Expired Milk, Cherished Instant Noodles

"I'm heading out."

A clear voice rang out from the entrance. Haruno Sakura put on her shoes and pushed open the front door, stepping outside.

"Honey, why is Sakura leaving so early this morning?"

Haruno Yashiro sat in his chair by the dining table, holding a newspaper, and looked at his wife with confusion.

Haruno Meiko was tidying up the dishes in the kitchen after they had finished eating. She said with a hint of impatience, "How should I know? And stop looking at that trashy newspaper. If you're so bored, hurry up and sweep the floor for me, then mop it, and finally, take out the trash!"

"Uh, heh heh, I know..."

Looking at his wife, Haruno Yashiro, with a sense of self-preservation, went to get the broom.

Haruno Sakura walked along the streets of Konoha, thinking about what she should buy for Naruto on her first visit.

Naruto's favorite was Ichiraku Ramen, but it was only nine o'clock now. Breakfast time was too late, and lunch time was too early...

Sakura couldn't help but recall Naruto's life in the original story.

Expired milk and instant noodles...

And putting makeup on her past self and her own father's picture...

Eh!

Haruno Sakura's emerald green eyes lit up, and a finger popped up in her mind.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Sakura headed straight for the village bookstore and used the money Iruka gave her to buy a copy of "Cookbook: From Beginner to Master."

Then, she bought some ingredients for the first dish listed in the book.

All in all, it cost about eighty Ryo.

Hokage Building

Hokage's Office

Hiruzen Sarutobi had nothing to do today and specifically came to watch how Haruno Sakura would approach Naruto.

Looking at the little girl's actions, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but smile.

He hadn't misjudged her. Her intentions were good. It would be wonderful if Naruto could learn to cook so easily.

Following the address Iruka gave her, Haruno Sakura arrived at Naruto's home with bags in her arms.

He lived on the top floor of a small building.

From there, one could clearly see the Hokage Building and the Hokage Rock.

This location was much better than Sakura's home. At least her family's house couldn't see the Hokage Building or the Hokage Rock.

"Naruto, are you home?"

"Naruto?"

"It's me, Sakura."

Haruno Sakura knocked on the door. After a moment, she heard rummaging sounds from inside, and then a frantic, blonde boy wearing a sleep cap opened the door.

"Sakura?"

Six-year-old Naruto looked at his classmate in front of him with surprise.

This was the first time anyone besides his grandfather had come to his home to see him.

"I came to see you. Aren't you welcoming me?"

Haruno Sakura dangled the items in her hands in front of Naruto and said with a smile.

"N-no, no!"

Naruto looked at the girl in front of him nervously and said.

"Then why aren't you inviting me in?"

Hearing the girl's words, Naruto belatedly realized and immediately moved aside, inviting Sakura into his home.

To Sakura's surprise, Naruto's home was actually quite clean.

But then again, Hiruzen Sarutobi came to give Naruto living expenses every month. It would be strange if it were too dirty.

"S-Sakura, are you... are you here for something?"

Naruto looked nervously at Sakura, who was looking around his room on her own, unsure of her intentions.

"Eh?"

"Can't I come find you if there's nothing else?"

"Or are you saying you don't welcome me, Naruto?"

Haruno Sakura, with a clear objective, walked towards Naruto's refrigerator and opened it. What greeted her eyes were rows of square boxes filling the fridge.

A whole fridge full of milk.

Haruno Sakura picked up a carton of milk and checked its expiration date.

It would expire in three days at most…

"Naruto, this milk is going to expire. You should drink it up soon."

Haruno Sakura held up the milk carton she was holding and shook it at Naruto.

"Huh? Oh…"

Naruto stared blankly at the little girl in front of him, feeling a bit lost.

"Um… Sakura, why did you suddenly come looking for me?"

Naruto looked at Haruno Sakura in front of him with some hesitation.

"Iruka-sensei is worried about your mental health, so he asked me to come check on you."

Haruno Sakura, without any mental burden, sold out Iruka.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, seeing Haruno Sakura in the crystal ball revealing the matter he had entrusted to Iruka, frowned slightly. But then, he slowly relaxed.

There was no such thing as concern without reason in this world. If Haruno Sakura visited so suddenly, it would definitely make Naruto overthink. It would be better to just admit it openly. That way, perhaps Naruto wouldn't be suspicious and it would save unnecessary trouble.

"Eh?"

Naruto blinked, looking at Sakura dazedly.

For some reason, Naruto suddenly felt a pang of disappointment. He had thought…

"Iruka-sensei cares about you a lot, Naruto. Don't make Iruka-sensei angry anymore, okay?"

Haruno Sakura smiled and patted Naruto's golden hair.

Haruno Sakura looked at the instant noodle box on the table, clearly leftovers from last night. There were also several instant noodle boxes in the trash can under the table. Even though she had expected it, she still frowned slightly and spoke:

"Does Naruto usually eat this stuff?"

The blond boy seemed not to notice the girl's displeasure. Thinking she also liked instant noodles, his eyes immediately lit up.

"That's right!"

"Instant noodles are my favorite food!"

"I even have some super rare, special edition instant noodles!"

Naruto eagerly pulled open a nearby cabinet, and Haruno Sakura couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth at the sight.

A whole cabinet of instant noodles…

No wonder he wasn't growing taller…

"How much is one box of instant noodles?"

Haruno Sakura picked up a box of instant noodles and directly checked the date.

Fortunately, it had a longer expiration date than the milk in the fridge, with three months left.

"Two hundred ryo a box, super cheap!"

"How much?!"

Haruno Sakura looked at Naruto in disbelief.

She had bought a bag of groceries with the money Iruka gave her for only eighty ryo, and Naruto's cup of instant noodles was two hundred ryo???

If Iruka knew that one box of instant noodles cost so much, he would probably be furious.

"Because this is a super rare, special edition, it's a bit more expensive than regular instant noodles, but it's also very delicious!"

"Sakura, do you want to try a box?"

Naruto looked expectantly at the little girl in front of him.

"Where did you get so much money?"

Haruno Sakura tilted her head, looking puzzled. Didn't they say Naruto had a tough childhood?

He could only drink expired milk, and instant noodles too…

Well, if he couldn't finish them, they would expire.

"Grandpa gave it to me. He gives me five thousand ryo every month."

Naruto said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Haruno Sakura couldn't help but look towards the Hokage building, which could be seen through the window.

A house in the center of Konoha, five thousand ryo every month, expired milk in the fridge, a cabinet full of rare instant noodles, and props for his frequent pranks…

Hiruzen Sarutobi was just giving him money without teaching him how to manage