Haah… Haah…
A four-year-old kid holds a wooden sword and performs practice swings in the backyard of his house. He is wearing a brown gi with a black belt and black sandals.
"Your posture is incorrect, boy!"
A fairly tall man with a sturdy build, light brown hairs, a slightly bulbous nose, and black eyes instructs him. He holds a wooden stick in his hand and taps the boy's arm to point out his mistake.
The boy adjusts his posture accordingly and continues the practice.
"The movements of your wrists are too inflexible!"
"Too much unnecessary force in your swing. Maintain a rhythm or you will easily tire yourself out."
"Don't extend your legs too much."
The man instructs the boy repeatedly, correcting his mistakes.
"I think that's enough practice for today!"
A sweet female voice interrupts them.
"Lady Ishiko!" The man turns towards the voice and bows slightly.
The boy also places down the wooden sword and walks towards his mother. Ishiko wipes his forehead with a towel and hands him a bamboo cup with a drink.
"Do you like it, Ritsu?!"
"Yes, mom! It's so refreshing!"
Ritsu nods and finishes the nutrition soup. Ishiko offers another cup to the sturdy, tall man, who accepts it with a smile.
"Thank you, lady Ishiko!"
"No, I should be the one to thank you, Yūga-san, for training Ritsu in Kenjutsu."
"Haha… it's alright! I don't have many missions to do these days." Yūga smiles and finishes the drink in a single gulp.
"Bye Uncle Yūga! See you later!" Ritsu waves him goodbye.
Yūga Senju is a member of the Senju clan and a subordinate of his grandmother.
Other than his father and mother, he also has a loving grandmother. Her name is Shima Uzumaki, and she is a member of the Uzumaki clan. These past few days, she was outside the village to attend to some urgent matters.
When he first saw his grandmother, it reminded him of his grandma from his last life. Both of their faces seem to overlap with several of their features being similar. It's as if his grandma has reappeared in front of him. He couldn't hold back his tears and hug Grandma Shima in an embrace.
His sudden outburst startled the family. But they quickly attributed it to him missing his grandmother. Ritsu has been close to his grandmother since birth.
As for Uncle Yūga, he is an orphan whose parents died during the Second Shinobi War. Since then, Grandma Shima raised him as her own child. He later moved out after his promotion to a chunnin and lives nearby in a house.
Now, years after, Yuga is already a full-fledged jounin with several difficult mission completions under his belt. He is one of the elite members of the Senju clan.
After Yuga's departure, Ishiko turns to Ritsu.
"I will go shopping soon. Do you want to come with me?" She asks him with a smile.
"Ok!" Ritsu nods in excitement.
"Then, I will buy your favorite red bean paste mochi!" Ishiko smiles and nudges him to change clothes.
-----
A few minutes later,
Ritsu holds Ishiko's hand and walks outside the Senju clan compounds with slight excitement.
It has been a month since he woke up in this world. Since that day, this is his third visit outside the Senju clan compound. So, he was quite looking forward to it.
During his first visit, he was able to deduce the timeline; a problem that has been haunting him for several days.
Well, how did he deduce the timeline?
A certain yellow-haired street urchin was found beaten black and blue in a corner of the street.
Ritsu instantly recognized him as the protagonist of this world. Well, who could it be other than Naruto?
Yes, he found a three-and-a-half-year-old kid beaten near a trashcan in a corner. This sight pained his heart, and he was instantly reminded of the abuse he suffered in his uncle's house. His mother wanted to help Naruto but had to hold herself somehow for some reason.
'Well, he wasn't sure what it was, but it might be related to Nine-tails and other political stuff. But that didn't stop a harmless kid like him!'
Ritsu bravely walked in front of Naruto and handed him his half-eaten candied fruit and mochi. He then waved him goodbye and left with his mother. Ritsu wants to help Naruto as much as possible since he saw a glimpse of his past self in Naruto. He had his grandma to help him, but Naruto is all alone in this cruel world. And to make things worse, he is shunned for a crime he didn't even commit.
'Naruto is a part of the Uzumaki clan like me, so he is also family. And well… what threat can an innocent four-year-old kid like me from a reputable clan pose to the Jinchuriki of the Nine-tails?'
That kind gesture even earned him rewards from his mother, father, and grandma. Their sweet, warm smile touched his heart.
When I asked them why they couldn't help Naruto. They sighed and said nothing.
"Ritsu, it's a bit complicated. But our hands are tied and we can't interfere much with Naruto's life."
Their words made him realize that there might be some complications that he was unaware of. But that won't stop him from befriending Naruto.
'I don't want a kid like him to grow up with a terrible childhood. Every kid needs the comfort of friends and family.'
So, he tried to search for him on his next visit to the market, but he couldn't find him.
"Mochi! Mochi! Mochi!"
Ritsu hums a tune of a song from his world and hops away with his mother in a good mood. In this past month, he has adjusted well to his new family and all his past trauma and sorrow are gradually healing with their kind smile.
He still had nightmares in the middle of the night, but this time, his mother hugged him in her warm embrace. Despite his slightly mature mental age, the warm embrace of his mother would relieve all his worries; a feeling he longed for in his past life.
Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…
Suddenly, several shinobis flicker across the roofs of the shops and houses in the shopping district.
"Wow, what speed!" Ritsu speaks in fascination.
He wasn't acting. He was truly fascinated. These people were running at a speed of at least 20-25 meters per second. If you put that in perspective of a normal human from his past life, then it's almost twice as fast as the world record. So, yeah, of course, it's fascinating.
"I think I saw Dad among them!" Ritsu mumbles as he briefly captures a figure with a similar build to his father.
"Mm… you have sharp observation!" Ishiko nods and then continues to walk towards the grocery store.
She meets up with a chubby woman, waiting outside in the queue.
"Nice to meet you, Auntie!" Ritsu politely bows his head.
"Ara… what a polite kid!" The chubby woman smiles and hands him a candy from her bag.
"I brought this for my son. He is of the same age as you." The chubby woman chuckles.
'Umm… I think I know who she is talking about.'
The figure of a fat human pinball flashes past Ritsu's mind.
"Thank you, Auntie!" Ritsu thanks her and pockets the candy.
He whistles while waiting in the queue.
Hmm…
Suddenly, Ritsu feels a pair of eyes silently gaze at him. Especially at the pocket he just put the candy in.
Ritsu looks around to search for the suspect.
'Found him!'
He notices a few yellow tufts of hair peeking out from a nearby electric pole. A certain yellow urchin is lurking in the corner.
Ritsu breaks free from his mother's hand and walks towards the electric pole, startling Ishiko and the yellow Urchin.
Naruto is frightened by Ritsu and quickly turns around to escape.
"Wait!" Ritsu's shout immobilizes Naruto in his place.
He walks in front of Naruto and smiles kindly at him.
"Hi, my name is Ritsu Senju. What's yours?"
Ritsu extends a hand towards Naruto.
"Ah!"
Ritsu's gesture startles Naruto, and he pulls his hand behind his back.
'Hmm… Is he afraid of me?' Ritsu senses the fear and hesitation in Naruto's eyes.
'Did someone bully him again?' Ritsu notices Naruto's dirty clothes and some bruises on his arms.
'What the fuck are the Anbus and the jounins of the Hokage Office doing? They can't even keep a kid safe.' He snaps at the Hokage Office and curses them in his mind.
Growl… growl…
At this moment, Naruto's stomach growls.
Ah…
He quickly places his hand on his stomach with a red face.
'And he is hungry, too! Are they not even feeding him properly? Do they expect a three-year-old kid to make food by himself?' Naruto's pitiful state touches a sore spot in Ritsu's heart.
In that case…
"Come with me!"
Ritsu forcefully grabs Naruto's arm and pulls him. Naruto resists a bit, but compared to Ritsu; he lacks the strength.
"Just come with me!"
Ritsu becomes a bit more forceful.
He walks in front of his mother and makes the most innocent and cute face he can muster.
"M-mom! Can you give me some m-money?!"
"Oh!" A playful smile appears on Ishiko's face.
She takes out her purse and gives a hundred Ryō notes to him.
"Poor kid!" While Ishiko hides her emotions, tears overflow from the chubby woman's eyes.
She also forks out a hundred Ryō notes and hands them over to Ritsu.
"Go and eat something good!"
Mm…
"Thank you, Auntie!"
He turns to Naruto and speaks.
"When you receive something, say thank you!"
"T-thank you!" Naruto bows his head with a bit of shame and fear.
Ritsu nods and happily drags Naruto away.
"Don't get lost along the way. Find me in the same spot!" Ishiko's motherly phrases enter Ritsu's ears.
"Ok, Mom!" He turns around and nods.
Growl… growl…
Naruto's hunger strikes again.
"This is a lot of money. Today, we will eat something good!" He smiles at Naruto and drags him towards a Ramen stall in the distance.
He remembered that ramen was Naruto's favorite food, and he too wanted to try it out. In his past life, he enjoyed his grandma's cooking a lot. He rarely ate outside and there weren't many restaurants in the village. Later, when he moved out, he ate outside a few times, but there was no homely taste to the food. It always lacked something.
Sigh…
He sighs and glances at a timid Naruto, fidgeting and trembling in fear. This sight brought back some terrible memories.
"Everything will be alright!" He ruffles Naruto's hair, startling him even more.
"Boss! Give me two bowls of your best ramen!"
Ritsu slams the money on the table.
"Oh! A rich customer!"
A jovial man in his early thirties walks out of the aisle and glances at them with a smile.
"Ayo! Coming right up!"
He takes out two large bowls and fills them with soup, noodles, char-su, boiled eggs, and other toppings.
"Here!"
"Smells so good!" Naruto takes a whiff and his stomach growls again.
"Eat up!"
Ritsu holds his bowl and digs in.
"Can I?" Naruto hesitates a bit.
"Mm… of course! If you won't, then I will take your share." Ritsu picks up his chopsticks and moves them towards Naruto's bowl.
"No, this is mine!" Naruto quickly grabs his bowl and turns away to hide it.
Haha…
Teuchi chuckles at the sight and places more meat and eggs in their bowl.
"You two remind me of someone. So, here, take some extra. It's on the house!"
"Thank you, Oji-san!"
Ritsu starts slurping his ramen.
"Arigato, Oji-san!" Naruto also follows Ritsu's etiquette and starts eating his food.
"So good!" Naruto's eyes light up and his eating pace increases.
"See, I told ya!" Ritsu glances at Naruto and nods.
Half an hour later.
"That hit the spot!" Ritsu rubs his slightly fat belly.
"Haha… you talk like an old man!" Teuchi chuckles.
"I saw my dad say it!" Ritsu cleans his teeth with a toothpick.
"So good! So yummy! I am full!" Naruto also rubs his fat belly. There are three empty bowls in front of them each.
Teuchi hands over the remaining money to Ritsu.
"Here, your change!"
Ritsu grabs the change and then passes it to Naruto.
"You can use it to eat next time."
Ah!
Naruto's expression freezes. He hesitates a bit.
"C-can I? B-but… no one wants to…"
"Of course you can." Ritsu shoves the money in Naruto's hand and turns to Teuchi.
"Hey Oji-san! Is this boy not a customer?" He asks.
"Haha… of course, he is a customer. Anyone who pays is a customer."
"See!" Ritsu turns to Naruto.
"Next time, when you pass by, you can eat your fill." Ritsu pats Naruto's back and takes out the candy from his pocket.
"You can have it too!"
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Then, thank you!" Naruto accepts the candy with a cheerful smile.
"See ya later!" Ritsu waves him goodbye.
"Naruto!" Naruto murmurs.
Hmm…
Ritsu turns around.
"NARUTO Uzumaki! That's my name." Naruto musters some courage and shouts.
"Ritsu Senju!" Ritsu smiles and extends his hand.
"Will you be my friend?" He asks.
"Mm… I want to be your friend." A pure and beautiful smile appears on Naruto's face.
"Then, from today onwards, we will be friends!" Ritsu also smiles at him.
"Let's meet again!" With these words, the duo part ways.
Sniff… sniff…
"What a beautiful start to a friendship?" Tears flow from Teuchi's eyes.
"Dad, what's the matter?"
An eight-year-old girl walks out of the shop.
"Ayame, I just saw a very beautiful scene." He wipes his tears while Ayame tilts her head in confusion.
"Here, take this money and go enjoy yourself." He hands over some cash to his daughter.
"Dad, you are the best!" The little girl hugs him and rushes out of the shop.
"This money!" Teuchi glances at the two hundred Ryo notes on the table.
"I will cherish these two notes as a wonderful memory!" He swipes them off the table and places them in a special section after writing Ritsu and Naruto's names on paper.
----------
"Mom, I am back!"
Ritsu meets Ishiko outside the Senju clan compounds.
"How was it?" Ishiko asks him with a smile.
"Mom, today I made my first friend!" Ritsu recounts his experience as he enters the Senju clan compound.
"Haha… that's good to hear. You should cherish your friendship!" She ruffles his hair.
----------
In a secret underground facility,
Whoosh…
A figure clad in black clothes and a white animal mask with red markings bows in front of another figure in the shadows.
"Any suspicious activity or threat to the target's safety?"
A middle-aged voice echoes in the room.
"No, Sir!" the Anbu answers.
"Alright, then you can continue the observation." The figure waves his hand to dismiss him.
"Umm… sir, there is something else!" The Anbu hesitates before opening his mouth.
"What's it?"
"Umm… sir, today a kid approached the target. I investigated the kid's background." He hands over a small scroll to the figure.
Hmm…
The figure glances through the contents of the scroll.
'A friend?' A slight smile appears on the figure's face.
"Very well! Don't bother the Senju kid. Let him be! And continue to protect the target."
"Yes, sir!"
Whoosh…
The Anbu disappears from the room.
'Hoh! Look like there is still hope in the new generation. However,"
Suddenly, the figure's expression turns grave.
"Kitsune!"
Whoosh…
An Anbu wearing a white fox mask with blacked-out ovular eyes and red designs over the cheeks flickers in front of the figure.
"Sir!" the Anbu greets him with a standard Anbu bow.
"Investigate the people spreading the rumors about the Demon Fox!"
"Yes, sir!"
Whoosh…
The Kitsuné mask Anbu disappears in a similar fashion as he appeared.
"Sir!"
While the figure was pondering, another Anbu flickers in the room.
"What's the matter?" The figure frowns.
"Sir, this is the report from the borders." The Anbu hands over a scroll to the figure.
"Kumo is gathering its forces around the Land of Fire territories. They seem ready to wage another war!"
Hmm…
The figure inspects the contents of the scroll.
'I have to talk to the Hyuga clan's leader about this. Konoha isn't in any shape to wage another war after the Hiruko incident.'
He waves his hand to dismiss the Anbu.
Hiruko was a member of Konoha's elite jounin squad and a student of the village elder, Shima Uzumaki. The boy had no natural talent, but he was hard-working. As his teacher, Shima taught him diligently and even imparted some of her Uzumaki sealing techniques, including some forbidden techniques to help him survive the war.
Hiruko fought in the second shinobi war, and though he didn't have any outstanding achievements, he managed to get by. Now, after several years and another war, Hiruko grew more and more distant from the village's ideologies.
He researched forbidden techniques, performed human experimentation, and even developed a Kinjutsu. His research was too dangerous and after a hearing with the village council; it was decided that he was too dangerous to be left alive. His pursuit of power had corroded his mindset and corrupted his ideals.
Shima personally took charge of the mission to redeem her failure as a teacher. She, together with the three Sannins, his prized students, went to hunt Hiruko. However, he managed to slip away from their pursuit. Now his whereabouts are hidden and his threat looms over the village.
Just recently, the group returned from the pursuit and now yet another trouble was brewing.