532 days since the Uzushiogakure Massacre

Uzumaki Kushina

"Kichiro?" I asked, tugging on his sleeve.

"Hm?" he asked distractedly as he paid for a bag of rice.

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

I pointed at a shop across the street.

"Don't point. That's a ramen restaurant."

"What's ramen?"

Kichiro blinked and stared at me as if he couldn't believe I asked him that. "Ramen is food. It's super affordable, but we have enough money to eat something healthier, so I guess I've never thought to make it."

"Okay," I responded uncertainly.

"Come on, let's finish making breakfast at home, I'm hungry."

I didn't think about the ramen shop until it was time for lunch at the Academy. "Minato?" I asked cautiously.

"Can we go get ramen for lunch?"

Minato gave me an odd look. "But you love Kichiro's bento, especially when its stolen."

"I want to try it."

"You've never had ramen?" He squeaked, the blood draining from his face.

"No."

"Like, never, ever had ramen?" I reached out to steady him, quite concerned at his extreme reaction.

"Nope."

"What about Kichiro?"

"I don't know, he knew what it was this morning, but he didn't seem to have an opinion on it."

He frowned. "We'll get ramen and bring it back for dinner." He continued to mumble under his breath, but the bento I had stolen from Kichiro quickly distracted me. Stolen food always tasted better.

That evening was the discovery of the greatest food to have ever graced the universe. Even better than Kichiro's mysterious pizza. That evening was my first night in charge of food and Kichiro's last.