Life in Konoha, for Satoru Gojo, was a strange mix of existential boredom and flashes of unexpected fun.
The Third Hokage's "observation" was more of a formality, as Gojo had a habit of appearing and disappearing at will, leaving the jonin assigned to "take care of him" with constant headaches.
Currently, Gojo was sitting at the counter of Ichiraku Ramen, devouring bowl after bowl at an alarming speed, much to the delight of Teuchi and Ayame.
Meanwhile, in his mind, the Dimensional Shop was still open, tempting him with its offerings.
"Mmm, this ramen isn't bad," Gojo thought, as he wolfed down a noodle. "But what if there was one... beyond this world?"
[Ultimate Umami Flavor Dimensional Ramen (50 XP)]
"Oh, that sounds intriguing!" And without a second thought, he bought five. Immediately, five steaming bowls of ramen, with an aroma that made Teuchi salivate, appeared on the counter, floating slightly before settling with a small clink.
"¡¿"What the?!" Teuchi exclaimed, his eyes wide as saucers. "I didn't make them!"
"Magic!" Gojo said with a wink, though no one else had seen the transaction. He took a bite of the Dimensional Ramen. His eyes, even through his glasses, widened slightly. "Oh! This is... glorious! Teuchi, you have competition!"
As Gojo reveled, a familiar figure burst into the shop. It was Naruto Uzumaki, with his orange jacket and loud personality, accompanied by a visibly exasperated Sakura and a stoic Sasuke. Team 7.
"¡Hey, Teuchi-san! A big bowl of miso ramen, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted, before turning to look at Gojo. "You again! The weird guy with the glasses!"
Gojo smiled. "Ah, the noisy blond! I like you. Wanna try something that'll change your life?" He held up a bowl of Dimensional Ramen. "Only 50 Dimension Points. Or, since you like me, I'll give it to you for free. It's a gift from the great Satoru Gojo!"
Naruto eyed the ramen suspiciously, then the glint in Gojo's eyes. "Hmm... Really? It looks amazing!" Without waiting for permission, he grabbed a bowl and devoured it. His eyes widened. "AMAZING?!" THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER TASTED, DATTEBAYO!"
Sakura sighed. "Naruto, don't eat things a stranger gives you." She turned to Gojo, frowning. "Who are you, really? Kakashi-sensei doesn't want to talk about you."
Gojo chuckled. "I'm just a traveler, Sakura. And Kakashi-sensei is a bore. Always with his 'tact' and his 'rules'. By the way, who's the emo guy over there? He looks like he needs a shot of happiness."
Sasuke Uchiha, who had been silently watching with his usual indifference, turned to glare at Gojo with icy intensity. "Stay out of my business."
"Oops, that's scary!" Gojo said, his tone mocking. "He reminds me of a certain emo brat I know. You know, revenge is a boring path." I'm telling you from experience. You should buy something from my shop. Maybe a little sense of humor".
[Premium Sense of Humor (500 XP Only)]
[Practical Guide to Pointless Revenge (Unavailable, sold out by a certain brat with black bangs)]
Gojo laughed at the options. Sakura looked at Gojo like he was crazy, while Naruto, still with his mouth full of ramen, was fascinated.
"Hey, glasses guy!" Naruto exclaimed. "If you can do stuff like that, why don't you join the ninjas?! You're like a super ninja!"
"Join you guys?" Gojo stood up, his ramen already finished, and stretched his back. "Nah. I'm too strong to play on small teams. And the 'ninja' stuff is a little... rudimentary for my taste. But I can give you some advice. Sometimes the best strategy is simply to be overwhelmingly stronger than your opponent." He raised a hand, and the shop interface appeared briefly just for him.
[Advanced Substitution Jutsu Scroll (300 HP)
Extreme Vitality Potion (200 HP)
God-Level Taijutsu Manual (2,000 HP)
"Hmm," Gojo thought, considering his options. "I think I'll buy the 'God-Level Taijutsu Manual.' It's always good to have an ace up your sleeve, even though I'm already invincible." He bought the manual, and an ancient scroll instantly appeared in his hand, before he stuffed it into an invisible pocket.
Sakura and Sasuke, though they didn't see the scroll appear, felt a strange pang in the air, as if something had momentarily distorted. Naruto, however, was too busy finishing the last bowl of dimensional ramen.
"Well, brats, I've got to go," Gojo said, throwing a handful of bills onto Teuchi's counter. "By the way, this ramen is amazing! I'll be back for more!"
With that, Satoru Gojo disappeared as quietly as he'd arrived, leaving Team 7 and Teuchi with more questions than answers, and Naruto with a new standard of ramen that would ruin all the others. Life in Konoha had definitely just become a lot less boring for the blind sorcerer.