The rest of the week had gone by in a blur, my actual schedule not changing much from the one I had theoretically decided upon.
I was still dedicating full non-stop hours to the Leaf Concentration Exercise, reaching the point where one leaf jumping around and dancing all over my body while I did other things became possible, which was great as it now allowed me to keep doing it even outside my home and on my walks, though I still had a hard limit of five consecutive minutes of training before needing to catch my breath.
I was confident it was only a question of time before I reached the point where I felt confident moving onto coins or other objects, but I doubted I would actually start on further exercises before I got my hands on the Shadow Clone Technique.
I still wasn't sure how exactly I would get my hands on that particular technique, quite yet, as I doubted Ebisu would ever let me learn a Jonin level Jutsu before even joining the academy, but I was working on finding alternatives, at least.
Other than that, I had now observed enough villagers to complete a full database with an assorted array of different persona I could make use of at the drop of a hat, keeping track of even the most insignificant details such as adding holes in pants to mimic wear and tear or the amount of dirt and dust to keep on shoes and while taking steps.
I still needed perhaps three more observation sessions to see how things changed when it rained, snowed, or during the summer, but for all intents and purposes, my spying on defenseless civilians was no longer a priority for me, and I spent the time watching animals instead.
Despite not actively looking for them, however, I had caught glimpses of some of my future classmates and what part of the village they lived in, most notably Sakura, as everyone else was part of a clan and thus lived at a clan compound.
I had kept my distances from them all, not wanting to risk their parents actively telling them off from getting close to me while I was present. I wasn't sure if that was really a thing among Shinobi children or if it had come as a result of Naruto making a nuisance of himself.
I would probably try to ingrate myself to them sooner or later, I knew.
Another unexpected positive from my walks was my seeing the basic form of the Body Flicker Technique and the six seals required for its activation.
Nobody ever used the basic form in active duty, it taking too long and looking seriously uncool, as everyone worth their salt trained it until they were able to do it with a single hand seal before showing it off.
Luckily, I had a careless Uchiha Genin to thank for the free demonstration as he attempted to replicate Shisui's feats and summarily face planted into a wall.
I had almost not snickered at him out of sympathy and gratitude, but the sight was simply too funny, especially after the chewing out he received from the Military Police Force Officer for being a general nuisance, ruining the Uchiha Clan image, as well as causing a scene in public.
It was only after I had gotten away from the scene that I had sobered up a little, realizing the boy would be dead four years from now and that I would not lift a finger to help him.
It made me guilty of his murder through my inaction, but preventing the massacre wasn't something I was willing to earn Kurama's ire for, so all I could do was hope the little guy enjoyed the few remaining years he had ahead of him...
I was becoming a monster, wasn't I?
Oh well, I had better things to do than have existential crisis over my becoming a moral aberration, for example, it was great time for me to make good on my mental promise and try out Ichiraku Ramen and see if the hype was deserved.
The stand was completely empty when I entered, which was a godsend as I did not actually want a confrontation with unhappy villagers or make old man Ichiraku take a stand on my behalf and potentially lose some money.
I doubted Ramen stands made enough to ensure a future for himself and young Ayame.
"Good afternoon, sir." I greeted the man as I entered the stand and took a stool, not even having to duck down to avoid the curtains protecting the guests' privacy, due to my shortness.
"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, what can I do for you, young man?" The cook manning the kitchen answered me before turning in my direction and offering me a warm smile.
"May I have a miso ramen, please?" I asked politely, stealing a glance at my surroundings.
"Coming right away!" Teuchi boomed from the kitchen and immediately went to work preparing my meal.
The bar was not as shabby as I had expected it to be from the media of my previous world. It was small, it was true, with only six stools for people to sit at, but the establishment was clean, the bar having been meticulously scrubbed prior to my entry, but more than that, the red painting on the counter and yellow walls seemed both recent and professional, the colors being even on the whole surface.
It actually looked even better painted than my own home, which was very impressive, considering the amount of dust the stand must accumulate on a daily basis, seeing as it did not have any door and was open all day.
"Here's your meal!" Teuchi interrupted my musings and pushed a steaming bowl of ramen in front of me, making me idly ponder whether Ayame was at the Academy or simply absent.
She should be about ten or eleven at this point, which was still of age to be going to school, though I doubted she would be a student in the Shinobi section.
"Thank you." I replied to Ichiraku, and picked up chopsticks, even as I observed the enormous bowl he had set in front of me.
No wonder Naruto had so much energy if he ate multiple servings of this size every day, this was bigger than my daily meals combined, and yet the smell was enchanting.
Whomever said we eat with our eyes was extremely wrong as simply seeing the braised pork belly, sweet corn and eggs toppings was enough to water my mouth and make my until then well behaved stomach growl as if I hadn't eaten in weeks.
I didn't even realize I had started eating until I had found myself drinking audibly the broth to the point of almost licking the bowl in search of more flavor, my taste buds on fire from the harmony of the dish, both salts and sours married perfectly, in one divine dish.
"Seems like you've enjoyed your first bowl, want another one?" Teuchi chuckled at my antics and I blushed despite myself, all my work on learning manners and etiquette having flown out the window the moment I had found myself eating in public.
I was lucky I had come alone for my first time, but still, my behavior was unacceptable, though I now understood how much trouble Naruto had had with learning proper table manners.
My body had started moving on its own after my first taste of this ambrosia the man in front of me had concocted for me.
"It was delicious." I nodded at him and he swelled in pride. "But that will be enough for now, I will make sure to come back sometime, though. I quickly added at his deflating.
"Ah, well, I'm always open, so make sure to come back anytime you crave it!" The glorious dealer declared beamed at me and picked my bowl up to clean it.
"How much do I owe you, sir?" I asked and he waved me off.
"The first bowl is on the house." He declared and I frowned.
Was he genuinely this nice to everyone or was he making an exception because he was dealing with me? I had no memory whether Kushina and Minato had been customers of his.
Oh well, free food was free food.
"Thank you so much, sir. I will make sure to come back soon." I bowed to him before leaving the establishment.
I would not let myself become as addicted as the real Naruto had been, but eating ramen once a week should be fine.
I definitely needed to start cooking more diverse foods, however, my diet so far having consisted entirely of rice and steamed vegetables.
Of course, I had read and memorized a few hundred recipes, but hadn't yet had the time or willingness to discover if cooking too would prove much harder in real life than in books, but it was time for me to learn.
It should be a priority for me, especially if I really wanted an easy way to make friends and money in the future.