"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen Shop!"
A welcoming voice greeted Tsuna as he entered.
It was none other than the legendary character from Naruto, Teuchi, accompanied by his daughter, Ayame, who smiled warmly at him.
"Old man Teuchi, he's the Nichan I told you about!"
Naruto giggled as he settled into a chair. He then reached into his frog pouch, rummaging for money.
"Hmm, where's my money..." Naruto muttered, furrowing his eyebrows as he rummaged through his frog pouch.
He could feel various items, but none of them seemed to be money since he also stored all sorts of small things in his pouch.
"That's alright, Naruto. Since you made it to the finals, I'll treat you to some good ramen," Teuchi said with a fond smile, seeing Naruto's face light up with excitement.
"Really!? Then, sure. Thank you, Old man!"
Tsuna nodded at Teuchi in respect, observing the scene before speaking, "You must be Teuchi-san, right?"
"Yes, dear customer. What would you like to order?"
"Well, I do want to try out your ramen, but I don't have any money," Tsuna explained, causing Teuchi and Ayame to blink in confusion.
Undeterred, Tsuna took out a box and placed it on the table, opening it to reveal a beautiful knife.
"...Such a beautiful knife."
It was obvious that the knife was crafted by an artisan as it caught both Teuchi and Ayame's eyes, leaving them in amazement.
"My name is Tsuna. I'm a cook just like you. I travel the world to better myself," Tsuna began his scripted explanation before revealing his true intention.
"So, how about I pay you guys with the knife?"
"Ah? That looks like an expensive knife..."
Ayame remarked, eyeing the knife on the table.
"Of course it's expensive, it's a gift from Totsuki Resort..." Tsuna silently thought.
Technically it was indeed a gift. He did accidentally brought it home with him after finishing the training camp.
But, after calling the principal, that old man simply gave it to him.
Teuchi scratched his head and gave a wry smile as he responded, "Young man, that knife would be a bit too valuable for us to exchange it for a ramen..."
"How about this, since you were brought here by Naruto, I'll just treat you to a free ramen for today and celebrate his success in reaching the final stage together."
"Whoa! I agree with... Ouch!"
Naruto raised his hand excitedly, but Tsuna lightly smacked him on the head and chided him, "It's not your restaurant, you brat."
"Ah, you're right. Hehe..."
Naruto looked at Teuchi apologetically and sheepishly scratched his nose.
"You're truly too kind..."
"Haha, come on. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do."
Tsuna smiled at this as Teuchi and Ayame looked at each other before smiling.
Teuchi then began to work with Ayame's help.
His hand was swift as he immediately cooked the noodles before placing them in the bowls that Ayame had prepared.
He then poured the hot broth over the noodles.
Slices of cha shu pork, half of a soft-boiled egg, sliced green onions, nori sheets, menma, spinach leaves or bok choy, and fishcake were skillfully added by Ayame.
Teuchi then sprinkled them with toasted sesame seeds for an extra layer of flavor.
"There you go..."
He placed the bowls of ramen right in front of Tsuna and Naruto, who looked at the simple yet beautiful bowls of ramen in front of them in delight.
"Whoa! It smells delicious as always!"
"Indeed," Tsuna muttered as he took a spoon and tried the broth.
He then widened his eyes, "This...!"
The broth was rich and savory, full of deep flavors from the pork bones, soy sauce, and a hint of sweetness from mirin.
However...
This didn't end there, as Tsuna was assaulted with a wave of nostalgia just from a single sip of the broth.
His childhood memories resurfaced as he silently thought, "No, it's not mine."
"These are the memories that were deeply rooted within this body of mine."
Tsuna's previous life was filled with coldness he could vividly recall, and he knew he had never felt such warmth before.
"Seems like your memories are still alive within me, huh?"
It was the former Tsuna's memories!
"Oh, you like it?"
Teuchi exclaimed with a wide smile on his face, seeing Tsuna's reaction.
Tsuna nodded at him before he took his chopsticks and tasted the noodles along with the broth.
"Hmm..."
He took a deep breath as the flavor exploded within his palate, closing his eyes in bliss.
The noodles were perfectly cooked, with a satisfying chew that paired perfectly with the rich broth.
"Such simplicity..."
It reminded him of what he had seen in his memories.
It was like eating a meal prepared with love and care.
The soft-boiled egg, with its creamy yolk, added an extra layer of comfort, much like the little treats his deceased mother in his memories would include to make meals special.
The fresh spinach, crisp green onions, and bits of seaweed brought a fresh, wholesome taste, just like the vegetables in a home-cooked meal.
"I think I'm starting to understand why this is such great ramen..." Tsuna muttered as he looked at the empty bowl with a complicated expression.
The flavors lingered, giving him a warm and satisfied feeling.
This ramen brought back a warmth he was unfamiliar yet familiar with in his mind. It comforted him, making him feel relaxed, and it felt like...
"...it felt like home."
He let out a deep sigh as he looked at Teuchi, who nodded at him, seemingly noticing his complicated expression.
"See, I told you!"
Naruto happily giggled, seeing Tsuna's reaction, as he proudly declared, "This place has the best ramen in the world!"
"...You say it as if you're the one making it," Tsuna shook his head, while Naruto just shyly chuckled.
However, he turned to Teuchi and spoke, "Though I gotta agree..."
He had eaten a lot of ramen that was fabled to be the best in his previous life, but the ramen Teuchi had made brought him a new kind of feeling he had never experienced before, and he smiled.
"...!"
That smile somehow surprised Teuchi as he widened his eyes while Ayame looked at Tsuna's smile with a blush on her face.
"It's truly the best ramen I've ever had."
For the first time in his life, Tsuna genuinely smiled without faking it.
Meanwhile...
In a dark corner of Konoha, tucked away in a maze of dimly-lit hallways, a lone individual sat in a windowless room.
With messy black hair and a scar cutting across his chin, he pondered deeply, his voice echoing in the chamber, "A civilian made contact with that boy?"
"Yes, Danzo-sama," replied a figure clad in dark attire with his features concealed behind a sleek, expressionless mask.
"That's quite unlikely. Is he from around here?"
No ordinary civilian would dare to be close to Naruto, considering the rumors spreading about him being the incarnation of the Kyubi, which were quite incorrect yet almost correct.
"No, according to the report from the front gate, he's a chef from a small village in the south."
"Then he's just being ignorant. There is no need to report such an insignificant thing to me."
Danzo frowned as he coldly looked at the ROOT member, who bowed in apology as he explained, "That's what we originally thought, but we spotted him in several locations around the village, which seems suspicious."
"Hmm? Give me the details..."
Danzo listened to the explanation and muttered, "Familiarizing yourself with a new environment is quite a common trait for a spy."
"Place someone on him, report anything suspicious to me!"
"Understood!"
The ROOT agent acknowledged the order and swiftly vanished from Danzo's presence.
Alone in his chamber, Danzo's gaze fell upon the report detailing the Chunin Exam as he muttered to himself, "What game are you playing, Orochimaru?"
They had certain agreement but this was not part of it at all!
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