If Sasuke goes, Itachi won't be able to escape either.
I'm a genius.
I grinned, mentally patting myself on the back for this masterstroke of manipulation.
Across from me, Itachi had the look of a man who'd just realized he'd been conned.
"Since when did I agree to this?" His expression remained composed, but I could see the headache forming behind his Sharingan-less gaze.
Well, too late now. He was already caught in the web.
Itachi glanced at Sasuke, who was practically bouncing with excitement, then flicked his eyes toward me.
I knew what he was thinking.
What if my brother doesn't listen?
Answer? Hit him.
Itachi sighed, probably already planning his lesson plan for the "Education of Love" he was about to drop on Sasuke. But that was a future Sasuke problem. Today, we had ramen business to attend to.
"It looks fun. Count me in."
Shisui's sudden addition to the group made Itachi's frown deepen.
I shot him a smirk. One down, one to go.
"Itachi, I didn't expect your little brother to be so cute," Shisui added, a teasing glint in his eyes.
Itachi didn't dignify that with a response, which only made Shisui more pleased with himself. I could practically hear him thinking, I should record this moment with my Sharingan.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Well, if it isn't Shisui?"
Kakashi Hatake had arrived, pretending his casual stroll toward us was a coincidence.
Uh-huh. Right.
The Third Hokage must've sent him to keep an eye on things. And since the only Uchiha he was remotely friendly with was Shisui, he had no choice but to play the Oh, fancy meeting you here! card.
"Senpai Kakashi," Shisui greeted him with a polite nod.
Kakashi's visible eye crinkled slightly. "This is Hatake Kakashi. He's strong," Shisui introduced in the flattest tone possible.
Translation: We worked together once. He's okay, I guess.
"Silver hair," I mused, tilting my head.
Kakashi blinked. "Huh?"
"This popular hair color paired with a classic mask… truly enviable." I sighed dramatically. "But white hair is king, and my blindfold covers both eyes."
I shot him a grin. "Let's settle this with a ramen showdown!"
Kakashi just stood there, processing my nonsense.
I watched his soul briefly leave his body.
He was probably thinking something like, Is this really an Uchiha? Where's the stoic, brooding energy? Why is he like this?
He'd be asking the same questions I did every morning.
Still, I saw the faintest flicker of amusement in his eye.
"Well, that does sound… interesting." His voice was neutral, but I caught the hint of intrigue.
Yes. Hook, line, and sinker.
"Yo-sha! Then let's get going!" I took the lead, my white hair fluttering like the majestic ramen warrior I was.
Before we could take more than a few steps, Kakashi spoke up.
"I said, kid, are you really gonna keep that blindfold on the whole time?"
Oh? So now he was curious?
I turned my head slightly. "The blindfold is part of me," I said solemnly. "Would you take off your mask for everyone to see?"
Checkmate.
Kakashi had no response to that.
I smirked, but for a split second, I caught a flicker of something in his eye.
A shadow of a memory.
A kid wearing goggles. A boy who called him "Kakashi-senpai" with boundless enthusiasm.
A friend long gone.
But then it was gone, buried under years of Anbu training.
I didn't comment on it.
"Alright," I clapped my hands together. "Let's go eat our weight in ramen!"
And with that, the most unlikely ramen squad in Konoha history was on the move.