soggy noodles beat this masterpiece. Look at that crust! It's the perfect ratio of sauce to cheese!"
Naruto shot her a stubborn glare, his chopsticks hovering over his bowl. "Ramen's not just food, Mom! It's tradition! It's Konoha's heart! And besides, Ichiraku has history—your pizza's just… bread with toppings."
Sayuri let out a dramatic gasp, clutching her chest as if Naruto had dealt her a mortal wound. "My own son… betraying me for a bowl of soup."
Their nightly debates had become legendary within their home, stretching late into the night with neither willing to concede defeat. But tonight, their battle of culinary philosophies would have unexpected consequences.
The morning sun was already high when Naruto woke with a start, the light glaring through his window and piercing his still-groggy mind. He bolted upright in bed, realizing with horror that he had overslept for his graduation exam.
"Oh no, Iruka-sensei's gonna kill me!" he muttered, scrambling to his feet.
In a frenzy, he dashed to the kitchen, yanking open the fridge and grabbing the nearest carton of milk. Without so much as a glance at the expiration date, he tilted it back and took a huge gulp—only to gag as the sour taste hit his tongue.
A familiar voice, tinged with amusement, floated from behind him. "That expired last week, you knucklehead."
Naruto barely had time to turn before Sayuri rapped him lightly on the back of the head, her grin widening at his expression of disgust. Despite their late-night argument, she quickly shifted into mother mode, fussing over him as he rushed to gather his things. She straightened his shirt and brushed crumbs off his jacket with the care of someone who'd done this a hundred times before.
"If you'd just had a proper slice of pizza last night, you wouldn't be in this mess," she teased, stepping back to admire her work.
Naruto shot her a playful glare as he bolted out the door. "Ramen would've saved me…"
Sayuri stood in the doorway, watching him disappear down the street. A fond smile tugged at her lips as she shook her head, her heart full of both exasperation and affection.
Across the village, the morning buzz had already started at The Crusty Kunai. Inside the pizzeria, the smell of freshly baked dough mingled with the chatter of early customers. Upstairs, in her room above the shop, Raven Kamizuki stretched lazily, the faint glow of morning light casting a soft sheen over her flowing white hair.
Her parents, Aiko and Hajime Kamizuki, were downstairs preparing for the morning rush, but Raven's mind was elsewhere. She moved to the mirror, tying her headband loosely around her neck and letting her violet Rinnegan eyes shimmer faintly in the reflection. With a flick of chakra, she shifted into her 12-year-old appearance, her features softening to match the persona she wore at the Academy.
"My own son, betraying me for char siu ramen…" she murmured to her reflection, her lips curling into a smirk. "But it's just a phase. He'll see the light—through a perfectly baked slice of pizza."
She let the smirk linger, but her thoughts soon drifted to other matters. Over the last five years, her chakra reserves had grown beyond measure. She'd surpassed the standard Kakashi Units of Chakra so thoroughly that she'd had to develop a new system: True Kakashi Units of Chakra—a subtle jab at Kakashi and his ever-draining Sharingan.
"If he wasn't tied down with that battery-burner Uchiha eye, maybe he'd be a decent benchmark," she mused, her grin widening.
But chakra measurements weren't the only thing on her mind. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation at the thought of Kurenai Yuhi. She was so close to reeling Kurenai into her pond, and once that happened, Mikoto Uchiha would follow. The idea of Mikoto not knowing she is the first harem member made Raven chuckle under her breath.
"Oh, Mikoto… you don't even know what's coming."
Naruto burst into the classroom, panting heavily just as Iruka-sensei began calling roll. His classmates, including Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, barely spared him a glance as he stumbled to his seat. But Raven Kamizuki, sitting near the window with a lazy grin, couldn't resist the opportunity to jab at him.
"What's the matter, Naruto? Overslept again? Or still dreaming about ramen saving your life?" she asked, her voice low enough to avoid catching Iruka's attention but loud enough for Naruto to hear.
Naruto groaned, slumping into his chair with a glare in her direction. "At least ramen doesn't burn the roof of your mouth like some foods I know…"
Raven chuckled softly, leaning back in her chair. Naruto had no idea that his teasing classmate was also the mother who argued with him every night at home. The duality of their relationship was her greatest secret—and her greatest joy.
The class was called forward, one by one, to perform the Clone Jutsu—the final test for graduation. Raven performed flawlessly, her clone a perfect replica, earning a nod from Iruka and a smug glance toward Naruto.
When it was Naruto's turn, he stepped forward, trying to push away the exhaustion that clung to him like a heavy blanket. He focused, channeling his chakra, but the combination of sleeplessness and frustration from the night before weighed him down. The clone he produced was lopsided and weak, barely recognizable.
Iruka sighed, disappointment flashing across his face. "I'm sorry, Naruto… You fail."
Naruto's heart sank. He trudged back to his seat, feeling the weight of failure settle on his shoulders.
As the students filed out of the classroom, Raven sidled up to Naruto, her grin wider than ever.
"So, ramen didn't come through for you after all, huh?" she teased, nudging him lightly with her elbow.
Naruto shot her a tired but defiant look. "Ramen's still the best. I just… didn't eat enough of it last night."
Raven chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Maybe if you'd had a slice of The Crusty Kunai's finest, you'd be wearing a headband right now."
Naruto waved her off, muttering under his breath about proving everyone wrong. But as he walked home, the sting of failure lingered.
Later that evening, as Naruto sat alone on the swing outside the Academy, staring at the ground, a shadow approached. Mizuki, one of the Academy instructors, knelt beside him with a conspiratorial smile.
"Hey, Naruto," Mizuki whispered. "You know, you actually did really well today. Better than most of the other students. Iruka's just… holding you back because he's jealous of your potential. But I can help you."
Naruto blinked, lifting his head slightly. "Help me? How?"
Mizuki leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "There's a secret scroll hidden in the Hokage's tower—the Scroll of Seals. If you can learn a jutsu from it, you'll pass for sure. It's a test, you see… but only for students with real potential."
Naruto's eyes widened, a spark of hope flaring in his chest. "Really? You think I can do it?"
Mizuki nodded, his smile widening. "I know you can."
That night, under the cover of darkness, Naruto crept into the Hokage's office and stole the Scroll of Seals. His heart pounded with a mix of fear and excitement as he darted into the forest, finding a quiet clearing where he could finally prove himself.
Unrolling the massive scroll, he scanned the techniques written inside, his eyes landing on one that made his pulse quicken: Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"This is it," he whispered to himself, determination hardening his features. "I'll show them all. Ramen will see me through this."
As he began to practice, the moonlight filtering through the trees cast long shadows across the clearing, hinting at the danger that lurked just beyond his sight.
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