On the streets of Konoha at dusk, the curtain of Ichiraku Ramen swayed gently in the breeze.
Outside the shop, Mamoru was enthusiastically introducing it to the girl beside him, his tone carrying a bit of pride as if showing off a treasure.
"...This is the best ramen in Konoha."
Yakumo crossed her arms and calmly scanned the unremarkable little shop, responding softly, "Who doesn't know that?"
Mamoru was a bit surprised. "So you've eaten here too."
Yakumo's voice was very soft, her words carrying a faint, imperceptible drift. "I wasn't at Satomi Villa from the beginning. Before... I lived a normal life."
Just then, a familiar voice came from ahead.
"Hey... Mamoru!"
Mamoru looked toward the sound and saw three people approaching.
Choji was waving vigorously, Shikamaru stood beside him with a lazy expression, and behind them was Asuma, with a cigarette in his mouth.
As soon as Asuma saw Mamoru, he reflexively clutched the wallet in his pocket, a practiced movement that was painfully familiar.
"What a coincidence." Mamoru greeted them with a smile.
The three approached and stopped at the ramen shop entrance.
Shikamaru's gaze inadvertently swept over the unfamiliar girl beside Mamoru, and he muttered to himself, "An unknown woman... This guy is really popular."
Shikamaru asked, "What are you doing here?"
Mamoru spread his hands. "As you can see, getting ready to eat ramen."
Choji patted his round belly forcefully, his voice booming. "Haha, we're here for ramen too! Shikamaru's treating today!"
Hearing this, Shikamaru's lips twitched slightly. He silently lamented for his wallet but maintained a calm facade. "Ah... then let's go together."
"Oh?" Mamoru raised an eyebrow and drawled playfully, "Shikamaru, since when did you become so generous?"
Choji interjected, his chubby face filled with unabashed pride. "I've been helping Shikamaru with special training lately. So he treats me to food often."
"Special training?" Mamoru wore an expression of surprise as if he had seen an alien, sizing up Shikamaru as if getting to know him all over again.
"Big mouth..."
Shikamaru scratched his head in embarrassment, avoiding Mamoru's searching gaze. "Don't look at me like that. Regardless, I'm still a contestant in the final round of the Chunin Exams."
"Alright, don't just stand here." Asuma spoke up at the right time, ending the topic that was making Shikamaru uncomfortable. "Let's go in."
The others agreed and one by one lifted the light-colored curtain with "Ichiraku Ramen" printed on it, entering the fragrant shop.
"Old man, I'm here to visit!" Mamoru greeted familiarly.
"It's you, Mamoru." Teuchi, wearing a headscarf, looked up and saw them, his face immediately lighting up with a warm smile.
Seeing the group file in, he shouted loudly, "Welcome!"
Inside the shop, an orange figure was buried in a bowl of food. Hearing the familiar voice, he turned around abruptly. Upon seeing who it was, his blue eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! It's you guys!"
Mamoru saw that face and thought, 'What a coincidence.'
He asked with concern, "Naruto, have you been discharged from the hospital already?"
"I've been out for a long time."
Naruto set down his chopsticks with a "clack," his right hand pressing firmly on his left arm as he proudly showed off the muscle lines hidden under his clothes.
He shouted energetically, "Look, I'm in great shape!"
"Another troublesome guy..." Shikamaru muttered softly, quickly counting the people, including the quiet girl Mamoru had brought along.
Then he called out, "Boss, five bowls of ramen, please!"
"I want eight bowls for myself!" Choji followed up, his voice filled with a craving for food.
Shikamaru immediately shot a look at Choji, his eyes saying—Do you want me to die!?
"Coming right up!" Teuchi responded energetically, his hands already getting busy.
Everyone found a seat.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Naruto leaned halfway across Mamoru to look at Yakumo sitting at the end. "Who is this girl? I haven't seen her before?"
Mamoru introduced, "She's my friend. Her name is Kurama Yakumo."
"Kurama... Yakumo..."
Naruto repeated the name, then broke into a bright smile and said loudly, "Hello, Yakumo! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! The man who will become Hokage!"
"Hello." Yakumo nodded slightly in greeting, her attitude polite but somewhat distant, her eyes calm and ripple-less.
"That guy over there with the pineapple hair is Nara Shikamaru." Mamoru continued the introductions.
He paused when his gaze turned to Choji, finding a tactful way to put it. "This... more full-figured one is Akimichi Choji, and that old man is their Jōnin instructor, Sarutobi Asuma."
At this point, Mamoru leaned close to Yakumo's ear and whispered, a mischievous smile on his lips.
"Eh? Really? Kurenai-sensei's..."
Hearing this, Yakumo's calm eyes widened slightly in surprise. She couldn't help but crane her neck, curiously sizing up Asuma.
Asuma didn't need to think to know what that brat Mamoru had told Yakumo.
As Hiruzen's son and also Kurenai's boyfriend, he naturally knew Yakumo's identity and understood why Mamoru was with her.
He sighed helplessly without saying more.
Soon, steaming, fragrant bowls of ramen were served one by one. The thick white bone broth, enticing chashu, and bright green scallions immediately caught everyone's attention.
Everyone temporarily stopped talking and focused on the delicious food before them. For a while, the shop was filled only with the satisfying sounds of slurping noodles and drinking soup.
Naruto said while slurping noodles, as if suddenly remembering something, his cheeks bulging, "By the way, Mamoru, do you know where Sasuke went? I asked Sakura, but she doesn't know either, and Kakashi-sensei is gone too."
Mamoru grinned playfully. "Haven't seen him for a few days, and you miss him that much already?"
"W-who misses him!?" Naruto stood up abruptly, the chair legs scraping harshly against the floor as he gestured wildly and retorted loudly.
Seeing such a strong reaction, Mamoru stopped while he was ahead and didn't tease him further.
"Kakashi is giving him special training." He told him the truth in his normal tone.
"Huh? Special training!?" Naruto's volume shot up instantly, his eyes wide, his face filled with dissatisfaction and a sense of grievance.
"Kakashi-sensei is too biased. I want special training too."
"Naruto, is no one helping you with special training?" Mamoru looked up and swallowed his food, asking in confusion.
According to his fuzzy memory, that shouldn't be the case.
"No..." Naruto pouted and sat back down heavily, poking at the remaining noodles in his bowl gloomily with his chopsticks.
Getting this definite answer, Mamoru frowned imperceptibly.
He vaguely remembered that during this period, both Naruto and Sasuke should have been receiving special training. The one teaching Naruto should have been one of the legendary Sannin—Jiraiya.
This development seemed to have completely deviated from the original plot trajectory.
However, recalling the ominous and powerful crimson Chakra state Naruto had shown during their duel in the preliminaries, he estimated that even Gaara might not be able to handle a rampaging Naruto with just sand.