"Welcome—oh, it's you, kid. It's rare to see you at this hour. Here for some ramen?"
While the Hyuga Clan's ninja were running all over the village trying to locate the long-missing heir of the Main Family, the girl in question, Hinata Hyuga, was at that very moment being led by the hand through the curtain by Naruto, her face flushed red, her eyes downcast, and her steps hesitant. They stepped into a small ramen shop with a humble sign that read Ichiraku Ramen, unremarkable at a glance but always packed with customers.
"Hehe, good evening, old man! Looks like we made it just in time. Pretty lucky tonight, huh?"
Unlike the shy and timid Hinata, who clung to the edge of Naruto's jacket and tried to hide behind him, Naruto casually greeted Ichiraku's owner with a wide grin. Without waiting for an answer, he led Hinata to a narrow, open double seat at the bar and plopped down. Ignoring the disapproving glances from other diners, he grinned and continued, "Two bowls of miso ramen, old man! Same as always, extra narutomaki!"
"Haha, you're lucky. If you'd come just a bit later, I would've been closing shop. Got it! Two miso ramen! One ginger soup!"
Clearly used to the awkward stares from surrounding customers, the old man didn't miss a beat. While kneading and stretching dough to prepare the noodles, he squinted curiously at Hinata, who seemed to trust Naruto implicitly. His face lit up with curiosity and gossip.
"Say, who's this girl? Just a few days and you've already got yourself a girlfriend?"
"Huh—wha?! G-g-girlfriend—ohhh!"
Hinata, who had already buried her face deep into her scarf, froze for a moment at the question. Then steam seemed to erupt from her head as she covered her cheeks and bent down, almost crawling under the wooden counter like a panicked ostrich.
"Hey, hey, old man! Don't joke around like that! Look, you scared her..."
Naruto waved his hands helplessly. "She's just someone I ran into on my way home tonight. Seems like she got lost and couldn't find her way back. She'd been out in the cold for a while, so I figured I'd bring her here to warm up a bit before walking her home."
He shrugged, thinking the old man had just overwhelmed the shy girl. Gently, he reached out and patted her on the head like coaxing a child.
"There, there... don't be scared. Old man's just teasing. He's a good guy. And his ramen is the best in the village. Super, super delicious! You'll love it!"
"...Mm... okay..."
Feeling Naruto's touch, Hinata blushed even deeper. She still didn't have the courage to lift her head, but she mumbled a quiet reply.
"Lost on the way home, huh? No wonder she's so shy. Poor kid...
But she doesn't seem to dislike you at all. Don't tell me she's got a crush on you? Hmm? What do you think, kid?"
The old man twirled and tossed the now silky dough into fine, firm noodles and tossed them into a boiling pot. He kept teasing Naruto with a sly grin as he stirred the noodles.
"You talk too much, old man... what are you even imagining?! She just trusts me because I promised to take her home, that's all!"
Naruto pouted, his mouth twitching as he scolded the gossip-hungry ramen boss. Little did he know, the comment had nearly knocked Hinata out from embarrassment.
"You've got time to gossip, but how about keeping an eye on the ramen? It's about to get overcooked!"
"Huh? Oh! You're right—"
Startled, the old man quickly leaned down and saw the noodles nearly turning to mush in the boiling water. He hurriedly stirred them loose, scooped them out with a ladle, drained the excess water, and poured them into steaming bowls of broth. He added a generous heap of toppings and gently set the bowls in front of Naruto and Hinata.
"Here you go! Thanks for waiting—your miso ramen. Enjoy."
"Mmm! Smells amazing! I'm digging in!"
The aroma instantly stirred Naruto's hunger, especially after a day of training that had left him barely full. He quickly grabbed his wooden chopsticks, ready to dig in, when he noticed Hinata slowly raising her head, tempted by the same smell. He turned, chuckled, and offered her a pair of chopsticks.
"You're hungry too, right? Eat while it's hot. You'll feel warmer once you're full."
"It smells so good... Mmm, thank you... I'm starting."
As the Main Family's heiress, Hinata had never tasted something as down-to-earth as ramen. Her curiosity about its savory aroma matched the rumbling of her stomach. Embarrassed under the watchful gazes of Naruto and the old man, she took the chopsticks and began nibbling cautiously.
Seeing her settle in, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, snapped apart his own chopsticks, and dove headfirst into battle with his bowl.
Of course, while Hinata's eating manner was elegant and refined like a proper young lady, Naruto's could only be described as a reincarnated starving ghost. He wolfed down the noodles with a loud slurp slurp, completely lacking in table manners, drawing even more attention from nearby customers.
"Hey, hey—there you go again... slow down! There's more if you want. Nobody's taking it from you, so don't choke."
"I can't help it... mmph... gulp... hehe, it's just too tasty, old man!"
"Ahh, you little rascal. You always say that... Slow down, slow down! Don't choke!"
Despite the scolding, the old man showed no hint of annoyance. On the contrary, his arms crossed and a proud smile spread across his face.
After all, there was an unspoken rule in the ramen world:
The louder the customer slurps, the more they appreciate the chef's skill.
In other words, Naruto's ravenous eating was the highest compliment he could offer.
"By the way, since you offered to take her home... do you actually know where she lives?"
"Mm... I've got a general idea... gulp gulp—ah! That was good! I'm full!"
With his cheeks stuffed, Naruto replied vaguely. His noodles vanished at an impressive speed. By the end, he even lifted the bowl and drank the soup straight down, not leaving a single drop. Satisfied, he rubbed his now-round belly.
"All that's left is to ask around once we get near. We should find her house pretty quickly!"
"So fast? That's a new record... Every time you eat a bowl, I swear it's cleaner than a freshly washed dish."
Chuckling warmly, the old man brought out two small bowls and poured in freshly made ginger soup.
"Here, this one's on the house. It'll help warm you both up. And kid, as a gentleman, you'd better make sure to get that girl home safe. Her family must be worried sick by now."
"Huh? A freebie too? Hehe, today's my lucky day! Got it, old man! Thanks!"
Naruto accepted the ginger soup with his usual cheer, downing it all in one go. Then he pulled out a crumpled voucher barely legible with the words "special coupon," and slid it across the table with a grin.
"Here, two special coupons! Thanks for the meal, old man!"
"All right, received. Come back anytime!"
After Naruto and Hinata left, most of the customers had already cleared out. As the old man considered closing up early for the night, a gust of cold wind blew through the curtain, making him instinctively call out:
"Welcome! What can I get you?"
"Long time no see... Hmm... The usual—one soy sauce ramen."
The newcomer brushed snow off a thick cloak and, with tired eyes, gave a relaxed smile that carried the weariness of travel.
"Oh, it's you. Been a while, huh? Got it—one soy sauce ramen. Just a moment."
Once the man removed his cloak, revealing a white spiky head of hair and a black face mask, the old man nodded knowingly and began to work without asking for more details.
As he dropped the noodles into boiling water, he finally spoke in a soft voice:
"That Naruto kid... even though the village misunderstands and hates him, he's still kind at heart. Just earlier, he brought a lost child here to warm up and promised to take her home."
"...Naruto? He was here just now?"
The man froze, his hand reaching for chopsticks, his fingers twitching slightly.
"A good kid, huh..."
"Here you go, thanks for waiting. Your soy sauce ramen. Enjoy."
The old man placed the finished bowl in front of him, garnished with care.
He looked up with a soft smile and said,
"If you'd come a little earlier, you could've seen it for yourself... I think, once that boy grows up, he'll be just like your teacher...
Just like his father."
"What do you think... Kakashi?"