Pushing aside the familiar warm curtain, the rich aroma of bone broth immediately washed over him. Amidst the billowing steam, Naruto confidently stepped into the ramen shop he had visited countless times.
"Old Man, I'm here!" Naruto called out energetically. "Two Miso Chashu Ramen! Please!"
He stepped aside to make way for the black-haired girl following him.
"Come on, Satsuki," Naruto said with a smile, pulling out a chair. "Thanks for walking me home. As a thank you, let me treat you to a bowl of ramen! Old Man Ichiraku's skills are the best in Konoha!"
The tips of Satsuki's ears turned slightly red. She sat down with feigned composure. "...If you insist on treating, I suppose I can reluctantly eat with you."
Old Man Ichiraku peeked out from the kitchen, his face wreathed in smiles. "Oh! It's Naruto and little Satsuki! Two Miso Chashu Ramen, right? Coming right up!"
In the steamy kitchen, a brown-haired girl was busy at the cutting board. Ayame, Old Man Ichiraku's daughter, looked up at the sound and gave the two regular customers a gentle smile.
As they sat down, waiting for their ramen, Naruto propped his chin on his hands and looked at Satsuki with interest.
"So, Satsuki?" Naruto's voice was filled with an unconcealed excitement. "How was your first day at the Ninja Academy?"
Satsuki tilted her head and thought for a moment. "...Honestly, not great," she said with a slightly disgusted expression. "The basic chakra theory the teacher taught, my father already taught me three years ago."
But soon, her eyes lit up again. "But sparring with you this afternoon was pretty good," she lifted her chin slightly, a hint of a challenge in her eyes. "Let's have another match next time we get the chance."
The response was completely expected. Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "Well, what can you do," he shrugged. "Not everyone has been training since they could walk, like us. Most of the kids in our class are encountering the world of ninja for the first time... of course the teacher has to prioritize everyone."
Suddenly, as if remembering something interesting, Naruto leaned forward. "Right, right, did you notice any of the interesting guys in our class?"
"Interesting guys?"
"Mhm!" Naruto nodded. "There are a lot of kids from ninja clans, just like you, Satsuki. For example, those two guys who surrendered before the sparring even started. The one with the pineapple head is the heir of the Nara clan, and the chubby one is the young master of the Akimichi clan."
Satsuki thought for a moment, then a look of disdain appeared on her face. "Those two? So what if they're from famous clans? If they don't even have the courage to fight, they can't become excellent ninja."
Faced with Satsuki's proud statement, Naruto just smiled dotingly. Just then, Old Man Ichiraku pushed aside the curtain to the back kitchen and walked out with two steaming bowls of ramen.
"Sorry for the wait, special Miso Chashu Ramen is here!"
As the ramen was gently placed on the table, the rich aroma immediately filled the air between them. Naruto was surprised to find that not only was the chashu in his own bowl piled high like a small mountain, but the portion in Satsuki's bowl was just as impressive—a rough estimate put it at least three times the normal amount.
"Old Man... this is..." Naruto's eyes widened, his chopsticks hovering over the mountain of chashu, unsure of where to even begin.
Old Man Ichiraku wiped his hands on his apron, his face full of a kind smile. "I heard today was the first day of the Ninja Academy, right?"
"Consider it a congratulatory gift. Today's ramen is on me, so you two eat up."
"Oh! Really?" Naruto's spirits instantly lifted. "That's awesome, dei ba you! Well then, Old Man, can I have some more fish cakes and bamboo shoots?"
"You got it, you got it," Old Man Ichiraku said with a hearty laugh, turning around. "Fish cakes and bamboo shoots, coming right up!"
The two quietly enjoyed the delicious meal before them. Naruto and Satsuki tacitly maintained their silence while eating—with the exception of the time Naruto had comforted Satsuki long ago, they never had the habit of chatting while eating.
Satsuki took small sips of the rich broth, savoring this novel dining experience. As the heiress of the Uchiha clan, her three daily meals had always been exquisite, well-balanced traditional Japanese cuisine prepared by her mother.
Experiences like sitting in a bustling streetside shop and eating commoner's food were almost all brought to her by Naruto.
Her mind inevitably drifted back to the past. Her sister used to occasionally take her for three-colored dango. Although Satsuki could never understand why her sister was so fascinated by those sweet, sticky rice balls, every time she saw her sister's satisfied smile, she would silently swallow her complaint of "it's too sweet."
But she didn't know when it had started, her sister had become busier and busier, coming home less and less, sometimes not even seeing her for days. What was her sister so busy with?
In the past, Satsuki would have been secretly hurt by her sister's distance. But now, when she looked up and saw the blond boy wolfing down his food opposite her, the familiar sense of loss had miraculously faded.
Since the day they had met, Naruto had been like a ray of sunshine in her life, appearing at their designated spot almost every day on time. Before she knew it, this boy with the bright smile had become a part of her life.
Satsuki stared at Naruto's profile, enveloped in the hot steam. In the billowing white mist, Naruto's eyelashes trembled slightly with each large bite of noodles. Sauce was stuck to the corner of his mouth, but he was completely unaware, still immersed in the joy of his meal.
Looking at such a purely happy expression, Satsuki's heart softened as if it had been soaked in warm water. Her gaze gradually became focused and gentle.
"Um... what's wrong, Satsuki?" Naruto noticed her stare and suddenly turned his head, seeing her rare, gentle expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
"...Maybe it's because I like you..."
The words slipped out as if they had a will of their own. The next second, Satsuki saw Naruto freeze completely. His chopsticks clattered onto the table, his blue eyes wide with an incredible light.
... ...?
Wait, wait! What did I just say?!
An alarm blared in Satsuki's mind. She finally realized she had unconsciously said something outrageous.
Her fair cheeks turned red at a visible rate. She waved her hands in a panic and explained incoherently, "Um... no! I mean! That..."
I have to... I have to think of something!
Her mind raced, and a flash of inspiration struck.
"...Right! I mean skiing!"
Her voice suddenly rose. "I was thinking if we could use skiing to practice chakra control!"
(TL Note: In Japanese, "suki" (好き), meaning "like," and "sukī" (スキー), the word for "skiing," sound very similar.)
Naruto was stunned for a few seconds, then a look of realization appeared on his face. "...Oh, so that's what you meant." He scratched his head and picked up his chopsticks again.
"It might be useful. Let's try it when it snows."
Satsuki secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still beating like a drum. She hastily looked away and happened to meet the eyes of Ayame, who was clearing dishes. Ayame gave her a kind smile, which finally allowed Satsuki's tense nerves to relax.
Phew... looks like I got away with it...
What she didn't notice was that when Ayame turned around, the professional smile on her face instantly turned into a brilliant grin, as if she had discovered a treasure. She unconsciously clasped her hands to her cheeks.
Oh my god... so cute...! Ayame squealed inwardly. What was that? An unintentional confession? Ahhh, youth is so wonderful...!
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