My Brother's a Jinchūriki!

Chapter Seventy-Eight- Prince of the Leaf

"Welcome!" Teuchi said as he cleaned up the cooking area, his back turned as he heard a pair of footsteps approaching. After a moment he turned around and he smiled broadly at the redhead.

"Natsumi! Good to see you again. It's been a while."

"Hi, pops!" Natsumi grinned and waved at him. "Sorry for not visiting more. I've had a lot of missions lately."

"Who's this?" The man raised an eyebrow and looked at the dark-haired boy with her. "A hungry new customer, I hope."

Natsumi laughed quietly and gestured to the boy.

"This is Hasu. He's visiting the Leaf, so I'm showing him around."

"Visiting, huh?" Teuchi nodded slightly. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." Hasu bowed his head slightly. "I've been told that you make the best ramen."

Teuchi laughed loudly and put his hands on his hips.

"Well, anyone with such good taste is always welcome at my shop!" He motioned for them to sit down. "What would you like?" He smiled at Natsumi. "The usual?"

Natsumi nodded quickly as she sat and touched her stomach.

"Yes, please! I missed breakfast this morning, and that's the best."

"The usual?" Hasu repeated and looked at her.

Natsumi nodded and looked at the boy.

"A large Miso ramen with all the best toppings." She grinned. "There are other great flavors of ramen here, too, but that's my favorite."

"I'll have that, then" Hasu smiled and rested his arms on the counter. "After all, you're the expert."

Natsumi's cheeks warmed slightly and she looked away.

"I-I'm not an expert... I just eat here a lot."

Teuchi looked between the two, chuckling to himself at Natsumi's blush and he turned to begin cooking.

"So, you're visiting the Leaf, huh?" Teuchi asked the boy over his shoulder. "How do you like it so far?"

"I've found that it has some lovely views." Hasu smiled, glancing at Natsumi from the corner of his eye. "And there's much that I want to learn about it."

"Oh?" Teuchi chuckled again, glancing at Natsumi as she had gotten lost in thought with her chin resting in her hand, unaware of the conversation. He looked back at the young man, then back at the noodles as they cooked. "That's quite a goal. Could take a while, though; There's certainly a lot to learn in that regard."

"I'm patient." Hasu smiled and leaned against the counter to crane his head to watch the man cook.

"Dad, I'm back from my deliveries!" Ayame stepped inside and moved the cloth aside as she smiled and recognized the girl. "Oh, Natsumi!"

Natsumi blinked and sat upright, blinking and then quickly recognizing the teenager. "O-Oh. Hi, Ayame!"

"It's been a while since you last stopped by. Have you been busy?" Ayame moved behind the counter, setting down the travel carrier, and then washed her hands before helping her father.

"Very." Natsumi nodded, relaxing slightly as she leaned against the counter again. "This is my first break in a while, though. Lord Third's given me some time off so that I can watch Naruto in the Chunin Exams."

"Oh, really?" Teuchi asked as he got the bowls ready. "So, Naruto's taking the Chunin Exam already? It hasn't been very long since you graduated."

"You didn't hear?" Ayame looked over at her father. "Naruto and eight other recently graduated Ninja are taking the Chunin Exams this year. People are calling them the Rookie Nine."