Naruto looked up at Ryosuke, eyes wide with disbelief.
This big brother wasn't just kind—he didn't hate him and was even offering to buy him food.
Tears almost welled up in his eyes.
Ryosuke hadn't expected such a strong reaction. All he'd done was offer to buy ramen. It was a simple gesture.
As Ryosuke led Naruto toward Ichiraku Ramen, two masked figures watched them from the shadows. One of them spoke up.
"Captain Kakashi, an Uchiha is getting close to the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. Isn't that dangerous?"
"Should we intervene?"
But Kakashi waved a hand dismissively.
"That one's a taijutsu specialist. Even if he's from the Uchiha clan, he doesn't pose a threat."
"We'll follow Lord Hokage's orders and continue observing from the shadows. Don't reveal yourselves."
He thought of his friend, Obito Uchiha, who had given him a Sharingan before he died. Not all Uchiha were arrogant or dangerous.
Besides, Might Guy had personally mentioned Ryosuke as a new friend—a fellow taijutsu user.
If Guy trusted him, then Ryosuke couldn't be a bad person.
Soon, Ryosuke and Naruto arrived at Ichiraku Ramen. Ryosuke ordered two hearty bowls—one for each of them.
After all, even he couldn't get tired of ramen.
When Teuchi, the shop owner, saw Naruto walk in, he furrowed his brow briefly—then relaxed.
Rumors of Naruto being the Nine-Tails reincarnate were everywhere in the village, but how could anyone believe such nonsense?
Naruto clearly had arms, legs—he was just a normal human kid. Who in their right mind would spread such a disgusting lie?
To Teuchi, it was obvious: some heartless bastard had started that rumor.
For a child to be shunned by adults like this…
Forget kids—even grown-ups would break under that kind of pressure.
Teuchi headed to the back to prepare the ramen himself.
"Just a moment, you two—it'll be ready soon."
Naruto relaxed. This was the first time he hadn't been kicked out of a store.
Even though Ryosuke was the one buying, he knew that if the owner didn't want him there, it wouldn't matter how much money they had.
Now he could finally try the ramen Ryosuke had praised so much.
Soon, Teuchi returned with two steaming bowls.
Naruto's portion was noticeably larger. Clearly, the shop owner had gone out of his way to be kind.
Ryosuke smiled and gestured to Naruto.
"Eat it while it's hot—it tastes best that way."
Naruto wasted no time. He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed some noodles, and took a bite.
It was incredible.
He was practically glowing with joy—it was that delicious.
He ate just as fast as Ryosuke, maybe even faster.
Before long, he'd completely finished the bowl—even down to the broth, which he slurped with a satisfied sigh.
Ryosuke had worried that the kid might get too full, but seeing Naruto devour the bowl with ease, he relaxed.
Boys could definitely handle a big bowl of ramen. Especially when it was their favorite food.
With their stomachs full, the two sat in the shop and rested for a while.
Fortunately, the ramen shop wasn't too crowded, so they weren't taking up space.
Before leaving, Ryosuke pulled out a thick wad of money and handed it to Teuchi.
The old man looked shocked.
"This is way too much," he said. "A hundred and twenty ryō would've covered it."
Ryosuke explained.
"This is 1,920 ryō. From now on, whenever Naruto wants to eat here, just deduct the cost from this amount. If it ever runs out, let me know the next time I visit. I'll top it up."
As the grandson of the Uchiha clan's Grand Elder, Ryosuke had never lacked money.
Naruto, the son of the Fourth Hokage, shouldn't have to worry about money either. He never should've been put in this situation to begin with.
Teuchi finally understood and smiled as he accepted the payment.
He wasn't like the other villagers—he didn't distrust the Uchiha clan.
On the contrary, their police force enforced the rules strictly and had caught many would-be freeloaders who tried to scam his shop.
As a small business owner, he couldn't afford to feed freeloaders. Breaking even was already hard enough.
Naruto looked at Ryosuke with wide, emotional eyes. He was so overwhelmed, he felt like crying.
For the first time, he felt lucky to live in this village.
After resting, they walked together down the street.
Before they parted ways, Naruto asked hesitantly:
"Ryosuke-nii… why are you being so nice to me?"
They'd only just met today.
Naruto was grateful, but he wanted to understand why.
Ryosuke responded softly.
"Because you're the child of a hero."
"A hero's child should never have to cry."
Minato and Kushina had given their lives to protect Konoha. They were the embodiment of the Will of Fire.
True heroes, with no stains on their names.
Unlike the Third Hokage, who demanded others live by that will but failed to uphold it himself.
Naruto's eyes went wide.
Child of a hero?
"Then… whose child am I? Why do people in the village call me the Nine-Tails?"
He had checked himself in the mirror—he looked human. No tails, no fur, nothing.
Was everyone just blind?
Just as Ryosuke was about to tell him the truth, a white-haired man wearing a mask appeared beside them.
"Don't say another word," he said coldly.
Ryosuke frowned. That white hair… this was from the Anbu—Kakashi.
So he was the one personally protecting Naruto?
Naruto was furious. He had always wanted to know the truth—who his parents were, and why he was called a demon fox.
He had arms, legs—he was human!
Were the villagers really all that blind?
And now, just as he was about to get answers, this stranger had interrupted.
Naruto scowled.
"Who are you? Why do you get to butt into our conversation?"