Chapter 146: Chapter 146
"Please enjoy," Ayame said with a warm smile as she placed two steaming bowls of ramen in front of Carnes and Demiurge.
Carnes wasted no time, immediately picking up his chopsticks and digging into the delicious ramen.
While the taste didn't quite live up to his high expectations, it certainly wasn't terrible.
Meanwhile, Demiurge, on the other hand, had been uncharacteristically silent since they entered the ramen shop.
As the ramen arrived, he simply lowered his head and began to eat his meal in solemn silence.
Teuchi, the ramen chef, decided to break the ice with a light-hearted comment.
"Is this your friend?"
Carnes nodded, still slurping noodles. "Yeah, he's always been a little cold, especially in new places."
Teuchi chuckled, his warm smile never fading. "Ah, I see he's really a man of few words."
As the duo enjoyed their ramen, the curtain at the entrance rustled once again, signaling the arrival of two more customers.
In walked a man with silver-white hair and a woman with short, vibrant pink hair.
Teuchi and Ayame warmly greeted the newcomers with the same warmth they had shown Carnes and Demiurge.
"Welcome, what do you two want to eat today?"
Carnes, fully engrossed in his noodles, paid them no extra attention.
However, he was well aware that these two were not ordinary passersby.
The man was none other than Kakashi, an Elite Jōnin of Konoha, the Land of Fire.
His aura seemed to fill the room, adding a layer of intrigue to the otherwise ordinary ramen shop.
Formerly a member of Konoha's elite Anbu squad, a prodigious student under the teaching of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
He was esteemed leader of Team 7, where he taught the likes of Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura.
His role as an instructor had brought forth the next generation of formidable shinobi.
The woman accompanying him was none other than Haruno Sakura, a rising star among the new generation of medical ninja.
She was a disciple of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade and a member of Team 7 led by Kakashi along with Naruto and Sasuke.
"Yo, Kakashi, it's been quite a while since our last meeting," Teuchi remarked, recognizing the familiar face. They exchanged pleasantries about their daily lives.
Kakashi cast a brief, evaluating gaze towards Carnes and Demiurge, his keen eye assessing them.
With a subtle shift, he withdrew his attention.
"Life has been quite hectic lately; I hardly find a moment's rest," Kakashi replied, his voice carrying a trace of weariness.
"Don't overexert yourself," Ayame chimed in with a gentle, understanding smile.
Kakashi nodded appreciatively.
"Thank you for your concern, it is duly noted. Some things just never change, even with the passage of time."
"Hmm. Please excuse me for a moment," Ayame replied before turning to attend to her duties, leaving Kakashi and his companions in relative peace.
Kakashi took a seat, besides Carnes and Sakura then took a seat next to him.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, the peaceful ambiance was shattered by a sudden, sharp 'shua' sound.
Kunai blades now rested menacingly against Carnes' neck, held with unwavering precision.
Carnes remained unfazed, maintaining his composure as he rested his hand on Demiurge's arm.
His other hand, seemingly undisturbed by the turmoil, gracefully plucked noodles from his bowl and brought them to his mouth, nonchalantly taking a bite.
Kakashi's sudden move made both Ayame and Sakura startled.
"Kakashi... what are you doing?" Ayame asked, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and confusion, her widened eyes reflecting her unease.
Teuchi, the ever-watchful owner of the ramen shop, was equally taken aback by this sudden escalation.
"Kakashi... who are they?" they asked.
Kakashi chose to remain silent in response to their inquiries, his attention solely focused on the two figures before him.
"From the moment I stepped in here, I couldn't help but find the two of you rather suspicious,
Something about you two seems off," Kakashi finally spoke, his tone laced with suspicion.
"Your behavior... is far from that of an ordinary person," Kakashi said after observing Carnes' action.
"In these tense times, I can't afford to let my guard down and exercise extra caution," Kakashi said, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
"So, who are you? Don't expect me to believe you're just an ordinary individual.
Ordinary folks don't show the kind of composure as you did," Kakashi continued, his suspicions growing.
Kakashi's abrupt actions revealed a deeper layer of his ever-vigilant nature, as he harbored his own reservations about the situation.
He had his own theories about them.
In case this newcomer was truly an enemy, he needed to assert control immediately.
Even if he wasn't and it was just an error in judgment, it wouldn't be anything too much; He could just apologize to them later.
However, he deemed the likelihood of the latter scenario to be quite low.
"Kakashi, is it possible that we're mistaken? This young man seems rather very kind,"
Teuchi chimed in from the sidelines, his gaze still fixed on Kakashi.
Indeed, Teuchi was referring to Carnes, who had an air of calmness about him.
In contrast, Demiurge, well, he did give off somewhat villainous vibes.
"Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."
Carnes picked up the bowl and sipped his soup, his irritation evident.
"You do seem quite the bother, causing such trouble."
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