"Sorry, we'll be more careful," Nagato said, stepping in to handle the situation so Nonō wouldn't have to.
They weren't in the right, so it was only natural to admit their mistake.
After this brief incident, neither of them chatted anymore, quietly waiting in line.
About twenty minutes later, the person in front of Nagato had started ordering.
"What are you having? I'll order it together," Nagato asked without turning around, his attention fixed on the menu at Ramen Ichiraku.
"I'll see if they have any new products," Nonō said, adjusting her glasses with one hand as she leaned over Nagato's shoulder to look at the menu.
"How about beef ramen?" Nagato suggested just as he turned his head, and suddenly it felt like something had bumped into his face.
Both froze for a moment, their breathing clearly audible to each other.
"It's delicious. They use high-quality beef from the Land of Lightning," Nonō said quickly, bowing her head to answer Nagato's question as she pulled back, her face flushed. She hadn't noticed anything unusual on the menu, but it seemed like she might have kissed Nagato accidentally.
"Um, then I'll have the beef one," Nagato replied, touching his face and pretending nothing had happened, though his heartbeat seemed to quicken.
"I'll have the tuna ramen," Nonō said, glancing up at Nagato. Seeing that he seemed fine, she let out a small sigh of relief. Maybe it was just my imagination.
"Okay," Nagato nodded. When the person in front of them finished ordering, he stepped up.
"One bowl of tuna and one bowl of beef, please," he said.
Teuchi, still a young man with a cheerful smile and full of energy, took the order. His lovely daughter, Ayame, had yet to be born.
"Okay, have a seat. We'll be right back," Teuchi said, busy as always but noticing the interaction between the two and understanding they were together.
"Let's sit here," Nagato suggested, finding a nearby seat. He waited for Nonō to sit down before he did so.
"Have some water first."
Nonō poured two glasses of water with ease.
"Thanks," Nagato said, taking the glass and sipping. The dumplings earlier had indeed left him a bit thirsty.
"You're welcome," Nonō replied, sipping her own water while sneaking occasional glances at Nagato, as though worried he might notice.
Before long, two bowls of steaming ramen were placed on their table.
"It smells so good," Nagato said, his appetite already piqued by the aroma.
"Right? It tastes even better. Try the fish."
Nonō picked a large piece of fish from her bowl and placed it in Nagato's bowl.
"I'll start first," Nagato said before slurping up some noodles. The freshly cooked ramen, warm and flavorful, filled with the scent of beef, had him gasping slightly as he ate.
"Haha, take your time," Nonō laughed heartily, watching Nagato's reaction. She removed her glasses, setting them aside, as they were fogged up from the steam.
"Can you see clearly like this?" Nagato asked curiously after swallowing the noodles in his mouth.
"I'm just nearsighted, not blind," Nonō replied, giving Nagato a blank look. What kind of question was that?
"Sorry, I was just curious," Nagato said, feeling a little embarrassed. He quickly changed the subject. "Why don't you get treatment? It must be inconvenient to wear glasses all the time, right?"
As a ninja, Nagato couldn't believe that wearing glasses wouldn't have any impact—it was just a question of how much.
"I've thought about it, but all the Medical Ninjutsu is based on regeneration. Regeneration doesn't work for nearsightedness. I even asked Counsellor Koharu Utatane once, and she told me that the fastest treatment is to replace the eye," Nonō explained in detail, making it clear that she hadn't ignored the possibility of treatment.
"Then replace it," Nagato said matter-of-factly. For him, replacing eyes wasn't a big deal, especially in the context of ninja life. On the battlefield, such procedures weren't uncommon, and for Medical-nin, it was far from major surgery.
"But I don't want to use someone else's eyes. I'm not blind," Nonō said with quiet resistance. No matter how flawed her eyes were, they were a gift from her parents. If she ever went blind, it would be a different story.
"Okay, then is there a way to treat myopia without replacing your eyes?" Nagato asked, taking another big bite of noodles. He didn't think Nonō was being stubborn—everyone had their own principles and beliefs.
"Not yet. Because replacing eyes is just too convenient," Nonō said with a bitter smile.
The convenience of eye replacement meant that no one prioritized researching cures for eye diseases. If there was a problem, you simply swapped them out for new ones.
In the world they lived in, where even someone like Orochimaru could replace his entire body in the original story, replacing an eye hardly seemed worth mentioning.
"I see. Then I'll go back and ask Sensei's wife," Nagato said thoughtfully. "She has more experience and might have an idea."
Nagato hadn't delved into this area himself, so asking Tsunade seemed like the best option. If even she couldn't help, then there wouldn't be much he could do for now.
"I hope so," Nonō replied, though she didn't have high expectations. In her opinion, why would Lady Tsunade bother with something as trivial as nearsightedness? Tsunade's studies, like those involving Hashirama's Cells or Tailed Beast Cells, dealt with matters that could shake the ninja world.
"If Sensei's wife can't do anything about it, then we'll just study it ourselves," Nagato said confidently. "If they can replace entire bodies, I don't believe they can't cure something as simple as myopia. Sooner or later, I'll figure out a way to cure it for you."
Nagato could sense that Nonō wasn't in the best mood, so he tried to encourage her while preparing for the worst.
"I believe in you," Nonō said softly, her face lighting up with a smile that was even brighter than before. She could tell that Nagato truly meant what he said and was genuinely thinking of her.
Even if it was just as a friend, it made her heart feel warm and sweet, as if it had been filled with honey.
"Hurry up and eat—I'm almost done," Nagato said, quickly slurping up the last of his noodles.
"You ate so fast! You didn't even wait for me," Nonō said, pretending to be angry. Her tone, however, was more playful than upset. She still had more than half a bowl of noodles left, having been too busy talking to eat.
"That's easy—I'll just have another bowl. One extra bowl of tuna ramen, please, boss!" Nagato called out loudly, raising his hand to get Teuchi's attention.
"Okay, just a moment," Teuchi replied, nodding without missing a beat as he continued working.
"Can you eat that?" Nonō laughed, surprised and amused by Nagato's sudden order.
"Yes, I think the tuna is quite delicious," Nagato said, touching his crimson hair with a bashful smile.
"Right? I'll give you another piece," Nonō replied, dividing a piece of fish from her bowl and placing it in Nagato's. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she smiled.
"I'll give it back to you later," Nagato said, not minding at all, especially since he clearly enjoyed the taste.
The two of them laughed together, the atmosphere light and cheerful.
"I'm full!" Nagato announced after finishing his second bowl of noodles, patting his stomach contentedly.
"You're not very easy to feed if it takes two bowls to satisfy you," Nonō teased as she got up from her seat and pulled out her cute pink wallet.
"Haha, I can still afford ramen," Nagato said with a laugh, taking out the bill Kawakaze had given him and paying before Nonō could.
"What are you doing? We agreed I'd treat you," Nonō said, a little dissatisfied. She had been the one to invite Nagato out, after all.
"It's fine; next time, you can treat me," Nagato said nonchalantly as he accepted the change from Teuchi.
"Okay, then," Nonō said, her eyes lighting up. The idea of a "next time" sounded pretty good to her.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two left Ichiraku Ramen. Night had fallen completely, and the shopping street was aglow with lights.
As they wandered without direction, Nonō suddenly stopped and glanced up at the sky. "The moon is so full tonight," she remarked.
The stars were shining brightly, promising another beautiful day tomorrow.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Nagato looked up as well, brushing the bangs from his forehead to reveal one of his purple eyes, which seemed even more striking in the moonlight.
"I'll take you to a nice place," Nagato said suddenly, as though recalling something. Grabbing Nonō's hand, he started running.
"Where are you taking me?" Nonō asked, barely having time to react as she was whisked away, feeling almost like she was floating in the air.
"You'll know when we get there," Nagato said, keeping the destination a mystery as his pace quickened.
Nonō didn't ask any more questions after hearing this. She trusted Nagato completely and knew he wouldn't harm her.
After running for a while, the two began leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Before long, the Hokage Rock came into view—the most iconic landmark in Konoha.
"We're going to the Hokage Rock?" Nonō asked, realizing their destination. The Hokage Rock, being so high, was the perfect spot for moon-viewing.
"Hmm," Nagato responded, not slowing his stride as he continued toward the towering monument.
Eventually, they stopped at the top of Tsunade's Hokage Rock. From there, most of Konoha stretched out beneath them. The moon seemed even closer, casting its silvery glow over everything.
"It's beautiful," Nonō said, taking off her glasses. The moon appeared hazy and dreamlike, as if veiled, in her eyes.
"I haven't looked at the moon like this in a long time," Nagato said, sitting cross-legged on top of the Hokage Rock and gazing up at the sky with a faintly dazed expression.
The breeze blew gently, sending their hair swaying in the wind. A single leaf floated down from above and landed on Nagato's head.
"Are you usually very busy?" Nonō asked naturally as she reached out to pluck the leaf from Nagato's head.
"Not particularly busy. I just don't think about it much," Nagato replied with a smile. Not everyone enjoyed something like moon-watching. Compared to him, Minato and the others preferred chatting indoors—watching the moon seemed too dull for them.
"I can't remember the last time I looked at the moon," Nonō said as she sat down next to Nagato, and the two began chatting.
Since being chosen by Danzo to join the Root Division, she had never had any free time of her own. Between relentless training and missions, there was no room for something as simple as admiring the moon. Though her current life was far better, she still lived alone, which hadn't changed.
"When I was a child, my mother took me to look at the moon. Now, the moon is still there, but I will never see her again," Nagato began, his voice calm as he recounted his memories. "Later, I wandered with my friends. It was difficult just to fill my stomach—how could I think about looking at the moon?"
His tone remained composed, showing that he had long come to terms with those tragic years.
"I wasn't doing much better, except I never went hungry," Nonō said. She, too, was an orphan who had lost both parents, and she understood the deep ache of missing loved ones. For a moment, it felt as though the two of them shared something unspoken, a connection rooted in shared pain.
"Do you know that Konoha Ninja killed my parents?" Nagato said suddenly. "I will never forget their faces."
This was the first time he had spoken about it since arriving in Konoha. Until now, he had avoided mentioning his hatred for the village.
"Huh? Konoha Ninja?" Nonō was startled. She couldn't understand why Lord Kawakaze would bring someone with such a deep grudge against Konoha back to the village. Nor could she fathom why Nagato would agree to come.
"Are you surprised?" Nagato asked. "It's because Sensei is kind-hearted and saw how pitiful we were as children. Besides, I've already taken my revenge."
"You may not believe me when I say this, but I don't actually hate Konoha. I just hate war. If there were no wars, wouldn't there be fewer orphans like me in the ninja world?"
Nagato spoke with a maturity far beyond his years. Having experienced suffering, he wanted to ease the pain for others who might follow the same path.
"Yes, it would be nice if there were no wars," Nonō agreed with a heavy nod.
Her original goal in becoming a Medical-nin had never been to treat wounded soldiers on the battlefield but to save ordinary people caught in the crossfire.
"Although our power is not strong enough yet, I believe we can do it someday," Nagato said, brushing up his bangs with both hands. His Rinnegan eyes sparkled as he looked directly at Nonō.
It was the first time Nonō had seen his face so clearly. It wasn't that he was handsome or striking—those eyes were even a little unsettling—but Nagato's warm expression made her feel no fear.
"It's definitely possible. I believe in you," Nonō said without hesitation, despite knowing how difficult it would be.
Which girl doesn't hold romantic ideals? To Nonō, Nagato's lofty ambitions made him seem taller, more admirable.
"Haha~ I haven't told anyone these words before. You're the first," Nagato admitted, amused by Nonō's serious expression.
He didn't have absolute confidence in his dreams, but he couldn't help wondering how Nonō dared to put such faith in him.
"Then I'm honored. I'll tell you a secret too," Nonō said, covering her mouth as she laughed quietly. The two of them looked like children sharing secrets.
"Okay," Nagato said, clearly intrigued. He was eager to hear what kind of secret Nonō would reveal.
"I want to become a Medical-nin who surpasses Lady Tsunade," Nonō said, her tone filled with determination. "So that the entire ninja world will know the name Nonō Yakushi. Isn't that awesome?"
She looked at Nagato with expectant eyes, having never shared this wish with anyone before.
"Awesome," Nagato replied with a smile. "Our wishes are both quite difficult to fulfill. It seems like yours is a little bit easier. But I have to pour a bucket of cold water on you—Sensei's wife's achievements in Medical Ninjutsu might be beyond our imagination. You still have a long way to go."
Nagato laughed as he spoke, giving Nonō's shoulder a light pat in encouragement. He knew a bit about Tsunade's unparalleled skill, though he couldn't reveal all he knew.
"Why are you like this?" Nonō said, clearly dissatisfied. She had praised him earlier, but here he was, dashing her dream with realism. Shouldn't he have said he believed in her?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Without thinking much, she balled her fists and started hitting Nagato lightly, her punches raining down like droplets.
"Haha, pressure is motivation. I'm just telling the truth," Nagato said, laughing as he dodged her playful blows.
"That's not good enough!" Nonō protested, refusing to let him off so easily.
The two ended up in a lively tangle, laughing as they tussled like carefree children.