The two of them walked along Konoha's streets. Since it was New Year's Day, everyone was in high spirits. And because Naruto had changed so much, there were even fewer people who recognized him, which spared him a lot of trouble.
As they walked, they bought snacks.
"I didn't expect this to taste so good." Naruto tried a snack he didn't recognize, then casually handed Hinata a skewer.
Should I eat a little less? What if Naruto finds out... Hinata watched Naruto munch away with a smile in his eyes, feeling a little apprehensive.
Naruto naturally didn't notice what Hinata was thinking. With the Six Thief Immortals, he never felt full, and he didn't have to worry about what he ate. Plenty of people would have loved to have an eater's blessing like that. Too bad he was stuck in the Ninja World.
Before long, Hinata began to feel surprised. She had always known Naruto could eat a lot, but seeing just how much he could put away still left her stunned.
For Naruto, anything that reached his stomach was digested. He never felt full.
"Hey, isn't that Naruto? It's been ages!" Just as Naruto was looking around, a man's voice called out.
Naruto stopped in his tracks, surprised. He deliberately kept out of sight, and he had changed so much that people rarely recognized him unless they took a good look.
He turned and saw a familiar storefront: Ichiraku Ramen.
"Uncle Ichiraku, long time no see!" Naruto smiled when he saw who had called out to him.
There was only one person in Konoha who didn't hate Naruto: him. Naruto could feel nothing but kindness from the man.
"Why haven't you been by lately, Naruto? I haven't seen you in ages."
"Yeah, I've been a little busy lately."
Naruto smiled. The truth was, he had been short on money. His compensation hadn't been much, and while Ichiraku Ramen wasn't expensive, he couldn't afford more than a few bowls. Uncle Ichiraku had often felt sorry for Naruto and let him eat for free, but Naruto didn't want to keep accepting other people's kindness.
Once you'd grown up, it became hard to accept kindness from others.
But since they'd run into each other, he might as well stop in for a bowl.
"Is this your teammate?" Uncle Ichiraku asked happily, looking at the little girl Naruto had brought along. Seeing that Naruto had made a friend brought a look of relief to his face.
Naruto smiled and nodded, then ordered several bowls of ramen. He thought it was pretty good, especially with the atmosphere just right: Hinata was there, and Uncle Ichiraku watched them with a smile.
Hinata was surprised. This was the first time she had seen Naruto give an ordinary person a genuine smile, and the first time she had met an ordinary person who didn't hate him. She immediately felt fond of the man. Seeing Naruto so happy also worked up her appetite, and she ate several bowls of ramen with him.
"Hey, boss, one bowl of beef ramen!" Just as Naruto was enjoying his meal, he heard a voice.
The noren curtain parted, revealing a silver-haired man holding a little orange book in his left hand. Most striking of all were his half-lidded eyes.
"Kakashi. I didn't expect to run into him." His appearance was unmistakable. Naruto recognized him at a glance, but after that, he paid him no mind.
Kakashi sat down and only then noticed Naruto. Naruto had very little presence, and without any chakra, even an elite Jonin like Kakashi would have a hard time noticing him right away.
"Hey, it's Kakashi! I've run into quite a few familiar faces today."
Uncle Ichiraku was delighted to see him. Naruto and Kakashi were both regulars, and Kakashi had been eating here since he was a child.
Uncle Ichiraku didn't know who Naruto was, but the boy looked so much like the Fourth Hokage that he was happy to treat him generously.
Naruto finished eating and reached for his wallet.
"It's been a long time, Naruto. This one's on me," Uncle Ichiraku said with a cheerful smile.
"No, that's all right." Naruto scratched his head and tried to refuse. The main reason was that the two of them had eaten so much. He glanced secretly at Hinata, then remembered that in the original story, Hinata had won a ramen-eating contest against the Akimichi Clan, and her record still hadn't been broken by the time her eldest son had grown up. That gave him some idea of just how much she could eat.
In the end, Uncle Ichiraku still wouldn't take Naruto's money, leaving him at a loss for words.
He was a good man. Naruto silently resolved to protect this shop at all costs.
The plot was about to begin, and Konoha was entering a time of hardship.
Watching Naruto leave, Kakashi couldn't help turning to look after him.
"Was that Naruto? He's changed so much." If he hadn't heard Naruto speak, Kakashi would have had a hard time recognizing him.
The biggest change was Naruto's hair. It used to be a dull yellow, giving him the look of some delinquent with blond hair. That really had been Naruto's appearance back then. Now, with the Six Thief Immortals, his height and build had changed a lot, and his hair had turned reddish. If he weren't suppressing it, his hair would have been a fiery red.
Meanwhile, after leaving the shop, Naruto and Hinata continued strolling.
Thinking about Hinata's appetite, Naruto decided he should at least make sure she ate her fill today. He also considered her physique.
"Did Naruto figure it out?"
Hinata jumped and watched Naruto nervously. No matter where you were, being a girl with a huge appetite was embarrassing. So even at home, Hinata didn't dare eat until she was full.
Naruto still looked like a carefree glutton, sharing half of everything he bought with Hinata. She was almost full already, but seeing how happily Naruto ate, she kept eating along with him.
After eating for who knew how long, Hinata felt stuffed for the first time. Her belly had even stuck out, while Naruto looked just the same as before. Hinata blushed, but it was already nighttime, so he couldn't see.
At last, Naruto seemed to notice how Hinata was feeling. Without drawing attention to it, he led her away from the snack street, and the two of them headed toward Kage Rock. It had always been Naruto's favorite spot. From there, he could see the whole village.
The fireworks were beautiful, but the people were even more beautiful. Naruto sat there quietly, watching Hinata as she gazed at the fireworks in the sky, shy but excited.
"I have a gift for you, Hinata. Don't move," Naruto suddenly said.
Hinata's heart leaped, and she grew a little bashful.
Could Naruto be about to...
Her mind began to wander, and she felt a little anticipation.
Should she close her eyes?
She didn't dare look at Naruto.
Naruto didn't notice her girlish thoughts. He reached out with his right hand and touched a finger to Hinata's forehead.
Hinata was still wondering what it was.
"Close your eyes. Sense it," Naruto said.
She didn't dare let her imagination run wild. She closed her eyes and sensed a space.
At the same time, Naruto's voice sounded in her mind.
"This is my family's secret technique, the Yin Seal. It can store excess chakra that you don't normally use. After I modified it, it can keep your body as active as possible, slow aging, and preserve your youth. I'll seal my chakra inside it to take the place of what you'd normally accumulate. If you're in danger, you can release the seal." After he finished speaking, Naruto began to inject his chakra.