NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: 2
Ishiwaka Kenichi sat cross-legged in his small, dimly lit room, sorting through the fragments of memories in his mind.
According to his inherited memories, Senju Hashirama had abdicated some time ago, and the current Hokage was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Not long ago, Uchiha Madara had suddenly reappeared and launched a surprise attack on Konoha, leading to the legendary Battle of the Valley of the End. In the end, Senju Hashirama emerged victorious, defeating Madara and bringing back the Nine-Tails as a spoil of war.
To secure Konoha's safety, Uzumaki Mito, Hashirama's wife, had become the village's first Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
At the same time, unrest was spreading throughout the ninja world, and the scent of war was thick in the air.
But none of this had anything to do with Kenichi.
He was just a civilian.
Even if war broke out, it would be a battle between shinobi, not common folk like him.
"Is this my home?"
Kenichi rubbed his face, standing in front of a somewhat dilapidated house on the streets of Konoha.
Damn, it's really rundown...
He sighed. When Uchiha Madara rampaged through Konoha with the Nine-Tails, the destruction was catastrophic.
Although his home was far from the battlefield, a fight between shinobi of Madara and Hashirama's level was anything but quiet. The entire street had been affected.
However, Senju Hashirama—ever the benevolent leader—had personally ordered the reconstruction of damaged areas and promised compensation to affected villagers.
"The people of Konoha followed me here," he had said. "If they suffer because of me, it is my duty to compensate them."
Even though Hashirama was no longer Hokage, his influence still lingered.
"Are you Ishiwaka Kenichi?"
A voice called out from the entrance.
Kenichi turned around and saw a white-haired shinobi wearing a Konoha forehead protector, leading a small team.
Since Kenichi had left his door open, the shinobi immediately noticed him sitting inside, lost in thought.
"Yes, Ninja-sama, that's me."
Kenichi's first thought was—is this guy Hatake Sakumo? But looking closely, he realized the shinobi only bore a passing resemblance. He was likely from the Hatake clan.
The man stepped forward and handed him a thick wad of banknotes.
"This is the compensation promised by Lord First Hokage. It's not much, but it should be enough to rebuild your house and live comfortably."
Kenichi took the money, slightly stunned.
"Thank you very much!"
The shinobi shook his head.
"No need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Lord First Hokage."
Kenichi immediately bowed deeply.
"Understood! Thank you very much, Hokage-sama!"
He glanced at the stack of bills—it was at least five thousand ryo.
Five thousand ryo might not seem like a lot, but in the early days of Konoha, prices were much lower.
In Naruto's time, a bowl of ramen cost around sixty to seventy ryo. Meanwhile, a D-rank mission only paid between five thousand to fifty thousand ryo, which was then split between the village, the team, and the jonin leader.
But right now?
A bowl of ramen only cost around thirty ryo—half the price of Naruto's era!
Which meant… five thousand ryo was a decent sum.
Kenichi looked around. His house was damaged but not unlivable. A little cleaning, some minor repairs, and a few new pieces of furniture—it wouldn't cost much.
That left him with a sizable amount of money left over.
"Perfect! I can use the rest as startup capital for my business!"
Sure, he could recharge the full 5,000 ryo into the Recharging System and exchange it for points.
That would give him 50,000 points, enough for two draws from the most expensive 16,800-point prize pool.
If he was lucky, he could pull some powerful techniques or weapons.
But Kenichi shook his head.
"What's the point of power? Steal money? Do dangerous ninja missions?"
No thanks.
Compared to risking his life, it was far better to run a business.
"Even if I draw something powerful, it's not like I'll become invincible. This world has giant mechas, meteorites, undead monsters, and even aliens!"
"Even immortality isn't safe—there are sealing techniques everywhere."
Besides, lurking in the shadows were figures like Black Zetsu and the Sage of Six Paths. If Kenichi drew too much attention, he might not even know how he died.
"Nope. Let's just open a shop. I have the skills and the startup money. I'll build my own business empire!"
With confidence, Kenichi headed to Konoha's business district and purchased a damaged store.
He renovated it, fixing leaks and adding tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks.
Next, he bought ingredients and began practicing.
In the kitchen, he rolled up his sleeves and started kneading dough.
Though he had never cooked before in his past life, his Ichiraku Ramen Recipe was perfectly ingrained in his mind.
Kneading, pulling, cutting vegetables, simmering broth, cooking noodles—each step was smooth and natural, as if he had been born to make ramen.
After a final stir, he ladled the steaming hot noodles into a bowl.
"Phew… done!"
Kenichi wiped the sweat from his forehead and admired his work.
The aroma filled the air.
"It smells amazing… time to taste it!"
He took a bite.
"Damn, this is incredible!"
The broth was rich and flavorful, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
The noodles were soft yet firm, perfectly soaking up the soup's essence.
"This is the real deal!"
Kenichi grinned, his confidence soaring.
"Alright, time to open shop! A bright future awaits!"
By the next afternoon, the "Kenichi Ramen Shop" sign was up.
To attract customers, Kenichi put up posters:
Opening Special: 20% off for first-time customers!
Come with a friend, and the second bowl is half price!
Despite having zero business experience, he had seen countless marketing strategies in his past life.
People quickly flocked to the shop, eager to try out the deals.
By nightfall, the restaurant was packed.
Kenichi's hands were moving so fast, sparks almost flew off the dough!
At the end of the day, Kenichi counted his earnings.
Over 100 bowls of ramen sold. More than 3,000 ryo in profit.
"A huge success! I made back all my expenses in just one day!"
But as excitement wore off, Kenichi winced in pain.
His hands were swollen and sore.
"Damn… making ramen is hard work. If business keeps growing, I won't be able to keep up!"
Then—a flash of inspiration!
"Wait… I can just use the Clone Jutsu!"
Even though clones disappeared upon impact, they could knead dough and cook just fine.
"I don't need employees—I can just do it myself!"
But first—he needed to refine his chakra and learn the Clone Jutsu.
Determined, Kenichi sat cross-legged on his bed and began his first step toward mastering chakra.
"Let's do this!"
End of the Chapter.
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