Ramen….

By: Lazuli

G

Randomness. Naruto doesn't belong to me. This was inspired by a cute lil' fancomic where the Yondaime is eating ramen at Ichiraku.

Kakashi looked up at his teacher, eyes narrowed briefly. "You're not showing a good example of what a shinobi should eat." He said crossly. His teacher just laughed and ruffled Kakashi's hair. "It has too much saltiness in the flavor."

"Nothing beats ramen!" He said with a wide grin, eyes half closed as he savored the smell of the salty soup. Kakashi's nose wrinkled. "Not that you should eat it all the time…" His tone clearly said that he could care less about that. "But every once in awhile…"

"You eat here everyday." Kakashi's voice was flat, but he was trying not to smile at the look on his teacher's face. "You can't really say anything."

"But miso ramen is the best." Came the sigh of delight, and a moment after that a quick, mumbled, "Ikidakimasu" as the chopsticks were broken apart. "You shouldn't put it down, Kakashi." A moment later Kakashi watched in avid curiosity as his teacher devoured the noodles.

"You should eat your own, Kakashi." There was a break in the eating. "You'll like it and you'll take your students out to it one day."

Kakashi simply snorted and poked at the noodles. "Maybe." He said, voice quiet. "But I won't encourage it like you do." Laughter and another hair-ruffling was his only response.


Naruto grinned up at Kakashi, eyes bright with happiness. "Miso ramen is the best, Kakashi-sensei." He slurped up the noodles happily, eyes half closed in bliss. "Why didn't you order any?"

Kakashi gave a faint smile as he put his book aside for the moment. "Because I think it's too salty." He said calmly and watched Naruto. "I don't know how you can like it—and eat it every day."

Naruto blushed and poked at his soup. "I don't eat it every day." He insisted. "But even if you did—it's still a good thing, right? If you ate it more often, you'd like it, too." He grinned proudly. "I'm going to take my own students out for ramen."

Kakashi started slightly and then his smile grew behind his mask. Ruffling Naruto's hair, he hid behind his book again. "I'm sure you will, Naruto."

Keep this unknown tradition alive. Sensei… your son is just like you. He smirked. Bad eating habits and all.