"Naruto seems to be in a pretty good mood, did something happen to make him so happy?"
Ayame watched Naruto, who had already eaten three big bowls of ramen and still couldn't close his mouth, and asked curiously.
Aoba smiled and nodded, "Something like that. For Naruto, it really is something worth celebrating."
"Is that so? In that case, tonight's ramen is on me!", Teuchi, busy in the back, heard this and smiled as he said it.
"Really? Uncle Teuchi!", Naruto, head bowed over his bowl, looked up; his blue eyes sparkled.
Teuchi turned and said, "Of course it's true. Naruto, eat as much as you want tonight, and Aoba, you too."
For regulars like Naruto and Aoba, treating them once or twice when they're happy was no problem.
Of course, if Hinata came along, he'd be a little more careful with his wallet.
"That's great, thank you, Uncle Teuchi. I'll have another bowl," Naruto said happily.
"Okay, coming right up."
Teuchi put another portion of noodles into the boiling water.
"Thanks, Uncle Teuchi."
Aoba also thanked him with a smile, though he didn't order another bowl.
"Even though you've grown so much, your appetite hasn't grown with you," Ayame couldn't help teasing.
Aoba shot a glance back.
"Appetite doesn't have much to do with height or age."
Ayame thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "That's true."
She remembered the first time she saw Hinata. She never would have guessed such a small girl could fit so many noodles in her stomach.
After a full meal at Ichiraku Ramen, the two didn't linger and walked home together.
"Aoba, what do you think my mom is like?", Naruto asked with some expectation.
"Haven't you already seen photos of your parents?"
"I'm not asking what she looks like. Mom must be a very gentle girl, because in the photo she's smiling so gently, and the pervy sage said Mom is very gentle."
Naruto looked full of longing.
'Gentle?'
Aoba thought of Kushina Uzumaki's nickname "the red-hot habanero" and felt his mouth twitch; he didn't want to burst Naruto's beautiful fantasy.
Besides, Naruto is Kushina's son after all, he should be gentle.
"Maybe. Your mom and Aunt Kasui are both from the Uzumaki clan, so she should be gentle like Aunt Kasui."
"That's great, I want a mom like Aunt Kasui!"
Naruto jumped up with joy.
Aoba watched Naruto's happy face and his own lips curved slightly.
From what he'd read in the original, given Kushina and Naruto's personalities, they'd definitely get along well.
———
They'd just gotten home.
"Aoba, I heard from Konan that you're going to marry into their family?", Uzuki Yugao squinted, cupping Aoba's face and gently rubbing it.
Although she smiled, it was not a pleasant smile. From the narrowed eyes you could tell there was no humor in them at all.
"Huh? Who told you that, Konan?", Aoba looked blankly at Konan, standing nearby.
Konan squinted too, but there was killing intent in her eyes. She had probably already imagined how to stab him eight times from behind with kunai and make it look like suicide.
"I heard it from Shizune when I got off work. I also heard that Koyuki Kazahana came specifically to propose this time."
"But I already refused."
Aoba was half laughing, half exasperated. Shizune had been learning to do news reporting or what, she took things out of context.
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
"That's good."
Uzuki Yugao stared into Aoba's eyes a bit longer; seeing he wasn't lying, she let him go and sat back down, "There are still a few things at home that aren't settled, so don't go gallivanting around outside."
She could tolerate him seeing other girls; but marrying in. That she wouldn't stand for.
"Uh, I get it."
Aoba hadn't expected Uzuki Yugao to be so direct. He glanced at the other girls' expressions.
Temari's ears were red; she clearly guessed Uzuki Yugao was pointing at her.
Kin looked expectant.
Only Yugito stared blankly, still not in the right state.
"What are you looking at me for?"
Yugito noticed Aoba's gaze and glared at him.
"I wasn't looking at you."
Aoba didn't want to deal with this tsundere attitude and went to sit on the sofa.
"I know, that's called being tsundere."
Yugito's mouth curled into a smile, as if she'd read Aoba through. She'd been reading a lot recently; he still thought she was dumb.
"?"
"You say it is, so it is."
Aoba was momentarily speechless at Yugito's retort. Perhaps that's what they call being too close to the matter to see clearly, while bystanders see it all.
"Hmph! Hmph!"
Yugito promptly huffed in true tsundere fashion.
Aoba couldn't watch any longer, "I've been out all day. Yugito, come give me a shoulder massage."
"Gah!"
Yugito's smile froze; she puffed up and stared at him for a while, but finally she walked behind him and began to massage his shoulders.
"Mmm! Yugito, your technique keeps getting better. Looks like you've been practicing privately these past few days," Aoba praised.
"I do it all for the money!", Yugito complained.
This was the job Aoba had arranged for her. Give him a massage every day. And she had to do it well, or she didn't get paid.
'How awful!'
Yugito wanted to give him a hard time, but she didn't dare, so she half-heartedly massaged.
"Aoba-dono, I can do massages too. I don't need payment," Kin set a cup of brewed tea in front of Aoba and volunteered.
"Stare—"
Before Aoba could say anything, he suddenly felt the temperature behind him drop.
Yugito was staring daggers at Kin; her beige hair seemed to float for some reason.
At that moment, Yugito, a native of the shinobi world, felt the first taste of industry-style competition.
Kin noticed Yugito's gaze and shrank back.
Although she knew Yugito wouldn't really do anything to her, she still felt Yugito might explode.
"Ahem!"
Aoba cleared his throat to save Kin, "Kin, you already have enough work. Leave this simple job to Yugito."
He didn't dislike healthy competition, but too much intensity was not acceptable.
"I understand."
Kin weakly replied and quickly moved to the side.
Yugito's catlike eyes remained fixed on her.
Without a seal on her, Kin would lose if they fought.
"Hmph! Coward."
Yugito snorted. Her floating hair fell back down.
Her face looked proud, like a cat that had just won a fight.