Itsu No Hi Ni Mo

Konoha Stories 4 : "Ramen Shop"

"Welcome!" Teuchi greeted as two customers entered Ichiraku's.

Ayame quickly perked up when she saw the duo, "Naruto! You brought a friend with you this time! Oh?"

She fought hard not to smile too widely, "And you brought only one female friend with you"

"You bet!" Naruto proudly cheered, "Ramen is more delicious to eat with others, right, Hinata?!"

"Y-Yes!" She nervously answered back.

"Didn't you tell us that you were having lunch with the other boys in your year at the grill?" Teuchi asked with a laugh, "Can't stay away from my ramen, ey?"

"Choji was such a bastard, dattebayo!" Naruto complained as he sat down, patting the seat beside him for Hinata, "He ate most of the meat at Yakiniku! Now here I am, hungry as fuck!"

"I-It's alright, Naruto-kun" Hinata nervously reassured, "We, um, we can eat as much as your heart desires now"

"Uwoooh! You sure are the best lunch partner, Hinata!" He excitedly cheered, "You know just the words to say!"

"Alright then!" Ayame happily clapped her hands, "What would it be then?"

"Oh, um..." Hinata shyly raised a finger "P-Perhaps the same as Naruto-kun's?"

A mischievous smirk grew on Naruto's face as he looked at her, "Oh, really?"

"I-Is there something wrong?" She nervously asked, turning red from his intense gaze.

"Nothing! Nothing!" He suspiciously assured before holding her shoulder with one hand, "We don't go back on your word, right?"

"R-Right" She said, blushing harder and harder by the second.

"Alright! No going back now, then!" Naruto yelled as he enthusiastically pointed at Teuchi, "Old man, you heard the pretty lady! Large pork chasyu miso ramen for the both of us! Keep it coming until we drop, dattebayo!!!"

"You got it!" Both Ayame and Teuchi replied enthusiastically, thinking of the sales.

Naruto smirked and gave Hinata a look that looked too handsome for his own good, and in an attractive voice, he said "You think you can keep up with me, Hinata?"

Hinata's eyes were wide and her cheeks were burning, her heart going wild in her chest, and without even thinking, she answered "Yes"

Teuchi placed small cups of drinks for the two and said "For your appetites so that you two could eat as much as you want!"

Amused by her answer, Naruto knew he had to do his best, so he winked at her and downed the drink for appetite, "If you say so! Impress me!"

The power of the blonde's wink overwhelmed her, and suddenly, Hinata felt fire in her stomach, determined as ever.

She has to impress Naruto!!!

Then, the first round of ramen came.

"Itadakimasu!"

After eating three bowls of ramen as fast as he could, he turned to see if his companion was keeping up, and to his shock, she was already at her seventh!

He felt an entirely new rush of feelings, seeing how calm she looked as she ate the ramen... And she was beating him!

Drinking a little more of the appetite boosting drink, Naruto quickly started eating more, feeling as if he could take on the world.

After eating his seventh, he turned, and to his surprise, she was at her eleventh!

His eyes were wide, and he felt as if he was on a cloud, everything around him except for her blurring out as he felt a funny feeling in his stomach.

Weirdly enough, he didn't feel provoked, competitive, nor mad that he was getting beaten this badly... In fact... He was impressed... Amused... In awe.

He has never seen someone look so beautiful while eating twenty bowls of ramen.

She stopped from her eating and turned to look at him, "Naruto-kun?"

She was amazing.

He wants to catch up to the goddess beside him!

Quickly downing the rest of his drink, Naruto quickly picked up his chopsticks again.

Everything seemed like a blur in a snap.

Suddenly, he felt strange.

Suddenly, he felt the food inside his stomach rise, and he rushed outside to a wall.

Hinata panicked and followed him outside, "Naruto-kun!"

Ayame gasped as she watched Naruto puke at a wall outside, his ears red from hee view, "He never reacted to ramen like that before!"

"Huh, he must be a lightweight" Teuchi scratched the back of his head, "He only drank two shots, his friend didn even drink any"

"Tou-san?!" Ayame yelled, "What did you give them?!"

"Sake!" Teuchi answered honestly, "That's what people drink on a date!"

"They're not eighteen yet!"

"Oh"

The next day, Naruto could barely remember any events from yesterday.

Little did they know that it was the last ramen challenge they were gonna have in a while.

Teuchi and Ayame closed their shop as they watched Hinata and the other ninjas leave the village to enter the war.

_____

Up next:

"Konoha Stories: Hokage Seat"