Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor will I ever.

Just a few things to say before I get to the actual story. This has been written for awhile and I finally got around to posting it. The idea was inspired because of my brothers talking about obsessions to ramen, and then we got into a talk about not having ramen, hence where this story came about. I started it then, but I hadn't finished it until I need to turn something in for a Creative Writing Final that I had during my last year in high school. Anyway, here it is. Hope you all like it.

My Ramen

Naruto's POV

I rummaged through the cabinets, throwing everything around, wondering where my precious ramen was. Opening several of the cabinets, I could feel my orange pants and jacket being tugged on by their edges. I gave a frustrated growl to the cabinets before I went back to searching again. I looked everywhere, but I just couldn't manage to find any. "Oh where, oh where is my ramen?" I said loudly to myself, almost saying it louder, but fearing someone would yell at me for it, such as one of the villagers. I just wouldn't be able to survive today if I don't get my ramen.

Finding nothing in my cabinets, I looked around my kitchen…. "This is really bad… There is no ramen at all! I can't believe that I don't have more of my beloved ramen here! I don't know what I'll do. I would go to Ichiraku… but I don't have enough money. I would ask Iruka-sensei to treat me, but he has been too busy to ask." I sighed with that thought. "I have no idea what I should do… I guess I might as well go train or something, anything, to get my mind off of my need for ramen." I looked toward the mess I had made again, and wondered whether I should clean it. I decided to leave it the way it was, even against my better judgment, since I knew that if Iruka-sensei saw it he would make me clean it up right then… with a lecture, but I really didn't feel like cleaning now.

With that distasteful thought in mind, I left in search of something to keep me occupied. Walking around the village to get to the training spot, I took the back routes in order to avoid having to face the villagers. I needed to have my ramen to be able to function well enough, and running into the villagers required all functions. Running from one alley to the next to get to my destination sooner, I ran into something. I noticed that whatever I had hit managed to fall as well. I looked up to see those certain sparkling emerald eyes and the always noticeable pink hair of my crush. This brought a jolt of realization, which made me quickly get up while saying, "Sorry, Sakura-chan! I am so sorry! I really didn't mean to run into you. I really didn't!" I was really afraid that Sakura-chan would probably beat me up again. I wasn't looking forward to that. Especially since I only wanted my ramen.

"Just shut up, and help me up, Naruto!" Sakura-chan yelled. I hurriedly offered my hand, to which she seemed reluctant to grab. I hoisted her up and noticed that she didn't look as angry as I had thought she would have been. She gave me an annoyed look before she looked like she had an idea. "Hey… Naruto?" she asked with a slight smile.

I knew it was going to be an idea that I really didn't care for. "Yes, Sakura-chan?" I questioned back, giving her one of my fox-like smiles.

"Would you happen to know where Sasuke-kun is?" Her voice had achieved the dreamy tone that she always held when Sasuke was brought up. Lately, all this Sasuke talk was really grating on my nerves more than it usually would.

"No, I haven't seen where that Sasuke has been," I harshly stated while looking at her and noticing that what I had just said had been the wrong thing to say. I knew that, if I wanted to live longer I was going to have to get away as quickly as possible. With that, I started to inch away from Sakura-chan hoping she wouldn't notice.

"What did you say about Sasuke-kun, Naruto?" She started following me with that evil look she always got when someone said something bad about Sasuke.

If it weren't for the fact that Sakura-chan was madly in love with him, I would have said more things about him, none good. "Nothing, nothing at all, Sakura-chan." I then stopped inching away and ran away as fast as I could, hoping that I could get away from Sakura-chan before she decided she was going to beat me up. I wasn't quite lucky though, since she started to chase me right away.

Sakura-chan had gone back to the direction of where her house was. Feeling sore after what had just happened with Sakura-chan; I decided to head over near Ichiraku to see if there would be someone I knew around who would be willing to treat me to ramen. I doubted there would be anyone, but I decided to give it a try.

The walk to the Ramen Stand was a somewhat long one, with me being on the edge of starvation—or at least the fact that I was very hungry. I was really hoping at that point that somebody would be nearby for me to beg—I mean trick—them into getting me some ramen. After all, if I give him or her puppy-dog eyes, that would get anybody to buy me Ramen… or at least that was what I hoped.

Finally, after I managed the short walk to Ichiraku, I looked around to see who my victim would be. Of course, the only person whom I saw there—that I knew, of course—was my rival; the black-haired, black-eyed Sasuke. Seriously, with all the blue clothes he wears and the rest of his blackness, why do the girls all fall for him? I really don't see it. I guess I have to agree with Shikamaru on the whole girls being troublesome. I think that be one of the only things I agree with him on—the troublesome thing—he says it all the time.

"Hey, Dead-last, what brings you here?" Sasuke sneered at me, which I knew was supposed to irritate me into yelling at him, but I was here for a mission: ramen.

"Hey, Sasuke, would you buy me some ramen? Please?" I give him my puppy-dog eyes while biting my tongue so that I didn't blow it and start yelling at him. I needed that ramen.

"Hmm... What will you do for me, then?" Sasuke questioned with that all-knowing-look.

I looked away for a minute before glancing back in his direction. "What do you want?" I looked straight at him, and I could tell that he was thinking really hard about it.

"Well, I guess the best thing you could do for me in exchange for ramen is to not insult me for two weeks. Think you can do it, Dead-last?"

I sighed in defeat, knowing that if I really wanted my ramen, I would need to do just as he says. I knew it was going to be hard, but for ramen I would do it. "Fine, I'll do it—if only for the ramen."

He gave me a nod of the head with a smirk on his face and headed into Ichiraku.

I looked at him, not yet moving, because of the lack of words that were coming out of his mouth.

"Come on, Dead-last."

At that, I hurriedly followed him to get my ramen.

"Hey, Dead-last, you can only have up to two bowls of ramen."

"What?! Well, fine, Sasuke." I pouted before telling the owner what kind of ramen I wanted to eat. I then looked over at Sasuke and noticed that he hadn't ordered anything. I was going to ask why he didn't get any, but a bowl of ramen was placed before me before I could ask.

After finishing the two bowls of ramen that Sasuke said he would treat me to, I finally remembered that Sasuke did not have any ramen to eat. "Hey…Sasuke? Why didn't you get any ramen to eat? Are you sick or something?" I gave him a questioning look, hoping that he would answer me truthfully, which I was betting he would not want to.

"Not everybody likes ramen like you do, Naruto. Anyway, don't friends help their friends out when they need it?" The way that Sasuke said "friends" made it seem like he was just trying out the word in his mouth.

It almost made me want to laugh the way he said it, but the fact that he was being serious made me happy. Sasuke was finally admitting that he wanted to be friends, and he was hoping that I would agree with him. "Yeah, friends do help their friends out."

"Good. It looks like you don't need me for the rest of the day, Dead-last—I mean, Naruto." He then started to walk away.

I smiled, knowing that he was trying, but he couldn't exactly do too much at this point. "Thanks, Sasuke." I then left as well, knowing that I would be able to survive the day and probably have a better day than usual with the fact that I had one more friend now.