["That damn brat… did he notice me?"]
[Watching little Naruto stride off proudly.]
[The ANBU ninja who dodged the mop frowned, then shook his head.]
["Impossible. He's just an ignorant, unruly little fox demon."]
["If he'd really noticed me, with that vulgar personality of his, he'd definitely be cursing me out loud."]
[Thinking this, the ANBU ninja stopped dwelling on it and continued following little Naruto from the shadows.]
Inuzuka Kiba: "Did I see that wrong? It really feels like Black-Frame Naruto has been testing these people the whole time—and even fully using his age to his advantage."
Kiba: "All the way out, I kept feeling like Black-Frame Naruto was deliberately showing anger and pretending to lose control."
Aburame Shino: "No need to doubt it. This Black-Frame Naruto is already bordering on monstrous."
Kiba: "Could it be that he's different from the idiot Naruto in our world?"
Kiba: "Since the moment he became aware, he felt people's attitudes. With his personality, he must've been secretly observing and absorbing a huge amount of information."
Uchiha Sasuke: "That explanation works. Honestly, Black-Frame Naruto being far stronger than our Naruto doesn't surprise me at all."
Uzumaki Naruto: "Sasuke!"
Haruno Sakura: "See? Told you."
Smack—
Without warning, Hyūga Neji slapped Naruto on the head again.
Before Naruto could protest, Neji said solemnly:
"Just now, I sensed that something about your state was off."
"Try learning from Black-Frame Naruto's way of handling things—resist the thoughts and emotions that feel like they're coming from deep inside you."
"Otherwise, you'll be a slave to whispered delusions for your entire life."
"You don't want to be laughed at by everyone, do you?"
Naruto: "..."
It sounded kind of reasonable…
but something still felt wrong.
Huh?!
Neji—did the corner of your mouth just twitch upward?!
[Rumble—]
[The weather changes without warning.]
[A clear sky suddenly fills with dark clouds.]
[On the way back, little Naruto constantly tests the bottom line of the ANBU ninja monitoring him.]
[Until he picks up a sharp object and throws it at a villager who's hurling abuse at him.]
[Whoosh—]
[A kunai intercepts the sharp stone midair.]
[Little Naruto's pupils shrink, but he doesn't show it. He spits at the man and turns away.]
['If I remember correctly, someone threw something at me from behind earlier—and that was blocked too.']
['They fear me and hate me… yet they also ensure my safety?']
['The Third… that bastard king of bastards—his order must be taking effect.']
['If they're guaranteeing my safety… then they must want something from me?']
[As little Naruto thinks—]
[A leather ball rolls to his feet.]
[He freezes for a moment, then looks up.]
["Hey! Don't play with him!"]
["Yeah, yeah—my mom said not to play with kids who have blond hair and six whiskers on their face!"]
["..."]
[Facing kids his own age, little Naruto's expression doesn't change.]
[He simply kicks the ball away.]
[Then leaves without looking back.]
[The group of kids, seeing his coldness, all grow a little afraid.]
[Grrr—]
[After walking for a while, little Naruto's stomach suddenly lets out a mournful growl.]
[Splash—]
[At that moment, rain begins to pour.]
[Caught off guard, little Naruto is instantly drenched.]
[But it also conveniently washes the grime from his body.]
[He raises a hand, catching some rainwater.]
[Looking at his arm: "The injuries from earlier have all healed. When that person treated me, his hand glowed green—that's the medical ninjutsu they call Palm Sage Technique, right?"]
[He's shocked by his own recovery speed—and by the power of medical ninjutsu.]
["But…" little Naruto rubs his stomach.]
["After recovering, the hunger feels even worse."]
"So fast to notice his own peculiarity?" Kakashi murmurs.
Then he looks at Might Guy.
"Guy, be ready. When this comparison viewing ends, protect our subordinates."
Might Guy scratches his head, puzzled. "Got it."
He doesn't know why Kakashi suddenly became so serious—but if his best friend says so, he'll comply.
["Smells so good~"]
[In the end, he's still a child. The aroma drifts toward him.]
[Little Naruto unconsciously follows the scent.]
[Rumble—]
[Lightning flashes, thunder roaring.]
[The ramen shop owner glances back.]
["The rain's really coming down,"]
[he says to the girl beside him.]
[When he turns back, he sees a cute child standing at the entrance of his ramen shop—soaked through.]
[The child stands outside, not entering.]
[His short blond hair hangs limply, six whisker marks on his cheeks.]
[The rumors of the fox demon have reached here as well.]
[And this is a popular ramen shop—customers come and go, and many had been discussing it earlier.]
[With a single glance, the owner knows who the child is.]
[Grrr—]
[Little Naruto's stomach growls at the worst possible moment.]
[Smelling the ramen, he knows the owner will soon chase him away.]
[Even if he has money, they won't sell to him.]
[Just as he lifts his foot to leave—]
[A cheerful voice rings out from inside the shop.]
["They say rainy days go perfectly with ramen~"]
["Kid, want a bowl of hot ramen to warm your stomach?"]
[Little Naruto freezes.]
[He looks up at the shop's curtain.]
[Five cloth panels—he doesn't know many characters, but he recognizes these.]
["Ichiraku Ramen?"]
[Only then does he realize—there's no malice here.]
[He cautiously steps inside.]
["Ayame."]
[The owner calls out behind him.]
["Coming, Dad—what's… oh?"]
[A pretty young girl walks out. She freezes when she sees Naruto.]
[She exchanges a glance with the owner, then silently heads to the back.]
[Moments later, she returns holding a dry towel.]
["Wipe off first, or you won't be able to eat ramen~"]
[Ayame's movements are gentle, her voice soft, smiling like she's comforting an injured kitten.]
[The owner sets a steaming bowl of pork-bone ramen on the counter.]
[(Note: 'Ton'—the 'tube' is the Ōtsutsuki 'tube.')]
[He crosses his arms, leaning against the counter, the same warm smile on his face.]
[In that moment, little Naruto feels warmth spread through his chest.]
["Eh?"]
[Ayame freezes while drying his hair—no wonder her hands feel warm. The child is crying.]
Ōtsutsuki · Ichiraku: "Hahaha~"
Teuchi: "Looks like even Black-Frame Naruto can't resist my ramen~"
Teuchi: "Perfect! Free publicity for Ichiraku Ramen—this one's on the house!"
["Dad… this kid… he kind of looks like that person, doesn't he?" Ayame whispers after seating Naruto.]
[Teuchi's lips curve slightly. He only shakes his head.]
["Eat, kid. If it's not enough, there's more."]
[Little Naruto blinks, takes the chopsticks, stares at the ramen, and swallows hard.]
["Uncle… how much does this cost?"]
[Teuchi chuckles. "First bowl's free for new customers. Eat your fill~!"]
"Uh… Naruto-kun… Naruto-kun's eaten here… whether Black-Frame or Gold-Frame… was the first bowl free too?"
Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku, laughing loudly in the ramen shop, suddenly feels a chill down his spine.
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