After leaving the Hatake family compound, Nagato slowed his pace and touched his slightly flushed face.
He gave his face a rough rub or two and continued walking toward the shopping district.
The elders' words from earlier replayed in his mind, stirring up his emotions again.
At first, it had seemed like an ordinary dinner invitation.
Now he wasn't sure how to act around Nonou at all.
Maybe she truly just wanted to thank him for saving her life—that was all.
Walking down the street, Nagato blended into the crowd like any other teenager, drawing no attention.
This was dinnertime, so the shopping district bustled with people and vibrant activity.
Food aromas wafted through the air alongside vendors' calls.
Even though Nagato didn't often go shopping, he still knew his way around.
From memory, he followed the directions straight toward the dango shop.
It was nearly six o'clock already.
Still quite a distance from the dango shop, he could already see the long line snaking out front—the business here was clearly booming.
Not far from the queue, a figure stood looking around nervously. It was Nonou Yakushi.
When she saw Nagato, joy spread across her face.
"Nagato! Over here!!"
Nonou waved enthusiastically at him while calling out.
Clearly, she'd made an effort with her appearance before leaving home.
Her smooth hair cascaded softly onto her shoulders, and her clean kimono fit perfectly on her.
With her pale complexion and black-framed glasses, her eyes nearly disappeared when she smiled.
"I'm here."
Nagato replied, quickening his pace toward Nonou.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said upon reaching her side, feeling slightly apologetic.
"It's fine—I only got here not too long ago myself."
In truth, Nonou had already been waiting for almost half an hour—she came early.
It wasn't even six yet.
"Oh."
"Do you want to eat dango?"
Nagato pointed toward the line beside them. He wasn't particularly interested himself, but since Nonou had chosen this place to meet, it must be something she liked.
"Sure! Wait here—I'll go buy some."
Nonou's eyes lit up as she stepped forward eagerly, ready to join the line.
"Let me go. What flavor do you want?"
Nagato stopped her instinctively. In his opinion, it felt inappropriate making a girl get in line alone.
Despite being young, he held somewhat traditional ideas—he honestly didn't know where he picked that up.
"No, let me do it."
Nonou persisted, after all, she was the one who invited Nagato out.
She figured if he kept arguing, she'd let him go instead.
But she clearly didn't understand Nagato well enough yet—he simply wasn't the kind of person to argue endlessly.
"Alright then, go ahead."
Nagato replied indifferently, standing there motionless like a statue, clearly having no intention of moving.
"Ah~"
"Then… I'll go now."
Nonou was taken aback, surprised by his sudden agreement.
Timid Nagato wouldn't push back against her insistence forever—his little bit of male pride easily gave way under her persistence.
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
Nagato nodded gently, looking unusually well-behaved.
As Nonou slowly walked to the end of the line, it finally dawned on her what had just happened.
"What flavor would you like?"
Nonou called out to Nagato. The line was too long, and they'd already been separated by some distance.
"You can just get whatever you like. I'm fine with anything."
Nagato meant what he said. Life hadn't been good for very long yet. He wasn't particularly picky about food. Back when he roamed with Yahiko and Konan, hunger had been a common occurrence.
"Okay."
Nonou didn't ask any further and simply got the same flavor she liked for Nagato too.
After about ten minutes, it was finally Nonou's turn.
She bought two boxes of red bean dango—they were her favorite treat. Sweet and sticky, they were absolutely delicious.
The pair left the dango shop, walking side-by-side down the street.
"Is it good?"
Nonou took a big bite, wearing an expression of pure enjoyment. Her eyes practically disappeared in delight.
"Yeah, not bad."
Nagato looked even more composed while eating than Nonou did. He chewed slowly, finding the flavor genuinely satisfying.
"Of course!"
"You know what?"
"Back when I was in Root, I hardly ever had time to go out."
"Whenever I got the chance, I'd buy myself a box."
"That was the happiest moment for me."
Nonou spoke as if recounting a minor, insignificant memory. In truth, those days in Root had been the darkest chapter of her life.
"Root… I've heard Elder mention it before."
"It must've been really tough for you back then."
By the time Nagato arrived in Konoha, Danzō was already long dead. He only knew bits and pieces about Root from occasional conversations with Kawaki and others.
"Yeah, it was really tough."
"Thanks to Lord Kawaki, people like us were finally able to escape that suffering."
"Oh, right—are you also one of Lord Kawaki's disciples, Nagato?"
Nonou blinked curiously—not out of nosiness, just plain curiosity.
"Yes. We were orphans Elder picked up from the Land of Rain."
Nagato spoke calmly. Time had softened his pain. He felt content with his current life. He had caring elders and playful companions.
Occasionally, though, he still missed his hometown. Even though it was in ruins now, it still held his parents' graves.
"I'm sorry—I didn't know."
Nonou thought she had touched upon a painful memory of Nagato's and felt slightly guilty.
"It's fine. That's all in the past now."
"At least we're living pretty well now, don't you think?"
Nagato showed no sign of offense and even smiled at Nonou.
"Yeah, you're absolutely right."
"Do you think Elder Kawaki is strict at home?"
To regular ninjas, Kawaki was already a legendary figure. Nonou knew him only through rumors and having met him a few times.
Thankfully, she had been young enough—at least, if she hadn't been, she might have died in Danzō's massacre.
"Well, not really."
"Elder isn't strict—he treats us all kindly."
Nagato recalled briefly, unable to associate Kawaki with the word "strict" at all.
Perhaps Kawaki's true nature was far from what Nonou had pictured.
Had she asked Tsunade instead, the response would certainly have been stricter.
Nagato endured more than one beating while studying Medical Ninjutsu under Tsunade.
"Oh, I thought Lord Kawaki would be just as strict at home."
"I've heard he's fought Tailed Beasts more times than most of us have even laid eyes on one."
Though Nonou had never seen a Tailed Beast herself, the terror in people's eyes made it clear how fearsome they were.
So someone like Lord Kawaki, who could defeat Tailed Beasts, must be even more formidable.
"Uh... something like that."
Nagato left out how Kawaki had reduced San to ashes before his very eyes.
"So did you learn Medical Ninjutsu from Hokage-sama?"
Nonou became a curious little girl again, eager to know more about Nagato's life.
"Yeah."
"My teacher's wife truly is amazing at Medical Ninjutsu."
This came straight from Nagato's heart.
Even now, he'd barely scratched the surface of Tsunade's mastery.
"You can say that again."
"Hokage-sama's Medical Ninjutsu has no equal in the entire Ninja World."
Nagato hadn't expected Nonou to admire Tsunade this much.
Her eyes sparkled behind her glasses as she spoke.
"Well then, maybe I can introduce you to her someday."
"Perhaps she could even offer you some personal guidance."
Nagato wasn't just saying that casually—Tsunade genuinely liked mentoring Medical Ninjas.
The thing is, Tsunade was usually swamped, so chances like that rarely came up.
"Really?"
Nonou excitedly grabbed Nagato's arm and bounced happily on the spot.
If she really could receive Tsunade's guidance, she'd be more than willing.
"Of course it's real. Would I lie to you?"
Nagato felt somewhat amused yet exasperated—did she really see him as that unreliable?
While it might be difficult for others, for him, it was actually effortless.
"Then I'll hold you to that."
Nonou wasn't the kind to press for favors. She didn't push Nagato about when he'd introduce her to Tsunade.
Even if Nagato was just speaking casually, she probably wouldn't mind.
The fact that he offered meant a lot to her, and she was already very happy.
"Don't worry, I won't let you down."
Nagato made the promise again, determined to keep this in mind.
"What do you want to eat?"
Since Nonou wasn't familiar with Nagato's preferences, she didn't take the initiative to decide.
Only now did they start discussing it.
"Don't just ask me—what about you? What do you feel like eating?"
Nagato remembered Kawaki's advice—he needed to act more like a gentleman.
"Me?"
Nonou had already begun to understand Nagato's style a bit. He probably wasn't big on making decisions.
"How about we go for ramen?"
"Ichiraku Ramen has amazing flavor and generous portions."
Nonou gave it a bit of thought before offering Nagato an option.
"Sounds good. I've heard people talk about it a lot."
"I've never tried it myself yet."
Nagato agreed without hesitation.
These days, Ichiraku Ramen had become moderately popular in Konoha, with many Konoha Ninjas among its regulars.
"Then let's go."
"This way!!"
Nonou gave Nagato's arm a tug. They were walking in the opposite direction of Ichiraku Ramen.
"Do you often go there?"
Nagato obediently walked close beside Nonou.
Glancing at the cute girl beside him, he tried to learn more about her.
"Not really, I just go occasionally."
"There are always so many people, and the waiting line is annoying."
As she said that, Nonou pouted, making her even cuter.
"That really is annoying."
"So I don't usually eat out much."
Nagato strongly agreed with Nonou's opinion. Waiting in line really was a bit irritating.
But it wasn't because he disliked waiting in line that he didn't go out to eat—it was because the Hatake family dining room could satisfy every one of his taste buds.
As they walked and chatted, several minutes later Ichiraku Ramen finally came into view.
The tiny noodle shop was completely packed, its line stretching like a long dragon.
"So many people."
Nagato suddenly exclaimed. He never expected Ichiraku Ramen to be this popular.
At the same time, he felt even more excited.
"Well then, should we go somewhere else?"
Nonou assumed Nagato didn't want to wait too long in line and actively suggested changing locations.
After all, it wasn't a big deal to her whether she ate ramen or not.
"No, no need."
"We've come this far already—we've got to try a bowl."
"I also want to see if it really is as good as everyone says."
Crowds meant good flavor—Nagato generally believed in this logic.
Surely an entire group wouldn't line up just to eat at a terrible place?
"It really is delicious. Then let's go join the line."
"Otherwise it'll get even worse soon."
Nonou had plenty of experience. She immediately took Nagato's hand, and they both quickly ran to the end of the line.
This chapter isn't over yet—more exciting things are coming!
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Everything felt natural—neither of them saw anything wrong with it.
Nagato secretly planned ahead and stepped forward to stand directly in front of Nonou.
Nonou didn't mind, still beaming with a bright smile.
They'd barely settled into their spot when more people came from behind.
"This business really is booming!"
Nagato found it hard to imagine how incredibly delicious this ramen must be to attract so many customers.
"You bet! I once waited for almost an hour."
"Almost starved to death."
"When it was finally my turn, I ordered two bowls straight away."
Nonou complained slightly while showing off a bit proudly.
She held up two fingers in front of him.
"Haha~ So, how many bowls are you gonna have today?"
Nagato laughed, finding it unexpected that someone who appeared delicate actually had quite an appetite.
"I just had some dango earlier. One bowl's enough for me."
At this moment, Nonou showed slight embarrassment, feeling she might be mistaken for a glutton.
She didn't know that one day, someone with a massive appetite would eat 48 bowls in one go.
Compared to that, two bowls really weren't that big of a deal.
"Don't hide your skills. Having a good appetite is a blessing."
Nagato couldn't stop smiling as he playfully teased Nonou.
He'd experienced hunger before—he knew exactly how she'd felt back then.
When you're starving, two bowls aren't even that much—he'd happily eat way more than that.
"I really don't need anything. I don't need much to get by."
"One bowl really is plenty."
Nonou hastily explained, blurting it out without thinking.
What did Nagato care whether she was cheap to feed or not?
After saying it, she seemed to come back to her senses again, her face blushing slightly.
She opened her mouth again to clarify, "I mean, I don't spend much money."
"No, I..."
Nonou felt herself making things worse the more she talked. Her embarrassment was just too tempting—you couldn't help but want to tease her a bit.
"Alright then, like I'd actually believe you could break the bank."
Nagato couldn't help himself—he reached out and pinched Nonou's cheek.
Only after doing so did he snap back to his senses.
Their eyes met. They froze in place as the air between them turned awkward.
"Umm... sorry."
"It wasn't on purpose."
Nagato broke the silence first, apologizing on his own.
Whether or not Nonou believed him, at least he convinced himself.
His hand probably had a mind of its own.
"It's okay, I don't mind."
Nonou whispered, her face already red like a monkey's butt.
Considering her chest had already been touched, what did a little cheek pinch matter?
"Good, good."
Nagato let out a breath, not even realizing what he was relieved about.
But pinching Nonou's cheek really did feel pretty good. Way better than tugging on Konan's face.
Konan wouldn't be this gentle either—she'd fight back by pinching right back.
"Hey, you two, move forward a bit."
"Don't just chat endlessly."
Suddenly a voice came from behind Nonou, spoken relatively politely.
A less polite person would've just told them to go flirt somewhere else and stop ruining everyone's vibe in line.
"Sorry, sorry."
Nonou glanced back, hastily apologizing while quickly nudging Nagato forward.
There was already a big space between them and the people in front. It was understandable that Big Bro finally spoke up to remind them.
"Just pay attention to yourselves."
Big Bro rolled his eyes, his tone clearly annoyed.
Coming out to eat a bowl of noodles still meant eating dog food? What a miserable life this had become—not a day could pass in peace anymore.
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