After his conversation with Anko about the upcoming Chūnin Exams, Ren returned home. As he stepped through the door, Tenten immediately walked towards him.
"Onii-chan, Kakashi-sensei came to our house looking for you just now."
"Kakashi? What does he want with me?" Ren mused. To be fair, his friendship with Kakashi wasn't particularly deep, and they barely had any contact on a daily basis.
"It seems to be related to Naruto…" Tenten frowned slightly. "Apparently, Naruto has been very withdrawn lately. Ever since he returned from his last mission, he's just been staying at home and not going out. Even when Kakashi-sensei took the initiative to treat everyone from Team 7 to barbecue, Naruto didn't show up, which is really unusual. That's why Kakashi-sensei was a little worried, and he came to ask you about it."
Still some problem, then… Ren thought, a crease forming between his brows. He then said to Tenten, "Okay, I understand. I'll go to Naruto's house to check on him. If dinner is ready, you can eat first. You don't have to wait for me."
As his voice faded, Ren had already vanished from the yard.
He didn't go directly to Naruto's house. Instead, he first stopped by Ichiraku Ramen, picked up two steaming bowls, and then finally knocked on Naruto's door. After a short wait, the door creaked open.
Naruto stood there in his pajamas, his golden hair a tangled mess, unwashed for days. He looked scruffy and haggard. Seeing Ren standing at his door, he was visibly surprised.
"Ren-nii? Why are you here?"
"Brought you something to eat. I figured you haven't been eating well these past few days." Ren walked into Naruto's apartment, the two ramen containers in his hands. He immediately noticed several empty instant ramen cups scattered across the dining table.
"I'll clean up now!" Seeing Ren observe his messy, unkempt room, Naruto felt a wave of embarrassment. He quickly tidied the place, tossing all the trash into the bin outside, finally making a clear spot for Ren to sit.
"Ren-nii, I…" Naruto began, but Ren gently interrupted him.
"Eat first. We can talk about whatever's bothering you after you've eaten," Ren said softly.
"Oh." Naruto nodded obediently. Although Naruto's heart had undergone many changes recently, he remained exceptionally compliant when it came to Ren's words.
Slurp, slurp~
The sound of two people heartily slurping noodles filled the small room. Food always brought comfort, especially Ichiraku Ramen, which both Ren and Naruto loved. After they had both finished every last strand of ramen in their bowls, they let out happy burps. Naruto's previous low spirits had already lifted considerably.
After clearing the dishes, Ren patted Naruto's head. "Come on, let's go out for a walk." Ren chuckled. "If you don't go out for so many days, and you don't see the sun, you're going to get moldy!"
"Ren-nii…" Naruto lowered his head, a dejected look on his face.
Ren deliberately teased, "Why, you don't want to come out for a walk with me?"
Naruto quickly shook his head. "No, it's not that, Ren-nii! I'm willing to do anything Ren-nii asks me to, but… I really don't want to go out to the street right now…" As he spoke, only loneliness remained on Naruto's face.
"Haaahhh." Ren sighed, abandoning his cynical facade. He walked over, gently pulled Naruto, and they both sat down. "You don't know how to face the people in Konoha, do you?"
Naruto was still young. He hadn't yet met Jiraiya, who would treat him like his own grandchild. And because of Ren's constant support, Naruto and Iruka-sensei weren't as close as they were in the original timeline. Since Ren had revealed his life story, Naruto, though still trying to force a smile at the time, had begun to recall his experiences in Konoha more and more after returning home… and he was utterly at a loss.
My parents are the heroes who saved Konoha, and I… as a hero's descendant, used myself as a vessel to seal Konoha's calamity, the Nine-Tails… Why am I hated by everyone in Konoha? Why is no one by my side except Ren-nii? Why did I have to live alone on the meager relief funds given by Konoha since I was a child? Why were the meals I bought often leftovers, sometimes even mixed with grit?!
Naruto was deeply confused, truly perplexed! After learning about his life from Ren-nii's mouth, Naruto had also looked into some information about his parents. Kakashi-sensei is my father's disciple… Kakashi-sensei also seems to know that I am the Fourth Hokage's son… Even so, Kakashi-sensei didn't tell me anything. He didn't even care about my father's contribution to the village… He didn't even do as well as other ninja team sensei, and he was often late for missions… In this world… except for Ren-nii, there seems to be no one standing by my side…
Naruto felt profoundly lonely. He truly couldn't fathom why the son of a hero was treated so terribly. Am I hostile to Konoha? Do I hate Konoha? Maybe… But if someone told him to take revenge on Konoha, to destroy it with his own hands… he couldn't do it. Despite growing up in the darkness of loneliness, Naruto's heart remained fundamentally bright.
Ren's visit brought him immense happiness. Because this was the only person in the world he could truly trust. When Ren asked him to go out for a walk, he hesitated… now, Naruto genuinely didn't want to interact with Konoha. When Ren asked him, "You don't know how to face the people in Konoha," Naruto remained silent. Finally… he opened up to the only person in the world he could trust, nodding, admitting the truth.
Ren reached out and lovingly stroked Naruto's golden hair. "Naruto, there's one thing I need to tell you."
"Konoha… it's true that it's been unfair to you, but that doesn't mean that everyone in Konoha is a bad person. Most of the residents of Konoha were misled by the figure of authority in Konoha, which led to their misunderstanding of you." Ren's voice was firm but gentle. "There are many good people in Konoha, but they are just misguided. They are deceived and don't understand the truth." He paused, his gaze hardening slightly. "What you should resist are the people in power in Konoha who made you suffer like this."
Ren paused again, his expression resolute. "Don't worry, Naruto. It won't be long before Konoha will be reshuffled, and those who let Konoha rot… it's their turn to rot. It won't be long before they will be punished. At that time… Naruto, I will make sure Konoha gives you a fair deal!"