"What kind of nonsense are you talking about, kid."
Namikaze Kirito reached out and gently ruffled Naruto's messy blond hair, then slowly lifted his gaze toward the drunks behind him.
"I don't want to do anything in front of him," Kirito said calmly.
"After all, it's hard to control the strength needed to crush an ant without killing it."
"So...get lost."
The words were flat. Casual.
But to the drunken men, they sounded like open provocation.
How could they just leave?
These men were genin and chūnin from Konoha. They didn't know the truth about the Jinchūriki. Earlier that day, their mission had failed, and they'd been harshly reprimanded by their superiors.
Drunk, frustrated, humiliated—
Now some unknown young man was insulting them in public?
The man who had spoken earlier squinted at Kirito.
"Boy," he sneered, "I don't care who you are. Take that demon fox and leave right now, or I'll teach you a lesson."
"This is Konoha. Don't get arrogant here."
Kirito's eyes sharpened.
"Teach me?"
"…You're really drunk on stupidity."
For an instant—
The air changed.
Hum—
A strange, invisible pressure swept through the ramen shop.
The drunks' eyes rolled back.
One by one, they collapsed to the floor, unconscious, as if their spirits had been violently crushed.
Silence.
"What—what just happened?"
"I suddenly felt dizzy…"
"Why did they all fall down?"
"Did… did that boy do it?"
Panic spread instantly.
Faced with something they couldn't understand, most of the customers fled the shop in fear.
Only Yūhi Kurenai remained seated.
Her crimson eyes were fixed on Kirito.
That wasn't genjutsu…
I didn't sense any chakra fluctuation at all.
Just now, for a brief moment, the young man had felt like—
A king.
A presence so overwhelming it made her body tense instinctively.
If it's not ninjutsu… then what was that?
Can sheer presence alone knock people unconscious?
Before she could think further...
Shhh—
Several ANBU appeared instantly.
The captain stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Apologies, Kirito-sama. They were drunk. We'll handle this immediately."
"Please enjoy your meal."
Without another word, the ANBU lifted the unconscious men and disappeared.
Naruto's eyes sparkled.
"Big brother! Did you do that just now? That was amazing!"
Naruto's dream was to become Hokage.
To be strong.
What he'd just seen shocked him more than any academy lesson ever could.
Kirito smiled softly.
"Don't worry," he said.
"You'll be able to do things like that one day."
"And when you do—"
"You might be even stronger than me."
He casually tossed a thick wad of money onto the counter.
"Boss, that's compensation for the trouble."
"And also—Naruto's meals here from now on."
Naruto froze.
Uncle Ichiraku blinked, then smiled warmly.
"Don't worry, kid. You can come eat anytime."
Both he and Ayame had always felt sorry for Naruto. There was little they could do but free ramen was something.
Now, seeing someone openly care for the boy…
It warmed their hearts.
"Big brother…" Naruto said hesitantly.
"I don't have money to pay you back…"
Kirito placed a fresh, steaming bowl of ramen in front of him.
"Eat," he said gently.
"Your noodles got cold."
"And listen—if you call me big brother, then you're my little brother."
"So eat properly."
Naruto didn't argue.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he ate.
No one had ever treated him like this.
"…Big brother," he whispered, choking slightly,
"Do I… have family?"
Kirito kept eating, not even looking up.
"Of course," he said casually.
"I'm your family."
Naruto's tears finally fell into the bowl.
Uncle Ichiraku and Ayame exchanged smiles.
For a moment...
The world felt warm.
But nearby, Kurenai felt her thoughts spiral into chaos.
Kirito…
The ANBU's words echoed in her head.
The red hair.
That name.
She remembered now.
When she was young, she had visited the Fourth Hokage's home with her father. Her father, Yūhi Shinku, had been close friends with Namikaze Minato.
She remembered Kushina laughing.
"Red hair suits him so well! Why don't we find our little Kirito a wife in the future?"
And her father jokingly replying—
"If it means eating at the Hokage's house every day, I agree!"
It had been a joke.
But the quiet, sharp-eyed boy from back then had left a deep impression on her.
Now—
The cold ruthlessness when dealing with enemies.
The gentle warmth toward Naruto.
The overwhelming presence just moments ago.
All in one person.
Can someone really be like this?
That night, Minato and Kushina had died.
Her father had died as well.
She remembered seeing Kirito in the hospital bed afterward.
She had wanted to take care of him.
But between funerals, missions, and the academy—
He vanished from her world.
And now, here he was again.
She didn't even know how to approach him.
After finishing their meal and thanking Uncle Ichiraku, Kirito and Naruto stepped out into the night.
Kurenai hurriedly stood and followed at a distance.
Under the lantern-lit streets of Konoha, one tall figure and one small figure walked side by side.
Naruto unconsciously held Kirito's hand.
When he realized Kirito didn't pull away...
Naruto's entire face lit up with happiness.
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