Naruto: From Fake to Real, Deceiving the Ninja World.

He buried his head in the rising steam of the ramen, not stopping eating, but instead, with tears in his eyes, he almost greedily ate the bowl of ramen, bite by bite.

Tetsuya and Ayame exchanged a glance and silently left. Hinata Kumokawa sat quietly beside him eating noodles, offering no words of comfort or even glancing at him.

The shop fell into a peaceful silence, with only the sound of two people eating ramen audible.

The warm sunlight from outside slanted in, gilding the noren curtain of "Ichiraku Ramen" and the two figures, one big and one small, with a soft golden edge.

Finally, Naruto finished off a steaming bowl of ramen, leaving not a single drop of broth.

My belly was round and full, and warmth spread from my stomach to my limbs, dispelling all the chill and hunger.

"Are you full?"

Having already finished eating, Hyuga Kumokawa turned to look at Uzumaki Naruto beside him and asked with a smile.

"Mmm! Super full! Thank you, Brother Yun Chuan!"

Naruto nodded vigorously, his voice becoming much louder, filled with unprecedented satisfaction and energy.

He even mimicked Hinata Kumokawa's tone when he said "Super~ Big Bowl of Char Siu Rib Ramen," drawing out the last syllable of "Super," with an undisguised, bright smile on his face.

"Then let's go, I'll take you home."

Hinata Kumokawa placed the money for the ramen on the table, led Naruto out of Ichiraku Ramen, and heard the voices of Teshiga and his daughter saying, "Welcome to come again next time."

Naruto seemed to have been unleashed, his steps becoming lighter, the gloom in his azure eyes vanished, and he chattered incessantly beside him.

"That middle-aged man who does hand-mapping is so nice, and Sister Ayame is so gentle!"

"Brother Yun Chuan, are you a ninja too? Are you as strong as the Hokage?"

"Brother Yun Chuan, you were so amazing before! Those people didn't dare to say a word!"

His questions were wildly imaginative and highly illogical, carrying the unique innocence and boundless curiosity of a child, circling around Hinata Kumokawa.

Hinata Kumokawa listened patiently, occasionally offering a few words of reply, or explaining things that Naruto was interested in in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

Compared to the cautious and timid Naruto of the past, and the Naruto who later became increasingly burdened and extreme due to the weight of his personality, this is his original self.

Hyuga Kumokawa knew that as rumors about Naruto grew, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have done nothing; it was just that his actions caused the villagers of Konoha to go from dislike to complete indifference.

The personality that Naruto developed in this environment was actually more twisted and extreme than that of Sasuke Uchiha, a member of the Uchiha clan.

It's always been like this since I was a child. In order to be seen and known, I'm willing to become a clown and play all sorts of pranks in the village.

However, at least Naruto hasn't become like that yet.

He is still a blank sheet of paper, which can be painted and changed by anyone.

Hyuga Kumokawa's kindness towards Uzumaki Naruto was certainly not pure, but it was also a result of his affection for the protagonist he once liked.

Otherwise, the system would have already determined that his behavior was a lie.

At least for now, he can give Naruto Uzumaki, who has no other choice, another option for the future.

Will we return to the original path, or will we face a different future...?

Happy times are fleeting.

When the familiar apartment came into view, Naruto's smile faded like a candle blown out by the wind, and his light steps gradually slowed down.

"Reached?"

Hyuga Kumokawa stopped in his tracks, looked down at Naruto who had suddenly fallen silent beside him, and smiled meaningfully, "Go on, we'll meet again if we have the chance."

"Well, I'm going up now. Goodbye, Brother Yun Chuan..."

Naruto muttered to himself as he walked to the second floor of the apartment building, took out his key, inserted it into the lock, and turned to look down at Hyuga Kumokawa.

"Get some rest," Hinata Kumokawa said from downstairs.

"Hmm!" Naruto stood inside the door, waved vigorously, and then reluctantly closed the door.

boom.

The door separated the outside world from that figure as well.

“I’m back…” Naruto whispered.

There was no warm light, no aroma of food, and no response from family.

There was only a suffocating, bone-chilling desolation.

He walked to his bed and, as if he had exhausted all his strength, threw himself straight onto it.

He lay on his back, his exceptionally large, deep blue eyes staring blankly at the blurry outline of the ceiling.

The room was eerily quiet.

He could clearly hear his own breathing and the sound of his heart beating in his chest.

why?

Why is he the only one?

Why is it that other people's homes have parents, hot meals, and laughter, while his has nothing?

What am I existing for, and what am I living for...?

Also, Brother Yun Chuan said I did nothing wrong, so why did they treat me like that? Why did they call me a fox demon and look at me like a monster?

As he pondered, Naruto raised his hand with a somewhat wistful expression, as if trying to feel the lingering warmth.

However, when I raised my hand to my eyes, I found a diamond-shaped black mark on my palm.

"When was this stuck on?" he murmured in confusion.

He instinctively reached out his other hand, wanting to erase the mark.

But the moment his fingers touched him, Naruto's vision suddenly went black.

hum!

His consciousness seemed to have been detached, and he didn't know how much time had passed before he opened his eyes again.

The room before me was no longer the quiet and familiar one, but a place resembling a sewer, with water up to my ankles and a dark and damp environment.

And then there are those cage bars in front of me, seemingly endless...

What place is this?

(8,000 words a day, I've tried my best, please vote for me QAQ)

Chapter 145 You mean, Yun Chuan took the initiative to contact Naruto?

"...The target showed no unusual contact or behavior, and their main activity area remained in remote streets within the village and their residence..."

Sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing the offices in the Hokage Building in a golden-red hue.

The air was filled with a faint smell of tobacco and the distinctive scent of paper and ink. The mountain of files and documents occupied most of the desk, making the atmosphere even more oppressive.

The figure wearing the ANBU mask knelt on one knee in front of the desk. Although his face was concealed, his signature silver-white hair and lifeless, dead fish eyes clearly identified him.

—Kakashi Hatake.

"However, due to the increasing rumors circulating in the village recently, his mood has remained low. Although there are no obvious abnormalities in his health, his nutritional intake is below the standard..."

Kakashi's voice came through the mask, trying to be as calm and businesslike as if he were reading a document that had nothing to do with him.

Wearing a divine robe, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, the sparks from his pipe flickering as he gently turned it in his fingers, listening quietly to the daily monitoring report on Naruto.

"..." His brows furrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "The rumors about the nine-tailed fox?"

The source of these rumors is still unknown, and it is unclear whether someone is deliberately spreading them, but he still subconsciously thought of Danzo.

However, Danzo's current focus is still on the Uchiha clan, so it's unlikely he would do something he knows would anger him.

"So, it was just a spontaneous act by the villagers?" Hiruzen Sarutobi wondered to himself.

Just then, Kakashi paused, as if he was choosing his words carefully.

He slightly raised his lowered head, his exposed eye looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi. His gaze remained calm, but a subtle emotion flickered in his voice:

"This morning, the target was on the main road in the village when he unexpectedly collided with Hyuga Kumokawa, a member of the Hyuga branch family."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's finger, which was lightly tapping his pipe, paused almost imperceptibly, and a wisp of ash silently drifted down.

"Subsequently, Hinata Kumokawa took the initiative to contact the target, and the conversation involved the villagers' rejection of the target due to his identity."

Kakashi continued in his monotone voice, "Hyuga Kumokawa publicly refuted the rumors against the target and took the target to Ichiraku Ramen for a meal."

"The meal lasted about thirty minutes. After the meal, Hinata Kumokawa personally escorted the target back to his residence."

"..."

After he finished speaking, the office fell into a brief silence.

The only sound was the faint hissing of the tobacco burning in the pipe.

A moment later, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly raised his eyelids, and through the rising smoke, his seemingly cloudy eyes met Kakashi's single eye.

"so."

His voice was deep and calm, yet carried an invisible pressure as he asked, "Did Yun Chuan take the initiative to contact Naruto?"

“No.” Kakashi’s answer was concise and forceful, without any unnecessary bias. “Hyuga Kumokawa has indeed been going to Ichiraku Ramen at that time every day recently.”

"According to his colleagues in the Anbu, his route was no different from before. It was Naruto who panicked and ran into him because of the villagers' words."

Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes slightly, a movement that deepened the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

"What exactly did Hyuga Kumokawa say and do during the contact?" His voice remained calm, but Kakashi could sense the undercurrents surging beneath the calm surface.

Kakashi recounted the events as they happened, including how Yun Chuan questioned the villagers, emphasized "trust and family," and the details of taking Naruto to eat ramen and sending him home.

He described it as objectively and calmly as possible, without any personal emotional bias.

After everything was said, a deep silence fell.

"call……"

Hiruzen Sarutobi held his pipe and slowly took a drag, letting the pungent smoke swirl in his lungs before exhaling. The rising wisps of smoke blurred his eyes, making them appear deep and unfathomable.

Yun Chuan, that child...

Judging from his behavior and words, there seems to be nothing wrong with him.

Given his current level of goodwill towards Yun Chuan, he wouldn't have the slightest suspicion if anyone else were helped by Yun Chuan.

However, when it comes to Naruto, who is a very special Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he can't help but think about it.

Is it simply an overabundance of sympathy?

Or is there another motive?

No, that's not right. Given Yun Chuan's personality, it's not surprising that he would do these things and say these things.

Moreover, Kakashi and Tenzo's concealment could not have escaped Yun Chuan's notice. If they really had any other intentions, they could have found other opportunities to contact Naruto alone.

So, is it out of sympathy and dissatisfaction with Naruto's current situation?

Several thoughts flashed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind in an instant.

"……I see."

After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness and depth: "Continue to carry out the monitoring mission, and record the details of Naruto's daily life, no matter how small."

"Also, do not interfere unless absolutely necessary."

"Yes." Kakashi Hatake silently breathed a sigh of relief and bowed his head to accept the order.

"In addition, there are two other points."

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze to the window and said softly, "Regarding the recent rampant rumors about the fox spirit, issue appropriate warnings to the villagers who are spreading them, and do it discreetly."

"Also, regarding Naruto's nutrition..."

He paused abruptly, and Kakashi Hatake, who hadn't heard a sound for a while, looked up and asked, "Third Hokage?"

“It’s alright.” Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. “I’ll go myself. I’ve been neglecting Naruto a bit these past few years because of the unrest outside.”

He originally wanted Kakashi to allocate an extra portion from his own allowance each month to Naruto under the guise of an 'orphan allowance,' to improve Naruto's meals.

But perhaps out of his own indebtedness to Naruto, or perhaps out of the instinctive desire for control of a person in power, he still wanted to make amends to Naruto while also becoming the person Naruto could rely on.

For a child who has been rejected for a long time and longs for warmth and companionship, the sudden kindness will undoubtedly be grasped tightly like a lifeline.