"Your noodles are here, all three of you."
Teuchi set three steaming bowls of pork bone broth ramen before them.
Golden droplets of oil floated on the soup, and the sliced pork was arranged in neat rows.
The ramen, with its rich aromas of broth and sliced pork, drew Hayashi's gaze once again.
"Thanks, Teuchi!"
Grinning, he pulled three pairs of chopsticks from the holder in front of him. Only after handing a pair each to Haku and Zabuza did he take up his own, gazing excitedly at the ramen before him.
"Hey, Hayashi, haven't seen you in a while!"
Perhaps because it was still afternoon and not yet mealtime, only a few ninja sat eating at Ichiraku Ramen, and no new customers had come in for the moment.
Hayashi stuffed sliced pork into his mouth as he said indistinctly:
"Well, I went away for a bit."
"I started missing your ramen as soon as I got back, so I had to drag my friends over!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
Teuchi laughed heartily as he looked at the boy before him.
"So they're your friends. No wonder they're such imposing ninja."
"I'll give you a few extra slices of pork on the house this time!"
With that, Teuchi returned to the stove, and a few chopping sounds rang out from the cutting board.
He cut a few more slices of pork, put them on a plate, and brought them to Hayashi.
"Oh, wow!"
"Thanks!"
Hayashi's eyes shone as he looked at the extra pork before him and spoke with delight.
"Hahahahaha, no need to thank me!"
"Just come back with Naruto and keep giving me your business!"
"You bet!"
Hayashi picked up the pork slices and submerged them in the pork bone broth.
The pork swelled slightly as it soaked in the hot