The noren curtain was lifted gently from the outside as Menma led Naruto into Ichiraku Ramen.
"Welcome—oh, it's Menma." Old man Teuchi looked up from the cooking station, a familiar warmth in his smile.
It was still a while before the dinner rush, so the shop was quiet, occupied only by two ordinary Genin.
"Uncle Teuchi, I'll take a Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen. No—"
"No narutomaki, extra bamboo shoots. I know, I know," Teuchi cut him off with a laugh, his hands already in motion.
Deep in his mind, Teuchi felt a flicker of a memory—someone else had once made that exact request, but the figure remained a blurred silhouette he couldn't quite recall.
Naruto followed behind Menma, his steps hesitant. When the two Genin noticed him at the door, their eyes filled with visible loathing. Instinctively, Naruto ducked his head, shying away.
Just as he was about to bolt, Menma's hand pressed firmly onto his shoulder. "Stop spacing out. Look at the menu and order."
"By the way, I still don't know your name," Menma said, hopping onto a high stool. He arched an eyebrow, asking a question he already knew the answer to.
"I'm Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto scrambled onto the stool next to Menma, stealing a glance at the wooden menu boards.
Since he couldn't read yet, he simply mimicked Menma. "I-I'll have a Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen too."
"Right away! Give me a moment, boys," Teuchi said, setting to work.
"Boss, the money's on the counter." The two Genin finished their bowls and left a few bills. As they walked out, their hushed whispers drifted back.
"That kid just now... was it him?"
"Yeah, the one who killed the Fourth Lord..."
"Total mood killer. I feel like I'm gonna throw up..."
Naruto kept his back to the door, but the fragments of their conversation reached him anyway. His shoulders slumped. He didn't understand what the "Fourth" was, or what a "Demon Fox" meant, but he understood the weight of their hatred perfectly.
"Ayame, clean this up!" Teuchi's shout shattered the stagnant air.
"Coming! Coming!" A girl of about eight or nine, wearing a white headscarf, burst from the back like a whirlwind. Her blue apron fluttered as she efficiently cleared the bowls, her cloth tracing smooth arcs across the counter.
"Young Master Menma, brought a friend today?" Ayame teased with a wink, never missing a beat in her work.
"Drop the 'Young Master' act, Grandma Ayame~" Menma shot back, intentionally drawing out the syllables.
The word "Grandma" caused Ayame's hand to freeze mid-wipe.
"Hey!" she huffed, her cheeks puffing out in indignation. "You're supposed to call a girl 'Big Sister'!"
Even as a young girl, being called "Grandma" by someone younger than her made her grit her teeth.
So his name is Menma, Naruto thought, watching their banter with a touch of envy.
"So, what's this little brother's name?" Ayame asked. Having finished her cleaning, she leaned over the counter toward Naruto instead of heading back to the kitchen.
"H-hello... I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto stammered, his face flushing red at the rare experience of being treated with kindness. He could sense that neither Menma nor Ayame carried the malice he felt from the rest of the village.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Ayame. You're welcome at our shop anytime!" she said, patting her chest. "To welcome a new customer, I'll make you some tempura." With that, she folded her cloth and ran back to the kitchen.
A short while later, two steaming bowls of ramen and a plate of golden tempura were placed before them.
"Enjoy your meal!" Teuchi and Ayame said in unison, bowing slightly with smiles.
"Time to eat!" Menma said, pressing his hands together.
As he was about to dive in, he noticed Naruto staring at the rising steam, tears suddenly splashing onto the wooden counter.
"Hey, what are you crying for? Didn't anyone teach you what to say before a meal?" Menma muttered. He hated seeing kids cry.
"N-no... no one taught me..." Naruto sniffled, wiping his eyes.
Since his earliest memories, everyone around him had been hostile. No one had taught him how to live or the simple customs of the world; he was a lone wanderer in a world of malice.
"Then watch me. Say: Itadakimasu!" Menma grumbled, handing a pair of chopsticks to Naruto.
Naruto took them, looking at the boy beside him—a boy who talked tough but acted with a warmth that made Naruto's heart swell.
"I... Itadakimasu!" Naruto mimicked the gesture, pressing his hands together before snapping his chopsticks apart.
Slurp—slurp—
The sound of eating filled the shop. Teuchi didn't know the details, but he sensed something meaningful was happening and turned back to his work. Ayame, however, watched them curiously.
I don't know why, but they look like brothers, she thought.
Perhaps because he was starving, or because he had never had a proper hot meal, the ramen tasted like a divine feast to Naruto. He ate like a wolf, devouring every strand and gulping down the broth until the bowl was dry.
Menma was only halfway through his when he saw Naruto set his bowl down, eyes fixed longingly on the plate of tempura between them, drool practically escaping his mouth.
"You look like you're about to starve. Here, take it." Menma slid the plate over.
"But..." Naruto started to protest.
Menma raised his chopsticks like a teacher. "First, when you receive help or kindness, say thank you. Second, never let a good gesture go to waste."
Before Naruto could argue further, Menma added, "I've eaten enough today. I'm not a glutton like you."
With that excuse, Naruto happily picked up a piece of tempura, a bright smile breaking across his face. "Thank you, Menma!"
"Uncle Teuchi, the kid's paying for both of us today," Menma said, setting his own chopsticks down. He gestured toward Naruto, who was mid-crunch.
Teuchi peered through the steam, eyes crinkling. "Sure thing! Since we have a new customer, I'll give you a ten percent discount. That'll be ninety ryo."
Naruto froze. He quickly pulled out his wallet and started counting.
He received a monthly allowance, and while it wasn't much, his housing and utilities were covered by the village. He usually had enough to survive, but he never quite understood where his money went—he always seemed to be broke from buying instant ramen.
Ninety ryo was a painful hit to his savings.
With a lingering look of regret, Naruto handed over a hundred-ryo bill. Ayame took the money and returned a ten-ryo coin. "Thank you! Here's your change!"
The two boys walked out of the shop together. Menma rubbed his stomach with satisfaction, while Naruto clutched his lone ten-ryo coin, his entire aura turning a shade of gloomy grey.