Ichiraku Ramen, made with premium flour and broth crafted through 360 meticulous steps, paired with a secret sauce, was renowned as the finest in the ninja world.
In this era, no shop would boast so shamelessly. Fame came from loyal customers' word-of-mouth. Though Ichiraku Ramen was a tiny stall, barely seating a few, it held a strong reputation among the Leaf's ninja.
Takao stood guard outside as Naruna led Hinata into the stall. The savory aroma greeted them, and Hinata saw several ninja engrossed in their ramen—no civilians, no children. It wasn't mealtime, yet the small stall hosted only ninja.
Stepping past the curtain, Hinata paused, wondering if Naruna had brought her to the wrong place. Her doubts eased when the kind-faced owner greeted them.
Just an ordinary man, Hinata thought, but then questioned why she'd assumed the owner of a ninja-frequented ramen stall was ordinary after one glance.
Before she could dwell, Naruna eagerly returned the owner's greeting. "Uncle, a big bowl of tonkotsu ramen! My friend's treating me!"
Naruna emphasized "friend," her voice brimming with pride.
The owner nodded warmly, no hint of surprise, then turned his curious gaze to Hinata. His eyes, as if peering into her soul, unsettled her, reinforcing her suspicion he wasn't ordinary. She huffed, pouting to express her displeasure at being scrutinized.
"Same as Naruna, but no cilantro, please," she said.
Pulling Naruna to sit beside a dining ninja, Hinata finally observed the stall's patrons: a masked, prematurely aged boy; a heavyset man with "food" written on his shirt; and a weathered man smoking while eating. These were the ninja dining at Ichiraku.
As Hinata studied them, they glanced at her and Naruna, some subtly, others openly, showing confusion at their pairing.
The ramen would take a moment, and noticing their expressions shift, Hinata sensed these ninja knew why Naruna was vilified. Curious and direct, as a four-year-old would be, she spoke up.
"Hello, I'm Hinata Hyuga. Do you know why the villagers bully Naruna?"
Her blunt question broke the stall's quiet. The three ninja kept eating, avoiding eye contact, unwilling to share the chilling truth they knew.
But their bowls eventually emptied. The white-haired, masked boy—whose face seemed fused to his mask—stood to leave, his ramen gone unnoticed. As he turned, he caught Naruna's pleading gaze, seeking the truth.
His heart stirred, recalling his teacher and the teacher's wife, lost on the same day as Naruna's birth. "The village wronged Naruna," he said softly. "And… thank you."
With that, the boy, Kakashi Hatake, seemed to release a burden and left. His words rattled the others. The smoking man extinguished his cigarette, and the heavyset ninja gulped down his remaining broth.
As they stood to leave, saying nothing, the smoking man finally spoke, back turned. "You don't need the truth, Naruna Uzumaki. Just be yourself. And Hyuga girl, if your elders scold you, follow your heart."
The smoking man, Asuma Sarutobi, lit another cigarette as he exited, unable to bear his inner turmoil without offering the girls advice.
To Asuma, his words carried deep meaning, but he didn't expect the children to grasp it. Yet, Hinata, matured by her clan's scorn, pieced together a truth from Kakashi's and Asuma's words. These jounin, who knew the truth, showed kindness to Naruna. Didn't that mean the villagers' hatred stemmed from lies spread by those in power?
Unwittingly, Hinata glimpsed the Leaf's cruel underbelly.
"Naruna, did you hear?" Hinata said loudly, heedless of the departing ninja. "That jounin uncle wants us to be friends. It means you're not an ill omen—those lies about you are just rumors from some jerk!"
Hinata shouted, cursing the unseen culprit. She was excited, knowing her words, even if only acknowledged by the ninja's silence, could lift Naruna's burden. Asuma, not turning back, raised a hand, waving to affirm Hinata's conclusion with kindness.
The truth about Naruna remained hidden, but knowing she wasn't truly cursed was enough for her.
"Your ramen's ready, girls! Big tonkotsu bowls, with an extra egg each on the house," the owner said.
In her joy, the ramen tasted even better. Naruna slurped from a bowl bigger than her head, tears streaming down her face. In one day, she'd found more happiness than in her entire life. Hearing Hinata's "delicious!" exclamation, Naruna finished her broth, holding her head high for the first time.
Villagers' taunts? Bullies? Naruna no longer cared. If they came again, and if she could fight back, she'd make them regret it. She wasn't the demon fox or an ill omen.
Perhaps it was a beautiful misunderstanding, but it erased Naruna's self-doubt. No longer anxious about staying near Hinata, she might stop seeking attention through pranks now that she had a friend.
"Uncle Ichiraku, another bowl!" Naruna called.
"Two bowls, no cilantro!" Hinata added.
"Coming right up!" the owner replied.
Postscript: As a struggling doujin writer, this salty fish believes fanfiction exists to change the original story's unbearable moments.On Naruna's feminization: This salty fish is a staunch yuri enthusiast. With Naruto's significant role, feminization avoids misunderstandings.Originally, Naruna was still "Naruto," but readers found it jarring, so around Chapter 70, her name became Naruna.