I'm Inside Naruto Manga

The cicadas endlessly chirped in the trees, their sounds echoing through the streets of Konoha. Although autumn had brought a cool breeze in the modern world, in the Ninja World, it was still the height of summer.

"Here it is! Naruto, this is your extra-large bowl of char siu ramen, along with a bowl of seafood ramen and pork ribs ramen..."

"Yosh! Thanks, Teuchi-occhan!"

Inside Ichiraku Ramen's small shop, Naruto happily received the steaming bowls of food, placing them in front of him before picking up his chopsticks. He glanced at Sakura and then loudly declared, "Everyone, don't be shy! Today's on me!"

The other seats were occupied by Kakashi, Logan, Sasuke, and Sakura. All five members of Team 7 gathered together, basically filling the small dining space.

"Wow, impressive! As expected of Naruto!" Logan led the applause, showing appreciation for Naruto's generous gesture, while the rest of the group responded with lukewarm enthusiasm.

A few days ago, after returning to Fresno, Logan had resumed his healthy and regular life at home. During this time, the Blue Gang's members contacted him again for business requests. Logan gladly accepted, and his familiarity with the group allowed him to easily take another big step in his money-making endeavors. During their second interaction, Damian, the leader, introduced him to their boss, George. Logan was happy to let them believe he was a hidden martial arts master, leading to a pleasant collaboration.

While being cautious, Logan also took a look inside the Blue Gang, the largest underground force in the area. He discovered a small cache of firearms hidden, but chose not to act yet. After all, the future is still long.

At the Los Angeles Manga Convention, Logan obtained detailed information about the original Manga's Author, and his trip to Japan was becoming more likely.

However, he still needs to wait for more business from the Blue Gang to fund his trip. Logan was not sure about the process of going abroad, so he thought about joining a tour group. However, he was worried that seven days might not be enough for his meticulous investigation in Japan. And the potential changes before and after a crossing over event also remained an unsolved concern.

However, Logan didn't worry about it for long, deciding to deal with the situation as it came. The boat will naturally go straight to the bridge. With the beginning of October and the serial updates approaching, Logan sat in his room, fully dressed, quietly looking at the lifelike 'Raiden Hattori' figure he got from the Naruto exhibition, and returned to the Ninja World.

——

After successfully completing the mission in the Land of Waves, Team 7 returned to Konoha Village. Hiruzen was naturally surprised when they handed over the mission report to him. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were praised for their performance, while Kakashi and Logan were left to suffer, as they are forced to write the detailed reports of unexpected mission.

Overall, the mission was a very meaningful experience for Naruto and the other two Genin. Not only did they defeat formidable enemies and improve their skills, but the life-and-death situations also strengthened their team bond, visibly improving their relationships.

The day after completing the mission, Team 7 had a day off. Before they disbanded, Naruto eagerly told Logan, "Hattori-sensei, let me treat you to a meal!"

Naruto confidently shook his green frog wallet, now filled with the money they earned from the A-Rank mission, which was quite a lot for a twelve-year-old kid.

Naruto indeed owed Logan a meal, so Logan, with a playful spirit, suggested, "Naruto, why don't you invite everyone as well?" Who would have thought that Kakashi strongly supported the idea. Despite Naruto's changing expressions, the group unanimously agreed and dragged him to Ichiraku Ramen.

'Poor Naruto, I didn't mean for this to happen.' Logan thought to himself as the situation turned into a team dinner, accepting the bowl of ramen from Teuchi.

During this rare treat, Naruto began boasting to Sakura about his bravery during the battle with Haku on the bridge. Sasuke, however, could only tolerate it for so long.

"Are you not mistaken, Naruto? Inside the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, if it weren't for me blocking those eight senbon and two sneak attacks targeting you, you would've been done for."

'Wow, he remembers it so clearly.' Logan quietly ate his ramen, but his ears were perked up to listen. Hearing Sasuke's cold and serious tone made him laugh secretly.

"What, don't talk nonsense, Sasuke!" Looking at Sakura's confused look, Naruto immediately snapped. He could put aside his beloved Ichiraku Ramen, but there was no way he would admit defeat in front of his beloved girl!

"You obviously only blocked four senbon… maybe five at most!" Naruto insisted, waving his hands to emphasize his point, "And as for the enemy's sneak attacks, I totally reacted to them! You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time because of your poor awareness!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, put down his chopsticks, and glared at Naruto, who glared back just as fiercely. At this moment, sparks seemed to fly between them.

"Dead last, lacking in skill is one thing, but I hope your memory hasn't deteriorated too. At that time..."

The peaceful meal quickly took a heated turn, with the two arguing passionately and looking ready to roll up their sleeves for a fight. Sakura quickly stepped forward and mediate.

'It's still the same rhythm as before, the quarrel escalates, Sakura breaks up the fight.' Logan slurped some ramen and clicked his tongue, 'It seems that my earlier thoughts needed revising: their relationship hadn't improved at all!'

Beside him, Kakashi was equally unsurprised by this development, calmly eating his ramen. Logan suddenly remembered something and turned his head sharply, 'I almost forgot that Kakashi had to lower his mask to eat, but he never revealed his face in front of Naruto and the others...'

'Oh, come on, he finished already?!'

Kakashi's bowl was already empty, and he was calmly tidying up. His right eye was half-opened as he looked at Logan, "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing." Logan stared blankly for a moment before quietly turning back to his food.

The three students continued their lively argument, full of youthful energy. Kakashi watched them for a while, then lightly called out to Logan, who had just finished eating.

"Hattori."

"What's up?" Logan handed his empty bowl back to the kind Teuchi, feeling a bit disappointed he hadn't seen more of Kakashi's face.

Kakashi took a piece of paper from his vest and placed it on the table, "Take a look at this."

'It seemed like it was business. Logan became more serious and examined the paper. But he was momentarily stunned by its content.

"In half a month, this year's Chunin Exam will be held. This time, it is hosted by our Konoha Village, mainly in cooperation with Sunagakure. In a week, there should be more Ninjas from other Ninja Villages arriving in the village."

Logan nodded in realization, glancing at the still-bickering trio who hadn't noticed the conversation, "So, what's the plan?"

Kakashi said calmly, "Although Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura have grown since graduation, you also know the cruelty of the Chunin Exams. Traditionally, the whole team must agree to participate. I think it's too early for them, so I suggest they wait for the next opportunity."

'This was a reasonable and responsible judgment for the students, but it was a pity that your three students were all cheating.' Logan understood the situation, but outwardly, he still agreed with Kakashi's foresight.

"Then, after the break, we should find a time to discuss this with them."