They headed to the back kitchen, and Naruto Uzumaki, who had been clutching Ryuji's clothes, finally relaxed. Ryuji Hyuga sat down on a stool at the counter, patted the seat beside him, and spoke in an easy tone.
"Don't worry. Teuchi and his daughter are very pure people. To them, anyone who loves ramen is a good person."
Naruto Uzumaki climbed onto the tall stool, his feet unable to reach the ground and swinging slightly in the air. After a moment, he seemed to gather his courage and looked at Ryuji Hyuga. In a low voice, he said, "Big brother, my name is…"
"Naruto Uzumaki," Ryuji Hyuga said gently, cutting him off with a smile. "My name is Ryuji Hyuga."
Naruto Uzumaki looked up at him in surprise. "You know my name?"
"Of course," Ryuji Hyuga replied with a nod. "Not just me. Many people know your name. You will understand later."
"Many people know my name?" Naruto Uzumaki scratched his head in confusion.
Clearly, this big brother named Ryuji Hyuga was the only one who ever called him by his name. Everyone else called him "demon fox" or "that kid." If so many people really knew him, why had he never met them? He did not understand, and he did not dare to ask again.
"One Tonkotsu Ramen and one super big bowl of Char Siu Rib Ramen are ready." Teuchi and his daughter brought the ramen out and carefully set the steaming bowls in front of Naruto Uzumaki.
The golden broth was piled high with thick slices of char siu, rich ribs, green scallions, halved soft boiled eggs, and sheets of seaweed. The huge bowl almost filled Naruto Uzumaki's entire view. Wrapped in the warm smell of meat and broth, he swallowed without thinking.
Seeing his reaction, their smiles grew wider. "Take it slow, it's hot," they reminded kindly.
They truly were among the few pure hearted people in Konoha Village. Naruto Uzumaki stared at the bowl that seemed to glow, then secretly glanced at Ryuji Hyuga smiling beside him. It was his first time sitting in a bright shop with a huge bowl of hot food meant only for him, without any cold stares or malice.
An unfamiliar feeling welled up in his chest, making his nose sting. Ryuji Hyuga picked up his chopsticks and said with a smile, "I'm starting."
Awkwardly, Naruto Uzumaki picked up his chopsticks and followed along. "I, I'm starting," he said softly but seriously. He picked up a small piece of rib, blew on it, and carefully put it in his mouth.
The meat was tender and fell apart, the sauce rich and sweet, mixing with chewy noodles and warm broth. It was good, so good he could not describe it. It was better than anything he had ever eaten before, by far.
"Naruto Uzumaki," Ryuji Hyuga suddenly said, "this is not your fault."
Naruto Uzumaki froze and lowered his head. The satisfaction from the food mixed with long buried loneliness and the pain of being alone, along with the shock of being acknowledged. The emotions piled up until they finally broke through the dam he had held for so long.
pata… pata…
Large tears spilled out uncontrollably, falling into the golden broth and sending ripples across the surface. He buried his face in the rising steam and did not stop eating. With tears streaming down, he ate mouthful after mouthful with near Greed intensity.
Teuchi and his daughter exchanged a glance and quietly stepped away. Ryuji Hyuga sat beside him and continued eating, saying nothing more and not looking at him. The shop grew quiet, filled only with the sound of slurping noodles.
Warm light from outside slanted in, casting a soft golden edge over the curtain marked Ichiraku Ramen and over the tall and small figures inside. In the end, Naruto Uzumaki finished every bite of the ramen and even drank the last drop of soup.
His belly was round and full, warmth spreading through his limbs and chasing away the cold and hunger. Ryuji Hyuga turned to him and smiled. "Full?"
"Yes. Super full. Thank you, Ryuji big brother." Naruto Uzumaki nodded hard, his voice louder and full of energy.
He even copied the drawn out tone from earlier, stretching the word when he said "super big bowl of Char Siu Rib Ramen," his smile bright and unhidden. Ryuji Hyuga placed the money on the counter and led him out of Ichiraku Ramen, with the voices of Teuchi and his daughter calling for them to come again.
Naruto Uzumaki walked with lighter steps, the gloom gone from his blue eyes as he chatted nonstop. He praised Teuchi and his daughter, asked if Ryuji was a Ninja and if he was as strong as the Hokage, and excitedly talked about how amazing he had been earlier. His questions jumped from one to another, full of a child's curiosity.
Ryuji Hyuga listened patiently, answering when needed and explaining things in simple terms. Compared to the timid boy from before, and the heavy, extreme person he would become in the future, this was how Naruto Uzumaki originally was. Ryuji Hyuga knew that later, as rumors spread, Hiruzen Sarutobi had done something, but it only turned hatred into cold indifference.
Growing up in that environment twisted Naruto Uzumaki more deeply than even Sasuke Uchiha of the Uchiha. From childhood, just to be seen and known, he would become a clown and play pranks across the village. At least for now, he had not yet turned into that person.
Right now, he was still a blank page, able to be changed. Ryuji Hyuga's kindness was not pure, but it did carry affection for a protagonist he once liked. Otherwise, the system would have judged his actions as lies. At least now, he could give Naruto Uzumaki one more possible path for the future.
The happy time was short. When the familiar apartment came into view, Naruto Uzumaki's smile slowly faded, like a candle going out in the wind, and his steps slowed. Ryuji Hyuga stopped and looked down at him with a knowing smile.
"Go on. If there's a chance, we'll meet again."
"Then I'm going up. Goodbye, Ryuji big brother." Naruto Uzumaki said softly as he went to the second floor, unlocked the door, and looked back down.
"Get some good rest," Ryuji Hyuga said.
"Okay." Naruto Uzumaki waved hard, then reluctantly closed the door.
The door shut off the outside world, and shut off that figure as well. "I'm back," Naruto Uzumaki said quietly. There was no warm light, no smell of food, and no one answered.
Only deep, suffocating emptiness remained. He walked to his bed and threw himself onto it, drained of all strength. Lying on his back, he stared blankly at the ceiling, his blue eyes unfocused as he Wang at the vague shapes above.
The room was terrifyingly quiet. He could clearly hear his own breathing and the beating of his heart. Why was he the only one alone, while others had parents, hot meals, and laughter?
As he raised his hand, wanting to feel that remaining warmth, he noticed a black diamond shaped mark on his palm. "When did this get here?" he murmured. When his other hand touched it, his vision suddenly went dark.
His consciousness seemed to be pulled away, and after an unknown time, he opened his eyes again. The cold room was gone, replaced by a damp, sewer like space with water around his ankles. In front of him stood a massive cage with bars that stretched beyond sight.
What kind of place was this?
Light streamed through the window, washing the office in Hokage Building with a layer of golden red. The air carried a faint smell of tobacco mixed with ink and paper, and stacks of documents crowded most of the desk, adding a sense of pressure. A figure wearing an ANBU mask knelt on one knee before the desk, his face hidden, but the silver white hair and those lifeless dead fish eyes made his identity clear.
It was Kakashi Hatake. His report continued in a flat, official tone, as if reading a file unrelated to himself. The target showed no abnormal contact or special behavior, remained active in remote streets and at his residence, but his mood stayed low due to recent rumors, and his nutrition was below standard despite no clear health issues.
Seated behind the desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi listened in silence, his fingers slowly turning the pipe as embers flickered on and off. His brows drew together slightly as he spoke in a low voice. He asked if the rumors were about the Nine-Tails Fox.
The source of the rumors was unclear, and it was unknown whether someone spread them on purpose. Still, Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively thought of Danzo Shimura. Yet Danzo Shimura was currently focused on the Uchiha Clan, and it was unlikely he would do something that he knew would anger him.
Was it simply the villagers acting on their own, Hiruzen Sarutobi wondered. At that moment, Kakashi Hatake paused, as if choosing his words carefully. He lifted his head slightly, his exposed eye looking toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, calm as ever but with a faint shift in tone.