He felt deeply unsure of himself. Everything about this felt wrong.

He hovered on the rooftop next to the ramen stand which looked familiar. The coloured covering was a different colour, but he remembered the face of the old man he could see in the kitchen.

He was the same man, older maybe. His hair was a bit greyer than the childlike memory he had.

He felt odd merely observing a target. He wasn't even a target. He could make these observations up close but didn't want to.

He didn't want to initiate contact. Normally the only contact initiated was done by means of tanto blade or crossbow bolt. He touched the butt of his bow just to feel a little more reassured that he was safe.

He slowed his breathing and descended into an alleyway. Why did he feel on edge? He'd dropped his hood anyway. He felt the slight breeze caress his face through the stubble he hadn't shaved off. He barely saw the point of shaving anyway.

Just a few easy steps to the booth and enjoy some food he wanted to eat. He checked he had the funds on him to pay for the meal. He did. His pay had gone forgotten into a bank account, and since he had killed Sasuke in such dire circumstances, the mission had gone up in difficulty substantially.

He felt a pang of guilt that he didn't really pay for food like this. Busy shinobi had a service whereby a selection of foods could be delivered to their apartments during the day. It meant they could train for longer and that there was more work all round for the ever growing civilian population. Naruto was delivered to by the service, the old Hokage having signed him up as soon as he left Root. He lost that much pay per month for the privilege.

This was a new experience, and he should be trying to extract maximum benefit from it. His body was healed, and he could use more practice in social interaction. This was of logical benefit.

That thought line comforted him. That was more like it. Clearly defined objective, means of achievement and logical reasoning.

With this in mind, he took a few steps into the open streets. Nobody spared him not much more than a glance as they walked on by. Shinobi occasionally dressed strangely, and the kid could pull off the cloak look. Civilians were used to the occasional shinobi with odd dress sense, even if Maito Gai running in the green jumpsuit was a sight you only needed to see once.

He tried to walk calmly, fighting the combat instinct to run from cover to cover immediately. He approached the ramen stand from the side, minimizing the amount of time the girl at the counter had to see him. He berated himself for not taking a frontal approach.

He saw the selection of stools and analysed which one he felt would be best. It was probably beneficial to start with small levels of social interaction, and he didn't want too much attention.

A stool at the edge then. That would work well.

He sat on the high stool, feeling his legs leave the ground. He crossed his feet behind the legs for added stability. That was a good feeling.

He realised he was still looking away and turned his head towards the girl behind the counter who was staring at him with an odd look on her face.

Naruto's brain struggled with opening contact. Something friendly, some form of greeting? New contact so respectful? Not too respectful?

He was spared attempting introduction as the girl walked over. She leant on the counter casually and smiled.

"Hi, can I help you?"

He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. She had opened conversation. Now, he still needed to do introductions and he had been asked a question.

"Yes, I am here to consume ramen."

That was good. He had stated his goal clearly and without undue loss of clarity. Surely this was how people opened conversation.

She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Well yes. This is a ramen stand. What kind of ramen would you like to eat?"

She passed him a piece of paper with options on it. Naruto scanned it swiftly. Different varieties of ramen? Was there not one optimal flavour with was the best balance of nutrition and taste? What kind had he had before?

Naruto tried to think of selecting a dish. It was difficult. He needed to weigh up so many factors. Rarity of dish ingredients, price, size. His mind whirred.

"I recommend the seafood ramen myself, it's pretty tasty and Dad loves making it."

Ah. She recommended it; therefore it had to be good. He checked the entry. There were certainly several ingredients he had never tried, and that must have been part of the eating process. He considered his food requirements but the waft of scent from the kitchen area made him ignore it as a factor. It was coming back now.

"I would like a large bowl please."

She smiled.

"Coming right up!"

She turned and walked to the kitchen, throwing him a last, quizzical glance as she entered the kitchen.

Naruto quickly checked under the cloth that covered the counter. It was solid wood. How was the dish going to rise upwards? Was there some jutsu involved? He checked around carefully for Hyuuga, and finding there were none, activated his Byakugan for a second.

The ramen stand owners were talking, but neither of them were shinobi. How then was the ramen to appear by rising upwards?

A thought clicked away in his mind.

It must be a figure of speech, or some form of word play to mean that the food would be arriving promptly. It made sense.

He smiled, the illogicality of language having been surrounded, examined and broken apart by his mental logic. He waited, taking in the smell from the kitchens that wafted out. It really was quite a pleasant smell. He remembered that smell.

The girl came out and again and cradled her head in her hands, leaning on the counter and looking at him with amused eyes.

"So, what's your name?"

"Naruto."

She smiled.

"I'm Ayame. I've been working here since I can remember. You're a shinobi right?"

"Yes. I too have been a shinobi since I can remember."

"Really?"

"Yes."

She looked a little saddened by this.

"Umm, are you an orphan?"

He looked at her as she brushed away a few stray strands of brown hair from under her chef's hat. It was somewhat pleasant to look at.

"Ayame, could you take over the kitchen? I'm in need of a lunch break."

"Ok Dad."

The man emerged with two large bowls of steaming broth and noodles. Naruto remembered that sight, only from lower down. He had been shorter then.

The man put them on the counter and offered Naruto a pair of chopsticks to eat with.

"Itadakimasu."

They began to eat and the flavours hit Naruto at the first bite. It was somehow better than his memory remembered. He ate slowly, savouring every bite. The man ate his own slowly, looking at Naruto.

"It was Naruto wasn't it? I'm Teuchi; you were probably too young to remember."

Naruto looked up a little too quickly and felt the feeling of stupidity rise. The man chuckled.

"I remember you from all those years ago, a lot shorter mind, but the hair colour is the same, and the whisker marks. Lady Tsunade also mentioned you might be coming. You seem to have grown up a little since then."

Naruto quietly pulsed his chakra. There were no genjutsu around. That was a good sign. The man was likely genuine. He continued to eat, the pace slowly increasing.

"I remember you ate fast from when you were very small. You haven't changed in that regard. Now, tell me about yourself."

Naruto nodded as he swallowed.

"I am a shinobi. I don't really understand people properly and recently undertook a long mission in isolation. I do as I am ordered. Sometimes I stare at the stars and fires and things that are interesting. I'm a ghost."

The man let out a long whistle and ate a bit more of his food.

"Sounds interesting. You're not, well, normal. Ayame noticed that. Have you ever bought anything from anywhere before?"

"No."

The man nodded.

"Well it explains a lot. Whatever happened to you between last time I saw you and now must have been crazy. You don't seem to have grown up in the traditional way at all. Were you trained by some secret organisation or something?"

He quirked an eyebrow as he said it, his face in a beaming smile. Naruto realised the attempt at humour and tried to laugh. It was a very odd sound and the man looked a little startled.

"Quite the...um laugh you have there. You don't laugh much do you?"

"No."

Naruto found that he was running out of noodles in his bowl, and began to gently drain the broth from the bowl. This had been a pleasant meal. Certainly not nutritionally balanced, but he had always kept going.

The older man smiled.

"I take it you enjoyed it?"

"I did."

Of that he was certain. His stomach still felt like there was more room. The Hokage could hardly blame him for trying to eat more. He realised the thought made him a little bit giddy inside, like it was forbidden.

"I would like another bowl."

The man smiled.

"What flavour this time?"

"The type you had please, it makes sense that you'd prefer a good flavour as the chef."

The man's smile widened.

"Ayame! Another miso ramen! Make it a big one!"

"On its way!"

Naruto relaxed a little. Whilst they were oddly dedicated to a food, Teuchi and Ayame were pleasant people to eat near. He did not press for details or force him to bring up darker times.

It was certainly a welcome break from talking to only shinobi. He realised they were the first civilians he'd ever had extended and non-violent contact with.

Another figure sat at the booth and balanced expertly on the stool. Naruto realised they only had one arm. It wasn't all that uncommon. The figure was young though. The older man recognised him. The young man looked familiar, and he realised who it was. He'd met his father after all.

"Shikamaru. Good to see you here again. How are things?"

The young man shrugged a little.

"As usual. Some of the deer got startled this morning and I had to ease them around and calm them. Didn't take long, but still a bother."

The older man nodded sagely.

"Sounds almost...troublesome?"

That got a sigh; Teuchi gave him a playful punch in the arm.

"I'll get the usual for you; I know how you like it."

He retreated into the kitchen and gentle murmurs of conversation emanated forth, the young man turned to Naruto,

"I wondered when I'd get to meet you Naruto."

"How do you know my name Shikamaru?"

The boy smiled.

"The same way you heard mine. People mentioned it, especially after the mission."

He touched the stump of his arm that remained.

"Your dedication to surviving the battle was impressive. I heard you were forced to detonate a tag at point blank range to win your battle."

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Out of options really. It wasn't my first choice plan."

"Understandable."

The boy nodded.

"So you killed Sasuke. I'll admit that it's bothersome that after all our team went through you had to kill him instead of bringing him back."

That sounded odd, like he meant it differently somehow.

"I had no option. I lack the strength to fight off the military strength of Oto. It took nearly three years to poison him."

Shikamaru sighed.

"Well I appreciate you dealing with him. He left and he caused a lot of damage. All of us will never be the same."

Naruto recalled Kiba saying something very similar to that.

"I am..."

He realised he didn't know the word for what he felt. He certainly felt...bad about it but bad was the wrong word. He knew the pain they had felt but he didn't know it. He felt...like he needed to do something or say something.

"You're as they said. You're not sure what you're feeling right now are you?"

"True. I did not expect you to have such a grasp on emotion. Certainly you are intelligent beyond your appearance and speech."

The young man shook his head a little and smiled slightly.

"Whatever. I prefer the relaxed life, even if I do miss my arm and being with my team more sometimes. I have uses beyond direct confrontation. A specialist, like yourself. In theory we could form an efficient team."

Naruto considered his non-combat weaknesses.

"You are an intelligence specialist?"

"Pretty much. I'm interested by meeting you. You're a bit like I expected, although the fact you aren't hooded is unexpected."

"I was ordered not to."

"That is expected. The Hokage is touchy and wants what she wants."

Teuchi appeared with a couple of bowls of ramen. Shikamaru nodded to the man, who decided to keep out of the conversation.

They began to eat. Shikamaru talked between deliberate mouthfuls.

"So then, I'm curious as to your training. You weren't part of our graduating class, and you're not from a clan. So that means you were trained privately."

Naruto felt impressed by his eating companion. He was like Shino as he actually thought about things logically.

"Of course, if you'd have had a private jonin sensei they would have been introduced. In fact, you only appeared suddenly and sporadically. So no visible sensei, a huge specialisation and if what they've said is to be believed you're incredibly tough. In fact, too tough. You with stand pain and make choices other people can't."

That was true. He'd never considered himself to be tough as such; merely that pain was not an obstacle, and logic a straight path.

"So, that leaves nowhere conventional for your training. So either the former Hokage set up a secret and incredibly harsh training environment for you, or someone else did. Or you're not who you say you are. Two options."

Shikamaru took another mouthful of the food.

"I'm not sure which one I prefer less."

Naruto knew he couldn't tell the full truth. Then again, this was one person who could work him out fully.

"I was privately trained by ANBU."

Technically true.

"It might have been considered harsh; I don't think the Hokage liked it."

Almost certainly true in every regard. That's why the Hokage had brought him into the light. Shikamaru nodded.

"Interesting. I would find out more, but that would be too troublesome. You are a mystery though."

"I'm a ghost."

Shikamaru smiled.

"An interesting concept in more ways than one."

He got up, and Teuchi appeared swiftly to accept his money. The older man watched as Shikamaru walked away, his figure slightly odd from his missing arm.

"He's a good lad that Shikamaru. Shame about the mission that ended his frontline life. Were you on that mission?"

Naruto felt a little uncomfortable, but fleeing suddenly wouldn't be the right way to do things.

"I was."

The words sounded poor and weak coming out of his mouth, and the man looked concerned.

"Oh. I apologise for asking. It sounds like even you came out of it with bad memories. I apologise for thinking anything less."

That was true enough. The words were far too close to the truth. He felt the tingling in his side begin and he stroked a hand soothingly over it despite knowing nothing would happen.

The man gave an apologetic noise.

"Must be a wound from the mission."

"Indeed."

It was close enough to the truth for him to not feel like a liar. Naruto reached for his money and paid silently. The man gave him a short nod as Naruto walked away into the open. He turned to the kitchen.

"Poor lad. He's as hurt as Tsunade-sama said he was. Good thing she gave me good warning he was coming."

Ayame nodded.

"That mission changed a lot. We lost one of our favourite people and it's affected several others."

Teuchi stirred a pot gently for a few moments as they waited for the next customer to arrive. It wouldn't take long.

"You think he's cute don't you?"

Ayame focused more on the food she was chopping to avoid looking at her father and reveal the blush she now sported.

"I think he'll be back you know."

She sighed. He'd be on about this for days.

A/N So this marks the start of part 4, and these next lot of chapters are the ones I've felt happiest with whilst writing, so hope you all like them!