The complicated young prince

Naruto looked at the faces before him.

Genya was as calm as ever, Hinata was friendly, Ino was cheerful and direct, and the black-haired girl was simply polite.

Their eyes held none of the disgust, fear, or cold, deliberate disregard he had long grown used to.

An utterly unfamiliar feeling surged through him, making his nose sting.

He hurriedly lowered his head, burying his face in the steaming bowl and slurping his noodles loudly to hide his loss of composure.

"Ha! Of course! I love Ichiraku Ramen! Old man, another serving of pork!"

"Sure! Coming right up!"

Teuchi called back from behind the counter.

The piping-hot ramen mingled with the tears that quietly slipped into the broth, giving it a more complicated flavor.

Naruto sucked down his noodles with all his might, as though he could stuff this unexpected warmth, along with the food, into some corner of his heart.

This bowl of ramen stirred more conflicting feelings than any he had ever eaten.

Genya noticed Naruto's reaction but said nothing about it.

He chatted with Nami and the others about amusing things that had happened during the term, occasionally drawing Naruto into the conversation with harmless questions, such as which kind of ramen he thought tasted best.

That kept Naruto from being left out.

This was probably the liveliest and most special ramen meal Naruto had ever had.

Although he still spent most of it with his head down, eating furiously, the sounds around him were no longer pointed whispers, but the ordinary laughter and chatter of children his own age.

After the meal, Genya paid the bill, including Naruto's share. Nami wanted to contribute, but Genya insisted on treating them to "celebrate coming first."

As they left, they all said goodbye to Naruto.

"See you, Naruto!"

Ino waved.

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun."

Hinata spoke softly.

"See you."

Genya nodded. Nami gave another polite smile as well.

With a mouthful of noodles still in his mouth, Naruto hastily looked up and mumbled a reply.

"Oh, right! See you!"

Outside the ramen shop, the evening breeze was cool.

Ino clearly wasn't ready for the outing to end. She grabbed Genya's arm and eagerly suggested,

"It's still early! Genya, how about we go browse Shopping Street? I know a new accessory shop that just opened. It's really fun!"

Before Genya could answer, he felt someone link arms with him on his other side.

Nami wore a smile, her voice gentle.

"Ino, today's assessment was pretty tiring. Why don't we find somewhere to rest? Besides, Genya has his regular training tonight."

Standing nearby, Hinata watched Genya get "sandwiched" between Ino and Nami. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, so she could only lower her head again.

Genya instantly felt a headache coming on.

He looked at Ino's burning gaze, then at Nami's gentle smile and the faint chill lurking in her eyes. With a helpless sigh, he offered a compromise.

"It might be a little late to go shopping... How about we sit for a while at the nearby Training Park? I've just eaten, so I could use a little exercise too."

The suggestion narrowly won their approval.

Though Ino was a little disappointed, she also became interested in watching Genya train.

Nami, meanwhile, thought that at least they weren't going shopping somewhere that could easily "lead to trouble."

And so the group headed to a quiet public training park nearby.

The sky was growing dark, and there were few people in the park.

After they sat down on a bench, Ino soon grew restless again and asked curiously,

"Genya, what kind of training do you do at night? Do you really practice every day?"

"Mostly Taijutsu and chakra control."

Genya gave a brief answer, taking the opportunity to extricate himself.

"Nami, want to spar a little? We can work off dinner."

Nami's eyes lit up. That was exactly what she wanted.

"Sure."

She rose gracefully and walked over to the open space beside them.

Genya and Nami began their Taijutsu sparring match.

Their movements brought out the flowing beauty of Uchiha-Style Taijutsu.

As their fists and feet met with a rush of wind, it looked less like a fight and more like a perfectly coordinated practice routine.

Nami gave it her all, while Genya controlled the pace and force, keeping her from feeling helpless while guiding her to recognize her shortcomings with just the right touch.

On the bench, Ino watched with delight, letting out exclamations now and then.

"Wow! That move was so cool, Nami! And Genya's reactions are way too fast!"

Outgoing by nature, she soon turned to Hinata beside her and tried to strike up a conversation.

"Hey, Hinata, can you follow what they're doing? Isn't your Hyuga Clan's Taijutsu really powerful too?"

Hinata's attention was also completely captured by the figures sparring before them.

Especially by the effortless ease with which Genya moved.

Only when she heard Ino's question did she come back to her senses and nod, looking a little embarrassed.

"Mm... Genya and Nami... are both really strong. Our Hyuga Clan uses Gentle Fist, which focuses on attacking chakra points..."

The two girls sat on the bench, watching the sparring match and chatting intermittently.

Ino was lively and took the initiative, while Hinata was reserved but answered earnestly.

Yet Hinata's gaze kept drifting unconsciously toward Genya. As she watched his focused profile while he guided Nami, the comparisons and disappointment in her heart continued to linger.

The park lights came on, illuminating the boys and girls. This evening after the end of the term seemed destined to be anything but peaceful.

Meanwhile, back at the ramen shop...

A certain blond boy slowly finished his last mouthful of noodles and set down his bowl with some reluctance.

His stomach felt warm, but that strange feeling in his heart had yet to settle.

He hopped off the tall stool, trying hard to make his voice sound as energetic as usual.

"Thanks for the meal, old man! Your ramen's still the best!"

Teuchi looked at the child before him, who always came to eat alone, then glanced in the direction Genya and his group of friends had left.

Wearing his trademark smile, he wiped the counter and casually asked,

"Naruto, were those kids your friends? They all seemed like fine young people."

"Friends."

The word fell into Naruto's heart like a pebble into a lake. His smile froze for a moment, then he scratched the back of his head and said loudly,

"Hahaha! Them? They're my classmates! The black-haired guy's called Genya, and he's super strong! He's number one in our year! The others are all classmates too!"

He deliberately emphasized "classmates," but the fleeting glint in his blue eyes betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Teuchi was a shrewd judge of people. How could he fail to notice the cautious hope beneath the child's show of nonchalance?

He smiled kindly, stopped what he was doing, and looked at Naruto as he spoke with sincerity.

"Is that so? Classmates you can eat and chat with are wonderful too. Looks like our little Naruto is gradually finding people he can talk to at school! That's a good thing, and worth celebrating!"

With a sweeping gesture, he declared generously,

"To celebrate Naruto making new... er, meeting some nice classmates, come by tomorrow and I'll treat you to free ramen all day! Any flavor you want!"