I stood outside Ichiraku Ramen while holding a small pot of bright yellow flowers.
The street was calm. The evening sun painted the village in warm orange colors, and the delicious smell of ramen broth drifted through the air like a ninja technique designed specifically to weaken my willpower.
I looked down at the flowers.
Then I looked at the ramen shop.
Then I looked back at the flowers again.
"Alright," I muttered to myself. "First lunch, then I will give these to Hiroji."
I paused for a moment.
"Yeah… probably."
After taking a deep breath, I pushed the curtain aside and stepped inside.
The familiar warmth of the shop wrapped around me like a comfortable blanket.
Teuchi looked up from behind the counter and immediately smiled.
"Ah! Naruto!" he said happily.
Ayame waved from the kitchen area.
"Welcome!"
I walked in proudly and placed the pot of yellow flowers on the counter as if it were some priceless treasure.
"One bowl of miso pork ramen, please."
Teuchi nodded and shouted toward the kitchen.
"Coming right up!"
Ayame leaned forward and looked closely at the flowers.
"So Naruto," she asked with curiosity, "who are the flowers for?"
"They are for a friend," I replied casually.
Ayame immediately giggled.
"Oh my god, Naruto. That is adorable!"
I jumped onto my usual stool and waited for my ramen.
At that moment, someone else entered the shop.
I sensed his chakra before he even pushed the curtain aside.
A tall man walked in with messy silver hair that looked like it had personally declared war against gravity. The lower half of his face was covered by a dark mask, and one lazy eye was focused on a small orange book in his hand.
Kakashi Hatake.
He slowly turned a page in the book.
Then he spoke without even looking up.
"Do you usually bring flowers to ramen shops?"
I squinted at him suspiciously.
"Do you usually spy on kids?"
His visible eye curved slightly, showing a hint of amusement.
"Only the suspicious ones."
I snorted.
"Well, I am not suspicious."
"You walked into a ramen shop carrying flowers," he replied calmly.
I glared at him.
Was he doing this on purpose?
For four years he had never shown up after dropping me off at my new home. Now he suddenly appeared here like nothing happened.
Did he think I would not recognize him?
He was the only person in the entire village with hair like that.
Ayame placed a steaming bowl of ramen in front of me.
"Here you go!"
I grabbed my chopsticks immediately.
The first bite was pure heaven.
Warm broth.
Soft noodles.
Perfect pork.
Kakashi finally closed his book and looked at me properly.
"You are Naruto, right?" he asked.
I nodded while slurping noodles.
"Yep. How do you know me?" I asked, pretending to be curious. There was no reason to reveal that I already knew..
He shrugged casually.
"I know most people in the village."
"That sounds creepy."
He tilted his head slightly.
"It is part of my job."
"…What job?"
He tapped his forehead protector with one finger.
Ninja.
Right.
I pointed my chopsticks toward him.
"So what is your name, creepy silver-haired ramen spy?"
"Kakashi."
I nodded slowly.
"Okay then, Kakashi the ramen spy."
He sighed.
"I regret speaking."
For the next few minutes, we ate in comfortable silence.
Eventually we both finished our ramen and stepped outside together.
I stretched my arms.
"That was really good."
Kakashi hummed in agreement.
Just as we stepped away from the ramen shop, something strange happened.
People on the street suddenly looked distracted.
Heads were turning.
Eyes were drifting toward the same direction. Even the conversations around us began to quiet down as more people looked the same way.
Kakashi noticed it too.
I followed everyone's gaze. And then I saw her.
Anko Mitarashi.
She was sitting on a wooden bench near a dango stand, lazily eating skewers like she owned the entire street.
Her purple hair moved slightly in the evening breeze. Her eyes were sharp and playful at the same time. A confident grin rested on her face as if the entire world existed for her amusement.
And her outfit made my young brain completely short-circuit. She was wearing a metal mesh outfit and a dark orange mini skirt that didn't leave anything to imagination. The only thing she was lacking was the trench coat but I am glad she is not wearing it.
My jaw slowly dropped.
Kakashi glanced at me.
"…You stopped breathing."
"I forgot how."
Anko calmly took another bite of dango and slowly licked a bit of sauce from her finger.
At that moment I felt like my soul had left my body.
Kakashi looked at her.
Then he looked back at me.
Then he looked at her again.
"…Ah."
"What?"
"That's Anko Mitarashi."
"I don't care what her name is."
"She's a Chunin."
"Good for her."
"You are staring."
"I am appreciating art."
Kakashi sighed deeply.
"You are seven."
"I still have eyes."
At that moment Anko noticed us staring.
Her gaze slowly shifted toward us.
Then she smirked.
Direct eye contact.
Panic immediately filled my brain.
Kakashi leaned slightly closer to me.
"You look like a fish."
"Shut up."
"…You should go talk to her."
My head snapped toward him instantly.
"Are you insane?"
He shrugged casually.
"You brought flowers today."
I looked down.
The small pot of yellow flowers was still in my hands.
A terrible idea slowly formed inside my mind.
Sorry, Hiroji.
"…You are a bad influence."
"Probably."
Before my courage could escape, I marched toward her.
Anko watched me approach with clear amusement in her eyes.
"Well, well," she said with a grin. "What do we have here?"
I awkwardly held up the pot of flowers.
"These are for you."
She blinked once.
Then she burst out laughing.
"Kid, are you hitting on me?"
My brain froze completely.
"…Maybe?"
Her grin only grew wider.
"You are bold."
I crossed my arms and tried to look confident.
"Someone has to be."
She leaned forward slightly and looked down at me. Oh my god! Those are perfect.
"You know I could eat you alive, right?"
"I believe it."
"But?"
"…It would still be worth the risk."
She laughed again and accepted the flowers from my hands.
"Well," she said while examining the yellow petals, "at least you have good taste."
Behind me, Kakashi was definitely watching this entire disaster unfold.
Anko lightly tapped my forehead with one finger.
"What is your name, brave little man?"
"Naruto."
"Uzumaki Naruto?"
"…Yeah."
She nodded slowly.
"I have heard of you."
That statement could mean many things.
Most of them were probably bad.
Anko stood up and stretched casually.
"Thanks for the flowers, Naruto."
Then she leaned closer and whispered teasingly.
"Come see me again when you are older."
My brain completely exploded.
She walked away down the street as if nothing unusual had happened, still eating her dango like before.
I stood there frozen for several seconds.
Eventually I walked back toward Kakashi.
He was looking at me like he had just witnessed a historical event.
"…Well," he said.
"Well what?"
"You survived."
"I think I died."
He chuckled quietly.
"You gave her flowers."
I smirked proudly.
"Yeah."
"That was bold."
"Yep."
"You are going to get into a lot of trouble when you grow up."
I shrugged casually.
"Probably."
Then I gave him a smug grin.
"But did you see that?"
"I did."
"Legendary."
Kakashi slowly shook his head.
"Unbelievable."
I turned and started walking away.
"Later, Kakashi the ramen spy."
"Later, flower delivery boy."
I waved without turning back.
Honestly, it was totally worth it.