Chapter 25: Naruto

"Uncle Teuchi, I want a large bowl of pork-flavored char siu ramen!"

"Sure thing, Naruto!"

Teuchi smiled warmly at Naruto as he began preparing the ramen. Naruto carefully made his way to the farthest seat and hopped onto it. He loved this ramen shop. Ever since his first visit, he had always remembered it fondly. The ramen here was the best he had ever tasted, and unlike others, Uncle Teuchi never scolded or shunned him. He never treated Naruto as a nuisance or a disaster.

Sometimes, Naruto wondered if he loved the food or Uncle Teuchi's warm attitude more. But he concluded it was the taste that mattered most. Ichiraku Ramen was the best food he had ever had. Whenever he received his monthly allowance from the Third Hokage, his first stop was always here. And whenever he had something to celebrate, he would come here too.

"Here you go, Naruto, your large bowl of pork-flavored char siu ramen."

Soon, Teuchi served the ramen with his usual smile. By this time, the other patrons had left, leaving only a young couple seated nearby. Some passersby intended to enter, but upon seeing Naruto, they showed expressions of disgust and left. Naruto's presence clearly displeased them, affecting Teuchi's business. Yet, Teuchi didn't mind at all. He handed the cleaning duties to Ayame and leaned on the counter to chat with Naruto.

"Naruto, something good happen? I remember you were here earlier this month. Why are you back again today?"

"Because something good happened!"

Naruto picked up his chopsticks and began eating eagerly. "Itadakimasu! Mmm... so delicious!"

"Slow down, don't burn yourself," Teuchi advised, shaking his head. As he started preparing another batch of noodles, he asked, "You still haven't told me what's made you so happy."

"I've made a lot of real friends!" Naruto said between mouthfuls, clearly pleased with himself. "Today, Shikamaru, Choji, and I ditched class to play. Choji was hesitant at first, but I convinced him, and he even shared his chips with me. We got punished later, but I was so happy to finally have real friends!"

"Hey, you guys skipped class!" Ayame frowned, not sure whether to be annoyed at hearing about ninja school or because Naruto's presence affected business.

The young couple looked surprised, not expecting such news.

"And if you keep this up, you might not graduate to become a ninja," Ayame added.

"Alright, that's for the future," Teuchi interjected, cutting off the brewing argument between Naruto and Ayame. He added freshly cooked noodles and some slices of meat to Naruto's bowl, smiling as he did so. "But for now, congratulations, Naruto. You're one step closer to your dream. Keep it up!"

"Thank you, Uncle Teuchi! I'll make more friends and become the Hokage. Everyone will acknowledge me!"

Naruto felt his eyes sting as he looked at his ramen. Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey kid, can I ask you a question?"

The voice was calm, lacking any emotion but not unkind, surprising Naruto.

"Eh?" Naruto turned to see a handsome older boy with a Konoha headband looking at him. "What's your question, big brother?"

"You said you wanted to become Hokage, right?" The black-haired boy smiled warmly. "Do you think it's someone who becomes Hokage that gets everyone's approval? Or is it someone who has everyone's approval that becomes Hokage?"

"Are you crazy?" The pretty girl sitting beside the boy cut in. "He's too young to understand this. Just eat your ramen!"

"Okay." The black-haired boy pouted but then smiled at Naruto, nodding before resuming his meal. Naruto was left pondering the question, realizing it wasn't as simple as it seemed. He stored the question in his memory for future reflection.

After finishing his ramen, Naruto noticed the couple had left, leaving him alone in the ramen shop. Other potential customers had come and gone, deterred by his presence. He paid Teuchi but was surprised when Teuchi shook his head.

"No need, Naruto."

"But, Uncle Teuchi, I can't just..."

"Don't worry about it," Teuchi smiled, returning Naruto's money. "The young man who spoke to you earlier already paid for your meal."

"That big brother?" Naruto looked at the empty seat and murmured. The boy's treatment of him as a normal person had deeply moved Naruto.

"Uncle Teuchi, what was that big brother's name?"

"Him? If I'm not mistaken, he's Uchiha Yuhara."

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(40 Advance chapters)