"Mr. Sui, it's been a long time since we last saw you."
The owner of Ichiraku said this with a warm smile.
Beside him stood a young girl who was tidying up the cutting board.
"I just got back to the village. Ayame's grown up in the blink of an eye."
River smiled as he spoke.
"Mr. Sui."
Hearing her name, Ayame smiled and bowed to him.
When Minato was alive, he often brought River, Kushina, Kakashi, and the others here for ramen. The entire Namikaze Clan could be considered regulars at this shop.
"I'm treating my nephew to a meal."
"I'll have my usual."
River spoke with a smile.
"No problem."
Teuchi glanced at Naruto, looking a little surprised. He hadn't expected Naruto to be this man's nephew.
Wouldn't that mean he was...?
Shocked, Teuchi looked up at Hokage Rock not far away.
Now that he looked closely, the three of them really did resemble one another.
He quietly made the ramen without dwelling on it. Konoha's internal politics were none of his business. He only needed to run his ramen shop in peace.
"Teuchi, Ayame, you know my uncle too?"
Naruto exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course. Mr. Sui is a regular here too."
Teuchi smiled as he kneaded the dough.
"Oh, so that's it!"
Realization dawned on Naruto, and he spoke happily.
River sat beside him with a smile on his face.
He glanced around, taking in Konoha. Compared to before he left, some places had changed, while others remained just as they had been.
Before long, two steaming bowls of ramen were set on the table.
River took the chopsticks and had a bite. As he savored the familiar flavor, his smile deepened. Beside him, Naruto kept exclaiming excitedly.
"Delicious! This is so delicious!"
Ayame and Teuchi