The noren curtain was pushed aside as Menma led Naruto into Ichiraku Ramen.
"Welcome—oh, it's Menma." Old Man Teuchi looked up from the prep station, his smile warm with familiarity.
It was still a while before the dinner rush, so the shop was quiet, occupied only by two ordinary Genin finishing their meals.
"Teuchi-san, I'll take a Tonkotsu Miso Ramen, and no—"
"No narutomaki, extra bamboo shoots. I know, I know," Teuchi interrupted with a chuckle, his hands never stopping their rhythmic work. For a fleeting second, a hazy memory surfaced in his mind—someone else used to say the exact same thing—but the figure remained a blurred shadow he couldn't quite grasp.
Naruto followed Menma, his steps hesitant. When the two Genin noticed him at the entrance, their expressions soured into glares of pure loathing. Naruto instinctively shrank back, his shoulders hunching.
Just as Naruto's instincts screamed at him to run, Menma clamped a firm hand on his shoulder. "What are you spacing out for? Look at the menu and order."
"By the way, I still don't know your name," Menma added, hopping onto a high stool and arching an eyebrow in feigned ignorance.
"I'm Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto scrambled onto the stool beside him, peeking at the wooden menu boards hanging on the wall. Since he couldn't read yet, he simply mimicked Menma. "I... I'll have the Tonkotsu Miso Ramen too!"
"Coming right up! Just a moment, boys," Teuchi called out, beginning to prepare the broth.
"Owner, we're leaving the money here." The two Genin finished their bowls and slapped some bills onto the counter. As they walked out, their hushed whispers drifted back into the shop.
'Was that... that thing?'
'Yeah, the one who killed the Fourth...'
'What a mood killer. I feel like puking...'
Naruto's back was to the door, but the words reached him clearly. His small shoulders slumped. He didn't understand what a "Fourth" was or what a "Demon Fox" meant, but the weight of their hatred was a language he knew all too well.
"Ayame, clear the table!" Teuchi's shout broke the heavy silence.
"Coming! Coming!" A girl about eight or nine years old, wearing a white headscarf, burst from the kitchen like a whirlwind. Her blue apron fluttered as she efficiently cleared the dishes, her cloth moving in smooth, practiced arcs across the counter.
"Young Master Menma, bringing a friend today?" Ayame teased with a wink, never slowing her work.
"Drop the 'Young Master' act, Big Sis Ayame~" Menma shot back, intentionally drawing out the syllables of 'Big Sis.'
The title made Ayame's hand freeze mid-wipe. "Hey!" she huffed, her cheeks puffing out in indignation. "You're supposed to call a girl 'Onee-san'!" Even if she was only nine, being called 'Big Sis' by someone younger made her want to bare her teeth.
So his name is Menma, Naruto thought, watching their banter with a flicker of envy.
"And what's this little brother's name?" Ayame finished her task and leaned over the counter toward Naruto.
"I... hello... I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto stammered, his face heating up. It was the first time he had ever been treated with such casual kindness. He could feel it—neither Menma nor Ayame looked at him with the cold malice he received from the rest of the villagers.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Ayame. Make sure to visit our shop often!" She puffed out her chest proudly. "To welcome our new customer, I'll whip up a side of tempura for you!" She folded her cleaning cloth and vanished back into the kitchen.
A few moments later, two steaming bowls of ramen and a golden plate of tempura were placed before them.
"Enjoy your meal!" Teuchi and Ayame stood behind the counter, smiling and offering a slight bow.
"Thanks for the food!" Menma picked up his chopsticks and pressed his hands together. Just as he was about to dig in, he noticed Naruto staring at the rising steam. Large, heavy tears were splashing onto the wooden counter.
"Kid, what are you crying for? Didn't anyone teach you what to say before a meal?" Menma muttered, though his tone lacked any real bite. He hated it when kids cried.
"No... no one taught me..." Naruto whispered, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Since his earliest memories, he had been surrounded by nothing but spite. No one had ever taught him how to live; he had been forced to fumble through a hostile world entirely alone.
"Then watch me. Say: Itadakimasu!" Menma frowned, snapping a pair of chopsticks and handing them to Naruto.
Naruto took them, looking at the boy beside him. Menma was grumbling and acting tough, but his actions were incredibly warm. A strange, powerful emotion swelled in Naruto's chest.
"I... Itadakimasu!" Naruto mimicked the gesture, pressed his hands together, and split his chopsticks.
Slurp—slurp—
The sound of the two boys eating filled the shop. Teuchi didn't ask questions, but he recognized the weight of the moment and turned back to his work with a satisfied hum. Ayame watched them curiously, glancing between Menma and Naruto. For some reason, they looked like brothers.
Perhaps because he was starving, or perhaps because he had never tasted a proper hot meal, the ramen was like a divine feast to Naruto. He ate like a wolf, finishing every drop of broth.
Menma was only halfway through his bowl when he saw Naruto staring longingly at the plate of tempura between them, drool practically escaping his lips.
"Look at you. Just take it," Menma said, sliding the plate over.
"But..." Naruto started to protest.
Menma raised his chopsticks. "Rule one: when someone offers help or kindness, say thank you. Rule two: don't let a good deed go to waste." Seeing Naruto still hesitant, he added, "I've eaten enough today. I'm not a glutton like you."
With that excuse, Naruto beamed. He snatched up a piece of tempura, a radiant smile breaking across his face. "Thank you! Menma!"
"Teuchi-san, this kid is paying for the whole meal today," Menma said as he finished his bowl and set down his chopsticks, pointing at the happily munching Naruto.
Teuchi peered through the steam, his eyes crinkling. "Alright then. Since it's a new customer's first visit, I'll give you a ten percent discount. That'll be ninety ryo."
Naruto froze mid-bite. He hurriedly pulled out his frog wallet and began counting his coins. He received a monthly allowance from the village, which was enough to cover basic needs since his housing and utilities were handled, but he usually blew most of it on instant cup ramen. Ninety ryo was a painful dent in his savings.
He pulled out a hundred-ryo bill, handing it over to Teuchi with a look of lingering attachment. Ayame took the money and handed back a ten-ryo coin. "Thank you! Here's your change!"
The two boys walked out of the shop. Menma patted his stomach with satisfaction, while Naruto stared at the single ten-ryo coin in his palm, his entire aura turning a shade of gloomy gray.