That damn brat... he actually found me? Watching Naruto walk away with his head high, the ANBU ninja who had dodged the mop frowned, then slowly shook his head. No, impossible. In his eyes, Naruto was still nothing more than a mischievous little fox demon who knew nothing at all.
If the child had truly discovered him, then with that nasty, defiant temper, he would have hurled insults without hesitation. After thinking it through that way, the ANBU ninja stopped dwelling on it and quietly resumed following Naruto from the shadows.
In the arena, Kiba Inuzuka frowned at the black-bordered screen. "Am I imagining things? I feel like black-screen Naruto has been testing people this whole time. He's even making full use of the fact that he's a child."
Shino Aburame adjusted his glasses and spoke in the same calm tone as ever. "There is no doubt. That Naruto is already disturbingly sharp." Kiba's ears twitched. "So he really is completely different from the idiot in our world?"
He thought about it seriously, then continued, "Ever since I could remember things, I could already tell how people felt about me. With Naruto's personality, he must've been quietly observing people for ages. He's probably collected a lot more information than anyone realizes."
Sasuke gave a cold snort. "That makes sense. Black-screen Naruto is obviously stronger than the Naruto in our world. I'm not even surprised anymore." Naruto instantly exploded. "Sass! Get lost!"
Before Naruto could keep arguing, Sakura suddenly blurted, "Wait, did you see that?"
Smack. Without any warning, Neji slapped Naruto on the back of the head again. Before Naruto could demand an explanation, Neji said sternly, "Your condition just now was wrong. Learn from the Naruto in the black frame. Resist those so-called heartfelt emotions inside you."
His pale eyes were unusually serious. "Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your life as a slave to your own delusions. You don't want everyone laughing at you forever, do you?" Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it again. It sounded reasonable. But somehow it still felt wrong. And just now... was Neji smiling a little?
On the black-bordered screen, the sky changed without warning. A perfectly clear afternoon was swallowed by dark storm clouds, and the light over Konoha dimmed in an instant.
On the way back, Naruto continued probing the limits of the ANBU watching him. The test went on until he picked up a sharp pebble and flung it toward a villager who had been cursing him nonstop.
A kunai cut through the air and intercepted the stone midway. Naruto's pupils tightened ever so slightly, but he didn't show it. Instead, he spat at the villager and turned away as if he no longer cared.
Inwardly, though, his thoughts were moving fast. If he remembered correctly, something had just flown out from behind him and blocked the attack. While those people feared him and hated him, someone was still making sure he stayed alive. Why? Because of the Third Hokage's order? Because they wanted something from him?
As Naruto was still piecing it together, a ball rolled to a stop at his feet. He paused and looked up. A group of children his age were standing a short distance away.
"Hey, don't play with him!" one of them shouted. Another quickly chimed in, "Yeah! My mom said not to play with a kid who has blond hair and six whiskers!"
Naruto looked at them expressionlessly. He didn't argue. He didn't smile. He simply kicked the ball back with one foot, then turned and walked away without another glance.
The children all froze for a moment. His cold indifference frightened them more than yelling would have.
Then Naruto's stomach growled loudly. Almost at the same time, the sky split open and rain came pouring down in sheets. In a matter of seconds he was soaked from head to toe.
The rain washed away some of the blood, dirt, and egg smeared over his body. Naruto lifted a hand and watched rainwater gather in his palm, then slide down his arm. His injuries really had healed at an astonishing speed. When that person treated him, their hands had glowed green. So that was medical ninjutsu... the Healing Palm Technique.
On one hand, he was shocked by how quickly his body had recovered. On the other, he was genuinely amazed by the power of medical ninjutsu. But wonder didn't last long. Naruto pressed a hand to his stomach and frowned. "But... I'm even hungrier now that I'm healed."
Watching from the stands, Kakashi murmured, "He figured out his own condition really fast." Then he turned his head toward Might Guy. "Guy, be ready. Once this screening ends, protect our people."
Guy scratched his head, baffled but obedient. "Okay!" He had no idea why Kakashi had suddenly become so serious, but when his best friend asked, he listened.
A rich, delicious aroma drifted through the rain. Naruto's nose twitched before he could stop himself. No matter how sharp or composed he was, he was still just a hungry child. His feet unconsciously followed the scent.
Lightning flashed overhead. Thunder boomed a breath later, shaking the street. Inside a ramen shop, the owner glanced at the curtain of rain outside and muttered, "This rain is really something."
He had only just said it to his daughter when he turned and spotted a small figure standing at the entrance. The little boy was drenched all the way through. His short blond hair clung to his forehead, and the six whisker marks on his face made his identity obvious at a glance.
The rumors about the fox demon had naturally reached this place too. Ichiraku Ramen was always busy. People had been discussing Naruto all day over their bowls. The shop owner recognized him immediately.
Naruto stood under the noren but did not step inside. His stomach rumbled again and again. He could smell the ramen so clearly it made his head spin. He had already decided what would happen next. The owner would drive him away. Even if Naruto had money, no one would sell to him.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, the sound of ramen being lifted from broth rang out from inside the shop. Then came a warm voice. "Rainy days and ramen go together perfectly. Little guy, want a bowl of hot ramen to warm your stomach?"
Naruto froze. He slowly looked up at the shop sign and the curtain hanging at the entrance. There were five cloth panels in total, and while he did not know many characters, these ones he recognized. "Ichiraku... Ramen?"
Only then did he realize something even stranger. There was no malice here. Not even a trace. Carefully, almost fearfully, he stepped one foot inside.
"Ayame," the owner called toward the back. "Dad? What is it?" A pretty young woman walked out from behind the counter. The moment she saw Naruto, she stopped short.
Then she exchanged a glance with her father and quietly disappeared into the back again. A moment later she returned carrying a dry towel. "Wipe off first," she said softly. "Otherwise you won't be able to eat your noodles."
Ayame's hands were gentle as she dried his wet hair. Her voice was warm too, the kind of warmth that felt almost unreal after everything Naruto had gone through that day. It was like she was soothing a soaked stray cat that had wandered to her door.
At the same time, the owner of Ichiraku set down a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen on the counter. He crossed his arms and leaned casually against the table, smiling just as kindly as his daughter.
Something in Naruto's chest suddenly turned soft and hot. For the first time that day, the warmth wasn't false. It wasn't some strange power trying to smooth out his anger. It was real.
Ayame, still toweling his hair, suddenly paused. "Eh?" Her hands had grown warm. It took her a second to realize why. The child was crying.
Somewhere else, in another Ichiraku Ramen shop entirely, Teuchi laughed so hard his shoulders shook. Otsutsuki Ichiraku: "Hahaha! Looks like even black-screen Naruto can't resist my ramen!" Then, as if advertising to the whole ninja world, he added, "Wonderful! This is amazing publicity for Ichiraku Ramen, so that bowl is on the house!"
Back in the scene, Ayame leaned closer and whispered to her father, "Dad... this child... doesn't he look a little like that person...?"
Teuchi's smile deepened, but he only shook his head. He didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked at Naruto and said, "Go on, kid. Eat. And if one bowl isn't enough, there's more."
Naruto blinked. He took the chopsticks offered to him, stared at the steaming ramen, and swallowed hard. The smell alone felt unreal. Still, some wariness remained in him. "Uncle... how much does this cost?"
Teuchi chuckled. "First bowl's free for new customers. Eat as much as you want."
In the arena, Kushina's voice immediately rang out through the chat. "Naruto-kun... Naruto-kun, have you eaten? Black-frame or gold-frame, does Ichiraku really give the first bowl free to new customers?"
The Teuchi laughing in his ramen shop suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
On the screen, Naruto still hadn't moved. He looked from the bowl, to Teuchi, to Ayame, as if trying to find the trap hidden somewhere in the moment. But there was no mockery in their faces, no disgust in their eyes, no invisible hand trying to guide his emotions one way or another.
There was only kindness. Plain, unadorned, ordinary kindness. Because it was so ordinary, it struck even harder than the cruelty had.
Naruto lowered his gaze at last. He tightened his fingers around the chopsticks and whispered, so softly it was almost swallowed by the rain outside, "Thank you."
Then he took his first bite.
The broth was hot, rich, and impossibly fragrant. The noodles were springy, the slices of meat tender, the warmth spreading from his mouth all the way down into the hollow ache in his stomach. In that instant, the rain, the insults, the hospital, the eggs, the blood - all of it seemed to retreat a little.
Naruto's shoulders trembled. This time he did not hold the tears back. He bent over the bowl and ate in hurried, almost desperate mouthfuls, as if afraid someone might still come and snatch it away. Ayame's eyes softened when she saw it. Teuchi quietly turned away and began preparing another bowl without being asked.
Around the arena, more than a few people fell silent. The contrast was too sharp. After so much ugliness, this tiny bit of warmth felt blinding. Even those who had been mocking Naruto could no longer speak so easily.
Neji narrowed his eyes at the screen. So that was the difference. Even in a world full of schemes, hatred, and manipulation, black-screen Naruto had still encountered someone worth remembering. Not everyone in Konoha had denied him. Not everyone had chosen cruelty.
And maybe that was why Tobirama had been so certain earlier. A child who had suffered that much and still noticed even the smallest kindness... such a child would never destroy blindly. If one day he truly turned his wrath on Konoha, it would be because Konoha had earned it.
Naruto slurped the last of the broth from the first bowl and looked up, his eyes still wet. Teuchi set the second bowl down in front of him without a word. Ayame smiled and pushed it gently closer.
For a long moment, the little blond boy simply stared at them. The black-bordered screen held on that image: a drenched child, a steaming bowl of ramen, and two people offering him warmth with no conditions attached. It should have been an ordinary scene. Instead, it felt momentous.
Because after all the malice of the day, this was the first place Naruto could breathe.
And from the way the world was watching, everyone knew it too.