The ramen shop had gone completely silent.
Rain tapped softly against the windows outside while steam curled upward from forgotten bowls of ramen.
Naruto sat frozen between Drake and Ciri.
Hiruzen stood calmly near the counter with his hands folded into his sleeves.
And Drake—
Was angry.
Not visibly at first.
His expression remained calm.
Controlled.
But the air around him had changed.
Heavy.
Dangerously still.
Because Hiruzen's silence after those words told Drake everything he needed to know.
"He shouldn't have been."
The Hokage closed his eyes briefly.
"…No."
Naruto looked between them nervously.
Clearly confused by the sudden tension filling the ramen stand.
Drake leaned back slowly on the stool.
"You knew."
Not a question.
Hiruzen met his gaze steadily.
"Yes."
Something cold twisted sharply inside Drake's chest.
Ancient instincts stirred violently beneath his skin.
Because Naruto wasn't just lonely.
He was isolated.
Neglected.
Punished for existing.
And the man standing in front of Drake—
The leader of this entire village—
Allowed it.
Naruto shifted awkwardly beside him.
"Uh…"
Ciri noticed immediately.
Drake's presence had started changing subtly.
The shadows near his feet darkened unnaturally.
The warmth inside the ramen stand faded.
Even the air itself felt heavier now.
Teuchi looked uneasy behind the counter.
Ayame stopped moving entirely near the kitchen doorway.
Hiruzen noticed too.
The old Hokage's eyes sharpened slightly.
Not fear.
Readiness.
Veteran instinct honed through decades of war.
Drake spoke quietly.
"He's a child."
Simple words.
But the weight behind them made the room feel smaller.
"He carries one of the strongest beings in this world inside him," Hiruzen answered calmly.
"And whose fault is that?"
Silence.
Naruto blinked.
"…Inside me?"
Ciri immediately stiffened.
Right.
Naruto didn't know.
Drake's eyes darkened faintly.
"You haven't even told him."
Hiruzen's expression hardened slightly.
"For his protection."
"For yours," Drake corrected immediately.
The pressure in the room spiked sharply.
Naruto looked around nervously now.
"Wait—what's happening?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Because Drake was staring at Hiruzen now with the kind of stillness predators had before violence.
And Hiruzen—
For the first time—
Realized exactly how dangerous Drake truly was.
Not shinobi dangerous.
Not tailed-beast dangerous.
Something older.
Worse.
The old Hokage subtly shifted his stance.
Tiny movement.
Prepared.
Drake noticed instantly.
That made things worse.
"You're ready to fight me," Drake said softly.
"If necessary."
Naruto looked horrified.
"WHAT?!"
Ciri stood immediately.
Okay.
Nope.
She knew that tone.
And if Drake lost control inside the middle of Konoha—
Things would become catastrophic very quickly.
Drake rose slowly from his seat.
The wooden floor creaked beneath his boots.
Reality itself felt strained around him now.
"You fear him."
Hiruzen remained calm.
"The Nine-Tails killed many people."
"And Naruto did?"
Silence again.
Drake took another step forward.
The lights overhead flickered violently.
Outside the ramen stand—
Rain abruptly stopped.
Not naturally.
Forced.
The storm clouds above Konoha began twisting unnaturally across the night sky.
Naruto stared upward through the window wide-eyed.
"What the…"
Hiruzen's expression changed immediately.
Concern.
Real concern.
Because this wasn't chakra.
Wasn't ninjutsu.
The world itself was reacting to Drake's emotions.
"You know nothing about this village," Hiruzen warned carefully.
"I know enough."
The pressure exploded outward briefly.
Windows rattled violently.
Bowls cracked.
Teuchi nearly stumbled backward.
Outside—
Several hidden ANBU instantly appeared across nearby rooftops sensing danger.
Masks.
Weapons drawn.
Watching.
Naruto flinched hard at the sudden killing intent surrounding the building.
Drake noticed immediately.
And somehow—
That made the anger worse.
Because Naruto reacted to hostility like he expected it.
Like he was used to adults preparing for violence around him.
Ciri moved fast.
"Drake."
Her voice cut sharply through the room.
Grounding.
Not fearful.
Just firm.
Drake's breathing slowed slightly.
But the anger remained.
Raw.
Ancient.
Protective instinct mixed with cosmic power was a terrifying thing.
Because Drake had seen worlds destroyed by people failing children.
He'd watched lonely kids become monsters because nobody reached out before it was too late.
And Naruto—
Naruto still smiled despite everything done to him.
That made it infinitely worse.
Hiruzen studied him carefully now.
"You care for him already."
Drake's eyes snapped toward him instantly.
"And you don't?"
The Hokage froze slightly.
Because the answer was complicated.
He did care.
In his own way.
But caring while allowing suffering still left suffering.
Drake's voice lowered dangerously.
"You let an entire village treat him like garbage because it was politically convenient."
Hiruzen's expression hardened.
"You speak of matters you don't understand."
"No."
The shadows beneath Drake spread further across the floor.
"You're the one lying to yourself."
The room trembled.
Naruto looked genuinely scared now.
Not of Hiruzen.
Of Drake.
Or more specifically—
Of Drake getting hurt because of him.
The little boy suddenly grabbed Drake's sleeve tightly.
"Drake!"
Everything stopped.
Drake looked down slowly.
Naruto stared up at him with wide anxious eyes.
"Don't fight the old man!"
The sincerity in his voice shattered through the anger immediately.
"I don't want you getting in trouble."
Drake froze completely.
Because after everything—
After years of neglect—
Naruto's first instinct was still worrying about someone else.
Ciri saw the exact moment Drake's anger cracked.
She stepped closer immediately placing one hand against his arm.
"Hey."
Softer this time.
"He's okay."
Barely.
But okay enough for now.
Drake closed his eyes briefly.
The crushing pressure inside the ramen shop weakened slowly.
Outside—
The twisted storm clouds began settling.
The ANBU hesitated across the rooftops as the danger lessened.
Naruto visibly relaxed afterward.
Still holding onto Drake's sleeve.
Hiruzen watched the interaction carefully.
And suddenly understood something deeply unsettling.
Drake's rage wasn't ambition.
Wasn't ego.
Wasn't cruelty.
It was protection.
Pure instinctive protection.
The kind powerful beings only felt toward family.
The old Hokage looked toward Naruto quietly afterward.
The child trusted Drake already.
Clung to him instinctively after only a few hours.
That realization carried uncomfortable weight.
Because Naruto Uzumaki rarely trusted adults quickly.
Drake slowly sat back down.
The cracked wood beneath his boots repaired itself gradually through unconscious reality manipulation.
Which absolutely did not help Hiruzen feel better.
Naruto looked between them cautiously.
"…Are you done being scary?"
Ciri snorted softly.
Drake rubbed one hand down his face tiredly.
"…Probably."
"Good."
Naruto crossed his arms seriously.
"No destroying the ramen shop."
Teuchi immediately pointed at Naruto.
"Thank you!"
The sheer normalcy of the statement broke the tension slightly.
Drake actually laughed quietly.
Small.
But genuine.
The dangerous pressure finally faded completely afterward.
Naruto relaxed immediately seeing it.
Though he still hadn't let go of Drake's sleeve.
Not that Drake minded.
Hiruzen remained silent for several moments.
Then finally—
"You care about him deeply for someone you just met."
Drake looked toward Naruto.
The little boy was pretending very badly not to still be clinging to him.
"…Kids shouldn't look that lonely."
Simple answer.
But honest.
Naruto stared downward quietly after hearing that.
No one had ever said something like that about him before.
Not openly.
Not like it mattered.
Hiruzen's expression softened faintly.
Regret lingered there.
Old and heavy.
Then softly—
"You think I failed him."
Drake met his gaze steadily.
"I think you tried to balance a bomb on a child's shoulders and hoped loneliness wouldn't matter."
Silence filled the ramen stand again.
Naruto looked confused.
Bomb?
Nine-Tails?
People talking around him instead of to him again.
Ciri noticed immediately and gently nudged his shoulder.
"You okay?"
Naruto hesitated.
"…Why does everyone keep talking like I'm dangerous?"
The question hit the room hard.
Because underneath the confusion—
There was hurt there.
Fear.
And worst of all—
Expectation.
Like part of Naruto already suspected the answer.
Hiruzen looked older suddenly.
Tired.
Drake's jaw tightened slightly.
The old Hokage finally sighed softly.
"…Naruto."
The little boy looked up immediately.
"There are things about your birth you don't know yet."
Naruto frowned.
"My birth?"
Hiruzen hesitated.
And Drake saw it instantly.
The fear.
Because the Hokage knew once Naruto learned the truth—
Things would change forever.
Drake leaned back slightly afterward.
Not relaxing.
Just…thinking.
Then finally—
"You need to tell him eventually."
Hiruzen nodded quietly.
"I know."
Naruto looked increasingly frustrated now.
"Tell me WHAT?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Ciri reached over and ruffled Naruto's hair gently instead.
"You'll understand someday."
Naruto pouted instantly.
"I hate when adults say mysterious stuff."
"That's fair," Drake admitted.
Naruto pointed dramatically at him.
"You're still scary though."
"Also fair."
That earned another laugh from Naruto.
And somehow—
That laugh eased the last lingering anger inside Drake.
Because despite everything—
Naruto still smiled.
Still laughed.
Still trusted people.
Strong kid.
Stronger than anyone here realized yet.
Hiruzen studied Drake one final time afterward.
Then softly—
"What exactly are you?"
The question lingered in the warm ramen shop air.
Ciri immediately looked amused.
Drake looked tired.
Naruto answered first.
"Really strong."
Honestly?
Not inaccurate.