NaruHina: Postscripts

Ninety-three

Hi! I hope you're still taking drabble requests. I'm not sure if this was done before but if you remember that one episode in Boruto where Naruto and Boruto ate at Ichiraku, Hinata was shown there in the picture still holding the record of the most ramen eaten. Considering she's already an adult in that photo, most likely they had a redo of that ramen eating competition that was first shown in shippuden. I'd like to see your take on the repeat of that competition and how Naruto could've behaved before and after the contest (and maybe he had challenged Hinata or they have a bet of some sort). Thanks in advance!

He knew he should have kept his cool, but it was difficult. His manhood was being challenged and seeing Hinata eating that bowl of ramen had flamed his competitive spirit.

It started out innocently enough.

They were on a rare date, a night when the kids were with their grandfather, Hanabi happily coddling them at the Hyuuga compound.

Shikamaru had relented and allowed him to leave the office two hours early.

He'd gone home to find Hinata dozing on the sofa. She'd spent the entire night helping Sakura and Ino at the newly-opened Mental Health Center.

Watching her sleep, he hadn't wanted to bother her so he'd gone to the kitchen to get some snacks. But she'd heard him and had popped up quickly.

"Naruto?"

He sighed, feeling bad for waking her up from her much-needed sleep.

"I'm so sorry, dear. You're probably hungry but I didn't have time to make dinner."

"Sorry, Hinata! I didn't mean to wake you!"

"It's fine. I'm just surprised you're home this early." She looked at the clock. "I'll whip something up right now."

Suddenly, his eyes gleamed. "You know, Hinata, since you haven't made anything, you want to grab dinner outside? It would be like a date. The kids are with Hanabi. It's been a while since we were out together, just the two of us."

She'd blinked at him, and that adorable flush started up her cheeks. "A date?"

"Yeah."

So hand-in-hand, they'd walked to Ichiraku, their legs remembering the path they'd often taken to their favorite restaurant.

She'd finished her first bowl quickly, surprised that she was that hungry, and then she told him that she hadn't had lunch that day because she'd been so busy.

He'd grinned when she'd asked, "Can I order another bowl?"

"Sure, Hinata. And since you're having seconds, I'll have one more, too."

Then when the second one was done, she'd rubbed her tummy. "I forgot how good they are." She grinned at him. "One more?"

"You're on!" he'd innocently encouraged.

But for some reason, Hinata was hungry.

He watched as another steaming bowl of ramen came their way. Around them, the other patrons of the shop were murmuring, watching the two.

He realized he had to keep up and ordered his fourth one.

His smile was teasing. "Hinata, do you think you can keep up with me and my appetite? Everyone knows I'm Old Man Teuchi's number one customer."

She laughed and her eyes glinted. Still, she didn't say anything, only slurped delicately at her noodles.

When that was done, she raised a hand to call the waiter. With a glance at Naruto, she ordered the seventh one.

Ayame herself had come over to bring their order. Her smile wide and challenging, she pointed to the poster tacked to the wall and asked, "Since you guys are on a roll, do you want to try the contest?"

Hinata and Naruto looked at each other. Her eyes were twinkling. "I'm still hungry, so yes, Ayame. I think I will."

Naruto, not to be outdone, nodded his head, too.

Their eighth bowls came, then the ninth, the tenth.

He kept up with her, but he could feel his belt feeling tight around his stomach.

When the fifteenth bowl was placed in front of him, that was when he heard the whispers and he realized his mistake in challenging her.

Is that Hinata Hyuuga?!

She's Uzumaki now.

Yeah, I just forgot for a moment. Doesn't this remind you of that ramen eating contest she won when she was sixteen?

Huh! You're right.

Didn't she eat like, forty-six bowls then?

Holy crap! You're right!

But that's Naruto competing against her, though. He loves ramen just as much as she does.

Pfft! I don't think he's ever won against her.

And as the waiter slid their seventeenth pair of ramen across the table, his hands started shaking nervously because he realized that those guys he'd overheard were right.

But he looked at Hinata, still smiling, still looking like she could eat more, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up. He was sweating and he was uncomfortably full already, he felt like his belt was about to pop off.

Still, she continued to work daintily on her food.

Still, he ordered his when she did.

A voice started speaking in his head.

"Look, Naruto, you're shinobi and everything, but you can't win against somebody who can outeat you. Especially something as heavy as miso ramen."

"No, I can do it," he said, fighting against that voice of reason.

"Don't be dumb!"

"The hell kind of voice of reason are you?!"

"Who you calling voice of reason, ass?!" came Kurama's growl. There was a snort of derision. "See? You're delusional from eating too much! It's time to quit if you can't even recognize my voice."

"Kurama, I can't lose to Hinata."

"Boy, have you ever won against her?"

Silence.

"Shit. You're right."

And Naruto finally gave up the fight, raising his arms in defeat.

"Hinata Uzumaki!" Ayame cried out. "Our Queen of Gluttony!"

"Oh, but I'm still hungry, Ayame," she said as she took a tissue and wiped her lips gently. "My chopsticks just won't stop moving. Can I have more, please?"

In the end, all the bowls of ramen couldn't fit in the picture.

Hinata held up the last bowl she'd finished, looked into the camera, and smiled as the photographer clicked on the button.