[Starting in Naruto with a Daily Login System] Chapter 25 Ramen! Ramen? Ramen. Ramen!

The gates of Konoha stood in front of us like the final boss of a game I was about to speedrun.

We were finally back. After months of bloodshed, near-death experiences, and enough trauma to keep a therapist employed for a lifetime, we had made it home.

And yet… none of us moved.

"Are we sure this is real?" Obito muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Like… we're not in some weird genjutsu or purgatory, right?"

Rin smiled tiredly. "It’s real, Obito. We made it."

Home.

The word hit different now. It wasn’t just a place—it was a concept. Something we had clung to in the trenches, something we fought for when everything seemed hopeless.

Minato led the way, and as we stepped through the gates, the guards gave us a respectful nod. No grand celebrations, no confetti raining from the sky—just quiet acknowledgment. The war wasn’t a victory parade. It was a slow, tired walk home.

People stared as we passed, whispering amongst themselves.

"That’s the Yellow Flash!"

"That’s Hatake Kakashi, the youngest Jonin!"

"Isn’t that the Kannabi Bridge team?"

"Wow, they actually made it back alive…"

I ignored it all. Fame meant nothing compared to the weight of everything we'd seen.

The village itself felt… different. Shops had closed. Some streets were emptier than before. The war had touched everything. It hadn’t just been shinobi who suffered—civilians had lost family, too.

I spotted familiar faces—Genma, Asuma, Gai. They waved, but there was an unspoken understanding in their eyes. We had all seen too much.

Then there were the faces I didn’t see.

Too many names. Too many people who would never walk through these gates again.

I clenched my fists, exhaling slowly. I wasn’t going to let it weigh me down. Not right now.

Minato finally broke the silence. "Alright, let's report to the Hokage so we can rest."

After months of blood, sweat, and way too many near-death experiences, we were back in Konoha, standing before the Third Hokage in his office. The place smelled like ink and old parchment, and for once, I actually appreciated the boring, bureaucratic atmosphere. After all, boring meant "not getting stabbed."

Hiruzen-sama, seated at his desk, gave us one of those rare, grandfatherly smiles. "You’ve all done well. Konoha is grateful for your service."

That was probably the nicest way to say, "You nearly died multiple times, but at least you didn’t embarrass the village."

Still, he continued, "Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, for your exceptional performance in the war, you are hereby promoted to Chunin."

Obito’s eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"

I sighed. "No, Obito, the Hokage just enjoys handing out fake promotions for fun."

Rin beamed. "We did it!"

Obito, meanwhile, looked like he had just unlocked ultra instincts. "This means I officially outrank some of those jerks who used to call me a dropout!" He pumped his fist into the air. "Hah! Take that, random side characters!"

I nodded sagely. "I’m sure they’re weeping in shame as we speak."

Hiruzen cleared his throat, clearly trying to keep this meeting from turning into a circus. "Kakashi Hatake," he addressed me, "as for you, your contributions to the war were extraordinary. Your efforts in the Kannabi Bridge mission were invaluable. As a reward, you may select an S-rank jutsu of your choosing."

I blinked. An S-rank jutsu?

Okay, that was actually pretty cool. My mind raced through the possibilities—Flying Raijin? Too complicated. Edo Tensei? Yeah, no. Then, something clicked.

"If possible," I said, keeping my voice steady, "I’d like to learn sealing jutsu."

That got their attention. Even Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.

"Are you certain?" he asked, folding his hands together. "Sealing techniques are highly complex and require years of study."

Minato, who was standing beside him, nodded in approval. "It’s a great choice. Sealing techniques can be incredibly powerful if mastered."

"Yeah, yeah," I waved a hand. "I just figured, why not? You never know when you’ll need to seal something, right?"

Like, I don’t know… a raging demon fox?

Hiruzen studied me for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Your request is approved. You will be given access to Konoha’s archives for sealing jutsu training."

I nodded. Perfect. Just one step closer to breaking the story’s rails and avoiding every possible tragedy.

With that settled, we were dismissed, but before I could disappear off to enjoy some post-war relaxation, Obito suddenly slung an arm around my shoulder.

"Kakashi, my eternal rival!" he declared dramatically. "Rin, Minato-sensei, and I have something important to discuss with you!"

I gave him a deadpan stare. "If this is about you trying to arm-wrestle me again, the answer is still no."

"No, no, no!" Obito waved me off. "This is serious! Ultra serious!"

Rin giggled. "We never got to celebrate your Jonin promotion, Kakashi. The war interrupted things, but we didn’t forget. So…"

Minato smiled warmly. "We decided to get you a gift."

I blinked. "A gift?"

"Yep!" Obito grinned. "Something that truly represents you, something meaningful, something that—"

"Something practical," Rin cut in, sparing me from whatever nonsense Obito was about to spew. "We already picked it out. You’ll love it!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Should I be concerned?"

"Absolutely not!" Minato assured me.

Which meant I should definitely be concerned.

Before I could ask what it was, Obito threw an arm around my shoulder again. "You’ll find out soon enough! Just don’t go running off to train before we give it to you!"

I sighed. "Fine, fine."

I had a bad feeling about this, but at the same time…

Maybe it was nice, having people care enough to get me a gift.

—

I should have known better than to trust these people.

Obito, Rin, and Minato had been acting way too smug all day, exchanging glances and whispering like a bunch of academy kids planning a prank. And yet, despite every red flag, I had followed them without protest when they finally decided it was time to unveil my so-called "Jonin gift."

That was my first mistake.

The second was assuming they wouldn’t go all out with whatever this was.

We were now standing in front of a store in the middle of Konoha. A very familiar store.

"…You’re joking." I stared at the sign.

Ichiraku Ramen.

Obito grinned. "Nope!"

Minato chuckled. "We figured you'd like this."

I turned to them slowly. "You guys got me ramen?"

Obito slapped my back. "Not just ramen, my dear rival—"

"Don't call me that."

"—but an unlimited ramen pass!"

Silence.

I blinked. "What."

Rin giggled. "It’s a special pass. Good for an entire year! You can eat here as much as you want, for free!"

My brain short-circuited.

"You're telling me," I said slowly, just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, "that you got me a free, unlimited ramen pass for an entire year."

Obito nodded. "Yep!"

Minato smiled proudly. "We all pitched in to get it for you."

I stared at them. Then at the pass in my hands. Then back at them.

This was… this was…

This was the best gift I had ever received in my life.

Obito looked smug. "See? I told you he’d love it."

I held the pass up like it was a sacred relic. "I take back every insult I have ever thrown at you."

Obito gasped dramatically. "You mean it?"

"No, but I’ll consider it."

Minato chuckled. "Come on, let's eat. My treat—well, technically, Kakashi's treat now, since he has the pass."

"Best. Day. Ever," I muttered under my breath as we stepped inside.

Some people got weapons. Some people got scrolls.

But me?

I got unlimited ramen.

I had won at life.

—

I had made it through the war. Barely.

I mean, sure, I still had a scar or two and an eye that occasionally acted like it was on strike, but I was alive. That was what counted, right? At least, that’s what I told myself as I sprawled out on the couch in my tiny apartment, feeling the soft cushion mold to my back as I let out a sigh of relief.

For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no mission. No blood on my hands. No rush to get to the next battle. No life-or-death situations waiting around the corner.

Just... quiet.

I didn't even remember the last time I had the luxury of being bored for a few days. My training had been intense, the missions nonstop. And now that the war was officially over, I told myself I deserved to just take a moment to rest. Maybe even a few moments. Or a whole few days, if I was feeling particularly rebellious.

Obito and Rin were probably out training or hanging out, but I figured it was my time. Screw it, I'm not a robot, I'm a person.

It was time to relax.

But, of course, even the best-laid plans have a way of falling apart.

"Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" I mumbled to myself, shifting on the couch. The room was dim, the only light coming from the soft glow of the setting sun outside. A peaceful atmosphere, or at least, it would have been if I didn’t have that nagging feeling. Something in my brain was like, Hey, Kakashi, you need to be doing something. This is a bad idea, stop laying down, you’re getting lazy.

I shook it off. "Nah, screw it. This is me time."

I grabbed the ramen pass and glanced at it, feeling the weight of it like a treasure I’d unlocked. It wasn’t even that crazy. It was just ramen, right? But I couldn’t help but feel like I’d won the lottery.

Unlimited.

I could eat ramen for the next 365 days. And not just any ramen. The best damn ramen in the whole village. Teuchi, the ramen master himself, was about to become my personal chef. Who needed training when ramen existed?

But, of course, I couldn't spend the whole time eating. I had some dignity.

I pulled my head back down onto the pillow and closed my eyes, letting out another sigh. I hadn't realized how much I'd been holding my breath all these months. Sure, I had moments of relaxation, but they were fleeting. This was different. This was a full stop. A real rest.

"So... maybe I can take a nap first," I murmured, drifting into sleep.

No missions. No new techniques. Just... nothing.

It felt good. Too good.

But even as I shut my eyes, I couldn’t help but think about the future. The war was over, but that didn’t mean peace would last forever. There were still threats out there—still things I had to prepare for. Maybe I’d start training again tomorrow. Or maybe the day after that. For now, though? My body needed this. My mind needed this.

Maybe one more ramen bowl wouldn't hurt, I thought, letting out a lazy grin as I finally let myself slip into the quiet of my own mind.

I deserved it.