003 Reintroducing Ramen - Hinata’s POV

The cab ride was quiet, save for the gentle hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of movement. Naruto sat beside Hinata, his face practically pressed against the window, his eyes darting around as if trying to absorb everything at once.

“What’s that, Hinata-chan?” he asked, pointing at a brightly lit storefront with glowing signs.

Hinata followed his gaze. “A convenience store,” she answered.

Naruto hummed in thought, then pointed again. “And that?”

“A train station.”

Again. “That one?”

“A vending machine.”

It continued like that for a while—Naruto pointing, Hinata answering. His curiosity was boundless, his gaze flickering to everything that seemed remotely interesting. And in this world, that was almost everything.

Hinata sighed. There was a lot Naruto needed to learn about modern Japan. The technology, the culture, the way things worked here. But more than that, there were things he needed to relearn—things about himself, about his past.

She glanced at him, her grip tightening slightly on her lap. Naruto-kun…

Peaceful as Japan seemed on the surface, it was still a dangerous place. Not because of war or missing-nin, but because of something else entirely. Something far more insidious.

The cab slowed to a stop.

“We’re here,” the driver announced.

Hinata looked up, recognizing the area. They were dropped near Sugisawa Municipal High School, a towering structure standing proudly against the skyline.

Naruto stepped out of the cab, craning his neck to take in the sight. He pointed at the tall building. “What’s that?”

“A school,” Hinata answered. “A place of learning. Just like the Academy, where we learned the basics as a shinobi.”

Naruto nodded slowly, though it was clear he was still trying to process everything.

The streets were busier than she would have liked—students heading home, workers bustling about. The sheer number of people made Hinata uneasy. Without thinking, she reached for Naruto’s hand, gripping it firmly.

Naruto blinked but didn’t pull away.

“Don’t get lost, Naruto-kun,” she murmured.

Then, she led him forward, guiding him through the sea of unfamiliar faces.

They walked past the school, past the bustling streets, slipping further away from the crowd until they reached the outskirts—a forested area where the city noise dulled to a distant hum. Hidden within the trees stood an abandoned building, its walls cracked and worn, its windows either broken or covered in grime.

Hinata stopped in front of it, releasing a slow breath.

“This is where I’ve been staying,” she said.

Naruto stared at the place, then at her. “Hinata-chan, you’ve been staying here?”Hinata gave a small nod. “It’s safe. It’s hidden.”

It wasn’t much, but it had been enough for her. And now, it would be enough for them both.

The abandoned building stood silent and unassuming, hidden away in the forest. It was the kind of place people ignored, a forgotten structure with its cracked walls and moss creeping along its foundation. It hadn’t always been like this. Once, long ago, it had been a part of something—a complex, maybe an old dormitory—but time and neglect had left it to decay.

Hinata stepped inside, the wooden floor creaking under her weight. The air inside was still, a faint trace of dust lingering in the corners, but compared to how she had first found it, the place was practically spotless.

The first time she arrived here, she could tell immediately why it had been abandoned. A lingering presence. Something inhuman. Something wrong.

Nationally, the number of unexplained deaths and missing persons exceeded ten thousand annually. It was a horrifying statistic, one that spoke of the reality hidden beneath Japan’s peaceful surface. This place was just one of many—abandoned, forgotten, and left to fester with whatever unnatural force had claimed it.

But she had cleansed it.

The ghost—or weird ghost thing-y, as Naruto-kun would probably call it—had been persistent. She could still remember the oppressive weight of its presence, the cold prickle along her skin. But it wasn’t nearly as strong as the people she had faced before. A well-placed strike, her chakra flaring in controlled bursts, and the spirit had dissipated.

From that moment on, the place was hers.

With a bit of effort, she had fixed it up. The main room, which was now her living space, had been barren at first. Now, it felt lived in. A desk sat in one corner, something she had hauled over from a different abandoned building. It was worn but sturdy. She had gathered a few other pieces of furniture over time—a chair, a small table, even some shelves.

The kitchenette was simple, but functional. She had saved up from her part-time job at the mall to buy utensils at a discount—a pot, a pan, a few plates, and chopsticks. Nothing extravagant, just enough for one person to survive.

And then, in one of the cupboards, she had stocked the one thing that had become a staple in her diet.

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Ramen packets.

Cheap, flavorful, and easy to cook.

Hinata exhaled slowly, letting her shoulders relax. This place, as rough as it was, had become a home. A temporary home, perhaps, but a home nonetheless.

She glanced back at Naruto. He was taking in the space. She wondered what he thought about all this—about her squatting in a place like this, about how she had been getting by. But more than anything, she wondered if he would be comfortable here.

Because for the first time since she had arrived in this world, she felt she wasn’t alone.

Hinata glanced at Naruto as they settled into the abandoned building. The moment they stopped moving, she remembered something important.

“Do you want to eat, Naruto-kun?” she asked.

Before Naruto could answer, a loud grumble echoed through the room.

Naruto froze. Then, with an awkward laugh, he scratched the back of his head. “Uh… I guess that answers it.”

Hinata fought back a smile. This was it—a golden opportunity, a one-in-a-thousand chance to reintroduce him to ramen. Her excitement surged. If she played this right, she could rekindle his love for the dish properly.

“Give me a moment,” she said, rolling up her sleeves.

Naruto perked up. “Want me to help?”

Hinata shook her head. “I’ve got this.”

She moved to the kitchenette, already familiar with the motions. She had done this countless times before—boiling water, preparing ingredients, setting up the bowls. It wasn’t anything fancy, but she wanted to make it good.

She filled a pot with water and set it on the portable gas stove. As she waited for it to boil, she opened the cupboard, retrieving two packs of instant ramen. She peeled the lids back, revealing the dried noodles curled inside. The scent of seasoning, even in powder form, made her stomach grumble in anticipation.

The water began to bubble. She poured it over the noodles, covering them just right. While waiting for them to soften, she opened the fridge, scanning its contents. “Let’s see… egg, fishcake, and seaweed.” That’s all she got, but it was still something.

She grabbed an egg, cracked it gently, and let it swirl into the hot broth. The white cooked instantly, creating a soft, cloudy effect. She sliced the Japanese fishcake into thin rounds, the pink spirals adding a pop of color. Lastly, she placed a few strips of seaweed on top.

A few minutes later, two steaming bowls of ramen sat on the table. The broth glistened with oil, the noodles perfectly cooked, and the toppings arranged neatly on top. It wasn’t Ichiraku-level ramen, but it was good.

Hinata clasped her hands together. “Itadakimasu.”

Naruto blinked, then hurriedly copied her. “Itadakimasu!”

She picked up her chopsticks, pried them apart, and lifted a bundle of noodles. The first slurp was comforting, the warmth spreading through her instantly.

Naruto followed her lead, taking a slurp of his own. His eyes widened.

Hinata watched carefully. Would this be the moment? Would he recognize the taste? Would his memories come rushing back?

But Naruto simply swallowed and grinned. “This is great, Hinata-chan!”

Hinata smiled, content. Even if he didn’t remember yet, this was a start.

Steam curled from the bowls as they ate, warmth filling the otherwise quiet room. Hinata took the lead in the conversation, filling the silence with small, familiar pieces of Naruto’s past.

"You know," she said, stirring her chopsticks through the broth, "ramen has always been your favorite food."

Naruto blinked, mid-slurp. “Really?”

She nodded. "You used to go to a small ramen stand called Ichiraku. The owner, Teuchi-san, and his daughter, Ayame-san, were always happy to have you around. You ate there all the time."

Naruto hummed thoughtfully. “Sounds like a nice place.”

“It was,” she said, smiling. "You could eat bowls and bowls without getting tired of it."

Naruto grinned. "That does sound like me. I really am loving this, so ramen is probably my favoite food then!"

Hinata relaxed a little. This was nice—talking, reminiscing, filling in the gaps left by his amnesia.

"You also had two senseis you cherished," she continued. "One was Kakashi-sensei, your jōnin instructor. He was… well, he always seemed lazy, but he was actually really strong. He had this habit of reading books all the time, and he wore a mask, so no one ever saw his full face."

Naruto tilted his head. "Did I ever see it?"

Hinata chuckled. "Maybe… but that’s something you'll have to remember on your own."

He huffed. "That’s not fair."

Hinata let out a quiet laugh. "The other was Jiraiya-sama," she said, her voice softer. "He was your mentor, your teacher, and… someone very important to you."

She didn’t dwell on it. She didn’t mention what happened. Instead, she moved on.

"You were in Team Seven," she said, carefully recalling what she knew. "It was just you, Sakura-san, and Sasuke-san under Kakashi-sensei. Ah, there was Sai too… You trained together, went on missions together."

Naruto looked intrigued. "Sounds like we were close."

Hinata hesitated. Were they? Once, maybe. But she wasn’t sure if she should say more.

Instead, she shifted the topic. “I was in Team Eight. My sensei was Kurenai-sensei, and my teammates were Kiba-kun and Shino-kun. We specialized in tracking missions.”

Naruto listened intently, slurping his noodles as she talked. She told him about Kiba’s loud personality, Shino’s quiet but reliable nature, and Akamaru, the giant nin-dog Kiba always had with him.

She skimmed over the darker parts. The Akatsuki. Pain’s attack on Konoha. Jiraiya-sama’s death. Sasuke’s betrayal. The war. The countless lives lost. She left them unspoken, like ghosts at the edge of her thoughts.

She didn’t realize she had gone silent for a moment too long.

Naruto noticed. “Hey… what’s wrong?”

Hinata blinked and looked up. His blue eyes searched her face with concern.

She gently shook her head. "It’s nothing," she said, offering a small smile.

Naruto didn’t look convinced, but he let it go.

They continued eating in peaceful silence, the warmth of the ramen filling more than just their stomachs. The warmth of dinner was suddenly interrupted by a sharp, almost unnatural shift in the air. Hinata tensed, her chopsticks stilling mid-motion as she sensed it—a sudden spike in yin chakra.

Naruto shivered. "What was that?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just got a weird chill."

Hinata didn’t answer immediately. She stood up, her movements quick and precise, and headed straight for the closet. Sliding the door open, she retrieved her gear—a pouch secured with old but well-maintained straps. It still held her projectile weapons, though she was painfully aware that she had long since exhausted her stock of explosive tags during Pain’s attack.

Naruto blinked in confusion as she armed herself. "Uh, Hinata-chan?"

Before he could finish his question, something malformed phased through the wall.

Naruto barely had time to react as the grotesque creature lunged at him. It was an inky, twisted thing, its shape barely coherent, a mass of writhing limbs and hollowed-out eyes.

Hinata was already moving.

With a blur of speed, she appeared in front of Naruto, intercepting the creature with a swift strike of her palm. Gentle Fist! Her chakra surged, disrupting whatever cursed energy composed its body. The creature let out a distorted screech before dissipating into nothing.

But Hinata wasn’t done.

Her Byakugan activated, veins bulging at the sides of her eyes. She foresaw two more coming, one from the left, the other from the right.

She pivoted swiftly, stepping toward the one on the left and striking cleanly at its core. Before the other could react, she twisted her body and sent a second precise strike to the right, exorcising both before they could even reach Naruto.

Naruto, pressed against the wall, could only watch in stunned silence.

"What was that?!" he finally asked.

Hinata didn’t answer right away. Instead, she reached out, gripping his wrist and pulling him toward the wall. She placed herself protectively in front of him, ensuring that he was in a position where nothing could ambush him from behind.

Her Byakugan extended its range beyond the walls of the building, searching. More are coming… no—

Her brows furrowed.

The creatures outside were avoiding them now. Instead, they were rushing toward Sugisawa Municipal High School.

Hinata’s grip on Naruto’s wrist tightened ever so slightly.

Something was very, very wrong.