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"Are you Lord Tianyu?"
Although Mitarashi Anko already had the answer in her heart, she couldn't help the hesitation in her tone as she looked at the youthful face of the young man in front of her.
Despite having heard of Tianyu's feats, she had never seen him in person. This was their first meeting.
So young.
Too young.
This man, her superior during the Chunin Exams, looked barely older than the genin who would participate.
"It's me," Tianyu replied with a calm nod.
"Mitarashi Anko, reporting to Lord Tianyu!"
Upon confirming his identity, Anko immediately knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully. She had been informed that Tianyu, though recently promoted, held a higher authority during the exams.
"You may rise," Tianyu said lightly.
"Yes, sir." Anko stood up and then asked, "Has Lord Tianyu come to ask about the Chunin Exam details?"
"Yes," Tianyu responded, his tone modest. "I was directly promoted to jōnin by the Hokage, so I never experienced this form of Chunin Exam. Now that I've been made an examiner, I'm unfamiliar with many of the processes. I need your guidance."
...
Guidance?
Anko secretly winced.
Lord Tianyu... are you sure you're not showing off?
Even though she grumbled inwardly, Anko respectfully pulled a scroll from her ninja pouch and handed it over.
"Lord Tianyu, I've documented the full procedures of this year's Chunin Exams on this scroll. Hokage-sama already instructed me to support you. Although you are the chief examiner for the second stage in the Forest of Death, the practical responsibilities fall mostly to me.
However, should anything happen inside the examination area... I hope Lord Tianyu will intervene promptly to ensure the safety of the genin."
"Understood."
Tianyu tucked the scroll away, then looked at her seriously.
"There's one more thing."
"Yes, Lord Tianyu?" Anko straightened, attentive.
"Cut down on meatballs and sweets."
"...Huh?"
Anko blinked, baffled.
What?
"Eat too much, and you'll gain weight. Eventually, you really will become an old auntie," Tianyu said with complete seriousness.
He remembered her later appearance in the manga—noticeably plumper. It felt like a waste.
With that, Tianyu's figure blurred and disappeared, leaving Anko stunned, standing on the street. She stared at the stick of dango in her hand.
She didn't know whether to keep eating or toss it.
...
After meeting with Anko, Tianyu returned home. As he stepped into the yard, his sister Tenten approached him.
"Brother, Kakashi-sensei came by to find you."
"Kakashi? What does he want with me?" Tianyu was puzzled. He and Kakashi didn't share a close relationship.
"It seems to be about Naruto..." Tenten said, brows furrowed. "He's been withdrawn lately. Since the last mission, he's stayed home and hasn't gone out at all.
Even when Kakashi-sensei invited his Team 7 students out for barbecue, Naruto didn't go. Kakashi-senpai's really worried. That's why he came to find you."
Something's wrong...
Tianyu was deep in thought.
"Got it. I'll go check on Naruto. Don't wait for me at dinner."
With that, he vanished from the yard in a flicker.
Instead of heading directly to Naruto's apartment, Tianyu stopped by Ichiraku Ramen and packed two servings.
Soon, he was knocking on Naruto's door.
After a short wait, the door opened.
Naruto stood there in pajamas, hair unkempt and eyes tired. He looked like he hadn't bathed in days.
When he saw Tianyu, surprise flashed across his face.
"Big Brother Tianyu? What are you doing here?"
"Brought you food. Figured you haven't eaten properly."
Tianyu stepped inside with the ramen, glancing around. Empty instant noodle cups littered the table.
"I'll clean up right now!"
Flustered, Naruto scrambled to tidy the mess, gathering up trash and clearing the table for Tianyu.
"I..." Naruto began to speak, but Tianyu interrupted him.
"Eat first. Talk later."
"Oh. Okay."
Despite everything, Naruto still obeyed Tianyu.
Slurp, slurp~
The room was filled with the comforting sound of two boys eating ramen.
Ichiraku Ramen always hit the spot, and after they finished their bowls, they both let out satisfied burps.
Naruto's mood visibly improved.
After they cleaned up, Tianyu ruffled Naruto's hair.
"Let's go. We're taking a walk. You stay indoors too long and you'll get moldy."
"Big Brother Tianyu..." Naruto looked down, troubled.
Tianyu teased, "What, don't want to walk with me?"
Naruto shook his head.
"No! I'll do anything Big Brother Tianyu asks! But... I don't want to be out on the streets right now..."
His voice grew smaller, and his expression darkened.
Tianyu sighed, setting aside his joking demeanor. He pulled Naruto over and had him sit down.
"You don't know how to face the villagers of Konoha, right?"
Naruto nodded silently.
At this point in the timeline, Naruto had never met Jiraiya, and though he had Tianyu's support, he wasn't especially close to Iruka like in the original story.
After Tianyu revealed his origins, Naruto had learned that his parents were Konoha's greatest heroes.
And he? He was the vessel that sealed the Nine-Tails.
So why did everyone hate him?
Why was there no one in the entire village—besides Tianyu—who truly cared about him?
Why had he grown up alone, sustained only by minimal aid from the village?
Why had he eaten leftovers, sometimes even finding sand or grit in his meals?
Why didn't Kakashi, his father's disciple, tell him anything?
Why didn't he step in to help or look out for him?
Naruto had quietly looked into his parents' history since Tianyu told him the truth.
He'd realized Kakashi was the Fourth Hokage's student...
And even though Kakashi knew Naruto's identity, he never said a word. He barely even arrived on time for missions.
Besides Tianyu, no one else in the world seemed to stand by him.
Naruto was alone.
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