The Ramen Shop grew noisy again.
The chairs were back in place and the bowls and plates neatly stacked. The cracks in the floor and the shallow, human-shaped crater Yamato had made were the only evidence that, ten minutes earlier, something underground had nearly blown the roof off the shop.
Goten crouched on the floor and ran a finger along the longest crack. The edges of the boards had been scorched black by the dark red light and still felt warm.
"Old man, this floor's on me. Tomorrow I'll find the best carpenter in Konoha to fix it."
A corner of the kitchen curtain lifted, revealing half of Teuchi's face. He tapped his spatula against the edge of the counter twice, the crisp clacks signaling his approval.
"Remember to use the most moisture-resistant wood. Otherwise, water will leak up from below and cause mold, and that'll affect the flour."
With that, the curtain fell, and the sound of the stove fire immediately followed. Yamato's three bowls of noodles were already cooking.
Temari walked over from the table with the ledger, her pen scratching two lines across the page. She wrote "repair expenses" larger than the main text, followed by a string of figures calculated down to the last unit.
Her four blond braids swung behind her shoulders as she rolled her eyes at Goten.
"This entire amount is coming out of next month's allowance."
"The entire amount? What am I supposed to live on next month, air?"
"You can drink ramen broth. It's free."
Goten stood and reached out to pull her close.
His movement was fast and precise. His palm pressed against the side of Temari's waist, tightening as he half-pulled, half-dragged her into his arms.
The ledger nearly flew out of Temari's hand. She let out half a