CHAPTER 7

"The Rose and the Ramen"

"Huh? This doesn't look like Ino's place…" Tatsun looked around, confused for a moment. "Wait, her family runs a flower shop, right? This must be it."

Just outside the Yamanaka Flower Shop stood a blonde girl arranging fresh tulips by the display window. Tatsun paused. That's definitely Ino Yamanaka…

He walked over, playing it cool. "Hey, excuse me—uh, I'm kinda new around here. Are you…?"

The girl turned to him with a curious smile. "I'm Yamanaka Ino. We're in the same class under Iruka-sensei, remember?"

Tatsun feigned realization. "Oh! Ino, right! Sorry, I didn't recognize you outside of class."

Ino chuckled. "It's okay. I help out here after school—it's my mom's flower shop."

Tatsun glanced around at the neatly arranged bouquets. "Nice place. Do you like working with flowers?"

Ino nodded brightly. "Yeah, I love it. They're beautiful, and each one has a meaning."

Tatsun picked up a rose from the nearby stand and turned it over in his hand. "What about this one? How much is it?"

Ino blinked, then hesitated slightly. "That's a rose. It usually means love or affection. People give it to someone special. But… if you want it, I could give it to you… no charge."

Tatsun raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Oh? Giving me a rose? That's usually for someone you like, right? Are you saying you like me, Ino?"

Ino's face went red in an instant. "W-what?! No! I mean—uh—I didn't mean it like that! I just thought—ah, never mind!"

"Haha, just teasing you," Tatsun laughed. "Seriously though, how much?"

Ino puffed her cheeks slightly, flustered. "Ten ryo…"

Tatsun handed her the coins. "Then I'll take it."

He paused, then gently held the rose out to her.

"Huh?" Ino blinked. "You're… giving it back?"

"Yup. You said you like roses, right? Then this one's for you."

Ino took it, holding it like a fragile treasure. "Thank you… I love it."

"Glad to hear it. See you tomorrow in class, Ino."

"Yeah… see you, Chen-kun."

Tatsun turned to leave, and behind him, Ino hid her smile behind her hands, cheeks glowing. "He gave me a rose…"

As Tatsun walked down the streets of Konoha, he smiled to himself. Ino really was adorable when she was younger.

His stomach suddenly rumbled. "Ugh… I'm starving. Wait a second—Ichiraku Ramen! How could I forget?"

Ichiraku Ramen wasn't just a food stall—it was a landmark. Naruto Uzumaki's favorite place in the entire village. Even back in the Ninja Academy days, Iruka-sensei used to take Naruto there after class to treat him. It was where Naruto laughed, cried, and talked about his dreams of becoming Hokage.

"No visit to Konoha is complete without a bowl of Ichiraku," Tatsun thought. "Let's find it!"

As he wandered toward the restaurant, he suddenly heard shouts from a nearby alley.

"Hit him! Hit him again!"

Frowning, Tatsun followed the voices into a side street. There, he saw three older boys surrounding a smaller child with messy blond hair, who was already on the ground.

"Stupid fox! Think you're better than us?" one boy sneered, kicking the kid's side.

"You shouldn't even be allowed in the Academy!" another scoffed.

The boy on the ground winced but didn't cry. He looked up at them, fierce determination in his eyes. "I'm not garbage! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna be Hokage someday—you'll see!"

Tatsun froze. Uzumaki Naruto… the real deal.

He stepped forward without thinking. "Hey! That's enough!"

The older boys startled and ran off.

Naruto wiped his nose with his sleeve, not bothering to thank Tatsun. He stood shakily, fists clenched, eyes burning with pride and pain.

"You okay?" Tatsun asked, concerned.

Naruto gave a lopsided grin. "Tch. I'm fine. I can handle myself."

Of course he'd say that, Tatsun thought. This is the kid who grew up alone, scorned by the village, and still had the guts to dream big.

He remembered what he knew from the manga. Naruto's parents—Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki—had died sealing the Nine-Tails inside their newborn son to save the village. But no one told Naruto the truth. To protect the secret, the Third Hokage forbade anyone from speaking about the Nine-Tails.

The villagers only saw him as the monster sealed within, and Naruto bore the brunt of their hatred. No friends. No family. Just pranks and stubbornness to get someone—anyone—to notice him.

But even then, he never gave up.

"Hey," Tatsun said softly, "You're pretty cool, you know that?"

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

"I believe you. About being Hokage. You're gonna make it."

Naruto stared for a moment, then scratched the back of his head, trying to hide a grin. "Heh… damn right I will."

As Naruto limped off proudly down the alley, Tatsun stood there, quietly amazed.

That kid… even before everyone else saw it, he already had the heart of a Hokage.