That unfamiliar warmth stirred something inside him, and the tears he had been desperately trying to hold back began to gather in his eyes, blurring his vision.
"Where are your parents?" Dravak asked, his voice light while looking at the kid's confused look as he found that the blood that once dripped from his head was nowhere to be found. Be it the injury, pain, and blood, it was gone.
"I don't have any," the boy said quietly, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face. Dravak gave a light nod, acknowledging the words without pressing further. Then, without saying much else, he motioned for the boy to follow him.
They began walking. Everyone who saw them quickly moved out of the way, parting like water. No one dared to block their path—not after what they had just witnessed. The uneasy silence around them followed all the way to their destination. Soon, they arrived at a noodle shop, where Dravak gently had the boy take a seat.
"You're hungry, right?" Dravak asked. The boy nodded, still shocked. Someone was actually offering to pay for his meal. Someone had seen him… and didn't look away. It was a kindness he had never experienced before.
"What's your name, kid?" Dravak asked as he placed an order for two bowls of noodles.
Naturally, he paid—but not with his own money. Instead, he casually handed over the currency he'd stolen from the pockets of people on the street. To him, using his own money for something as trivial as food was beneath him. He didn't even need food to survive, so spending his resources on it felt pointless. His pride wouldn't allow it.
The boy hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly. "My name? It's… Naruto Uzumaki."
His voice wavered slightly, as if bracing himself for the worst. He was scared—scared that Dravak would hear his name and instantly recoil, just like everyone else did.
"Cool name. My name is Dravak. Why was everyone back there so mean to you?" he asked.
Naruto lowered his head, his expression downcast. "I don't know. It's been like that for as long as I can remember…" he said weakly.
Dravak nodded, a look of pity touching his features. Seeing that expression made Naruto's heart skip a bit—he didn't want that look.
"I'm… I'm going to become the Hokage," Naruto said seriously, his eyes full of determination. "So then… they'll start respecting me."
Dravak gave him a strange look, one eyebrow raised slightly.
"Kid, a person who lives to impress others is a fool," he said bluntly. "Take a step back for a moment. You saw how those villagers reacted to me. You think they were scared of me, right?"
Naruto nodded slowly. "Then tell me—why didn't they dare to speak? Why didn't they throw another rock? After all, they are scared of both of us, so why the different treatment? "
Naruto fell silent, the question settling in his mind like a weight. He didn't have an answer. Not yet.
"They were too scared too scared to attack?" Naruto asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Indeed," Dravak replied with a calm nod. "Those guys were cowards. They picked on you because they knew they were stronger than you. You've got no family… and from the looks of it, no one willing to stand up for you. That means they can do whatever they want without facing any consequences."
Naruto lowered his gaze, his fists slowly clenching at his sides.
"You don't need to be Hokage to earn respect. What you need is power," Dravak continued, his voice steady but firm. "With power, the moment you step into a room, everyone goes quiet. When you walk down the road, people move aside."
A faint smile tugged at Dravak's lips as he said it.
"You're weak—and by the looks of things, you don't train much," Dravak said bluntly. "Instead of aiming to become the Hokage, aim to become the strongest person in the world. Do that, and the whole world will respect the name Naruto Uzumaki."
He leaned in slightly, his tone firm but not unkind. "Don't waste your life chasing after the respect of others. If you do, one day you'll look back and realize Naruto Uzumaki never lived. He just existed—hated by a village he kept trying to please. Ask yourself… at the end of the day, what does Naruto really want?"
As he spoke, he gently pointed at Naruto's chest.
"I… I want a family," Naruto said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want friends… I don't want to eat expired food…"
"Then you're in luck," Dravak said, standing up from his seat. "Blood isn't everything."
He looked down at Naruto, his tone calm but sincere. "You might not get to choose your birth parents… but you can choose your true family."
He turned as if to leave, then paused—his voice steady, yet carrying something deeper. "I'll be your family… on one condition."
He glanced back at Naruto with a light smile. "You have to be strong. The day you become strong, I won't just be your friend—I'll do everything in my power to give you the best. The best friends. The best family. And food so good… You won't even be able to keep your clothing on."
"You're leaving?" Naruto asked, quickly jumping up from his seat.
"Of course," Dravak replied casually. "I was just stepping by the village. I'll come back—after all, you're my little brother now."
Naruto's eyes widened, stunned by the words.
"Why are you so shocked?" Dravak asked with a small grin. "I already know you'll become strong in the future. That's why I'll accept you as part of my family—so long as that's what you want."
As he spoke, he reached out and gently rubbed Naruto's hair, leaving the boy frozen in disbelief, feeling something he'd never felt before.
"Of course!" Naruto said, his voice full of joy.
"That's the spirit," Dravak replied with a faint nod. "But just because you're my little brother doesn't mean you get to slack off. Death is common in this world, and only a fool expects someone to always be there to protect them."
His tone grew firmer. "So I expect you to get strong—at least strong enough to hold your ground. If you ever end up in danger, I want you to be able to buy enough time for me to get there and protect you."
Naruto nodded, this time with a serious, focused look on his face.
"One more thing," Dravak added, flashing a grin. "Beat up anyone who bullies you. Lowering your head only gives them power. But standing tall and defending yourself?"
He pointed at Naruto with a spark of pride. "That sends a message. One that says—'I'm Naruto Uzumaki, little brother of Dravak. I'm not so easy to bully!"
"Do you think people would still pick on you if they knew you were capable of biting back?" Dravak asked, holding out his fist with a grin..
Without hesitation, Naruto grinned and reached out, meeting Dravak's fist with a fist bump that held.
"Don't worry, big bro," Naruto said with a spark in his eyes. "I'll stand strong—and no one will ever bully me again!"
He was smiling widely now, too happy to hold it back. For the first time in his life, he had a big brother—someone who believed in him.
"Good. You can have this. Take it as a gift," Dravak said, handing Naruto the stack of money he had stolen earlier. "I'll also work out an allowance for you."
He gave the boy a light smile. "And eat up—before the food gets cold." With that, Dravak gently patted Naruto's head, then turned and walked away without another word.
Naruto stared at the money in his hands for a moment, stunned. Then, quickly, he stepped outside, hoping to catch another glimpse of his new big brother. But Dravak was nowhere to be seen.
A quiet sigh of disappointment escaped his lips. Still, with a small smile, he turned back inside, climbed onto the chair, and began to eat his ramen—finally, with warmth in his heart and food that wasn't expired.
"Who are you?" Dravak stood calmly, hands tucked in his pockets, a relaxed smile resting on his face as he looked at the four ANBU who had surrounded him within a forest.
"I'm Dravak. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly, adjusting his yellow-tinted glasses with a casual flick of his fingers.
"What do you want with Naruto?" the shortest member of the ANBU asked coldly, their voice sharp and guarded. Dravak didn't flinch.
"The better question is…" he began, his tone light but laced with mocking judgment, "why has the student of Naruto's father done nothing while the entire village treats the kid like trash?"
He tilted his head slightly, that same calm smile still on his face. "I've done more for the kid than you ever have… Don't you think, Kakashi?"
The ANBU who had spoken visibly tensed, clearly shaken by the name that just left Dravak's mouth.
"Imagine that…" Dravak said, his voice mocking, but dripping with disdain. "Dying to protect the village, giving everything from your life to your legacy—only for that same village to treat your son like garbage."
His gaze sharpened behind his yellow-tinted glasses. "Even his own student… and his teacher. The Fourth must be rolling in his grave. His legacy thrown away by the hands of those closest to him—the Third Hokage, his own teacher… and you, his student."
He scoffed lightly, his smirk curling in open contempt. "Hell, the Uchiha Clan tried to adopt Naruto. They were going to give him a family—until the higher-ups stepped in and shut it down… Trash."
That last word hit like a hammer. Without warning, Kakashi burst forward, vanishing in a blur of speed. At a velocity rivaling someone at level 59, he closed the gap in an instant.
But Dravak didn't even flinch. With a lazy step to the side, he let Kakashi's strike pass by harmlessly. Kakashi spun, adjusting quickly, launching a follow-up—only for Dravak to shift again, just as smoothly, avoiding it with almost no effort.
Again and again, Kakashi attacked, but each time, Dravak moved with ease, sidestepping, twisting, or leaning just enough to let every strike miss by inches. Not once did he lift a hand to block; the hands stayed in his pockets.
"Did I hit a nerve?" Dravak asked with a mocking smile. "Do facts hurt too much for the poor you to accept?"
With fluid motion, he flipped through the air and landed with his back pressed against Kakashi's, leaning in just enough to let his head fall over Kakashi's shoulder, his mouth near the masked man's ear.
His voice was low—almost teasing. Kakashi reacted instantly, spinning with a swift strike meant to knock Dravak off balance.
But Dravak slipped away effortlessly, his movement smooth and unhurried. Every dodge was executed with such skill that it seemed almost rehearsed. Kakashi was faster. He was stronger. But none of that mattered.
Dravak's movements were too perfect. He wasn't reacting like a normal fighter. It was as if he already knew what Kakashi was going to do before the attack even came. He dodged without panic, avoided without strain.
But would the rest of the ANBU just stand aside and watch? Of course not.
The moment they moved in, surrounding Dravak from all sides, he let out a soft sigh and slowly pulled one hand from his pocket. Then, with a simple snap of his fingers, everything stopped.
In an instant, all of them froze in place—inches away from reaching him. Mid-motion.
"Well," Dravak said with a faint smirk, "it was a pleasure meeting you. Until we meet again."
With that, he stepped calmly into the ANBU's blind spots and teleported away, vanishing without a trace.
A second after his disappearance, the ANBU moved again, stumbling slightly as they regained control of their bodies. Each of them looked around in confusion, unable to comprehend what had just happened—or how they had been rendered completely helpless before Dravak.