Two days passed quickly, and it was finally the day Ichiraku Ramen opened for business!
Lin Yu held ticket numbers 1 through 8 with a relaxed expression, anticipating another easy task completion!
As for the Akimichi father and son, they received numbers 9 and 10. After all, a group of ten people, and the first and last spots were not significantly different. Everyone else would have to wait until the opening to receive their numbers.
Lin Yu counted, and excluding himself, the people he invited numbered exactly eight. Kakashi and Might Guy were not included as they were too young. As for Kushina, she didn't need to queue at all. Teuchi had a special seat prepared just for her. Lin Yu could only grumble inwardly: "What a spendthrift!"
Lin Yu brought Kushina to the entrance of Ichiraku Ramen early in the morning. They planned to patronize the new store and help Teuchi if needed, with the prerequisite that Lin Yu would be the first to eat ramen!
"Huh?"
Not far from the ramen shop, Lin Yu spotted a figure with yellow hair standing at the very front of the queue. It was the little sun, Minato Namikaze. He hadn't expected him to be the earliest to arrive besides the Akimichi clan.
Teuchi had already put up a sign at the entrance explaining the purpose and rules of the numbered tickets, making it clear to everyone. They were currently waiting for Teuchi to distribute the tickets.
It was still early, and the only people queuing were some minor characters from the Ninja Academy. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji hadn't arrived yet, let alone the Legendary Sannin or the Hokage.
"Minato, I didn't expect you to be the first one," Lin Yu greeted Minato.
"Oh, are you... Lin Yu-senpai? It's a pleasure to meet you." Minato smiled politely at Lin Yu. He had seen Lin Yu once before, and Kushina often mentioned Lin Yu at school, so he was aware of the renowned "Ninja World's Poisonous Milk."
"Haha, I didn't know you liked ramen so much, Minato, that you're so eager."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly. He just wanted to see the Hokage as soon as possible and hadn't expected to be the first. The Hokage seemed to have not arrived yet. He secretly glanced at Kushina and saw that she wasn't looking at him at all. He mustered his courage and quietly said to Lin Yu, "Lin Yu-senpai, do you happen to know when the Hokage will arrive..."
"Shh, relax, he'll be here. Also, I'm about the same age as you, so you can call me Lin Yu-bro!" Lin Yu raised a finger, signaling Minato to rest assured.
"Lin Yu, Kushina, you're here." Teuchi saw Lin Yu and Kushina arrive and quickly peeked behind them. Seeing no one, his expression was a little disappointed.
Lin Yu noticed Teuchi's actions and quickly leaned in and whispered, "Uncle Teuchi, don't worry, they'll be here soon!"
Teuchi stared at Lin Yu speechlessly: Uncle? Am I that old?
Damn it, I let it slip.
"Never mind, Lin Yu, go light some firecrackers for me. I still need to prepare the ingredients. As for Princess Kushina, I'll trouble you to distribute the numbered tickets to them." Teuchi gave Kushina a gentle smile.
Hearing himself called "Princess Kushina," Kushina happily nudged Lin Yu's waist with her hands, as if saying: "See? See! How discerning they are!"
Lin Yu curled his lips, Teuchi was showing favoritism.
Taking a long string of red firecrackers from Teuchi, Lin Yu found a relatively spacious spot. With a flick of his finger, a small flame shot out, igniting the firecrackers as if by magic.
In the blink of an eye, the crackling sound echoed all around.
"Wooow, it's so loud, so loud." The ninja students queuing nearby covered their ears and scurried to the side, their eyes full of excitement. They would soon be able to see the Hokage up close, how wonderful!
"Who is it! Which scoundrel is setting off firecrackers so early in the morning! It's so noisy!"
Across the street, the door of a dessert shop suddenly opened, and an angry, grumbling voice emerged.
Shogo Shinjuku strode menacingly towards Lin Yu, yelling, "Brat! You're the one setting off firecrackers early in the morning, aren't you? Do you believe I'll have the guards arrest you and lock you up for a few days?"
"I apologize. We're celebrating our new store opening, and setting off firecrackers is a way to bring good fortune. Please be understanding," Lin Yu said politely, acknowledging that he had disturbed the other person.
"Hmph, a shabby ramen shop, and you're going through all these elaborate procedures. Do you really think anyone will come to patronize it?" Shogo Shinjuku was being unreasonable.
"We apologize for disturbing you, and we've explained the reason. However, saying that is rather unkind," Lin Yu's smile faded as he spoke calmly.
He had apologized and explained. If the other party insisted on arguing that apologies were useless and what were the Konoha Guards for, Lin Yu wouldn't mind giving him a lesson.
"Forget it, forget it. It's a grand opening, so setting off firecrackers is understandable. Didn't you do the same when your shop opened?" The owner of a fruit shop nearby couldn't stand it and came over to mediate.
Seeing Shogo Shinjuku harassing a young man, he stepped forward to try and calm things down. He felt that this young man had an extraordinary aura and should be a ninja. He had been neighbors with Shogo Shinjuku for a long time and didn't want to see him get into serious trouble.
"Hmph! A small, shabby shop making such a big fuss. Do you really think many people will come? How ridiculous!" Shogo Shinjuku was dragged away by his neighbor, still grumbling.
"What a clown!" Lin Yu had no intention of being aggressive. Today was a good day for Ichiraku Ramen's grand opening, and he didn't want any trouble. If this Shogo Shinjuku continued to cause problems, Lin Yu wouldn't mind playing with him.
Shogo Shinjuku, who was being led away by his neighbor, said with a dark expression to the fruit shop owner, "Just watch, they'll definitely have very few customers today!"
"Alas, what are you doing? They haven't offended you, is there any need for this?" The fruit shop owner was somewhat helpless.
"Don't you know I have a nephew? He also runs a ramen shop. I don't want this fellow across the street stealing his business, and besides, they disturbed me today," Shogo Shinjuku said indignantly.
"Everyone has to make a living. Don't go around causing trouble!"
"Don't worry, I'm not a brute. I'm not good at fighting with weapons. A merchant has his own methods. I'll offer a 30% discount on all the pastries in my shop today. Tell me, will anyone still go to eat their ramen? Hahaha!" Shogo Shinjuku burst into laughter towards the end.
"Is it necessary to do this? We..."
The fruit shop owner tried to say something more but was interrupted by Shogo Shinjuku, "Don't worry, I'm just giving a discount. I'm even losing money!"
"I bet they won't even have 20 customers today!" Shogo Shinjuku glanced at the situation at Ichiraku Ramen, where there were only about 8 or 9 children who looked like students queuing.
Shogo Shinjuku sneered, "If the place across the street breaks through 100 people today, I'll eat my own excrement right here!"