Chapter Eighteen: Itachi Uchiha

"Ah~ha~" Lying on the grass, Yu Higashino let out a yawn. The sun was now even lower in the sky than before, and staring straight at it no longer hurt his eyes. The flowing river reflected the setting sun, its golden-red ripples like silk, carrying an almost dreamlike quality.

In the distance, the sounds of Naruto and Sasuke bickering could be heard, but Yu Higashino didn’t find it annoying—if anything, it made the moment feel even more tranquil.

At that moment, Yu’s brows lifted slightly; he sensed someone approaching.

"Sasuke!" called a boy’s voice from afar.

"Big brother!" That was Sasuke’s voice.

With that form of address, Yu didn’t need to look to know who it was—Itachi Uchiha.

Still, Yu sat up and turned toward the source of the voices.

There stood a boy not much younger than Yu himself, whose cool features softened with a gentle warmth as he looked at his little brother. The tear troughs beneath his eyes were especially pronounced.

"It’s time to go home for dinner!" Itachi’s tone held no hint of sternness.

"Okay!" Sasuke replied crisply.

Soon, Sasuke’s farewell to Naruto could be heard.

"I’m heading home now."

"Hmph, fine, go."

"Tch!" Their way of communicating was as unique as ever.

Noticing Yu, Itachi called out from a distance, "Thank you for taking care of my brother today."

"No need to mention it," Yu replied, waving a hand.

"Yu, I’m leaving," Sasuke called to Yu as well, far more polite than he’d been with Naruto.

"Mm, goodbye!" Yu answered, watching as Sasuke and Itachi walked off together.

Naruto watched them for a long time, looking a little downcast, but then seemed to think of something, and his mood instantly brightened.

"Yu!" He called out as he ran over to Yu Higashino.

Yu stood up and waited for Naruto to reach him.

"Let’s head back too."

"Okay!" Naruto answered, then asked, "Aren’t we going to keep fishing?"

"Let’s not. We already had fish today, so let’s have something else for dinner."

"What should we have?"

"Ichiraku Ramen."

"Yay!"

"My treat. But that means today’s wages are all gone—is that alright?"

"Sure," Naruto agreed without the slightest hesitation.

After packing up, the two walked back toward the village in the glow of the sunset—their long and short shadows stretched out behind them, moving slowly across the ground.

Back home, they quickly dropped off their things and set out again for Ichiraku Ramen.

"Uncle, I’ll have a large pork miso chashu ramen!" As soon as they stepped into the shop, Naruto called out loudly.

"Welcome! Naruto, back for ramen again, I see."

"Yep! Today, Yu is treating!"

The old man behind the counter noticed Yu as he entered.

"Welcome."

"I’ll have a large pork miso chashu ramen, too."

"Alright, have a seat and wait a moment—it’ll be ready soon."

The shop was empty except for the ramen man, a little girl—probably his daughter, Ayame—and Yu with Naruto.

They sat at the counter, waiting for their ramen.

"Yu, have you had Ichiraku Ramen before?"

"I have. Not long ago, actually." On his second day after arriving in this world, Yu had come to try the famed Ichiraku Ramen.

"Do you like it?"

"Mm, it’s pretty good."

Hearing his favorite food praised, a huge grin spread across Naruto’s face.

"I think Ichiraku’s ramen is the best too!"

"How does it compare to the food I make?" Yu suddenly posed an impossible question.

"Uh... um... they’re both delicious!"

"Did you have fun playing with Sasuke today?" Yu let Naruto off the hook and changed the subject.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "No one ever played with me before."

Yu patted Naruto’s head. "You’ll make lots of friends in the future—once you start at the ninja academy, you’ll meet many more people."

"Yu..." Naruto looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Are we... friends?"

Yu glanced at Naruto in surprise. "Of course not. I’m your employer, and besides, I’m way too old to be friends with a little kid."

"Really?" Naruto asked, not disappointed—just a bit confused.

"Of course."

Just as Yu said, he had no interest in being friends with children. Kids were nothing but trouble.

At that moment, the ramen man brought over two steaming bowls.

"Sorry for the wait, here’s your ramen."

"Thank you," Yu said politely.

"Let’s eat!" Naruto dug in right away, already forgetting their earlier conversation.

"Thank you for the meal," Yu echoed the local custom and started eating as well.

To be honest, Ichiraku Ramen really was delicious. Yu had to admit his own noodles couldn’t compare—the broth, the noodles, the toppings, all were superior.

The sound of hearty slurping filled the small shop. Both boys ate quickly, and in no time their bowls were empty.

"Are you full?" Yu asked.

"Mm." Naruto patted his stomach. "I’m stuffed."

"Uncle, the bill please."

It turned out the ramen was more expensive than Naruto’s entire wage for the day—Yu felt as though he’d suffered a real loss.

Finished with their meal, the two left the shop. Night had fallen completely, but the streetlights made the village quite bright.

They walked slowly together until they reached a crossroads.

"Yu, my place is this way," Naruto announced.

"Alright, off you go."

"I’ll come see you again tomorrow!"

"Mm." Yu nodded, then suddenly remembered something and quickly added, "Come a bit later tomorrow—don’t show up as early as you did today."

"Okay." Naruto smiled and nodded.

A faint sense of unease welled up in Yu’s chest, but by then Naruto was already running off into the distance.

"See you tomorrow, Yu!" Naruto waved and shouted as he ran, sometimes even bounding with excitement—clearly, his spirits were high.

And indeed, these past two days had been the happiest of Naruto’s life.

He was grateful for the day he’d wandered curiously into the Odd Jobs shop, and grateful for his impulsive decision to ask Yu Higashino to spend time with him. Everything seemed to have changed from that moment on.

Life was finally getting better. He hoped it would always stay this way.

Under the glow of the streetlights, Naruto hopped and skipped all the way home.