Chapter 62 Making Friends (Four Chapters Combined, Including Bonus Chapter)...
On the podium, Iruka was explaining the basics of chakra nature transformation.
A deep, hoarse, impatient, and irritable voice seemed to explode directly in the depths of his mind, startling Naruto Uzumaki.
"Kid, do you have another Jinchūriki with you?"
The voice was so abrupt and clear, it was as if someone was speaking right next to his ear.
"Sizzle—"
Naruto reflexively sprang up from his seat, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. He looked around frantically, shouting, "Who's there?! Who's speaking?!"
The entire classroom fell silent instantly, and all the students' eyes were fixed on him.
The chalk in Iruka's hand snapped in two with a "crack".
He took a deep breath, the furrows on his forehead that had just subsided bulged out again, and he shouted with a grim face: "Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Ah...yes!" Naruto shrank back when he was yelled at, only then realizing that he was still in class.
"I can tolerate you being late! I can tolerate you daydreaming in class! But now you dare to shout and disrupt class?!" Iruka's chest heaved with anger. "Stand up! Stand until the end of get out of class!"
Naruto pouted, looking aggrieved, and scratched his messy golden hair. His lips were so pouty that they could practically hang an oil bottle on them.
He definitely heard someone calling him! And the voice was very close, which startled him. He didn't mean to.
A cold, mocking snort echoed in his mind.
It's that voice again.
Naruto looked around again, suspiciously scanning his classmates.
The person closest to him was Sasuke, but Sasuke was frowning at him, looking at him as if he were crazy. And that voice was hoarse and deep, not Sasuke's at all... The other classmates all had expressions of either watching the spectacle or being completely bewildered.
Am I hallucinating?
Naruto, filled with doubt, dejectedly took his book and stood at the back of the classroom, his heart pounding with confusion and resentment.
At this moment, beneath Sasuke's seemingly calm exterior, a turbulent feeling stirred within him—his pet named Shukaku in his pocket was emitting a gloating laugh.
"Pfft, hahaha! That Kurama guy, not only was he sealed inside a little brat, but this brat is also an idiot, not very smart at all! He can't even tell if he's hallucinating! I'm dying of laughter!"
Sasuke, afraid that the commotion would be noticed, quickly pretended to tidy up his textbooks, lowered his head slightly, and whispered, "Shh! Don't speak now!"
Shukaku: "Gah—humph!"
Although the One-Tailed Fox was unwilling to be stopped abruptly, it still shut its mouth reluctantly under the lingering pressure of Yan Sheng. However, the miniature sand fox's body twisted unhappily in Sasuke's pocket.
After class, Iruka, as expected, with a gloomy face, dragged the dejected Naruto to his office.
Inside the mental space, Nine-Tailed Fox watched the brat being dragged away in a foolish manner and angrily flicked its tail.
It had originally planned to take advantage of the break between classes to ask the brat about the familiar, faint tailed beast auras around him, but it was all interrupted by the idiot brat and the meddlesome human teacher.
Nine-Tailed Fox felt a nameless anger rising within it, with nowhere to vent it. In frustration, it scratched at the invisible "ground" of the sealed space with its claws.
Teacher's office.
Iruka placed the lesson plan on the table, sighed heavily, and looked at Naruto, who was standing crookedly with evasive eyes. His tone softened a bit: "Naruto, what's wrong with you? Didn't you sleep well last night? Or are you feeling unwell?"
Naruto chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his still slightly aching stomach, and honestly replied, "I don't know why my stomach hurt so much last night. I woke up several times because of the pain and had to get up to go to the bathroom multiple times..."
"Stomach ache?" Iruka frowned and asked worriedly, "Did you eat something unclean?"
Naruto looked blankly as he recalled, "No... I ate instant noodles and milk last night."
Iruka: "When was that milk made? Did you check the production date?"
"Production date?" Naruto was even more confused, shaking his head. "I don't know, I didn't pay attention. But it should have been a while ago, right? Speaking of which, the milk tasted weird."
Iruka: "...That must be expired! Don't eat expired food! It'll make you sick!"
"Really?" Naruto blinked, looking puzzled. "It looks edible to me, and it doesn't look spoiled."
“You…” Iruka was speechless for a moment, looking at Naruto’s matter-of-fact attitude and extreme lack of basic common sense.
He couldn't help but think of Naruto's past, living alone in a cold apartment, with no one to take care of him, probably not even knowing what expired food was.
Thinking of this, the anger he felt from the interruption of his class vanished, replaced by deep pity and heartache.
He was different from most of the people in the village who hated Naruto as a "demon fox"—although he also lost his parents in the Nine-Tails' rampage and harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Nine-Tails, and sometimes couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment towards Naruto, he knew that all of this had nothing to do with Naruto.
Naruto was just an innocent vessel, a victim himself.
Iruka looked at the boy with a complicated expression, finally letting out a helpless sigh: "Fine... Don't leave after school today, I'll treat you to dinner."
"Really? Yay!" Naruto immediately beamed, all his previous grievances vanishing.
“But!” Iruka frowned and held up one finger. “You promise me you’ll do well on next week’s quiz, at least you won’t hand in a blank paper again!”
Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Naruto's bright smile immediately vanished, replaced by a bitter expression: "But... Iruka-sensei, the exam questions are so hard... I can't understand them at all..."
“What we’re learning now are just the most basic theoretical knowledge. As long as you listen carefully in class, what’s so difficult about it?” Iruka earnestly advised. “Don’t always daydream or look around in class. Speaking of which,” he paused, recalling his recent observations in class, “what’s with all the time you’ve been secretly looking at Sasuke lately?”
"Who, who looked at him?!" Naruto blushed instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and shouted loudly in an attempt to cover it up, gesturing wildly, "I didn't look at him! What's so interesting about that arrogant Sasuke!"
Iruka didn't speak, but simply stared at Naruto with his all-knowing eyes and disapproving gaze.
Under Iruka's silent gaze, Naruto's voice grew softer and softer, his momentum waning. Finally, he reluctantly lowered his head, shuffling his toes on the ground, and mumbled indistinctly, "I... I just felt... something like that happened in his family... just like me..."
Iruka: "......"
Understood.
Naruto felt that Sasuke Uchiha was like him, an orphan who was all alone, so he developed a sense of sympathy for him.
This child...
Iruka sighed even more deeply.
Both were pitiful children. One bore the stigma of being a fox demon and suffered endless scorn; the other lost all his people overnight and endured the pain of his clan's annihilation.
What will their future hold?
Iruka waved his hand, his voice weary: "Alright, go back. And remember, stay and wait for me after school."
"Yes! Thank you, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto was very satisfied, having not received the punishment he had expected and even gotten a meal. He happily said "bye-bye" to Iruka and skipped away from the office.
Back in the classroom, the bell rang just as the second period was starting.
The curriculum at the Ninja Academy for lower grades is not packed. First-year students like them only have two classes each in the morning and afternoon, each lasting about an hour. There is a two-hour lunch break and a half-hour break between classes.
Classes start at 9:00 AM, lunch break is from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and school ends at 4:00 PM. Since it's only first grade, the curriculum focuses primarily on theoretical instruction, with very little practical ninjutsu training.
Perhaps because Iruka had just given him a stern talking-to, Naruto managed to muster his energy and try to pay attention in class. Although he still couldn't stay focused for more than a few minutes before daydreaming and fidgeting, at least he didn't spend the entire class daydreaming or playing pranks like before, which was an improvement.
Lunch break.
As usual, Sasuke picked up the lunchbox prepared by Yan Sheng, stood up expressionlessly, and prepared to go to his private "quiet place"—the rooftop—to eat.
Naruto, suffering from the aftereffects of the expired milk from the previous night, had a stomachache that returned, and had to clutch his stomach and rush to the toilet again.
After a period of arduous effort, Naruto felt his legs were going weak, and he staggered out of the toilet, pale-faced and leaning against the wall.
He was just wondering whether he should go to the convenience store to buy some bread for lunch, or simply go hungry—
That deep, hoarse voice, both unforgettable and chilling, resounded clearly and unexpectedly deep within his mind once more, carrying an undeniable question:
"Hey kid, was there a Jinchūriki next to you just now?"
"who?!"
Like a startled bird, Naruto jumped up suddenly, pressed his back against the cold wall, and looked around frantically.
However, he was all alone in the empty corridor.
That voice...it's here again! This time he heard it clearly! It's definitely not a hallucination!
Naruto's azure eyes widened in terror. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the swirling dust, but it couldn't warm the chill in his heart.
"Who?! Who's speaking?! Show yourself!" Naruto shouted, his voice trembling slightly as it echoed in the silent corridor.
He clenched his fists and struck what he considered his fiercest pose, even though his calves were still slightly weak from the "toilet battle" just now.
"Hmph, foolish brat." The voice rang out again, filled with disdain and annoyance. "Stop looking around, I'm inside you."
"Inside my body?!" Naruto instinctively looked down at his stomach, his face filled with disbelief and terror. "What...what are you?! A monster?! Get out of my body!"
【"Shut up!"】The Nine-Tails was even more annoyed by his noise. Its voice roared in Naruto's mind like muffled thunder, silencing Naruto instantly. He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
"Listen up, brat! I am the Nine-Tails, the tailed beast sealed within you!"
"Nine-Tails? Sealed?" Naruto looked completely bewildered.
These words were too unfamiliar to him. He only knew that the villagers called him "Fox Demon," but he had never seen a Fox Demon and did not think of himself as one. He was clearly a human.
But now, he seems really off!
"I'm too lazy to explain this nonsense to you." Nine-Tails impatiently interrupted his chaotic thoughts, getting straight to the point, "Just now, that black-haired kid next to you, couldn't you sense his aura?"
“Sasuke?” Naruto was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously retorted, “What strange aura could Sasuke possibly have? He’s just an arrogant guy.”
Although he had noticed Sasuke acting strangely lately, becoming more aloof, there was a reason for it: Sasuke's entire family had perished, and anyone would feel withdrawn in that situation.
"Idiot!" Kurama cursed. "I'm talking about the people around him! They have a similar aura to mine! It's Shukaku and his gang."
"Shukaku? Who?" Naruto was completely confused.
【"......"】The Nine-Tailed Fox felt like it was talking to a brick wall. Communicating with this clueless brat was exhausting.
Unfortunately, it was trapped inside the little imp's body and could only perceive the outside world through this imp. Therefore, if it wanted to figure out why Shukaku and the others were here, it could only find the answer through the little imp.
Suppressing her anger, Kurama explained in the simplest terms possible: "It's about the other tailed beasts like me. They all seem to be around that Uchiha kid. Go and find out what's going on. Or you go and get close to him, and I'll try to contact Shukaku and the others."
"A tailed beast? Like you?" Naruto caught the key phrase, his eyes widening instantly. "Could it be Sasuke... he..."
"No." Kurama immediately denied it. "That kid is different from you; he's not a Jinchūriki. But those guys' auras are definitely lingering around him... It's strange. Go get close to him and figure it out."
"Get close to Sasuke?" Naruto's face showed obvious resistance.
No way! Sasuke always has a cold face and looks at people like they're pebbles on the roadside. He's not going to try to be nice to someone who doesn't appreciate his kindness.
Moreover, he's someone who's going to compete with Sasuke, so how could he admit defeat?
"You don't want to?" Kurama's voice turned sinister, and a cold, malicious chakra, like a subtle electric current, instantly surged through Naruto's limbs, causing him to involuntarily shiver and his hair to stand on end.
【“Go! I’ll go!”】Naruto immediately chickened out and quickly agreed.
Although he was reckless, he wasn't stupid. He could sense the terrifying nature of the "tenant" inside him, something he couldn't possibly resist.
"That's more like it." Kurama snorted and withdrew the unsettling chakra pressure.
It needs intelligence, and this kid is currently its only source. He's a bit stupid, but at least it can be used.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the teaching building.
Sasuke was sitting in the shade, had just opened his lunchbox, and hadn't even had a chance to eat when the commotion in his pocket escalated again.
"Kurama seems to be talking to that blond brat!" Shukaku's voice was filled with the excitement of watching a good show. "It must have discovered us, and it's definitely interrogating us!"
The voice of the Five-Tailed King was relatively calm: "The fluctuation in aura is very obvious. Kurama seems to be very concerned about our condition."
The Seven-Tails, Chōmei, flapped its wings and whispered a reminder to Sasuke: "Sasuke, that kid named Naruto might come looking for you because of Kurama."
***
On the rooftop, a gentle breeze carried the faint sounds of children playing on the distant playground.
Sasuke sat in his usual spot, but the delicious-looking dishes in his bento box seemed to have lost their appeal. His chopsticks remained motionless as the information gleaned from the little ones who had come out for some fresh air echoed in his mind.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with uncertainty: "Who is Kurama...?"
The Five-Tailed King, one of the three smaller tailed beasts, raised its head, its voice gentle, like a babbling brook: "It is an existence just like us."
Existences just like us...
Sasuke wasn't stupid. He immediately thought of the long-standing, malicious, and fearful nickname "Demon Fox" associated with Naruto, and the complex and unspeakable look in his brother's eyes.
His hand holding the chopsticks tightened slightly. After a long while, he spoke in an almost muttering voice, with an incredulous tone, "So, you are... Tailed Beasts...?"
"Of course, you didn't just realize it now, did you? It's so obvious." Shukaku retorted, its miniature sand raccoon body straining to straighten, its tone smug as it tried to create an atmosphere of terror. "How about it? Now that you know my true identity, are you terrified? Are you scared? Tremble, you insignificant human!"
Sasuke blinked his dark eyes, his expression unchanged, and calmly replied, "No."
"Gah?" Shukaku's arrogant laughter, which was about to meet terrified stares, came to an abrupt halt, as if it had been choked.
It stared at Sasuke in disbelief: "W-What did you say?!"
“I said, I’m not afraid,” Sasuke repeated slowly. “You are Yan Sheng’s pets.” He emphasized the word “pets” as if it were some kind of authoritative certification.
"Moreover, it doesn't seem threatening at all," he added, his gaze sweeping over the palm-sized Shukaku in front of him, as well as the quiet and elegant King Mu and Chongming beside him.
His words conveyed a sense of security based on his trust in Uchiha Kokusatsu's absolute strength.
"You you you you—!" Shukaku was so angry that all the fur (or sand?) on his body stood on end, and he jumped up and down on the spot. "Outrageous! If it weren't for Uchiha Kokusatsu, if you dared to say such a thing, I would definitely show you my power! I would let you know what the terror of a tailed beast is!"
As it spoke, it angrily rattled off a series of its once fearsome moves, but unfortunately, given its current size, they were utterly intimidating.
"Okay, okay." Sasuke nodded perfunctorily, like coaxing a sulking child. "I admit you're very good, is that alright?" After saying that, he picked up his chopsticks and prepared to eat.
"Hey! Are you kidding me?" Shukaku asked suspiciously.
Sasuke picked up a piece of fish fillet, paused for a moment, and replied expressionlessly, "No, I don't think so."
Although Shukaku knew perfectly well that the other party was just being perfunctory, the "No way" at least gave it a way out. It reluctantly hummed, managing to save face, and muttered, "You're smart enough to know what's good for you."
Beside them, King Mu and Chongming remained tacitly silent, a silent sigh rising within them: "..."
Seriously, can Shukaku please stop talking? Its intelligence and emotional intelligence severely lower the average level and image of the entire tailed beast group.
......
Since all three tailed beasts had warned that Naruto might come looking for him because of Kurama, Sasuke spent the entire afternoon on edge, prepared to deal with all sorts of entanglements or strange questions from that noisy loser.
However, to his surprise, Naruto's behavior in the afternoon was completely different from before.
Previously, Naruto's gaze would often fall on him, making it difficult to ignore.
But now, Naruto seemed to be deliberately avoiding him, turning his head to the side and not looking at him at all. Occasionally, their eyes would accidentally meet, and he would quickly look away as if he had been burned, with an expression on his face that was hard to tell whether he was conflicted or just being stubborn.
A hint of doubt arose in Sasuke's mind.
Didn't they say they would come to find him? What's going on here?
In reality, Naruto is currently embroiled in a fierce internal "war" that is imperceptible to outsiders.
— He appeared to be lying on his desk, covering his face with his textbook, seemingly sleeping or daydreaming, but in reality, he was using all his mind to "argue" with something.
'Give up! I'm not going to go find Sasuke like you!'
"You brat, believe me or not, I'll break the seal right now and eat you whole!" The Nine-Tailed Fox's furious threat was like rolling thunder.
"Then eat me!" Naruto thought recklessly, "If you could really eat me, you would have done it already. Why wait until now? Stop trying to scare me!"
"...You've become smarter now?" Nine-Tails was taken aback, and her tone became even more unfriendly.
"What do you mean by 'smart now'? I've always been smart, okay!" Naruto retorted defiantly, though he himself sounded a little guilty about saying it.
"Can't you just do me a favor? I just want to know about Shukaku and the others!" Kurama tried to change tactics, but her tone remained harsh.
"No!" Naruto refused decisively. "Who knows what you're planning? I won't give you a chance to hurt Sasuke!"
Although Sasuke was always cold to him, Naruto felt a subtle protective instinct after learning that Sasuke had also lost his family. He didn't want to cause trouble for Sasuke because of the "monster" inside him.
"Naruto Uzumaki!" Kurama's rage almost materialized into a blazing inferno of chakra. "You'd better not provoke me!"
Naruto flinched. He could feel the cold, terrifying chakra stirring within him, but he gritted his teeth and refused to respond, expressing his final resistance with silence.
Send him to approach Sasuke and gather information? No way!
The school bell rang in the afternoon.
Naruto was initially excited and looking forward to the dinner that Iruka-sensei had promised to treat him to that evening, which was a rare opportunity for him to improve his meals and feel a touch of warmth.
However, because of this "internal conflict" with Kurama, he was afraid that he would lose control or that Kurama's power would accidentally affect Iruka-sensei. After much hesitation, he finally had to tell a lie.
"Teacher Iruka!" He ran up to Iruka, forcing a smile. "Um... something suddenly came up tonight, so I won't be going to dinner! Thank you, teacher!"
After saying that, before Iruka could react, he turned and ran away quickly, his back view conveying a sense of fleeing in panic.
Iruka watched Naruto's figure disappear quickly at the school gate, his face filled with worry and confusion. He adjusted his headband, "What's wrong with Naruto?"
They were so happy when they agreed at noon, how did they suddenly change their minds? And they didn't seem like anything was wrong.
Unable to rest easy, Iruka decided to follow and check on the situation.
On the other side.
Yan Sheng appeared at the school gate on time to pick up Sasuke after school. His gaze habitually swept over the noisy crowd, then suddenly sharpened.
Today, that golden head, as dazzling as a little sun, wasn't hiding in some corner secretly watching Sasuke like it had been a few days ago.
Somewhat unexpected.
He deliberately gave the three tailed fins to Sasuke in order to attract the attention of the Nine-Tails inside Naruto and create an opportunity for the two to interact.
According to his prediction, sensing that the Nine-Tails is of the same kind should drive Naruto to approach Sasuke more actively.
How come the result was the opposite, causing that blond kid to start avoiding Sasuke?
"Did anything happen at school today?" Yan Sheng asked casually on the way home, his voice as calm as ever.
Sasuke recalled Naruto's unusual avoidance that afternoon and their conversation on the rooftop, but felt that these were not important matters that needed to be reported, so he simply replied, "No."
Yan Sheng's gaze swept over Sasuke's profile as he continued, "Those three guys didn't do anything, did they?"
Sasuke thought of Shukaku's loud and boisterous manner, yet how easily he could "suppress" him, and shook his head: "No."
"Hmm." Yan Sheng didn't ask any more questions.
The conversation ended there.
Yan Sheng was not a talkative person to begin with; he preferred to observe and ponder in silence and was reluctant to talk unless necessary. Sasuke, on the other hand, chose silence due to his somewhat awkward personality and the heightened sensitivity he had developed after experiencing a sudden and drastic change.
Two figures, one tall and one short, walked side by side in the afterglow of the setting sun. The slanting sunlight stretched their shadows long, and the two silent shadows sometimes intersected and sometimes separated, inexplicably outlining a tranquil and warm silhouette in the soft glow of the evening.
***
A few days later, Sasuke was completely certain—Naruto was avoiding him.
This avoidance manifests as him suddenly lowering his head and speeding up when passing by in the corridor, as him lying on his desk in class and turning his head away from his direction, as him no longer following him to the rooftop during lunch break... All signs indicate that Naruto Uzumaki is intentionally avoiding any interaction with him.
Sasuke was completely baffled.
During his lunch break, he went to the rooftop as usual and took the three small tailed beasts out of his pocket to let them roam freely. Watching them move around in front of him, Sasuke finally couldn't help but frown and ask, "You guys... what's wrong with Naruto? Why does he seem to be avoiding me?"
Shukaku jumped onto Sasuke's lap and said confidently in a "I know this all" tone, "Is there any need to ask? It's definitely because Kurama suddenly talked to that blond brat in class that day, making the brat embarrassed and punished by the teacher. Afterwards, Kurama ordered that brat to approach you, and the brat got angry and wouldn't listen to him. So he's avoiding you too, that's definitely it!"
It spoke with absolute certainty, as if it had witnessed it firsthand.
Sasuke thought the explanation made some sense, but something still seemed off. If he was just angry, Naruto could have simply ignored him; why was he being so careful to avoid him?
King Mu and Chongming were far more sensitive than Shukaku. They exchanged a glance, and the Five-Tails spoke in Sasuke's mind in a gentle voice: 'Shukaku's explanation may be partly true, but I think the main reason is perhaps that Naruto is afraid Kurama will harm you.'
Sasuke was stunned, and asked in confusion, "Why?"
The Seven-Tails, Chongming, which had been quietly perched on Sasuke's shoulder, gently flapped its crystalline wings and said, "Sasuke, did you notice? The way that child looks at you."
"Eyes? What eyes?" Sasuke thought back for a moment. Apart from the deliberate avoidance recently, when Naruto looked at him before, those blue eyes were always full of straightforward inquiry, resentment, and... an emotion that he couldn't understand at the time, and still can't understand now.
"The way you look at your own kind," Nanami said softly.
"The same kind?" Sasuke didn't react at first, but he was smart. Considering that Naruto was an orphan and he had just lost all his family... a surge of anger instantly rose in his heart.
So, Naruto is just like those who gloat behind his back?
Sasuke didn't realize that the reason he was so angry was because of disappointment.
The Seven-Tails keenly sensed Sasuke's sudden surge of anger and quickly explained gently, "I think I can guess what you're thinking, but don't think about it yet, it's not like that." It paused, organizing its thoughts, "That child is very lonely."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, barely suppressing his anger.
"Although I haven't experienced it, I've lived a long time and understand a lot of things. For example, for Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails sealed inside him is a curse."
“The people around him feared and rejected him. He had no friends and was always alone.” Chongming’s voice carried a hint of pity. “When he looked at you, perhaps there was an element of shared suffering at first, but more than that, it was a sense of resonance that he finally saw another equally lonely person in the vast sea of people.”
"He avoids you not because he hates you, nor because he pities you. On the contrary, it's because he cherishes you as his only 'kin,' and he's afraid. He's afraid that the Nine-Tails within him will bring you misfortune because he's too close. He's using this clumsy way to protect the precious kin in his eyes."
The explanation of the Seven-Tails was like a gentle breeze, dispelling the anger in Sasuke's heart and leaving behind a complex silence.
An indescribable emotion surged in Sasuke's chest, a mix of bitterness, agitation, and a touch of emotion he was unwilling to admit.
Just as he was struggling with whether and how to break the deadlock, he discovered that Naruto hadn't come to school.
One day, two days, three days... Naruto still didn't come.
Hesitation and awkwardness plagued Sasuke all day. He glanced at the empty seat next to him several times, and the emptiness in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
Finally, after school on the fourth day, he made up his mind and went to the teacher's office.
He found Iruka and asked, "Iruka-sensei, Naruto Uzumaki... what happened to him? Why hasn't he come to school for several days?"
Iruka looked at the student who had become aloof after the drastic change in his life, and was surprised that the student was actually taking the initiative to care about his classmate. He was first surprised, and then a sincere smile of relief appeared on his face.
"Naruto is sick."
Sasuke pursed his lips, his fingers unconsciously curling slightly. He turned his face away and awkwardly asked, "Could you tell me his address?"
Iruka's eyes lit up, and he was so happy he almost patted Sasuke on the shoulder, but then, afraid of startling the reserved boy, he quickly restrained himself. He scribbled Naruto's address on a piece of paper and slipped it into Sasuke's hand: "Of course! The address is here. Sasuke, I'm really happy that you can visit him! Maybe you two can become good friends!"
At the school gate.
Sasuke, clutching the slip of paper with the address written on it, walked up to Yan Sheng, who had come to pick him up. He lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "I... want to visit a classmate. He's sick."
"who?"
“Naruto Uzumaki. He’s my deskmate, and I just feel... he has no one to take care of him, which is pitiful.”
Yan Sheng's deep gaze lingered on Sasuke's unnatural face for a moment before he calmly nodded: "Okay."
Considering Naruto's special status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the sensitivity of Konoha's higher-ups regarding this matter, Konoha decided not to accompany him, so as not to excessively provoke certain people.
Yes, I'm referring to Shimura Danzo, whose memory of their first meeting was erased by him, but who is still hostile towards him. In Danzo's eyes, this strange Uchiha who suddenly appeared, took over the Uchiha legacy, and became the guardian of the Uchiha orphans is undoubtedly a huge destabilizing factor and obstacle.
......
Naruto's family.
Whether it was because the Nine-Tails had been causing trouble inside him these past few days, or because of his long-term irregular diet, which consisted mainly of expired instant noodles and milk, Naruto unsurprisingly fell ill.
He had a high fever.
He started feeling unwell around the time school ended that day, and developed a high fever that night. He was delirious and weak all over, without even the strength to get up and drink water. It was the ANBU ninja monitoring him who noticed that Naruto hadn't gotten up and left for school on time the next day. After checking on him, they discovered his condition and immediately reported it to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Third Hokage came in person. Seeing Naruto's face flushed red and curled up in the thin blanket, he sighed with a complicated expression, left some fever-reducing medicine, carefully instructed him on how to take it, and then left.
Unfortunately, as the Hokage, he was extremely busy and couldn't stay to take care of Naruto. He could only instruct the Anbu to keep a close eye on him.
Naruto took the medicine and felt a little better, but he still felt unwell all over and was dizzy. However, this illness was not all bad; at least his three meals a day were finally regular again. The Third Hokage arranged for a familiar restaurant to have the Anbu pick up and deliver three meals a day to Naruto at regular times, which were all light and easy-to-digest porridge and side dishes.
And so, Naruto lay alone in the apartment for four days. His fever subsided a bit and was no longer so high, but he still had a low-grade fever and was listless and lethargic.
That evening, the sky outside the window was ablaze with brilliant sunset colors, turning it a warm orange-red.
Naruto lay on the bed, staring blankly at the mottled marks on the ceiling, his stomach growling with hunger, hoping that dinner would be delivered soon.
Suddenly, a clear knocking sound rang out.
Who? Is it Iruka-sensei? Or the ANBU guy who delivers the food?
Naruto struggled to get out of bed, dragging his weak and feeble steps, and staggered to the door, where he opened it with difficulty.
Then, I froze.
Standing outside the door was someone he never expected to see here—Uchiha Sasuke.
***
Yan Sheng's words were always concise and impeccably polite. On the way to Naruto's house, he casually remarked, "It is impolite to visit a sick person empty-handed."
Sasuke looked at his empty hands and thought it made sense. He went to a fruit shop on the street and picked out some fruits that were said to be very nutritious.
Carrying fruit, Sasuke found the apartment building according to the address, stood outside Naruto's door, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.
"Knock knock".
A moment later, the door opened, revealing Naruto's face, flushed with an abnormal redness due to a fever, and filled with surprise.
"Sa-Sasuke?! It's you? What are you doing here? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked a barrage of questions, his voice hoarse from illness and filled with disbelief.
However, despite his verbal complaints, his actions betrayed his true intentions and he moved aside.
"I heard you're sick," Sasuke replied succinctly, his gaze passing over Naruto and landing on the living room behind him.
He paused for a moment, followed basic etiquette, and said, "Excuse me." Then, carrying the fruit, he naturally walked into Naruto's house.
Upon entering, a stench of food scraps, dust, and a hint of mildew hit him. Sasuke's gaze swept across the room, his brows instantly furrowing.
This doesn't look like a home at all.
The cramped single room was dimly lit. Unwashed dishes piled up in the sink, the grease already solidified. On the low table sat empty instant noodle boxes and milk cartons, their dried broth leaving dark stains. Several orange tracksuits and underwear were carelessly tossed on chairs and the floor… the entire room was so messy there was barely room to walk.
Furthermore, Sasuke noticed that Naruto's clothes, whether lying around or wearing, were all the same style of orange tracksuit, differing only in their condition and cleanliness. No wonder he rarely saw him change into other clothes at school.
—The young master of the Uchiha clan had never seen such a filthy and chaotic scene before. The strong visual impact and discomfort kept his brows furrowed. His innate obsession with cleanliness and certain standards cultivated by his privileged upbringing made him unable to tolerate what he was seeing.
But could he really blame a patient? Sasuke couldn't bring himself to do it.
After several seconds of silence, Sasuke made a difficult decision. He placed the fruit in the only relatively clean empty space on the table, then formed hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
With a few soft sounds, three clones identical to Sasuke appeared in the room.
"Clean this place up," Sasuke ordered his clones.
The clones immediately sprang into action. One went to the sink to battle the stubborn grease, another began tidying up the clothes scattered everywhere, and the third found a rag to wipe the tables and chairs and clean up the trash.
Naruto was completely stunned, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.
Watching "several" Sasukes bustling about in his messy house, an indescribable sense of embarrassment and shame welled up inside him. He instinctively wanted to help, frantically tidying the table, nearly knocking over a glass of water; then he tried to fold clothes, only to crumple what was already barely acceptable clothes into an even messier mess...
"Hey, you loser!" Sasuke's true form couldn't help but speak up as he clumsily made things worse, his tone stern. "Stop moving! Stay put and don't cause any more trouble!"
This rebuke, though not particularly malicious, was like a needle, gently piercing a vulnerable corner of Naruto's heart.
Naruto, who rarely receives kindness and care from others, is surprised to see that his usually aloof classmate not only comes to visit him when he is sick, but also helps him clean his house.
This unexpected care was like a warm current that broke down his psychological defenses, which were made particularly vulnerable by his illness.
His heart ached, his eyes quickly reddened, and warm tears welled up uncontrollably. Naruto was already depressed from his illness, and now he couldn't hold back any longer, bursting into sobs and crying, large tears streaming down his face.
Sasuke was taken aback by the sudden crying and was momentarily at a loss. He thought he had been too harsh and made Naruto cry, so he hurriedly and awkwardly explained, "Hey, why are you crying? I... I wasn't really mean to you, was I?"
"Waaah... I'm not crying..." Naruto choked back tears, wiping them away with the back of his hand, his voice thick with emotion. "It's not like I wanted to cry... I just... I just feel so sad... Waaah..."
Sasuke looked at his pitiful crying face, and then at the clone who was still silently cleaning the room. He didn't know what to do and could only stand there awkwardly.
After a chaotic and disorderly commotion.
The clones completed their mission and disappeared with a few "bangs," leaving the entire room sparkling clean. The floor was spotless, the tables and chairs were tidy, the clutter was neatly organized, and the dirty clothes were piled together (Sasuke didn't wash them, so they were just neatly folded). The original porcelain white of the sink was revealed.
It finally looks like a habitable place.
Sasuke and Naruto sat facing each other on either side of the newly wiped-clean low table, staring at each other in a slightly awkward atmosphere.
Naruto's eyes and nose were still red from crying, and he was a little embarrassed to look Sasuke in the eye, his gaze wandering.
After a moment of silence, Sasuke spoke first, asking the question that had been on his mind for days: "Why have you been avoiding me these past few days?"
Naruto stiffened, his eyes darting even more away, and he stubbornly said, "What? I... I wasn't avoiding you!"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and said quietly, "Are you sure about this, considering I cleaned up for you?"
Naruto deflated like a punctured balloon, hanging his head dejectedly and confessing with a look of utter dejection, "Okay... I admit it, I was avoiding you." His voice trailed off, "But, it was because I didn't want to hurt you."
"So," Sasuke stared at him, nodding unsurprised, "it's really because of the Nine-Tails inside you?"
"Huh?!" Naruto suddenly looked up, his face filled with shock and disbelief. "W-how did you know?!"
Sasuke didn't answer. Instead, he reached into his pocket, took out the three miniature tailed beasts, and placed them on the clean table.
The moment the three little guys, Shukaku (One-Tail), Kokuo (Five-Tail), and Chomei (Seven-Tail), were exposed to the air, their gazes were immediately "fixed" on Naruto... or more accurately, on a certain entity within Naruto.
At the same time, inside Naruto's body.
The nine-tailed beast, which had been lying prone, suddenly opened its crimson eyes, its massive head jerking back, the chains rattling loudly. A distinct yet much weaker aura, of the same origin, pierced through the seal's barrier and was keenly detected by the beast.
[“Huh?”] Kurama’s deep, violent voice, filled with undisguised astonishment, resounded directly in Naruto and the other tailed beasts’ minds. [“Shukaku? Kokuo? Chomei? It really is you three. How… how did you become like this?”]
Tailed beasts have a unique way of communicating. Even when sealed inside a Jinchūriki, their mental signals can be clearly transmitted at such close range.
"Hahahaha!" Shukaku immediately burst into exaggerated, mocking laughter, the miniature raccoon laughing so hard it bent over. "Kurama! Look at you! How does it feel to be locked in a cage? How miserable! Hahahaha!"
The five-tailed beast, Kokuou, shook its tail helplessly and advised, "Shukaku, why don't you shut up?"
Shichimei flapped his wings and said in a soft voice, "You deserved to be beaten, Shukaku."
But Shukaku was completely absorbed in the joy of having the upper hand and wouldn't listen to any advice. He continued to gloat at Naruto (the Nine-Tails inside him): "If you're so capable, Kurama, come out and fight me! Do you think it can even get out? Hahahaha!"
The Nine-Tails' rage erupted like a volcano, its terrifying chakra surging violently, shaking the entire mental space. Through Naruto's eyes, it stared intently at the laughing, hand-on-hips sand raccoon outside, and through gritted teeth, it let out a low, murderous roar:
"Shukaku—! You just wait!"
"Fine, I'll wait!" Shukaku said confidently. "Hahaha! This is hilarious! You've finally met your match!"
***
The previous day's experience was like a ray of light, piercing through the long-standing fog of loneliness in Naruto's heart. He learned that Sasuke also had a tailed beast, although the situation was completely different from his own, which was sealed within him.
But, as expected—Sasuke is one of them.
This unique feeling of finding a "home" greatly enhanced Naruto's dependence on and desire to be close to Sasuke.
Perhaps because his mood had brightened considerably, and his illness had been largely dispelled, coupled with his consistent medication and regular diet over the past few days, Naruto woke up the next day feeling refreshed and invigorated like never before.
He nimbly got out of bed, humming a song as he washed up, then grabbed his schoolbag and rushed out the door.
Today, for the first time ever, he wasn't late; in fact, he arrived at the classroom more than ten minutes early.
Sasuke arrived at school around the same time. He had just put down his bag when he heard a loud, energetic voice beside him:
Good morning, Sasuke!
Sasuke was taken aback by the sudden, enthusiastic greeting. He turned around and saw Naruto with his bright blond hair, sparkling blue eyes, and an undisguised, radiant smile on his face.
This is completely different from how he deliberately avoided attention and evaded his gaze a few days ago.
Sasuke tilted his head slightly, a little awkwardly, and replied, "Good morning...?" His tone was hesitant, as if he hadn't quite caught on yet.
However, Naruto seemed completely oblivious to Sasuke's unease. As if a switch had been flipped, he began chattering away, from how well he slept last night to how nice the weather was today, and even complaining about how difficult the homework assigned by Iruka-sensei was... He naturally took over Sasuke's space, his eagerness making it seem as if they were old friends.
The other students who arrived in the class soon noticed this unusual scene.
How did these two end up together?
Naruto is one thing, but Sasuke is another... Faced with the former's almost "harassing" enthusiasm, the latter, although still expressionless, did not directly leave with a cold face or reprimand as he would with other people trying to strike up a conversation. Instead, he would occasionally give a brief reply or listen quietly.
"Hey, look... Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha..."
"When did they become so close?"
"Sasuke-kun didn't push him away..."
Discussions filled the classroom, and the students' faces were filled with surprise and confusion.
Iruka noticed the change in the two of them, and a smile crept onto his face, his heart filled with satisfaction.
How wonderful! For these two lonely children, they might become a ray of light illuminating each other's world.
***
Sasuke has been mentioning Naruto more often lately. After school, when Sasuke goes to pick him up, Naruto no longer just hides behind him and watches, but comes up to him and greets him somewhat shyly.
It seems the two have successfully become friends?
Thus, the "insurance" seed he planted has successfully sprouted.
With the matter settled, Yan Sheng was not in a hurry to retrieve the three tailed beasts.
On one hand, he's been very busy lately and hasn't had time to pay attention to Sasuke. The three kids staying with Sasuke serve both as his eyes and ears and can indirectly foster a better relationship between Naruto and Sasuke; on the other hand, he doesn't need them right now.
Yan Sheng has recently devoted almost all his energy to researching the "Otsutsuki" clan.
-----------------------
Author's Note: I've finally finished writing about how the two little ones became friends, although it was a bit rushed (tears welling up).
I won't be taking care of the kids forever; professional tasks should be handled by professionals—the next one to take over childcare is: Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Having learned from past mistakes, Kaguya changed her approach to raising her grandson (why isn't a reincarnation of her son's son's chakra considered a grandson?). [Dog head with rose in hand]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
