Ichiraku Ramen.
It was lunchtime, peak hours, and the place was packed.
As Naruto pulled open the curtain, a wave of steamy, savory broth fragrance hit him like a jutsu blast to the face. His stomach rumbled even louder in protest.
He didn't miss a beat. Like a regular, he hopped onto the tall counter stool with a practiced spin and barked out loud:
— Oy, Teuchi-ossan! Three bowls of ramen—extra chashu on all of 'em!
— You got it! — came the hearty reply from the kitchen.
Beside him, Ayame giggled sweetly.
— Naruto, you're here early today.
Naruto scratched the back of his head with a goofy grin.
— Hehe... Well, someone else is paying today, so of course I'm gonna eat as much as I can!
— Don't listen to him, Ayame-nee, — Sakura said, sitting down next to Naruto with a half-smile of resignation. — He eats like this no matter who's footing the bill.
— True enough, — Ayame laughed, covering her mouth.
She turned back to help her father with the ramen, her slender figure in the apron radiating a gentle, homely charm.
Then, a clear, mellow voice chimed in from behind the counter:
— What's up, Naruto? You look like you just won the lottery.
Naruto turned his head, eyes lighting up.
A familiar face was poking out from behind the kitchen. It belonged to a boy around fourteen, with sharp features and kind eyes that crinkled as he smiled.
— Shigure-aniki!
Naruto beamed even wider, his cheeks practically stretching to his ears.
— Hehe, of course I'm in a good mood! Because...
He leaned in dramatically, lowering his voice for suspense, then straightened up all of a sudden with a flourish of his fist.
— I'm about to master a super-awesome jutsu! You're gonna be totally blown away when I show you!
Shigure raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
— Oh? A super-awesome jutsu, huh? Sounds impressive. Come on, give me a hint—what kind of technique is it?
Naruto puffed out his chest with a huge grin.
— Ehh, it's top secret for now! But trust me, it's crazy powerful! Just wait—you'll be so shocked, your jaw's gonna hit the floor!
He made a sweeping gesture with both hands, as if demonstrating the full impact of someone's jaw detaching from their skull.
His bright blue eyes blazed with fiery determination. You'd never guess that just earlier he'd been sulking over failed training.
Shigure couldn't help but smile at the sheer energy bursting out of the blond-haired boy.
— Is that so? Well then, I'll be waiting. You better not disappoint me.
— Hmph. Show-off. — Sakura crossed her arms, unimpressed. — Naruto, you still suck at chakra control. Just don't end up blowing yourself to bits.
— I won't! — Naruto flushed red. — This time's different! You'll see, Sakura!
Before things could escalate into their usual bickering match, Kakashi gave a pointed cough from the other side of the counter.
— Ahem. Naruto, no training talk while eating.
Naruto grumbled but fell silent. His stomach, however, roared louder than ever. And besides—wasting time arguing meant less time for ramen.
Just then, three steaming bowls were placed in front of him.
The rich aroma of broth and the glistening chashu slices made Naruto's eyes go sparkly. Literally.
— WOOOOAAAH!!! — he cried, almost drooling. — Itadakimaaaaasu!!
He dove in like a whirlpool, chopsticks flying at lightning speed. Noodles vanished before anyone could blink. Within moments, one entire bowl was annihilated.
— One more!!
He raised the empty bowl high like a trophy, licking the remaining broth with dramatic flair.
— Coming right up! — Ayame said with a smile.
A second bowl appeared, and Naruto resumed his noodle-slurping frenzy.
Shigure and Ayame exchanged amused looks, trying not to laugh at his exaggerated eating faces.
From the corner, Sasuke shot Naruto a brief glance. His dark eyes lingered on him for a second longer than usual—thoughtful.
Kakashi's voice floated over casually:
— Naruto, this new jutsu… someone teaching you?
Naruto's mouth was so stuffed with noodles, his words came out like muffled explosions:
— Mmph—nuh… nope! I'm training on my own!
Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed slightly. His gaze flicked toward the rubber ball sitting near Naruto's elbow.
That fast? Already into the second phase? Interesting...
After a third bowl and a final, dramatic slurp that echoed through the shop, Naruto leaned back with a satisfied burp.
— Fuuuhhh… I'm stuffed!
He stretched with a loud groan, arms arching overhead—and then suddenly remembered something.
— Oh right! Kakashi-sensei, what's our mission this afternoon?
Kakashi, still reading his orange book, replied without looking up:
— Same as yesterday.
— Whaaat?! — Naruto nearly fell off his stool. — You mean more weeding yards and finding lost cats?!
— Of course, — Kakashi replied blandly. — Even low-rank missions are part of a ninja's path.
— Tch... — Naruto slumped forward, head down, his soul visibly leaking out of his body. — Lame… I'd rather keep training my jutsu...
— Naruto! Quit whining! — Sakura bonked him on the head. — We're ninjas. Even grunt work matters.
Naruto rubbed the bump on his head, pouting.
— I know, I know… I was just saying…
Kakashi gave a silent chuckle and finally closed his book.
— Alright, time to move. The client's location is a bit far from here.
Everyone stood. Kakashi paid the bill.
Naruto, still patting his full belly, waved enthusiastically as they exited the ramen shop.
— Thanks for the food, Boss! Ayame-nee! Shigure-aniki! We're off!
— Stay safe out there, Naruto! — Teuchi called out with a grin. — Come back anytime!
— Definitely! — Naruto shot them a sparkling thumbs-up, full of energy.
As they disappeared down the street, the usual cheer on Shigure's face faded just slightly.
His gaze lingered on the ramen shop's curtain fluttering in the wind.
— Things are getting more interesting by the day...