(NEW ICHIRAKU RAMEN) CHAPTER THREE

Hinata had grown accustomed to the strange hustle and bustle of this new world. The people moved about with a kind of weary determination that reminded her of Konoha in the days following long missions, when everyone pushed forward despite an exhaustion no one spoke of. The streets of Kawasaki City were alive with noise and activities, and though everything appeared ordinary at a glance, there was a constant undercurrent of tension beneath it all that she could never quite name.

Beneath the glow of streetlights, the crowded walkways, and the squeals of tires was something undeniably evil. 

The creatures made of dark spiritual energy—Naruto’s term for them, since neither of them had found anyone they trusted enough to ask—were far less common in this part of Kawasaki. Yet unlike the ones she had faced previously, these did not drift aimlessly or choose their victims at random. Every single one she had seen was moving toward the same direction, as though compelled by an unseen force.

It was an unusual pattern, and one far too consistent to ignore. So for the past two days she and Naruto had tracked the creatures’ movements whenever they found time between their acts of assistance throughout the city. A misplaced wallet discreetly returned to its owner, a bike chain repaired before its owner even realized what had happened, a frightened child guided back to her worried parents, and more recently, groceries gathered from the street after someone had dropped them in a moment of distraction. These small gestures had also become their way of making the city without drawing unnecessary attention. They acted with care, always mindful of how much to reveal and how much to hold back.

Yet even as they tried to help whom they could, they continued to observe. No matter the day or the hour, the creatures didn't deviate from this new pattern.

Their new life, however, came with its own responsibilities, and balancing them was never simple. Running New Ichiraku Ramen demanded most of their time, and their search for answers about this world could not be abandoned either. They couldn’t afford to chase after every odd discovery together. 

But there was something about this particular situation that tugged at Hinata’s instincts with growing urgency. So while Naruto headed back to the shop, insisting with a grin he could handle the evening crowd on his own, Hinata took a deep breath, tightened her resolve, and set out alone to follow the creatures’ trail.

She knew she was capable enough to deal with anything that came her way. And if need be, a large expulsion of her chakra would get Naruto running to her in an instant. Even so, caution remained sensible. She refused to fall into the trap of underestimating new enemies just because older ones had once overshadowed her. She had grown too much, learned too much, and survived too much to allow complacency to take root now.

Hinata activated her Byakugan, and veins bulged at the sides of her head as her vision expanded far beyond its physical limits. The faint spiritual residue the creatures left behind stood out within her sight, guiding her toward their destination. But it led not to a hidden lair or cursed temple, but to a simple, unremarkable house.

The building was plain in every respect. Its beige exterior resembled countless others on the street, its windows were drawn shut, and its small garden was neatly kept but ultimately forgettable. Yet the moment Hinata focused her vision on it, she saw that something within the house radiated power.

Naruto had always been better at distinguishing chakra signatures from others, especially when negative emotions were involved. She had never possessed his sensitivity in that regard and often assumed she never would be able to feel what he described. Yet here, for the first time, she felt the dark spiritual energy pressure in a way that went beyond sight.

At a distance, it resembled the energy of the creatures themselves. But as she concentrated, she sensed subtle differences in addition to the malevolence saturating the home. The oppressive force spilled from a single point within the building, and she instinctively pushed her vision further.

The source revealed itself almost immediately.

A mummified finger, shriveled and ancient, sat on a low wooden table beside a sleeping woman.

Hinata’s breath caught in her chest. That innocuous-looking thing was pouring out a monstrous, suffocating energy that devoured the house from within. It was overwhelming, wrong in every possible way, and so powerful that the creatures had been drawn to it like starving animals.

It could easily have been a trap. Yet the woman beside it appeared neither malicious nor feigning sleep. Her breathing was slow and peaceful, her posture relaxed, and she seemed utterly unaware of the danger only inches away from her. Why she would rest beside something so clearly vile was anyone’s guess.

Hinata was still considering this when she saw three creatures phasing through the walls of the house. One walked, another dragged itself forward with grotesquely elongated limbs, and the third slithered like a snake across the floorboards. All of them moved toward the sleeping woman with widening jaws and sharpened claws.

Putting aside the questions, Hinata channeled chakra through her legs and launched herself toward the house. The window shattered around her as she shielded her face with her forearms, rolling across the floor and coming to a crouch beside the woman just as the sound jolted her awake.

Before confusion could turn into panic, Hinata struck the woman’s tenketsu, sending her into an  immediate unconsciousness.  “Forgive me,” she murmured softly. The upcoming fight would go a lot smoother if she didn't have to worry about a panicking civilian. 

She pulled the woman from her chair just as the creature with the impossibly wide mouth lunged. Its jagged teeth clamped down on splintering wood instead of flesh.

It turned toward her, but she was already moving. With a single fluid motion she lifted the unconscious woman over her shoulder, swept the cursed finger into her free hand, and drove her heel into the creature’s torso. The blow struck with enough force to blast it through the outer wall and into the street, taking the second creature with it as it failed to move aside in time.

Hinata followed immediately, slipping through the hole in the wall before the dust could settle. The third creature, a bloated mass with grotesquely large hands, swiped at her with a force that could have torn a car in half. She bent low, letting the attack pass over her head, and once again gathered chakra in her legs.

One leap carried her to the rooftop. The tiles creaked beneath her sandals, but she barely made any sound as she laid the woman down with care before stepping away to draw the creatures’ attention.

She did not need to worry about the woman now. The creatures had no interest in her; their focus was entirely on the cursed finger in Hinata’s possession, which was both a relief and an eerie reminder of how dangerous the object truly was.

Once she felt certain she had lured them far enough from any civilians, Hinata slipped the finger into her pocket. She then lifted her arms and settled into the low, characteristic stance of the Gentle Fist.

These creatures were not living beings. They had no organs she could shut down, and no chakra pathway system she could target. Yet she and Naruto had learned through careful experimentation that her chakra could still tear through them. Whatever they were really made of, it was close enough to chakra that her techniques tore through them with ease.

But since they lacked chakra pathways, she no longer needed the Byakugan. The muscles in her face relaxed as the dojutsu faded from her eyes, though her posture remained ready. She inhaled slowly, her face the picture of concentration as the creatures closed in from ervy direction with murderous intent.

And even as she prepared for the fight to begin, even as the rooftop trembled beneath her and the air thickened with their killing intent, Hinata still found her thoughts drifting toward her husband.

She wondered what Naruto was doing right now.