It was a typical sunny day in Konoha when Naruko decided to explore a new part of the village.Yuto was not with her because he had some errands to do.So she was by herself for the time being.She loved wandering around, especially in quieter areas where she could momentarily escape the cold stares of the villagers. As she ran along a narrow path near the training grounds, she heard laughter echoing nearby. Curious, she turned the corner and saw a boy standing alone, his bright smile lighting up the surroundings.
The boy looked about her age, with spiky hair and an aura of energy that seemed to draw the attention of the wind around him. Every laugh he let out made the leaves swirl, as if nature itself were joining in on the fun."Hi!" Naruko shouted, waving as she approached him. "I'm Naruko! What's your name?"The boy beamed at her. "I'm Yota. Nice to meet you, Naruko!"
Their conversation flowed easily as they began to play, with Yota using his ability to summon small gusts of wind and playful rain, making their game more exciting. Naruko felt a little strange, whenever she stayed with yuto and played or trained with him,she will feel a warm feeling welling up in her.She thought this was the feeling of having someone as your friend,but yota,who also didn't glare at her like the other kids,and seems to be her new friend,did not give her the same feeling. She wondered what that warm feeling ment. She discarded those thoughts for later and continued to play with yota.
Just as they were getting lost in their game, a trio of kids appeared around the corner: a blonde girl with a ponytail, a boy with a lazy expression, and a larger boy who was munching on chips."Hey!" the blonde girl called out, her tone commanding attention. "Who are you?"Naruko turned to them, a little hesitant. "I'm Naruko. And this is Yota. We were just—"The boy with the lazy expression cut her off, looking at Yota with a mix of curiosity and caution. "Yota,did anyone seen you besides this girl?"Yota nodded, a little uncertain. "She is the only one who saw me."
The blonde girl stepped forward, a warning glint in her eye. "Listen, Yota, you need to stay away from her. She's kind of a loudmouth, and if anyone finds out about you, it could be a problem."Naruko's heart sank at Ino's words, her excitement evaporating as she looked at Yota, who seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. He glanced back at her, his expression filled with regret, as if he wanted to say something more but couldn't.
Before she could say anything, the trio turned to leave, Shikamaru casually nudging Yota. "Come on, we have to go."As they walked away, Yota gave her one last sad glance, and Naruko felt a lump in her throat.She whispered to herself, "I just wanted to have a friend…"
Yuto had just finished his errand, delivering a package to Kana Yamanaka, the caretaker of the dorms.With a spring in his step, he made his way toward the training grounds, excited for his daily practice with Guy-sensei.
As he approached, however, he noticed that Guy-sensei had yet to arrive. Not wanting to waste any time, he planned to start his warm-up exercises. But just as he was about to begin, he spotted a familiar figure entering the training area. Naruko walked toward him, her head hung low, her vibrant yellow hair that had started growing red highlights falling around her face. Yuto's heart sank at the sight of her red eyes, swollen and puffy as if she had been crying for a long time.
"Hey, Naruko!" he called out, concern creeping into his voice. "What's wrong?"She looked up, and Yuto could see the sadness etched on her face. "Oh… hey, Yuto," she said softly, attempting a weak smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's nothing."But Yuto could tell it was far from nothing. He hurried over to her, stopping a few feet away. "You don't look fine. Did something happen?"
Naruko hesitated, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I just… met someone today," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "His name is Yota, and we were having fun. But then Ino and the others showed up and told him to stay away from me… They said I'm a loudmouth, and now he's gone."
Yuto felt a wave of empathy wash over him. He knew how much Naruko valued her friendships and how deeply she felt the weight of other people's opinions. "Naruko, it's okay to feel sad about this," he said gently, stepping closer to her. "But it doesn't mean you're a loudmouth. You're just… you. And if Yota didn't want to be your friend, that's his loss."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "But I wanted to play with him more. He was really nice.""Yeah, I get it," Yuto replied, trying to keep his tone upbeat. "But you know what? You have me, and I think you're way more fun than that guy. We can train together and get even stronger. Plus, I promise I won't tell anyone your secret about how you can't stop eating ramen."
That earned a small laugh from Naruko, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. "You're right. I guess I should focus on training with you."Yuto nodded, relieved to see a hint of her usual energy returning. "Exactly! And who knows? Maybe you'll run into Yota again someday. If he's really nice like you said he is, he'll understand."
Just then, the sound of a boisterous voice interrupted their moment. "Naruko! Yuto! I'm here! Let's get this training started!"Might Guy had arrived, his exuberance filling the air with positivity.As they moved through their training, Yuto's thoughts turned to Yota's tragic backstory, which he had pieced together from the anime. Yota had been a boy burdened by his powers, struggling to connect with others due to the dangers surrounding him. Despite his abilities, he often felt isolated, caught between the desire for friendship and the fear of hurting those he cared about. Yuto found it hard to fathom how such a talented child could experience such loneliness.Then tragically die and be orochimaru's puppet for his Edo tensei experiments.
As he executed a series of kicks and punches, he resolved to ensure that Naruko would never feel that way. He wanted to help her find true friends who would support and care for her, just as he would. It was important to him that she always felt valued and never alone, especially after witnessing how easily her joy could be taken away.
"Let's push ourselves today!" Guy's enthusiastic voice broke through Yuto's thoughts, bringing him back to the present.Yuto felt a sense of determination swelling within him.Naruko was his best friend.He had already made the promise to become her right hand man,so protecting Naruko's happiness was also his duty.
(Pls give me some power stones!)
(Find out next time on Naruto:eye system)