Golden Child

What It Means To Be A Ninja

Chapter 3

"This is just the best, isn't it?!" 

Kimiko looked up from her large, ramen filled bowl, chopsticks hanging limp between her fingers as she shrugged. "Me.," She mumbled, "It's just okay."

"Just okay?!" Kushina almost choked on her ramen, "What do ya mean 'just okay'?! Ramen is the stuff of GODS! It can't be 'just okay' dammit!"

Kimiko reeled her head back a bit at the older woman's display of passion, she knew Kushina liked ramen but she didn't know she liked it this much...maybe that's why Minato turned down the offer to join them at the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

"I'm flattered, Kushina-chan." Kimiko looked up at the sound of a hearty chuckle, finding a man standing behind the counter.

Dressed in a white cap and apron, and a wide grin, the ramen chef beamed down at his favourite customer. "But I don't think i'm that good."

"But ya are, Teuchi-san! You should really give yourself more credit, your ramen is THE best!" Kushina told him, throwing her arms up. "I ain't kiddin'!"

Teuchi just smiled, "Then, thank you." Before looking back at the sound of a giggle, Kimiko leaned forward on her stool to see a small child waddling forward, matching brown eyes and hair, with an innocent smile.

"Oh! Ayame-chan!" Kushina grinned at the sight of the toddler, "You've gotten so big! Before ya know it you'll be all grown up! Time flies sure does fly." She grinned. "I must be gettin' old."

Teuchi knelt down to pick up his daughter, turning back to Kushina. "She's already two now, maybe you and Minato-kun should consider settling down and starting a family?" 

Kushina went a little pink, scratching the back of her head with a sheepish smile. "Jeez, give me a break, Teuchi-san! I'm engaged to the guy, what more do ya want?"

He smiled, "A friend for Ayame-chan would be nice, and who is this? Another redhead?" Kimiko tilted her head up when all eyes turned to her.

"Ah!" Kushina threw her arm around Kimiko, "This is Kimiko! She's gonna be staying with me and Minato from now on!" She told her, grinning. "We're family, ya know?!"

"Family huh?" Teuchi nodded with a smile, "That's nice, and how old are you little one?"

Kimiko felt her eyebrow twitch. 'Little?...I ain't that young, ya arse!' But refrained from voicing such thoughts with a young child around.

"Five." Kimiko told him. "Turned a few months back."

"Five?" Teuchi smiled, "That means you'll be starting at the Academy soon, won't you? That's the entrance age now, isn't it? They just keep seeming to lower it year after year.."

"Academy?" Kimiko furrowed her brow. "What's that?"

Kushina looked back to Kimiko. "Ya don't know what the Academy is?!" She gaped, stunned.

"No or else I would've said." Kimiko looked up dully at the woman. Kushina just laughed, "The Academy is where ya train to become a shinobi! And you're right, Teuchi-san, they just keep lowering the age limit...I remember when it used to be ten, now five? What is the council thinking..."

The woman sighed and Teuchi smiled sympathetically, knowing the life of a shinobi must be hard. "But as for Ko-chan entering the Academy..." Kushina looked over to the girl, "Would ya want to?"

Kimiko just shrugged. "Dunno, never gave it thought, there weren't exactly any shinobi where I lived."

Teuchi smiled, "Well then maybe you should, becoming a shinobi and fighting for the village is a great honour, you know, and I always give discounts to hard working shinobi like Kushina-chan here."