bookbashuk Chapter 7 The Bond of Ramen
Chapter 7 The Bond of Ramen
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Naruto! The miso tonkotsu chashu ramen is here."
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, steaming hot air and a rich aroma wafted over. The ramen chef, beaming, served a bowl of steaming ramen, with thick slices of golden char siu pork piled on top of the noodles, and a perfectly cut half-moon egg with an enticing sheen at the edges.
"Thanks, sir."
Naruto took the bowl with both hands, thanked him calmly, and stared at the slightly swaying soup noodles in the bowl, trying hard to control his facial muscles.
...Just as I expected! Just as I expected! Just as I expected!
No, I can't laugh yet... I have to hold out until I get home!
Just now, the moment Naruto stepped into Ichiraku Ramen, a crisp notification sound rang in his mind.
【Ding! 】
[Congratulations, host! You have established a bond (Level 5) with the original character "Teuchi (Ichiraku Ramen)"!]
Points earned: 500!
really!
He suppressed the urge to punch his fist in celebration and instead shoveled down a mouthful of noodles. The scalding broth exploded on his tongue, and a familiar feeling of happiness instantly filled his chest—but what made his heart race even faster at that moment was the skyrocketing number on the system interface.
I didn't expect this bond to have reached level 5... worth 500 points!
Indeed, if we were to list Naruto's earliest bonds, Ichiraku Ramen would definitely be at the top of the list. From the time he was a child ostracized by the villagers, this small ramen shop was the only place that wouldn't show him any disgust.
It seems that the deeper your impact on the plot, the more points you get; the bond level is essentially a reflection of your affinity.
Although Uncle Ichiraku's bond level is as high as 5, five times that of Satsuki, he also gains 500 points. But thinking about it carefully, in terms of the impact on the original plot, no one can compare to his future nemesis and best friend—Uchiha Sasuke… now he should be called Uchiha Satsuki.
In this world, apart from his parents Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki who have long since passed away, Ichiraku Naruto is the first person to proactively and selflessly express kindness to Naruto.
It's important to understand that in an era where even some ninjas who didn't understand the inside story showed disgust towards Naruto, Ichiraku-san, an ordinary person, never believed the rumors about the "demon fox" and simply warmed the lonely Naruto with his kindness.
It can be said that Naruto's decision not to turn to the dark side was largely due to Iruka's efforts, and Ichiraku's contribution cannot be overlooked.
Even though he had already eaten his bento, Naruto still stuffed mouthfuls of ramen into his mouth. The steaming noodles were coated in rich broth, and the char siu slices were fatty but not greasy. As expected of Konoha's long-established brand, a shop that even the Hokage frequented, the taste was indeed impeccable.
However, for a three-year-old who had just eaten a bento box, eating a whole bowl of ramen was quite a challenge. Halfway through, Naruto's movements noticeably slowed down, and his little belly was already round and full.
Uncle Ichiraku peeked out from the kitchen, squinting as he asked, "What's wrong, Naruto? Why are you having so much trouble eating? Is today's ramen not to your liking?"
"No, no!" Naruto quickly shook his head. "Uncle's ramen is still as delicious as ever! It's just..." He scratched his head sheepishly, "I brought a bento box today, but I wasn't full after eating it, so now..."
Uncle Ichiraku smiled knowingly and said kindly, "I see. The portion size of the bento box wasn't quite right. But as long as the ramen tastes good, that's fine. If you really can't finish it, it's okay to leave some; it's not good to overeat."
But Naruto firmly shook his head. "No, I will finish it."
Ichiraku was visibly taken aback, though it was difficult to discern any change in his expression from his narrowed eyes. Naruto then resumed his voracious eating, pausing for a few seconds after each bite, but he persisted until every last drop of soup was consumed.
Thank you for your hospitality!
Naruto patted his bulging belly with satisfaction, skillfully counted out 75 ryo from his small purse at his waist, and neatly placed them on the table.
Then, Uncle Ichiraku cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, saying with a hint of reproach in his voice, "Naruto, children like you will get sick from overeating like this. Why didn't you leave any? It's just a bowl of ramen."
Naruto lowered his head, "...Because it's so delicious, I don't want to leave any."
"That's a good reason to be happy," Uncle Ichiraku said, wiping his hands and showing concern in his narrowed eyes, "but it can't be used as an excuse to ruin your health."
"Hmm..." Naruto looked up, his azure eyes sparkling with sincerity. "Well, can I use the fact that the old man's ramen is very comforting as an excuse?"
"Heal?" Uncle Ichiraku chuckled helplessly and shook his head. "That's an exaggeration. Ramen is indeed delicious, but not to that extent."
"No, I'm serious." Naruto suddenly sat up straight, his little face full of seriousness. "Because Ichiraku-san's ramen is really healing."
His voice trailed off: "The first time I came to eat the uncle's ramen... I don't know why, but no one in the village would sell me anything. It was raining that day, and they wouldn't even let me into a place to take shelter from the rain..."
Uncle Ichiraku paused. The image from his memory surfaced clearly: a small figure, soaked to the bone by the rain, standing alone outside the shop, golden hair plastered to pale cheeks, looking utterly pitiful.
"My stomach was aching with hunger, and I was shivering from the cold..." Naruto continued, "The old man invited me into his shop. He even treated me to a bowl of hot ramen..."
His voice suddenly brightened, and a radiant smile bloomed on his face: "That's when I discovered that ramen eaten on an empty stomach is such a wonderful thing!"
"So—" Naruto placed his hands on the table, his eyes sparkling, his voice filled with undisguised excitement, "every time I eat Uncle's ramen after that, I feel especially happy and warm inside! That's why I absolutely don't want to leave a single drop of the ramen Uncle makes for me!"
Having finished speaking, Uncle Ichiraku turned away from Naruto, his shoulders trembling slightly. He deliberately spoke in a helpless yet somewhat indulgent tone, "Alright, alright, it seems you've convinced me. Now that you mention it, there really isn't any way to leave any ramen..."
From an angle Naruto couldn't see, Uncle Ichiraku raised his rough hand and quickly wiped his slightly burning eyes. Then, he took out a small card from his apron pocket and carefully wrote a line with a ballpoint pen.
"Here, Naruto." He turned around and handed the card to Naruto, his narrowed eyes brimming with amusement. "Take this."
Naruto's eyes widened. "This...could it be?!"
Uncle Ichiraku nodded, his voice gentle. "That's right. As a chef, there's nothing happier than someone liking my ramen so much. Consider it... a special gift for a customer who appreciates good food."
The card was written in clear font.
Ichiraku Ramen Special Invitation Ticket
Miso Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen (Serves 1)
• Validity period: Permanent
It's exactly Naruto's favorite flavor.