"Alright, Kiba, that's Uncle Kuromaru's bowl!"
Inuzuka Hana pulled her younger brother away from Kuromaru's food bowl.
Kuromaru breathed a sigh of relief.
"Even though I'm a dog, I still think Tsu is raising her kids too roughly."
As a speaking Ninken, Kuromaru would occasionally complain about so of Inuzuka Tsu's behaviors.
Back then, she left her daughter to them to raise, and now her son is also left in their care.
Little Hana is a bit older now, so she's fine, but Kiba is already two years old and still eats on the floor like a puppy, yet Tsu doesn't do anything about it.
"It can't be helped. Since Dad went far away on a long-term mission, Mom has been too busy."
Inuzuka Hana carried her brother and sat at the dining table.
Kuromaru remained silent.
Inuzuka Hana's father hadn't gone on a mission; he had died in battle at the border.
The so-called long-term mission was rely Inuzuka Hana's pretext.
Kuromaru lowered his head and began to eat.
Inuzuka Hana held down the restless Kiba, wiping his mouth and getting him to eat.
Inuzuka Kiba was very poorly behaved at the table, starting to squirm restlessly.
"Ah—Pfft!"
Soon, he knocked over the bowl in front of him, leaving Miso Soup and rice in a ss all over the table.
Hana hurriedly tried to wipe it, but the wooden table was already stained.
Inuzuka Tsu, who had just returned ho and hadn't even taken off her Ninja Flak Jacket, saw this and imdiately rushed over, scooped up Inuzuka Kiba, and tossed him next to a large gray dog.
"Since you won't eat properly at the table, then eat on the floor!"
Inuzuka Kiba didn't cry or fuss when he hit the ground; instead, he giggled and crawled on all fours to Haimaru's dog bowl, lowering his head to eat just like Haimaru.
Inuzuka Hana watched this scene, dumbfounded.
At that mont, she suddenly felt very envious of the younger brother Itachi had ntioned.
Itachi's brother should be about the sa age as Kiba; he's called Sasuke, right?
Having returned from a busy day, Inuzuka Tsu didn't feel like cleaning up the ss on the table either, so she took Hana's hand and stood up.
"Let's go, we're eating out. Until Kiba learns to behave, don't bring him to the table; he won't starve at ho anyway."
In the beginning, Inuzuka Tsu had tried to teach Kiba properly, but Kiba flipped his food bowl almost every ti.
Finally, she discovered one day that Kuromaru seed to be quite skilled at this... quite the paw.
Since he wouldn't sit and eat, he might as well eat while lying down.
Inuzuka Hana looked back at Kiba, who let out a satisfied burp and patted his stomach, and nodded.
She really wanted to swap Kiba with Itachi's brother, but Itachi probably wouldn't agree.
Itachi clearly adored his brother; whenever they talked, he easily steered the conversation toward him.
Mother and daughter walked out onto the street together.
"What do you want to eat?"
"I want to eat Chicken atballs!"
"Alright, how about we have Chicken atballs with ran?"
"Okay!"
After buying the Chicken atballs, the two arrived at Ichiraku Ran. As they lifted the curtain, a wind chi tinkled softly, and warm yellow light flooded out along with the aroma of bone broth.
"Teuchi, two bowls of Tonkotsu Ran."
Inuzuka Hana handed over the Chicken atballs she had bought.
"Add so Chicken atballs."
Teuchi took the Chicken atballs with a smile.
"Alright, please wait a mont. I'll serve this little guest first."
Saying that, Teuchi placed the Chicken atballs on the stove, then picked up a bowl of Chashu Ran and placed it in front of a blonde boy.
The boy sat alone on a stool in the corner, his feet not yet reaching the floor.
"Please enjoy your al."
"Thank you, Uncle Teuchi."
Inuzuka Hana looked at the boy beside her.
The little blonde boy wore a slightly faded white T-shirt and black shorts, with six whisker-like marks on his face.
He was very quiet as he lowered his head to eat his noodles, making almost no sound.
He looked to be about ninety centiters tall, slightly taller than Kiba but much thinner.
Inuzuka Tsu's eyes flickered slightly.
Blonde hair, blue eyes?
Such features were rare in Hidden Leaf Village.
"Yo, kid, where are your parents?"
The boy looked up, his blue eyes like the sky after rain—clear but devoid of emotion.
"I grew up in the Orphanage. I don't have parents."
"Which Orphanage? They actually let a child as small as you co out to eat alone?"
"It's already closed down."
The boy gently poked the Chashu in his bowl with his chopsticks.
"Grandpa Third Hokage gives so money every week to co out and eat."
There was no smile on his face as he spoke, because the Orphanage had closed, leaving many children like him holess once again.
When children even younger than him were taken in by other families, he would stand at the door watching. The director would pat his head and say, 'Naruto, wait a little longer.'
But he knew that it was impossible for anyone to adopt him.
He was rely observing the Third Hokage, who appeared every ti.
Inuzuka Tsu was silent for a mont, and Teuchi sighed softly behind the counter.
"I see. Teuchi, this child's noodles are on ."
"The little guest has already paid. He always pays before eating."
Teuchi lowered his voice.
"Custor, that child... he's a very sharp kid. I wouldn't recomnd doing that."
"What's your na?"
Just then, Inuzuka Hana leaned over.
The blonde boy looked up, a bit of soup stain still on the corner of his mouth.
When those deep blue eyes looked at Inuzuka Hana, there was neither avoidance nor forced enthusiasm, just a calm gaze.
His voice was clear and concise:
"My na is Naruto."
"No surna?"
Inuzuka Hana continued to ask, rembering how Itachi would introduce his brother as 'Uchiha Sasuke,' and she herself had the full na 'Inuzuka Hana.'
Naruto didn't feel offended.
He put down his chopsticks and shrugged.
There was no self-pity in his tone: "I don't even have parents, where would I get a surna?"
Inside Ichiraku Ran, the air seed to freeze for a mont.
The bubbling of the soup pot on the stove and the occasional footsteps passing outside beca exceptionally clear.
Inuzuka Hana opened her mouth, montarily unsure of what to say.
Inuzuka Tsu pulled Inuzuka Hana over, gently drawing her daughter to her side.
Neither of the two children was easy to deal with.
Seeing the inverted triangle face paint on Inuzuka Hana and Inuzuka Tsu, Naruto recognized them now.
They were Inuzuka Kiba's sister and mother.
By the way, where was Inuzuka Kiba?
Was he too small to co out?
"Custors, here are your noodles."
Two portions of noodles were placed on the table, and Inuzuka Hana pushed her own bowl slightly toward Naruto.
"Want so Chicken atballs? They're delicious."
Naruto shook his head.
"Thank you, but I have enough noodles."
Then he lowered his head to eat and said no more. After devouring the ran and side dishes in his bowl like a whirlwind, Naruto stood up and left.
He walked out of the ran shop.
Inuzuka Tsu held her daughter's hand as they walked ho.
Passing a dango shop, a sweet aroma wafted out, and a few children were pestering their parents to buy Tri-color Dango.
Inuzuka Hana thought of her father.
Had he really just gone on a trip?
Whether it was from Uncle Kuromaru's expression or Itachi's reaction upon hearing the news...
Her father was probably dead... no, that's not right.
He must still be alive.
Inuzuka Hana looked up at the clouds in the sky.
He was up in the sky, watching over her, Mom, and Kiba.
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