Chapter 229: Yotsuki Arashi's Matchmaking Adventure (Part 1)
On the bustling streets of New Kumogakure, it was currently dinner time. The streetlights had just come on, and guests were coming and going in an endless stream, creating a lively atmosphere.
"Miss Aiko, what would you like for dinner?"
Yotsuki Arashi looked at the woman beside him, who barely reached his chest.
The woman named Aiko wore a traditional kimono and held an exquisite small bag with both hands. She spoke reservedly. "I don't have any particular preference. I've been controlling my diet recently, so my appetite is rather light. What would Yotsuki-kun like to eat?"
Arashi stroked his stubble-covered chin and pondered for a moment. "If you have a poor appetite, how about ramen? Drinking a bowl of hot soup will make you feel much better. I heard a new ramen shop opened on the newly developed commercial street, and it tastes pretty good."
Miss Aiko clearly froze for a second before replying, "I have no problem with that. Let's go take a look."
Twenty meters behind the pair, Yotsuki Dana facepalmed hard.
"Are you kidding me?! Ramen for a matchmaking date? Arashi, are you an idiot?! Why did you pick the cheapest possible option?!"
Beside him, Yusuke Akahoshi wagged his finger and said confidently, "Dana-sama, ramen is unsuitable not because of the price. Miss Aiko is wearing a traditional kimono. Sitting on a high stool at a ramen bar would be very inconvenient for her. Furthermore, steaming hot food like a large bowl of ramen can easily ruin her carefully applied makeup. With this lady's attire, she is only suitable for a high-end sushi restaurant where she can kneel and eat in small bites."
Dana turned to look at Yusuke. "How do you know all this?"
Yusuke scratched his head bashfully. "Well, there are always some people who understand women better than others."
"Let's not talk about that for now. Keep the invisibility up!"
After learning that Arashi was on a blind date, Dana immediately ran out, located Arashi in New Kumogakure, and dragged along Yusuke, whom he bumped into by chance.
Dana was deeply concerned about his older brother's lifelong happiness. Arashi was already twenty-three this year. According to ninja world customs, he was well past the age of marriage, yet he remained in a state of "Opposite Sex Insulation," seemingly one haircut away from becoming a monk.
To make matters worse, while having near-zero luck with women, Arashi possessed the high-risk attribute of "Super High Same-Sex Popularity." Even their mother felt Arashi might end up alone for life.
So, as his younger brother, how could Dana not care about Arashi's matchmaking date?!
It definitely wasn't because his soul was burning with the flames of gossip! Definitely not!
Thus, using Yusuke's Kekkei Genkai to turn invisible, Dana hid behind Arashi, secretly spying on his brother's date.
This was completely reasonable!
Seeing the couple move ahead, Dana hurriedly followed.
"Is Arashi an idiot? Who wears full ninja gear to a blind date?!"
Ahead of them, Arashi suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. He turned around to look, but there was only the bustling street filled with people. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
He turned back to the woman beside him. "Does Miss Aiko have any hobbies?"
Aiko smiled reservedly. "As for me, I usually like to do some painting. Recently, I've become quite interested in tea ceremony. What about you, Yotsuki-kun?"
"Me? Just training. Usually, I train my legs or my chest. Recently, I've been trying to master the 'Hell Stab' technique."
"....Ah, haha. Yotsuki-kun is... really hardworking."
Dana was speechless. Who talks about leg day on a blind date?!
According to their mother, this Aiko was a child from her side of the family, a young lady from a prominent clan. She was a ninja herself, but her upbringing and temperament were excellent. The painting and tea ceremony might not be expert level, but it was common sense to show a gentle and reserved side during matchmaking. Clearly, the muscle-brained Arashi was not on the same wavelength.
Who can follow up a conversation about leg training?!
The two actually walked into the ramen shop. Aiko's gorgeous kimono was so out of place that even the ramen shop owner paused for a moment.
Are these two sure they have the right place? I only sell ramen here.
"Wel... Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen!"
Dana, following behind, froze. He quickly took a few steps back to check the sign.
"Is this really Ichiraku Ramen? Ichiraku Ramen moved to Kumogakure?"
Sure enough, peering through the lifted noren curtains, Dana saw the owner inside. He looked somewhat familiar—a younger version of Teuchi. There was also a woman of similar age, likely his wife.
It seemed that the Cloud's booming development in recent years had caused Teuchi, who chose Konoha in the original timeline, to choose the Cloud this time.
It wasn't hard to understand. For a business owner, the current environment in Kumogakure was definitely better than Konoha.
As for the "Otsutsuki Ichiraku" theories... Dana didn't believe them. It was just a meme. How could it really be that ridiculous?
Um... right?
"Damn it, I'm super curious about what Ichiraku Ramen tastes like! But I can't show myself. I'll have to wait for next time!"
Young Teuchi looked spirited. At a glance, he seemed like a skilled young chef. Although it was a mom-and-pop shop, business was booming. Due to Cloud policy, only Cloud ninja and their families could own property in New Kumogakure, so Teuchi was renting a small storefront.
Because business was good, Arashi and Aiko even had to stand and wait for seats for a while, making Aiko in her gorgeous kimono even more embarrassed.
Dana really wanted to say: Pack it up, it's over.
But the burning soul of gossip wouldn't allow him to slack off.
Sure enough, just as Yusuke predicted, Aiko found it extremely inconvenient to sit down or eat noodles in her kimono. She basically took a few polite bites and put down her chopsticks. Arashi, on the other hand, slurped away happily.
Slurp, slurp, slurp! "Hah! Delicious! They said the new ramen shop in the village was good, and it's satisfying! Eh? Miss Aiko, you left so much? Is your appetite really that bad? Are you okay?"
The woman just smiled reservedly.
At that moment, Teuchi leaned out from the back. "Poor appetite? That is a failure of the chef! Don't worry, Miss! I will make a super ramen that will definitely open up your appetite! I stake my dignity as a chef on it!"
Ten minutes later, a super-large, super-deluxe, super-loaded bowl of ramen—brimmed with shrimp and char siu pork piling over the edge—was slammed down heavily in front of the lady.
Dana could practically hear the table groan.
"Please! Taste my masterpiece of confidence!" Teuchi crossed his arms, fully embodying the confidence of a chef, looking expectantly at the customer.
"As long as one is a chef, one cannot ignore a customer with a poor appetite! This is one of a chef's missions! Saa! Please try it!"
Aiko: "...."
In the end, the girl who had spent three hours dressing up for this date, under the scorching gaze of the owner and the constant encouragement of her date...
Tearfully finished a huge bowl of steaming hot ramen.
Then, covering her makeup-smeared face, she disappeared from Ichiraku Ramen using the Body Flicker Technique.
Dana even saw the tears in the corners of her eyes.
Teuchi was filled with emotion.
"Moved to tears by my cooking... This is truly the highest achievement for a chef!"
Arashi didn't chase after the girl. Instead, he stood up and gave a solemn thirty-degree bow of thanks.
"Thank you, sir, for making such excellent cuisine filled with sincerity. I imagine Miss Aiko was very satisfied."
Hidden in the back, Dana couldn't hold it in anymore.
"OI!!! ARE YOU TWO BOTH IDIOTS?!"
Beside him, Yusuke said weakly, "Um... Dana-sama... water... I'm a little dehydrated..."