With Mother Yun's interjection, Yun Kong managed to escape his father's endless questions. After hastily eating a few bites, he stood up and said, "I'm done eating. Heading to school now."
He slung his backpack over his shoulder, putting in the bento box that his mother had prepared earlier. Seeing that it contained two full lunchboxes, Yun Kong's face darkened. "Mom, are you trying to fatten me up like a pig?"
"What are you talking about?" she laughed, setting down her chopsticks and straightening his clothes. "One of those is for Obito. He's had a hard life, so be good to him, alright? Don't bully him."
Yun Kong's first thought was, Mom, is Obito your long-lost son? They'd only met once, and she was already this nice to him.
But his mom's next words cut short his wild imaginings.
"On the battlefield, having even one trusted comrade is invaluable. Back then, your father only survived because he had a brother he could depend on."
Wow, that's my mom, Yun Kong thought. She was forward-thinking, alright—already planning to keep the future Big Boss Obito close by his side. Soon enough, no one would dare mess with him. He could just imagine himself saying, "You got a problem with me? I'll have my buddy deal with you!" The thought filled him with satisfaction.
"Alright, off you go," his mother said gently, having finished fussing over his outfit. "Don't be late on your first day."
Yun Kong nodded, genuinely enjoying this warm family dynamic. Dad sure is lucky to have married such a gentle woman, he thought, glancing over at his father, who was tapping an empty bowl. Yun Kong rolled his eyes.
"I'm heading out," Yun Kong called out, putting on his shoes and quickly heading out the door. The envious look his dad shot him nearly made him roll his eyes again.
Shaking off his father's jealous gaze, Yun Kong suddenly realized, Wait a minute. At my age, shouldn't Dad be the one taking me to school? He could almost picture his dad back in the house, smug about getting out of the task. Frustrated, he kicked a small rock on the ground. I can't believe my dad is this irresponsible.
"Hey! Yun Kong!" Just as Yun Kong rounded the corner, a loud voice shattered the morning quiet behind him.
He turned to see a figure emerging from a cloud of dust, calling out to him. "I thought I recognized you from behind!"
It was Obito, panting heavily, clearly having run a long way.
"What are you doing here? Your house is on the other side of town," Yun Kong said, puzzled. The Uchiha clan's compound was on the opposite side of the academy from his own home; Obito shouldn't have to come down this street.
"I came to walk with you to school. I was worried you'd get lost or run into trouble, so I came to protect you," Obito declared, with a "leave it to me" kind of look.
Trouble? Seriously? You're the biggest troublemaker around! Yun Kong thought to himself. But he was actually quite touched; Obito was a lot like Naruto, with a heart so pure that a single kind gesture was enough for him to offer his loyalty.
Seeing Obito without any supplies, Yun Kong asked, "Didn't you bring anything? We don't go home for lunch, so what are you going to eat?"
Unlike regular schools, the Academy for young ninjas didn't have a cafeteria, nor were there food vendors on campus.
"What? We don't go home for lunch? I didn't know that! No wonder my grandma packed me a lunch," Obito replied, looking bewildered.
"So?" Yun Kong asked, raising an eyebrow. "She made you a lunch, so where is it?"
"I…uh, ate it with my breakfast," Obito admitted sheepishly.
"What are you, a pig? Aren't you stuffed after eating that much?" Yun Kong sighed.
"Well… I am a little full," Obito admitted, scratching his head. As it turned out, he was still an innocent kid
After a quick look, Obito eagerly took Yun Kong's shoulder bag, opened it, and found two lunchboxes neatly packed inside.
"Is one of these for me?" he asked hopefully.
"I wouldn't know. All I know is, I'm not a pig," Yun Kong replied, hands resting on his head as he walked on, a bit exasperated.
Yun Kong continued walking by himself for a moment before he realized Obito wasn't following. Turning around, he suddenly found himself under attack—Obito lunged at him, clutching him in a heartfelt hug. "Yun Kong, you're way too good to me! Ever since I lost my parents, besides my grandma, you're the only one who's ever treated me so well!"
As he spoke, tears and snot were smeared all over Yun Kong's shirt.
"Oh, come on! No need to get that emotional! This is a brand-new shirt," Yun Kong groaned internally, attempting to push Obito away, but Obito held on with a vice grip.
It took quite a while before Obito finally let go, leaving Yun Kong's shirt... well, the less said about that, the better.
After a final sniffle, Obito turned to Yun Kong, a determined expression on his face. "Yun Kong, from now on, you're my little bro. If anyone dares mess with you, just tell me—I'll beat them up for you."
With that, he gave Yun Kong a friendly, though slightly forceful, slap on the shoulder, brimming with newfound brotherly loyalty.
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𝕾𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖆𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖐𝖘 to 'Jacob Mooe' for accessing 'Apostle of Light' tier! (11-19-24)
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