Aoki stared intently at the blonde youth in the Konoha shinobi attire.
He knew this person.
Not just from his predecessor's memories, but from his life before transmigrating into the ninja world.
This was the future Fourth Hokage.
Minato Namikaze.
And the red-haired girl with the ponytail behind him was undoubtedly Kushina Uzumaki.
Both appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, roughly the same age as Aoki himself.
"Minato."
Aoki nodded casually. He had seen Minato in his predecessor's memories, so he didn't act like a stranger. Internally, however, he couldn't help but marvel.
Konoha is truly a small world. Just stepping out for a bowl of noodles, and I run into the parents of the original protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki.
Right now, the two seemed to have a mutual fondness for each other—a sweet, "pre-relationship" phase, but they hadn't officially become a couple yet.
"It's been a long time! Three or four years, right?"
Minato walked straight toward Aoki and took the seat next to him. From his easy manner, it was clear he and Aoki were quite familiar.
Kushina followed behind Minato, her eyes flickering with curiosity. She didn't recognize Aoki at all.
"Ever since you dropped out of school, we haven't seen each other once."
Minato's sky-blue eyes widened as he studied Aoki, a warm, long-lost-friend smile on his face.
"I heard from Choza that you went to the Anbu. How is it over there?"
Minato chatted like an old friend, his eyes flashing with genuine concern. Back in the Ninja Academy, they had been classmates. Aoki's health had always been poor, and eventually, the Yamanaka clan decided to pull him out for internal training.
Minato had felt a twinge of regret when Aoki left. Though they hadn't spent a vast amount of time together, he had already considered Aoki a friend.
"I'm doing well," Aoki replied with a thin smile.
"Who is he?"
Kushina stood by Minato's side, tugging lightly at his sleeve. She was acting uncharacteristically ladylike—an act she only put on in front of strangers. No one who actually knew her would ever mistake Kushina for a quiet, delicate flower.
"Oh! I forgot to introduce you! I thought you two might have known each other!"
Minato slapped his forehead as he realized the oversight. He turned to Kushina, his handsome face lighting up with a warm glow.
"This is Aoki Yamanaka. He's Inoichi's cousin and, like Choza and Shikaku, he's one of our peers and a good friend of mine," Minato explained.
"?"
Kushina's eyes flickered with even more confusion. She tilted her head, silently prompting Minato for more.
"It's like this..."
Minato's smile remained gentle, as if telling Kushina not to worry.
"Aoki's health wasn't great, so he only stayed at the Academy for a short while before going home."
"You transferred in after he left. That's why you've never met him."
"In fact... how should I put this..."
"Because Aoki left, a seat opened up in our class—the one you were assigned to when you arrived."
"In a way, we have Aoki to thank for the fact that we met at all!"
Minato explained everything with infinite patience.
"I see!"
Kushina suddenly understood. Aoki had already been gone by the time she arrived, which explained the zero recognition.
Aoki remained silent, listening to Minato recount the past. Even he hadn't realized that Kushina's entry into Minato's class was due to the vacancy he created.
Fate really is a strange thing.
"Aoki, this is Kushina Uzumaki. As you heard, she was the transfer student who joined our class," Minato said.
"Nice to meet you," Aoki nodded.
"Nice to meet you too!" Kushina replied, taking the seat on the other side of Minato.
"Your noodles are ready~"
Teuchi's voice rang out as he brought over three steaming bowls. He laid out Aoki's deluxe Tonkotsu ramen and the "usuals" for Minato and Kushina. Along with Aoki's ramen came several side dishes included in his deluxe set.
"Enjoy your meal."
Teuchi smiled, his eyes crinkling into thin slits. The rich aroma of the broth stimulated their taste buds instantly.
"Um... Aoki... we'll catch up in a bit..."
Minato's eyes were glued to his bowl. He was practically salivating. He clapped his hands together.
"Itekadimasu!"
With that, Minato began slurping his noodles with reckless abandon.
"Itekadimasu!"
Kushina picked up her chopsticks as well, though her movements were a tad slower than Minato's.
Watching this scene, Aoki couldn't help but let a small smile tug at his lips.
Good grief. They're exactly like Naruto.
Like father, like son... or rather, like mother, like son.
It turns out... the love for ramen really is hereditary!
"Itekadimasu."
Aoki performed the quick pre-meal ritual and took his first bite of the legendary Ichiraku Ramen. The noodles were springy and the broth was incredibly rich. A single bite brought a powerful sense of satisfaction.
In no time, all three bowls were empty.
"Aoki, Anbu life must be quite dull. You look healthy enough now—if you want to transfer out and join a regular ninja squad, I can help you talk to the higher-ups," Minato said sincerely. He truly cared about his old classmate.
"No, no! That won't be necessary. I actually really like the Anbu," Aoki declined flatly.
"Hmm..." Minato looked at him deeply. They hadn't seen each other in years, so he didn't want to push too hard on their first meeting.
"The work in the Anbu suits me perfectly," Aoki added quickly.
He was genuinely afraid Minato might actually try to pull strings. Minato might be young, but who knew how much weight his words carried even now? If he actually got Aoki transferred, how would he read memories in peace?
I'm staying in the Torture Force.
I'm not going anywhere else!
[End of Chapter 8]