After all the earlier drama, Karin couldn't help but feel a little curious about the legendary ramen everyone kept talking about.
Even Naruto seemed to notice it was their first time here.
"Hey, you guys…" he started, leaning forward with a grin. "Once you taste this stuff, you seriously won't be able to stop. It's like—it's got some kind of mysterious power. The more you eat, the more you want. Even if you run outta money, you'll start thinking about stealing from your mom just to get another bowl!"
Naruto kept going, passionately listing example after example, completely unaware that Teuchi—the ramen shop owner himself—was standing behind the counter with a strained smile.
Teuchi's mouth twitched.
He opened his lips as if to say something… then thought better of it. With a quiet sigh, he simply smiled and shook his head.
This kid is going to make it sound like I'm putting something illegal in the broth…
Karin finally raised a hand. "Alright, alright—stop. Stop yapping," she said lazily. "I already feel half full just listening to you."
Naruto froze mid-rant, then laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Heh… don't worry! Once the ramen's served, you'll be double the hungry!"
Across the table, Kimimaro finally spoke—his voice calm, almost eerily so.
"…This village is noisy."
Naruto snapped his head toward him. "Huh?! You got a problem with that?!"
Kimimaro looked at him, expression unchanged. "…No. It was merely just an opinion."
Naruto bristled anyway. "Oi! What's that supposed to mean?!"
Before the situation could escalate, Haku stepped in smoothly.
"Please don't mind him," Haku said gently, smiling. "Kimimaro isn't criticizing anything. He's just not used to crowded places."
Kimimaro glanced at Haku, then turned away—clearly having no intention of continuing such a meaningless exchange.
Right on cue, the ramen arrived.
Steam rose between them, the rich aroma cutting through the tension instantly.
Naruto slapped his hands together.
"ITADAKIMASU!"
He dug in like his life depended on it.
Sakura sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "…You're embarrassing."
Karin chuckled, lifting her chopsticks. "So this is Ichiraku, huh? People really hyped this place up."
She took a bite.
Paused.
Then took another.
"…Okay," she admitted with a smirk. "I get it."
Naruto beamed. "Right?! Told ya! This place is legendary!"
She shot Naruto a sideways glance. "Don't get cocky. I don't like people yelling while I'm eating... so shut it, Blondie."
"…."
Naruto froze, completely stunned. He honestly hadn't expected the girl who'd been smiling nonstop to switch tones that fast.
Before he could process it or start babbling nonsense...
Sasuke finished his bowl.
His chopsticks stopped.
"…I'm leaving."
He stood, placed the money on the counter, and walked out without another word.
"Wait, Sasuke-kun…! I—I'm coming with you!"
Sakura didn't waste a second. She jumped to her feet and dashed after him.
Naruto sat there for a brief moment, staring blankly.
Then...
He jolted upright. "Oh—! Wait!"
He was halfway out of his seat when Teuchi reached out and stopped him mid-stride.
"Naruto-kun," Teuchi said calmly, pointing down. "Your bowl isn't finished."
Naruto froze.
"…Oops."
He spun back around, grabbed the bowl with both hands, and slurped everything down in massive gulps, broth and noodles disappearing in seconds.
Across from him, Karin's appetite instantly evaporated.
Her smile twitched as she clenched her chopsticks tightly, veins practically popping.
Naruto slammed the empty bowl down. "All done!"
Then he bolted for the exit.
"Sakura-chan! Wait for me—!"
Ding ding—
The bell rang as the curtain of the ramen shop lifted.
Naruto vanished outside.
The shop finally fell quiet.
Steam drifted lazily upward.
Ichiraku Ramen returned to its usual calm—
as if a storm had just passed through.
--
Outside, Sasuke had already walked some distance away from the ramen shop.
His hands were buried in his pockets, his pace steady but his expression had completely changed.
Gone was the calm, detached look from before.
Now it was serious and focused.
Those guys…
His eyes narrowed slightly.
They were all from the Snow Hidden Village… which means—
Unbidden, Tobi's words resurfaced in his mind.
A group of students trained by "him" will be arriving for the Chunin Exams.
Sasuke's steps slowed.
So is it them?
No… that wasn't even a real question.
It has to be them. How could it not be?
That pressure...
that presence...
That kind of aura wasn't normal.
It wasn't so different from his own.
His grip tightened inside his pockets.
Especially that white-haired guy…
Back in the shop, Naruto being an idiot and Sakura being—weak—meant neither of them noticed anything.
But Sasuke had.
Very clearly.
Those people aren't just some random genin…
They were something else entirely.
"…Tch."
Before he could finish the thought—
"Hey! Wait, Sasuke-kun!"
That voice.
His brow twitched as the familiar irritation washed over him.
So annoying...
Sasuke let out a slow breath.
"…Sigh."
--
It wasn't just Sasuke who noticed.
The moment he left, Karin leaned back slightly and clicked her tongue.
"Oi, Bones," she said casually. "Who was that guy, really? You know him?"
"…."
Kimimaro glanced at her, calm as ever.
After a moment, he spoke.
"…You should pay more attention to details instead of having fun all the time. Your strength doesn't match your personality."
The meaning was simple.
Only those who were truly strong could afford to act however they pleased... to ignore everything around them without consequence.
Karin understood exactly what he was implying.
She just didn't feel like arguing over something that would end in a draw anyway.
After a brief pause, Kimimaro continued.
"…That was Uchiha..."
Karin blinked.
"…Wait. For real?" she said, eyes widening. "That blondie was an Uchiha?"
She couldn't believe it—that blondie could ever be an Uchiha with a personality like that.
Weren't Uchihas supposed to be cold? Aloof? Cool and brooding by default?
Ahem. Of course, her Lord was beyond such trivial labels.
He was the Honored One, after all.
"…."
Now it was Kimimaro's turn to fall silent.
"…Who," he finally asked slowly, "are you talking about?"
"Obviously the blondie," Karin replied without hesitation. "Didn't you feel it? That monstrous chakra was something else. Honestly, I don't think even you would be a match for him, Commander Bones. That's why I was wondering how someone like that could be unknown."
Kimimaro stared at her.
"…The blondie?" he repeated flatly. "I was talking about the black-haired one sitting next to me."
"…."
A beat passed.
"I think you both misunderstood which person you were talking about," Haku said gently, unable to hide his smile.
Even Hinata let out a tiny smirk.
The fact that even Kimimaro-san had made a mistake was… oddly funny.
"…I see," Karin muttered after everything was cleared up. "So the emo-looking guy was Uchiha Sasuke, huh? And the blondie is that one, right?"
Kimimaro nodded, offering no further explanation.
The group stepped outside, having finished their ramen, and began heading toward their inn.
No wonder that blondie gave me such a strange feeling… Karin thought. So it wasn't him that was strong—borrowed power, huh?
A Jinchūriki.
"…That Sasuke shouldn't be underestimated either," Kimimaro said seriously. "If any of you face him, you may find yourselves in trouble. Be careful."
He couldn't accurately gauge how strong Sasuke truly was.
But the pressure he felt wasn't imaginary.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Karin waved a hand dismissively. "No way I'd lose to some emo kid."
Kimimaro stopped walking.
"I hope you truly understand," he said quietly. "I don't want to make mistakes and bring shame upon our Lord."
Hinata and Haku both nodded without hesitation.
They took Kimimaro's words to heart.
None of them intended to disgrace the name they carried.
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