Uncle Teuchi

Hyuga Ningxue tied her apron and began to silently wipe down the tables and chairs. Her movements were slightly clumsy, yet she was exceptionally earnest and focused, as if pouring all her distracting thoughts into this simple labor.

Not long after...

Just as she was bowing her head to clean a table, the shop curtain was flung open violently once more, and a vibrant voice exploded like a cannonball.

"Old Man Teuchi! One extra-large miso chashu ramen! I'm going to eat it with full energy today too!"

It was Uzumaki Naruto. He rushed in like a gust of wind, hopped onto a high stool at the counter with practiced ease, and only then noticed Ningxue wiping the table nearby. Naruto blinked his azure eyes, his face revealing clear surprise and curiosity.

"Huh?... Huh?! Ningxue!? Why are you here? And wearing... an apron?"

Naruto pointed at the "Ichiraku" characters on Ningxue's apron, his voice filled with disbelief.

In his impression, this classmate from the Hyuga clan was always a loner, so quiet she seemed non-existent, and completely out of place in the lively ramen shop.

Ningxue's wiping motion paused. She didn't look back at him, merely responding indifferently.

"Mm, working part-time."

"Part-time? That's amazing!" Naruto's thinking was always direct and simple; he immediately jumped to a conclusion.

"Does that mean you can eat as much ramen as you want?"

At this moment, Teuchi smiled and served the noodles.

"Naruto, your ramen. Ningxue is helping out here, not here for a free meal."

"I know that!" Naruto chuckled, grabbed his chopsticks, and his attention was immediately drawn to the steaming ramen before him, though he couldn't help but mutter, "Still, it's really amazing..."

Ningxue didn't respond, simply continuing her work in silence.

However, Naruto's noisiness still made Ningxue feel irritable—a strange, inexplicable irritation.

Truth be told, she envied Naruto's mindset, yet there was a sliver of annoyance; he was so pure, possessing an optimism that seemed impossible for any hardship to crush.

It made her—a six-year-old body housing a sixteen-year-old soul—feel a sense of alienation from the world, and a touch of complexity.

In her past life, she had been reticent due to her family. Her father spent his days drinking and chasing failed investments, never looking back.

He was often away from home, and when he did return, he only fought with her mother.

Her mother was cut from the same cloth.

Because of this, she had grown accustomed to silence; by not talking back or arguing, she avoided a great deal of trouble.

Now that she had transmigrated here, she had felt the warmth of a family, yet she didn't know how to express it or show concern.

The heavy, agonizing loss of her father now had pushed her toward extreme thoughts, driving her further into the darkness.

Returning to the present, Ningxue cleared the bowls and chopsticks left by the previous customers, preparing to take them to the back kitchen to wash.

Just then, the curtain lifted, and a group of familiar faces entered.

"Hey, hey, I heard Ichiraku has a new flavor?"

The curtain swayed again as several familiar figures walked in. It was Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru, who followed slowly behind.

As soon as they entered, their gazes swept across the shop and instantly locked onto Ningxue, who was wearing an apron and clearing the bowls from the next table.

Kiba's eyes went round as saucers, as if he had seen something incredible. He pointed at Ningxue, his voice carrying undisguised surprise and even a hint of mockery.

"Whoa! Am I seeing things? Hyuga Ningxue? You're actually here... working part-time?"

Choji stopped chewing his potato chips, his chubby face full of curiosity as his gaze shifted back and forth between the apron on Ningxue and her expressionless face.

Shikamaru, trailing at the back, still wore his usual listless look, but his half-lidded eyes keenly caught the way Ningxue's fingers tightened imperceptibly on the rag when she heard Kiba's voice, even though her expression didn't change at all.

Ah, what a drag, Shikamaru muttered to himself.

Running into a classmate in a place like this must be pretty awkward for someone who always hides themselves away.

Indeed, Ningxue did feel a bit awkward. If this had happened in the past, it wouldn't have mattered much.

But being seen at her lowest point still carried a sting of embarrassment.

She didn't show it, however. She simply stopped wiping, turned her head slightly, said "Welcome," and headed to the back kitchen to wash the dishes.

She didn't pay any mind to the sarcasm in Kiba's words.

Just like that, by the time the three of them finished and left, Ningxue had nearly finished washing the dishes.

Teuchi clearly felt that having an extra pair of hands was quite convenient; at the very least, when his daughter wasn't around, he didn't have to juggle washing dishes and boiling noodles at the same time.

Time slipped away as they sent off wave after wave of customers.

Then, another person Ningxue recognized arrived.

Just as she had finished washing a batch of dishes, the curtain was lifted again, and a gentle, familiar voice drifted in.

"Good evening, Mr. Teuchi. The usual, one bowl of tonkotsu ramen."

It was Iruka-sensei.

Iruka was clearly a regular here. He sat at the counter naturally, his gaze sweeping casually across the shop before settling on Ningxue, who had just emerged from the back kitchen with a dishcloth in her hand.

A look of surprise and a hint of realization instantly appeared on Iruka's face.

Having been absent for over a week, he certainly knew the reason why. Seeing her working part-time here now, a complex emotion couldn't help but well up in his heart—a mix of sympathy and a touch of worry for this reticent student.

"Ning Xue?" Iruka's voice was gentler than usual, carrying a trace of imperceptible caution.

"Are you... helping out here?"

Ning Xue's footsteps faltered. Facing Iruka, he knew this was well-intentioned, unlike that childish and nasty Kiba.

After collecting his thoughts, he replied to Iruka with a polite tone.

"Yes, teacher."

He answered, but his hands didn't stop their work, wiping tables and carrying bowls.

Iruka watched him and sighed inwardly. He wanted to say something comforting, like "You can tell your teacher if you're having any trouble," or "Don't work too hard," but seeing Ning Xue's indifferent demeanor, the words stuck in his throat.

He felt that this child didn't seem like a fragile person. Yet, for someone so young to be self-reliant, he was a promising candidate for a ninja, but this sight still filled him with an inexplicable sense of sorrow.

"I see..." Iruka finally just smiled, keeping his tone as light as possible. "That's great. Being able to help share the burden at home is a remarkable thing."

"Teuchi is a very good man; working here shouldn't be too bad, right?"

Ning Xue remained busy with his work, letting out another soft sound.

"...Mm."

With that, the two had no further exchange until Ning Xue bid Iruka farewell.

When the last customer left, it was time to close up. As Teuchi tidied the stove, he spoke to Ning Xue, who was silently wiping the final table.

"Good work, Ning Xue. You did great today!" He handed Ning Xue a parcel wrapped in oil paper and a small pouch of coins.

"This is today's pay, and this—it's some extra chashu and dough from today. If you don't mind, take it home and eat it with your family."

Ning Xue looked at the food and the money, falling silent for a moment before reaching out to take them. "Thank you, Teuchi," he said in a low voice.

"Watch your step on the way home," Teuchi said with a kind smile.

And so, Ning Xue walked out of Ichiraku Ramen carrying the food Teuchi had given him. On the way home, he recalled this brief shift, his heart a mix of complex emotions—exhausted, embarrassed, and slightly surprised. He felt the weight of the coin pouch; it was clearly stuffed with a little extra. This touched his heart, yet it also made his spirit feel all the heavier.