NaruAya: Over a bowl of Ramen
"Thank god that was over!" exclaimed Naruto as he stretched his arms behind his head. "Escorting four merchants to the Land of Mist and keeping of bandits sure is hard work!"
It was a hot summer day in Konoha when Naruto came back after collecting his reward from Tsunade. Most of the Ninjas of Konoha were off doing missions or other errands. Few, like Naruto, came back early.
"Maybe I should get some ramen after my hard work!" Naruto grinned as he walked to Ichiraku. When he entered the store, he found it empty and only Ayame, the owner's granddaughter behind the counter. When she heard someone's footsteps, she turned to face her customer.
"Hello Naruto", Ayame smiled warmly as Naruto sat down. "Just came back from a mission?"
"Yup", Naruto replied with a grin. "It was too easy!" He glanced around. "But where is the old man?"
"He went off to the Land of Grass to start another Ramen store with his other two assistants", Ayame answered with a shrug. "So I'm left here to stand the store in Konoha."
"Wow", Naruto said respectively. "This is my first time hearing the old man going outside Konoha." He sighed. "Well, there goes my ramen."
"And what does that suppose to mean?" Ayame said with her hands on her hips and sounding annoyed. "Even though grandpa isn't here doesn't mean I can't cook ramen!"
"That not what I mean!" protested Naruto, taken aback by Ayame's outburst. "I'm just saying that I won't be getting the ramen the old man cooked! I know your ramen are good but not as good as…."
"You wanna bet?" said Ayame with a sly grin.
"Yeah!" grinned Naruto as he emptied his wallet. "I will pay two times the price of the Pork ramen with my reward, deal?"
Ayame studied him, her grin widening. "Deal!" she agreed.
After thirty minutes of cooking the soup, adding the powder, meat, the egg roll and vegetables, and cooking the noodles, a bowl of ramen was placed in front of Naruto.
*
"I cannot stand it!" Yee Jian said with his mouth watering over the ramen he just described. "Fukaso, get me a bowl of pork ramen!"
Fukaso came back with a bowl of ramen. "Here you go sir!"
Yee Jian took a sip of the soup, and then he spat it out.
"You idiot!" shouted Yee Jian, hurling the bowl of ramen at Fukaso. "I wanted pork! Not beef!"
Fukaso, covered from head to toe with noodles, answered, "But beef is cheaper than pork, and I'm too lazy to go to a Japanese restaurant!"
Yee Jian glowered at Fukaso. "That's it! You're FIRED!"
"What?" Fukaso cried in disbelief. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
*
"Well", Ayame prompted Naruto as he slurped the ramen. "How is it?"
After gulping down the soup, he said slurry, "I love it! I love it! It's even better than the old man's one!" Naruto grinned at Ayame. "All right Ayame, I take what I said back! You really cook good ramen!"
"I told you", Ayame giggled. "Don't say that to grandpa though. He might get offended!"
"Yeah sure!" promised Naruto. "Can I have another bowl?"
"On the house!" said Ayame, turning back to cook more ramen.
It was already nightfall when Naruto finished ten bowls of ramen cooked by Ayame. Naruto laid his head on the counter with a happy sigh.
"That was good!" sighed Naruto. "I feel so drowsy!" He sat up straight and pulled out his wallet. "Here, 700 yen for the ramen!"
"Thanks Naruto!" Ayame said as she took the money from Naruto. "Grandpa is going to be a rich man when he comes back."
"Well, I better get going", Naruto said as he got up from his stool. "Thanks a lot Ayame."
Ayame studied Naruto as he headed for the exit. Before Naruto could step out of the door, Ayame suddenly said, "Naruto, would you mind walking me back to my house? It's so dark in the street."
Naruto hesitated for a moment! He stood there, embarrassed. Then he turned back to Ayame and smiled, "My pleasure."
After helping Ayame closed down the store, the two of them walked back to Ayame's house together. They finally reached her apartments where she and her grandfather lived together for all this years. The apartment was small with only two bedrooms, a bathroom and a living room. The whole place was covered with posters of ramen or ingredients for ramen.
"Wow", Naruto said as he stepped inside the flat. "This is my first time coming here."
"We normally are too busy to invite any one into our house", Ayame answered with a shrug. "So it is very quiet here."
Naruto was still examining the room when Ayame suddenly pushed gently into the sofa. Before Naruto could tell what is going on, Ayame was on top of Naruto.
"You know Naruto", Ayame murmured. "Not only you're my best customer but you're my sweetheart! I love you, Naruto!"
Naruto was stunned for a while, and then he gently caressed Ayame's cheeks. "I love you too, my ramen girl." he added, remembering Ayame's nickname.
Ayame giggled and kissed him gently on the lips.