As he lifted the curtain, a rich, warm aroma of food washed over him, instantly dispelling the chill he had brought in from outside.
The Ichiraku Ramen Shop was brightly lit, a stark contrast to the dark, freezing snowfall outside.
"Hey! Naruto, you're here early!"
When Teuchi, his head wrapped in a bandanna, spotted his familiar young customer, a kindly smile immediately spread across his face.
Naruto plopped down in his usual seat right in the middle of the counter and called out his order: "Uncle Teuchi, one bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen, with extra narutomaki and dried bamboo shoots!"
It was the combination he knew best, and his most extravagant choice.
The Naruto of the original world hadn't liked dried bamboo shoots, but as long as he liked them, that was what mattered.
Dried bamboo shoots were delicious!
After ordering, he quickly turned toward Hinata, who was carefully settling into the seat beside him, and his tone grew a little lighter. "What about you, Hinata? The Miso Ramen and Chashu Ramen here are really good too!"
Hinata rested her hands neatly on her knees. Feeling Teuchi and Ayame's curious gazes on her, she blushed faintly.
She lowered her head and spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but still loud enough for those beside her to hear. "I'll... have the same as you, Naruto-kun..."
"Uncle, she said she'll have the same as me."
"Coming right up! Two bowls of special Tonkotsu Ramen, with extra narutomaki and dried bamboo shoots!"
Teuchi nodded cheerfully and started preparing the ramen, giving Naruto a meaningful glance as though to say, The kid actually brought a little girl today. Not bad at all.
Naruto had brought friends here before: Kiba Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and... who was the other one again? Someone from the Aburame Clan, probably. Teuchi couldn't remember his name.
But this was the first time he had brought a little girl!
The rising steam, the aroma of food, and the lively presence of the blond boy beside her eased Hinata's tense nerves before she knew it.
This tiny ramen shop seemed to have become a warm haven, sealed away from the world of ice and snow.
The wind and snow howled beyond the shop's curtain, carrying waves of cold.
Two figures silently appeared at a nearby street corner. Leading them was Hyuga Hiashi, his expression composed as he walked steadily toward the warmly lit shop.
Yet he had only taken a few steps when a hand holding a pipe barred his way.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had appeared there at some point, pipe in hand. A thin layer of snow had settled on his Hokage Hat, showing that he had been standing there for quite some time.
"Lord Third."
Hyuga Hiashi's gaze shifted slightly. He stopped at once and bowed to the Third Hokage, along with the Hyuga clansman behind him.
The Third reached out and gently but firmly caught his arm, stopping him from continuing the formalities.
"No need for that, Hiashi."
Hiashi straightened, his white eyes turning toward the entrance curtain. His voice remained level. "That boy's identity is a sensitive matter... It may be inappropriate for my daughter to become too close to him. I'll take her home now."
"Hiashi."
The wind and snow howled between them, but could not obscure the weight in the Third Hokage's calm words.
"We should avoid interfering too much in matters between children."
He took a deep pull on his pipe. Orange-red embers flickered rapidly in the gloom, and then he slowly exhaled a long stream of smoke.
His gaze was distant. When the cold wind stirred the curtain, he could clearly see the two children inside, sitting shoulder to shoulder and enjoying their steaming ramen.
One smiled like sunshine, the other like a crescent moon.
"Despite being shunned, Naruto has remained remarkably cheerful."
A barely perceptible trace of emotion entered the Third's voice.
"But because of his 'special identity,' very few people in the village are truly willing, or brave enough, to approach him and become his friends. Yet even the Nara Clan's boy has befriended him. What are you still worried about?"
He paused briefly and turned toward Hiashi's all-seeing Byakugan, his tone deepening. "If I recall correctly, your daughter Hinata also struggles to fit in at the Ninja Academy because she's so introverted. She doesn't have many friends either, does she?"
Without waiting for Hiashi to answer, the Third continued, his voice gently persuasive. "Look, two lonely children have found each other here.
"One stepped forward to protect the other, and the other expressed her heartfelt gratitude.
"If this chance encounter allows them to become friends and forge a precious bond..."
The glow from his pipe illuminated the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, lending light to the deeper meaning of his words.
"Wouldn't that be a good thing for both of them?
"Lonely hearts need the warmth of companionship.
"This bond might become the strength that helps each of them move forward."
Hiashi's pure white eyes flickered slightly. His Byakugan allowed him to "see" the scene behind the curtain even more clearly than the Third Hokage could.
The gentle smile in his daughter Hinata's eyes caught him completely by surprise.
It had indeed been a long, long time since he had seen such an unclouded, relaxed, happy expression on her face.
When Hiashi still offered no response and merely stared into the light of the ramen shop, the Third sighed inwardly.
The Hyuga Clan's loyalty and strength were beyond reproach, and their hearts undoubtedly lay with the village. But sometimes, their stubborn adherence to old rules and the burdens of belonging to a great clan made them hopelessly rigid.
He placed the pipe between his lips again. White smoke mingled with his misty breath, curling before his face.
He gave Hiashi a meaningful look. His tone remained mild, but now carried an unquestionable resolve.
"Let them finish their ramen in peace."
He repeated himself quietly.
"Consider this... an order from the Hokage."
The words "an order from the Hokage" carried immense weight.
Hiashi stiffened slightly, pulled back to reality from his complicated feelings about his daughter.
He remained silent for a moment before finally drawing his gaze away from the curtain. When he turned back to the Third, his eyes had regained their usual calm restraint.
He bowed slightly, his voice low but clear:
"Yes, Lord Third."
The wind and snow continued, but the interference that had threatened to intrude had quietly been kept outside.
With the hot ramen in their stomachs, even their fingertips had warmed up again.
Naruto patted his belly contentedly and grandly took out his little wallet. He carefully counted out the money and placed it on the counter. "Uncle Teuchi, Ayame, thanks for the meal!"
Teuchi accepted the money with a smile, his gaze gentle as he looked at the two children sitting side by side.
Ayame wore a fond, knowing smile, her gaze moving between the rather shy Hinata and the cheerful Naruto.
When they stepped through the curtain, the snowfall seemed lighter than when they had arrived. Night had fallen, however, and the lights lining the street looked especially warm against the snow.
As the cold enveloped them again, Naruto looked at the petite Hinata beside him and naturally thought of what he should do next.
He tightened his scarf a little more, speaking frankly and firmly. "I saw where your house was when I was training around the village with Uncle Guy."
He pointed toward the Hyuga Clan Compound. "It's so dark now, and so cold. I'll walk you home!"
Hinata froze for a moment, then tilted her head up to look at Naruto.
The streetlight fell across his golden hair, casting a faint halo around it and making him look like a little sun in winter.
Her first instinct was to refuse, feeling that she shouldn't trouble him any further. But as she looked into his clear blue eyes, so full of sincerity, a strange sense of reassurance held back the words on her lips.
She gently lowered her head, unconsciously pinching the end of her scarf with both hands. Her soft reply mingled shyness with a hint of dependence she hadn't even noticed herself. "Mm... Sorry for the trouble, Naruto-kun."
Side by side, they walked silently through the snow.
Their boots sank into it with crisp crunching sounds, especially clear in the quiet night.
Just as they rounded the corner onto the main road leading to the Hyuga Clan Compound, Naruto stopped abruptly.
Beneath a streetlight not far ahead, two figures stood quietly in the wind and snow, as though they had been waiting for a long time.
The man in front wore traditional Hyuga clothing, his white eyes looking particularly cold in the dim light. He was the head of the Hyuga Clan-Hyuga Hiashi.
Beside him stood a stern-faced Hyuga clansman, staring straight at Naruto and Hinata like a silent statue.