boyutpedia Chapter 55 Cover-up
Chapter 55 Cover-up
As he lifted the familiar noren curtain, the rich aroma of bone broth immediately wafted out. Amidst the rising steam, Naruto effortlessly stepped into the ramen shop he had frequented countless times.
"Uncle, I'm here!" Naruto shouted energetically, "Two orders of miso tonkotsu chashu ramen! Please!"
He stepped aside to make room, and the black-haired girl behind him was standing at the door.
"Come on, Satsuki," Naruto said with a smile, pulling out a chair. "Thank you for taking me home. As a token of my gratitude, let me treat you to a bowl of ramen! Ichiraku Ramen is the best ramen in Konoha!"
Satsuki's ears turned slightly red. She sat down, feigning composure, and said, "...Since you insist on treating, I can reluctantly join you."
Uncle Ichiraku peeked out from the kitchen, his face beaming. "Oh! It's Naruto and Sasuke! Two bowls of miso tonkotsu chashu ramen, right? They'll be ready soon!"
In the rising steam, a brown-haired girl was busy at the counter. Ayame, Uncle Ichiraku's daughter, looked up at the noise and gave the two regular customers a gentle smile.
As the two sat down, before the ramen was served, Naruto rested his chin on his hands on the wooden table, observing Sasuke across from him with great interest.
"How was it, Satsuki?" Naruto's voice was filled with undisguised anticipation. "How was your first day at the Ninja Academy?"
Upon hearing the question, Zuo Yue tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment. "...To be honest, not very good." She gave a slightly disgusted look. "My father taught me all those basic chakra theories the teacher talked about three years ago."
But soon, her eyes lit up again. "However, our sparring session this afternoon was quite good," she said, slightly raising her chin with a hint of provocation. "Let's have another match next time."
This answer was exactly what Naruto expected. He couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Well, there's nothing I can do about it," he shrugged. "Not everyone is like us, training from the moment they can walk. Most of the students in the class are experiencing the ninja world for the first time... Of course, the teacher has to prioritize them."
Suddenly, Naruto seemed to remember something interesting, and his body unconsciously leaned forward. "Oh right, have you noticed those interesting guys in the class?"
"An interesting guy?"
"Yeah!" Naruto nodded. "There are many kids like Sasuke, all from ninja clans. For example, those two guys who raised their hands to surrender before the sparring even started—the one with the pineapple head is the heir of the Nara clan, and the chubby one is the young master of the Akimichi clan."
Satsuki pondered for a moment, then gave a dismissive look. "Those two? So what if they come from prestigious families? If they don't even have the courage to fight, they can't become excellent ninjas."
Faced with Satsuki's proud statement, Naruto just smiled indulgently. Just then, Uncle Ichiraku lifted the curtain of the kitchen and came over carrying two steaming bowls of ramen.
"Sorry for the wait, the special miso tonkotsu chashu ramen is here!"
As the ramen was gently placed on the table, a rich aroma immediately filled the air between the two of them. Naruto was surprised to find that not only was the char siu in his bowl piled up like a small mountain, but the portion in Satsuki's bowl was equally astonishing—roughly estimated to be at least three times the normal amount.
"Uncle...this is..." Naruto's eyes widened, his chopsticks hovering over the mountain of char siu, unsure where to start eating.
Uncle Ichiraku wiped his hands on his apron, his face beaming with a kind smile. "I heard today is the first day of the Ninja Academy, right?"
"Consider it a congratulatory gift. The ramen is on me today, so eat your fill!"
"Oh! Really?" Naruto perked up immediately. "That's so cool, right? Hey, could you give me some more fish cakes and dried bamboo shoots?"
"Alright, alright!" Uncle Yi Le laughed heartily as he turned around. "The fish cakes and dried bamboo shoots will be here soon!"
The two enjoyed their meal in silence, maintaining a tacit silence during the meal—except for the time long ago when Naruto was giving Satsuki some advice, they never had the habit of chatting while eating.
Satsuki sipped the rich broth, savoring this novel culinary experience. As the daughter of the Uchiha clan, her daily meals were always meticulously prepared by her mother, featuring exquisite presentation and balanced nutrition.
Almost all of Naruto's experiences of sitting in a noisy street-side shop and eating local delicacies were brought to her by Naruto.
Memories involuntarily drifted back to the past. Back then, her older sister would occasionally take her to eat three-colored dumplings. Although Satsuki could never understand why her sister was so fascinated by those sweet glutinous rice balls, she would silently swallow her complaint of "too sweet" every time she saw her sister's satisfied smile.
But I don't know when it started, my sister became busier and busier, coming home less and less often, sometimes not even seeing her for days at a time. What on earth is she busy with?
In the past, Zuo Yue would have been secretly heartbroken because of her sister's estrangement. But now, when she looked up and saw the blond boy wolfing down his food across from her, the familiar sense of loss in her heart miraculously faded away.
From the day they met, Naruto shone into her life like a ray of sunshine, appearing at their agreed-upon spot almost every day. Before she knew it, this boy, always with a bright smile, had become a part of her life.
Satsuki gazed at Naruto's profile, enveloped in steam. Through the rising white mist, Naruto's eyelashes fluttered gently as he devoured noodles. Soup smeared at the corners of his mouth, but he remained oblivious, still immersed in the joy of the food.
Seeing such a pure expression of happiness, Satsuki's heart softened unconsciously, as if it had been soaked in warm water, and her gaze gradually became focused and gentle.
"Um... what's wrong, Satsuki?" Naruto noticed the gaze, suddenly turned his head, and saw Satsuki's unusually gentle expression.
Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?
"...Maybe it's because I like you..."
These words seemed to come out of his mouth as if they had a mind of their own. The next second, Zuo Yue noticed that Naruto had frozen completely, his chopsticks fell to the table with a "clatter," and his bright blue eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief.
...?
Wait, wait, wait! What did I just say?!
Satsuki's mind went on alert instantly; she finally realized that she seemed to have unconsciously said something terrible.
Her fair cheeks flushed crimson at a visible speed. She waved her hands frantically, stammering an explanation. "That...no! I mean! That..."
We must... we must find a way!
Her mind raced, and suddenly a brilliant idea struck her.
"...Oh right! I meant skiing!"
Her voice suddenly rose, "I'm wondering if I could use skiing to train in chakra control!"
(Note: In Japanese, "like" and "skiing" are pronounced the same.)
Naruto paused for a few seconds, then his expression changed to one of sudden realization. "...Oh, I see." He scratched his head and picked up his chopsticks again.
"It might work. Let's try it when it snows."
Satsuki secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding like crazy. She hurriedly looked away, only to meet Ayame's gaze as she cleared the dishes. Ayame returned a kind smile, which finally eased Satsuki's tense nerves.
...Great...Looks like I've gotten away with it...
What she didn't notice was that when Ayame turned around, the professional smile on her face instantly turned into a radiant smile as if she had discovered a treasure, and she unconsciously cupped her cheeks with her hands.
Oh my god...so cute...! Ayame screamed inwardly. What was this? Was it an unintentional outpouring of genuine emotion? Ahhh, youth is so beautiful...!