Ayari made good on her promise the very next day.
Shinji had barely stepped into her house before he spotted a Byakugan girl with short brown‑green hair sitting politely on the sofa. She was bright‑eyed, cute, and looked every bit the well‑mannered clan daughter.
Ayari greeted him with a little too much enthusiasm. "Shinji's here!"
The girl sprang to her feet, pale eyes shining with curiosity. She'd certainly heard of him, everyone had, but they'd never actually met.
"This is Natsu, you know her, right?" Ayari said.
Shinji nodded. Kids their age in the clan were few; even if they rarely spoke, they all knew each other.
Her older sister, Harucha, served Lady Ayano.
"And this is Shinji."
"Nice to meet you."
"…Hello."
Ayari clasped her hands, beaming. "Well? Isn't Natsu adorable? You wouldn't believe how many boys line up just to get her attention."
Natsu flushed and tugged at Ayari's sleeve. "Sister Ayari, please…"
"She is pretty cute," Shinji said honestly.
"Th‑thank you." Natsu dipped her head.
Shinji noticed she kept glancing at him, only to look away the moment their eyes met. Probably curious about the eyes he'd lost?
Ayari started shooting urgent looks at him, so he shrugged. "It's almost noon, how about we grab lunch?"
"Now that you mention it, I'm starving," Ayari said, flashing him an atta‑boy look.
"What do you two feel like?" he asked.
"I'm easy. Natsu?" Ayari said.
"Anything is fine," Natsu murmured.
Realizing that was a dead‑end question, Shinji simply decided. "Let's go for ramen."
"Ra… ramen?" Ayari stared as if he'd suggested leftovers. 'First time meeting a girl and you take her for ramen?'
Natsu was a bit surprised, too. Other boys who asked her out usually picked fancy cafés, desserts, sushi, yakiniku. Ramen was a first.
"Want to rethink that?" Ayari prompted.
"No need. Ramen it is," Shinji said.
Ayari was speechless. She'd thought the kid had potential. Apparently, she'd overestimated him.
Natsu, though, didn't really mind. She was here mostly because Sister Ayari asked. Meeting a clanmate and sharing a meal wasn't that big of a deal.
Shinji, for his part, had been itching to try the Ichiraku Ramen shop he'd spotted in the village a few days earlier.
He hadn't realized the place was already open this far back in time.
The three of them left the Hyuga compound.
…
"I heard you're already a chūnin, Shinji," Natsu said as they walked.
Ayari was practically signaling herself cross‑eyed, but Shinji didn't notice, so Natsu kindly steered the conversation.
"Mm. Managed to scrape through the exams," Shinji replied.
"I've heard they're brutal, you don't 'scrape through' them," Natsu said, "I'm still a genin."
"Genin's fine. Making chūnin is only a matter of time; it doesn't mean much," Shinji answered.
No one in the Hyuga clan stays a genin forever.
"You're too modest, Shinji‑kun. I heard you made great contributions on the front lines." Natsu's soft voice made the compliment sound all the sweeter.
Shinji only smiled. "I was just lucky not to die."
Ayari jumped in, keen to boost his image. "He'd pushed right up to the enemy's doorstep. Even a jōnin can't always guarantee a clean withdrawal from that deep."
Natsu's eyes widened. "That dangerous?"
"Of course," Ayari said matter‑of‑factly, "How else do you bring back intel that actually matters?"
Her story clearly impressed Natsu, Shinji could see her attitude warming by the moment.
Though she'd never seen battle herself, her sense of war came from rumors and the sight of wounded shinobi limping home, she held a deep respect for anyone who'd faced the front lines.
Shinji, however, took no pride in it. He let Ayari talk while he played the listener, as though the tale wasn't about him at all.
Before long they arrived at the modest storefront of Ichiraku Ramen, a single, cramped, plain wood stall.
Ayari sighed at the sight of it, convinced her matchmaking efforts were doomed.
"This place is actually pretty good," Natsu said with a gentle smile, showing no hint of disappointment.
"I thought so too," Shinji said, oddly nostalgic.
He lifted the curtain and stepped inside.
"Welcome!" The proprietor, a young man wearing a white chef's cap and an apron. His eyes half‑lidded, seemingly unable to open. He grinned so widely that they seemed to disappear altogether.
"What can I get for you three?"
"One house special, please," Shinji said.
"I'll have the same," Ayari added, her tone resigned.
"And a tonkotsu chashu for me," Natsu said.
"Coming right up."
They took their seats.
Ayari slid onto a stool so that one empty seat separated her from Shinji, and Natsu, seeing it would be rude to sit farther away, occupied the middle.
"I dropped by on opening day," Natsu said as the chef began pulling noodles. "The line was out the door."
"Too bad I missed it," Shinji replied.
"No worries, come often and it's just as good," the owner called over his shoulder, "Regulars get the occasional discount!"
Ayari pulled a face, wondering what on earth was so special about ramen.
"Looks like you're a real ramen fan, Shinji‑kun," Natsu teased.
Shinji propped his chin on his hand and glanced sideways at her.
"Not exactly. I love anything that tastes good. Sticking to just one food and ignoring the rest of the world's flavors…now that would be a tragedy."
Catching Ayari's glare, he realized she clearly disapproved of his "date" planning.
Natsu blinked, considered, then nodded. "You… actually make a lot of sense."
Their steaming bowls arrived moments later, gleaming with a thin sheen of oil and filling the air with a rich aroma.
"Okay, time to dig in!"