400 POWA STONES!!!!!
Chapter 55: Cover-Up
Pulling aside the familiar warm curtain, rich bone broth aroma immediately washed over them. Through the rising steam, Naruto stepped confidently into this ramen shop he'd visited countless times.
"Old man, I'm here for my usual!" Naruto called out energetically. "Two miso tonkotsu char siu ramen! Please!"
He stepped aside to make room, with a black-haired girl following behind him standing at the entrance.
"Come on, Satsuki," Naruto smiled while pulling out a chair. "Thanks for walking me home. As a thank you, let me treat you to a bowl of ramen! Ichiraku-ojisan's cooking is the best in Konoha!"
Satsuki's ears turned slightly red as she sat down with feigned composure. "...Since you insist on treating me, I suppose I can reluctantly keep you company."
Teuchi poked his head out from the kitchen, his face beaming with smiles. "Oh! It's Naruto and little Satsuki! Two miso tonkotsu char siu ramen, right? Coming right up!"
Through the swirling steam, a brown-haired girl was busy at the cutting board. Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, looked up at the sound and showed the two regular customers a gentle smile.
As they sat waiting for their ramen, Naruto propped his chin on his hands against the wooden table, studying Satsuki across from him with keen interest.
"So how was it, Satsuki?" Naruto's voice carried barely contained anticipation. "How did your first day at the ninja academy feel?"
Hearing the question, Satsuki tilted her head thoughtfully for a moment. "...Honestly, not great." She showed a slightly disdainful expression. "Those basic chakra theories the teacher explained—Father taught me all that three years ago."
However, her eyes soon brightened. "But the afternoon sparring with you was pretty good." She lifted her chin slightly with a hint of challenge. "Let's have another match next time we get the chance."
This answer was completely within Naruto's expectations, making him laugh. "Can't help it," he shrugged. "Not everyone is like us, training since we could walk. Most of our classmates are encountering the ninja world for the first time... naturally the teacher has to prioritize everyone else."
Suddenly, as if remembering something interesting, Naruto unconsciously leaned forward. "Oh right, did you notice any interesting characters in our class?"
"Interesting characters?"
"Yeah!" Naruto nodded. "There are many like you—children from ninja families. Like those two guys who raised their hands to surrender before sparring even began. The pineapple-head is the Nara heir, and the chubby one is the Akimichi young master."
Satsuki thoughtfully recalled the scene, then showed an unimpressed expression. "Those two? So what if they're from prestigious families? If they don't even have the courage to fight, there's no way they can become excellent ninja."
Faced with Satsuki's proud declaration, Naruto just smiled indulgently. Just then, Teuchi pushed aside the kitchen curtain and approached carrying two bowls of steaming ramen.
"Sorry for the wait! Special miso tonkotsu char siu ramen, coming up!"
As the ramen was gently placed on the table, rich aromas immediately filled the space between them. Naruto was surprised to find not only his bowl piled high with char siu like a small mountain, but Satsuki's portion was equally impressive—roughly estimated at least three times the normal amount.
"Old man... this is..." Naruto's eyes widened, chopsticks hovering over the char siu mountain, unsure where to begin.
Teuchi wiped his hands with his apron, his face full of kind smiles. "I heard today was the ninja academy's opening day, right?"
"Consider it a celebration gift. Today's ramen is on the house—you two eat up!"
"Oh! Really?" Naruto immediately perked up. "That's awesome! Then old man, could I get some more fish cake and bamboo shoots?"
"Sure thing!" Teuchi laughed heartily as he turned around. "Fish cake and bamboo shoots coming right up!"
The two quietly enjoyed the delicious meal before them. Naruto and Satsuki maintained their usual dining silence—except for that one time long ago when Naruto had counseled Satsuki, they'd never had the habit of chatting while eating.
Satsuki sipped the rich broth in small mouthfuls, experiencing this entirely novel dining experience. As the Uchiha heiress, her three daily meals were always traditional Japanese cuisine carefully prepared by her mother—beautifully plated and nutritionally balanced.
---
Experiences like sitting in noisy street-side shops eating common people's food were almost entirely things Naruto had brought into her life.
Her memories drifted involuntarily to the past. Back then, her sister would occasionally take her for dango, though Satsuki never understood why her sister was so fascinated by those sickeningly sweet rice dumplings. But seeing her sister's satisfied smile each time, she would always swallow her complaints of "too sweet."
But from some point onward, her sister became increasingly busy, coming home less frequently, sometimes disappearing for days. What exactly was her sister so busy with?
In the past, Satsuki would have been secretly hurt by her sister's distance. But now, looking up at the blonde boy wolfing down his food across from her, that familiar sense of loss had miraculously faded considerably.
From the day they'd met, Naruto had entered her life like a ray of sunlight, appearing punctually at their agreed meeting place almost every day. Without realizing it, this boy with his brilliant smile had become part of her life.
Satsuki gazed at Naruto's profile shrouded in steam. Through the rising white mist, his eyelashes trembled gently with each hearty slurp of noodles. Broth clung to the corner of his mouth, though he remained completely unaware, still immersed in the joy of delicious food.
Watching such pure happiness, Satsuki's heart felt as if soaked in warm water, unconsciously softening as her gaze grew focused and tender.
"Um... what's wrong, Satsuki?" Naruto noticed her stare and suddenly turned his head, seeing this rare gentle expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Did I get something on my face?"
"...Maybe it's because I like you..."
The words slipped out as if they had minds of their own. The next second, Satsuki saw Naruto freeze completely, his chopsticks clattering onto the table as his azure eyes widened in circles, filled with incredulous light.
...What?
Wait, wait, wait! What did I just say?!
Alarms blared in Satsuki's mind as she finally realized she'd unconsciously said something terrible.
Her pale cheeks reddened at a visible pace. She frantically waved her hands, explaining incoherently. "That... it's not that! I meant! That..."
I need... I need to find a way out of this!
Her brain spun frantically until inspiration struck.
"...Right! I meant skiing!"
Her voice suddenly pitched higher. "I was wondering if we could use skiing to train chakra control!"
(Note: In Japanese, "suki" means both "like" and "ski")
Naruto stared for several seconds before showing a look of understanding. "...Oh, I see." He scratched his head and picked up his chopsticks again.
"That might work. When snow season comes, let's try it."
Satsuki secretly breathed a sigh of relief, though her heart still pounded frantically. She hurriedly averted her gaze, only to meet Ayame's eyes as she collected dishes. The other girl returned a kind smile, finally allowing Satsuki's tense nerves to relax.
Too close... looks like I managed to cover that up...
What she didn't notice was that when Ayame turned away, her professional smile instantly transformed into the brilliant grin of someone who'd discovered treasure, her hands unconsciously cupping her cheeks.
'Oh my... so cute...!' Ayame squealed internally. 'What was that? An unguarded moment of true feelings? Ahhhh, youth is so beautiful...!'
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