Chapter 40: Menma and Naruto

The noren curtain was gently lifted from the outside as Menma led Naruto into Ichiraku Ramen.

"Welcome—oh, it's you, Menma." Uncle Teuchi looked up from the cooking counter, his smile carrying a sense of familiarity.

It was still a while before the dinner rush, so there weren't many customers in the shop, only two ordinary Genin.

"Uncle Teuchi, give me a tonkotsu chashu ramen, without..."

"Without narutomaki, extra bamboo shoots, I know," Teuchi interrupted with a smile, his hands never stopping.

It seemed as if someone else had said that in his memories, but the blurred figure in his mind remained elusive.

Naruto followed behind Menma, his footsteps somewhat hesitant.

When the two Genin eating ramen saw Naruto at the door, they cast disgusted glances his way, making Naruto instinctively shrink his neck.

Just as Naruto instinctively wanted to run away, Menma pressed a hand on his shoulder: "What are you dazing off for? Look at the menu and order for yourself."

"By the way, I still don't even know your name." Menma had already sat down on a high stool, his brow raised playfully, asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"My name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto also scrambled onto the high stool next to Menma, stealing a glance at the wooden menu board on the counter.

Unfortunately, Naruto was still illiterate, so he could only mimic Menma: "I... I want a tonkotsu chashu ramen too."

"Coming right up, please wait a moment, you two." Uncle Teuchi began to busily work.

"Boss, the money is here." The two Genin finished their ramen and left some banknotes behind.

As they left, the two were still whispering among themselves.

'That kid just now, that was him, right?'

'Yeah, the one who caused Lord Fourth's death...'

'What a buzzkill, I almost threw up...'

Naruto had his back to the door of the ramen shop, but he still heard those fragments of conversation, and his mood sank a little.

He didn't understand what "Fourth" meant, nor did he understand what "Demon Fox" meant, but he could sense the hatred and rejection in their voices.

"Ayame, go clean up." Teuchi's shout broke the stagnant air.

"Coming! Coming!" An eight or nine-year-old girl with a white headband rushed out from the kitchen like a whirlwind, her blue apron fluttering with her movements.

She deftly cleared the bowls and utensils, her rag sweeping in smooth arcs across the counter.

"Master Menma, you brought a friend again." Ayame teased with a wink, her work not slowing down in the slightest.

"Stop calling me 'Master' every second, Big Sister Ayame~" Menma retorted with his usual sharp tongue, intentionally dragging out the words.

The term "Big Sister" caused Ayame's rag to stiffen for a moment as she was cleaning.

"Hey!" The little girl puffed out her cheeks in anger. "You should call a girl 'Older Sister'!"

Even though she was only eight or nine, being called "Big Sister" by a child younger than herself still made her grit her teeth.

'So his name is Menma.' Beside them, Naruto watched their bickering with a hint of envy.

"By the way, what is this little brother's name?" After finishing the cleaning, Ayame didn't rush back to the kitchen but instead leaned toward Naruto.

"He... Hello... My name is Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto was a bit lost, his cheeks burning because it was the first time he had been treated with friendliness.

Moreover, Naruto could feel that neither Menma nor Ayame held the same malice toward him as the other villagers.

"Hello, I'm Teuchi Ayame. Welcome to our ramen shop anytime!" Ayame patted her chest proudly.

"Well then, welcome to our new customer. I'll make you a serving of tempura." With that, Ayame folded her rag and ran back to the kitchen.

A short while later, two bowls of ramen and a plate of tempura were placed before Menma and Naruto.

"Enjoy!" Uncle Teuchi and Ayame, the father and daughter, stood at the counter, bowing slightly with smiles on their faces.

"Itadakimasu!" Menma picked up his chopsticks and pressed his hands together.

Just as he was about to eat, he saw Naruto staring at the rising steam next to him, tears suddenly splashing onto the wooden counter.

"Kid, what are you crying for! Did no one teach you what to say before a meal!" Menma hated it most when children cried.

"No... no one taught me..." Naruto wiped his eyes.

Since his earliest memories, the people around Naruto had been filled with malice toward him, and no one had taught him basic life skills; he had to navigate this hostile world all on his own.

"Then learn from me. Itadakimasu!" Menma frowned and handed a pair of chopsticks to Naruto.

Naruto took the chopsticks. Looking at this boy who was scolding him verbally but acting so warmly, an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart.

"I... Itadakimasu!" Naruto mimicked Menma's movements, pressed his hands together, and after the chant, split the chopsticks apart.

*Slurp, slurp—*

The sound of the two eating ramen echoed in the shop. Although Teuchi didn't know exactly what had happened, he knew it must have been something heartwarming and turned back to his work.

Ayame, however, looked at Menma and then at Naruto with a somewhat strange expression.

For some reason, she felt as if the two of them were like brothers.

Perhaps because Naruto was so hungry and had never eaten a proper hot meal, this bowl of ramen was nothing less than a feast to him. He ate ravenously, even gulping down every last drop of the broth.

Menma was only halfway through when he saw that Naruto had already set his bowl down, staring longingly and salivating at the plate of tempura between them.

"Look how hungry you are. You can have it all." Menma casually pushed the tempura toward him.

"But..." Naruto instinctively wanted to protest.

Menma raised his chopsticks: "First, when accepting someone's help or kindness, you say thank you. Second, you must not let someone's kindness go to waste."

Seeing that Naruto still wanted to say something, Menma added, "I've eaten enough today; I'm not going to act like a starving ghost like you."

With that reason, Naruto happily picked up a piece of tempura with his chopsticks, a bright smile blooming on his face: "Thank you, Menma!"

"Uncle Teuchi, this kid is paying for today's meal." Menma had also finished most of his food. After putting down his chopsticks, he pointed at Naruto, who was currently enjoying the tempura.

Teuchi looked up from the steam and said with a smile, "Alright, since he's a new customer, I'll give you a ten percent discount. That will be ninety silver coins."

Hearing the price, Naruto froze for a moment and hurriedly pulled out his wallet to count.

Someone delivered his money every month, but it wasn't much. His housing was provided by Konoha, and he basically didn't have to pay for utilities or rent. On average, Naruto's living expenses were only at a basic level, so he shouldn't be unable to afford a bowl of ramen.

However, because he ate instant noodles every day, he rarely had any pocket money left, and he truly couldn't figure out where all the money went.

Ninety silver coins was still quite a painful amount for Naruto.

Naruto pulled out a hundred-silver note and handed it to Uncle Teuchi reluctantly.

Ayame took the money, pulled out a coin purse, and found ten silver coins in change for Naruto: "Here is your change!"

The two walked out of the ramen shop one after another. Menma rubbed his stomach contentedly, while Naruto, clutching his ten silver coins in change, looked somewhat despondent.