Konoha, Ichiraku Ramen.
In the evening, the ramen shop was always wreathed in warm, comforting steam. The rich aroma of pork bone broth mingled with soy sauce and the charred fragrance of roasted chashu, forcing its way into the nostrils of every passerby and tempting their appetites.
"Boss! Another bowl! Extra-large deluxe miso chashu, with extra narutomaki and bamboo shoots!"
Kushina Uzumaki thrust her arm high into the air, her long, fiery-red hair swinging in a lively arc with her exuberant gesture. Three empty bowls were already stacked in front of her, and she had not even had time to wipe the broth from the corner of her mouth. Her violet eyes shone with the purest love of food and satisfaction.
Beside her, Minato Namikaze simply smiled, watching her with an almost doting gaze before thoughtfully offering her a napkin.
After that Jonin assessment, which could only be described as a "reconstruction of the soul," he seemed to have grown much more grounded. His golden hair was still warm beneath the lights, but his blue eyes now held a depth that saw beyond the surface of things.
"Minato, you should eat more too. Look at you! Just a few days as 'Acting Hokage,' and you've already lost weight!" Kushina mumbled, casually plucking a large slice of chashu from Minato's bowl.
"Hey, hey, Kushina, that's mine..." Nawaki protested feebly from the side, only to receive a fierce look from Kushina that said, Got a problem? He immediately shrank back and buried himself in his noodles.
Meanwhile, the organizer of this "celebration feast," Uchiha Shinichi, was propping one elbow on the counter, listlessly stirring the barely touched noodles in his bowl with his other hand. His face displayed three existential questions: *Who am I? What am I doing here? Why am I