"This feeling is getting worse..."
Naruto Uzumaki walked down the village's main street. The villagers, who usually just detested him, now looked at him with an added layer of fear. Every gaze lingered for a moment before quickly darting away.
Apparently, the news that a certain special jonin had been beaten and sent to the hospital by the "demon fox" yesterday afternoon had already spread like wildfire through Konoha this morning.
His image was probably being demonized all over again...
Those same villagers, who were usually bold enough to mock even jonin, fell silent the moment they saw Naruto. This "demon fox boy" now possessed a power they couldn't ignore. Besides, a jonin like Might Guy wouldn't harm an ordinary villager, but the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox had caused countless bloody incidents twelve years ago.
Only after the orange ninja uniform had disappeared from view did some villagers start muttering.
"I really don't know why the village keeps such a dangerous guy around!"
"Did you see that demon fox boy's eyes? So scary..."
"The village actually let him become a ninja! Isn't that incredibly dangerous?"
"Shh, maybe the Third Hokage has his reasons. Who knows what those big shots are thinking? Just ignore him, and we'll be fine..."
Yesterday's incident seemed to have made a big impact.
Naruto let out a small laugh, comforting himself. At least there was one good thing: from now on, no one would be pointing in his face and telling him to get lost. At least now, he could go anywhere he wanted.
At the entrance of a breakfast shop, Naruto stood before a steamer basket and reluctantly pulled two coins from his frog-shaped wallet. "Two buns, please."
The shop owner, a man with a fleshy face, glanced at the yellow-haired ninja at his door. He knocked on the counter and said with a look of disdain, "Not for you. Get lost!"
"..."
Naruto's face fell instantly. After standing there stunned for a moment, he dejectedly put his money away. He turned to leave, planning to just head to the training ground on an empty stomach.
In the center of the street, an old man standing at the entrance of a ramen shop smiled, his eyes narrowed, and waved at him. "Hey, Naruto! If you're not in a hurry, come have breakfast with us!"
"Uncle Teuchi! Are you open for business this early?"
"Not yet," Teuchi said, adjusting his chef's hat. He put an arm around the boy's shoulder. "I just made some breakfast. If you don't mind, come in and eat with us!"
"How could I mind? Thanks a lot!"
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Ayame brought over a plate of steamed buns and a few side dishes. She leaned over curiously and rested an arm on Naruto's shoulder, a pleasant aroma wafting from her. "Hey, Naruto, are you guys starting ninja missions today?"
"Not sure," Naruto said, shaking his head. "Kakashi-sensei asked us to do a survival exercise first..."
As he said this, the expression on Naruto's face changed. "Wait, I think Kakashi-sensei mentioned we're not allowed to eat breakfast!"
"Don't worry about that, you're already here," Ayame said, pushing him down into a seat. She sat down across from him and tilted her head, curiously sizing him up. "Your supervising jonin is Hatake Kakashi, right? He's a really handsome guy!"
The young lady of Ichiraku Ramen clearly had unique priorities. In the eyes of others, Kakashi was the Copy Ninja, Konoha's Technician who had mastered a thousand jutsu, the famed Kakashi of the Sharingan. In her eyes, looks were what mattered most.
Naruto could only give an awkward laugh. "Is... is that so? He wears a mask, so I don't know what he looks like..."
"If the top half of his face is that handsome, the bottom half can't be too bad!" Ayame winked at him and whispered, "I have a secret for you! A lot of people in the village think he's cold and heartless, but he's actually someone who really treasures his comrades!"
"Eh?" Naruto looked up in confusion. "But as a ninja, shouldn't everyone treasure their teammates?"
"Some people are different," Ayame said, shaking her head with a serious expression. "In the past, when people in the ramen shop talked about Kakashi, they would always say he was a terrifying ninja who wouldn't hesitate to kill his own teammates for the sake of a mission..."
"But I know he's not like that. I remember when I was very young, right after the Third Great Ninja War ended, something was off with Kakashi. He would often argue with people, especially those handsome guys from the Uchiha clan..."
"One time, right here at the ramen shop entrance, Kakashi told those Uchiha that he would live on for his comrade, watching the world through his eyes. How could a person like that kill his own teammates for a mission?"
"Ayame is right," Teuchi added, bringing over three bowls of noodle soup. He rubbed his daughter's head, a nostalgic look in his narrowed eyes. "He's just a child who isn't good at expressing himself, but he acts just like his father. What a pity about Lord Sakumo..."
"Is that so..." Naruto said in a low voice, casually picking up a steamed bun. "It sounds like this supervising jonin is actually a good person!"
"You idiot!" Ayame smacked him lightly on the head. She put her hands together. "How many times did I teach you when you were little? You must always show gratitude before a meal! You're a ninja now, and you still forget!"
"...Thanks for the food," Naruto mumbled, pouting as he glanced at her carefully.
Next to him, Teuchi trembled slightly as he quickly put his own hands together, glanced at his daughter, and stuttered, "I... Thanks for the food."
Because he had scored a free breakfast at Ichiraku Ramen, by the time Naruto arrived at Training Ground 3, his two teammates were already there waiting.
Sakura Haruno looked up as the leisurely Naruto approached. "Naruto, you're so late!"
"And our supervising jonin isn't behind you," Sasuke Uchiha noted, glancing at the empty road behind Naruto with a sour expression. "It seems your guess from yesterday was right. That masked man is probably going to be late today."
"I went to eat breakfast," Naruto said, glancing at the bitter expressions on his teammates' faces. He couldn't help but ask, "By the way, have you guys been waiting long?"
"Not too long," Sasuke said, clenching his fists to suppress his anger. "Just three hours."
Sakura looked up at him with a surprised face. "Sasuke-kun, you arrived at five in the morning? As expected of you, always so hardworking!"
"...Didn't you come with me?!" Sasuke's face grew darker. "That guy told us to gather here at five. I thought he would start teaching us how to train today, but I didn't expect him to be messing with us. It would have been better to be like Naruto and come over after breakfast!"
Naruto scratched his head. "Eh? Did he say to come at five? I don't remember him mentioning a time!"
"That's because he told us later!" Sasuke's expression was as gloomy as a stormy sky. "He came to the academy after you had already left. Sakura said she would go tell you..."
As he spoke, the gazes of both boys fell on Sakura, full of questions.
"Ahaha..." Sweat dripped from Sakura's brow. She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I couldn't find you until it was dark! Who knew you wouldn't even be home by evening!"
Naruto thought for a moment, then waved his hand. "Oh, that's my fault, actually. I had something to do yesterday afternoon, so I was at the hospital for a while..."
"Were you sick?"
"No. I just accidentally sent a special jonin to the hospital."
-----
Bonus:
Ayame: "Selling blackmail material! All kinds of juicy blackmail material~"
Naruto Uzumaki: "Got anything on Kakashi Hatake?"
Sasuke Uchiha: "What about Itachi Uchiha — got his?"
Ayame: "Kakashi's — 100 ryō. Itachi's — 10,000 ryō."
Sasuke Uchiha: "Why's his so expensive?!"
Ayame: "Because he's got way more dirt!"
Sasuke Uchiha: "You've gotta be kidding me — he used to be perfect!"
Ayame: "Buy it and see for yourself! Ayame's Shop — honest deals for all ages!"