The rain had finally stopped.
Konoha's streets glowed softly beneath hanging lanterns while the village settled into the quieter rhythm of late evening.
Water dripped steadily from rooftops.
Shops closed one by one.
Distant laughter echoed faintly through narrow streets while civilians headed home for the night.
Inside Ichiraku Ramen—
Warmth lingered heavily in the air.
Steam curled upward from fresh broth while the smell of noodles and spices softened the tension still hanging around the small shop.
Naruto sat between Drake and Ciri loudly slurping ramen while pretending absolutely nothing insane had happened ten minutes earlier.
Which honestly?
Was probably healthier than whatever the adults were doing.
Teuchi quietly cleaned dishes behind the counter while pretending not to listen.
Poorly.
Ayame kept glancing nervously between Drake and the Hokage every few seconds.
And Hiruzen—
Hiruzen remained standing calmly near the counter studying Drake with careful eyes.
Not fearful.
Not yet.
But deeply cautious.
Because earlier—
For one terrifying moment—
The old Hokage had genuinely believed Drake might destroy half the village over Naruto.
And what unsettled him most?
Drake probably could have.
Naruto pointed his chopsticks dramatically afterward.
"So…"
He looked between them all curiously.
"…Does this happen a lot with you guys?"
Ciri answered instantly.
"Yes."
Drake looked offended.
"No."
"You almost threatened a village leader over a lonely child."
"He was being objectively upsetting."
Naruto snorted loudly into his ramen bowl.
Even Teuchi coughed awkwardly trying not to laugh.
Hiruzen watched the interaction silently.
And the old Hokage noticed something increasingly strange.
Naruto relaxed around them naturally.
Easily.
Like he'd known them far longer than a few hours.
There was no fear in him now.
No caution.
No desperate attempts to earn approval.
Just warmth.
Trust.
That realization settled heavily inside Hiruzen's chest.
Because Naruto Uzumaki trusted people far too easily sometimes—
Yet with most adults in Konoha he still carried distance.
Pain.
Loneliness.
But Drake and Ciri?
Naruto leaned toward them instinctively.
Like part of him had already decided he was safe.
Hiruzen finally spoke again.
"You are not shinobi."
Drake glanced toward him calmly.
"No."
"Yet your power exceeds anything I've encountered."
Naruto's eyes widened instantly.
"WAIT REALLY?"
Ciri smirked slightly.
"You have absolutely no idea."
Naruto immediately looked toward Drake with open awe.
"THAT'S SO COOL."
Drake sighed softly.
"Please stop encouraging my bad decisions."
"Never."
Naruto pointed excitedly.
"Can you do cool ninja stuff?"
"Technically no."
"Cool magic stuff?"
"…Unfortunately yes."
Naruto gasped dramatically.
"SHOW ME."
"Absolutely not."
"Awww."
Ciri laughed quietly while Hiruzen continued studying Drake carefully.
The old Hokage could sense it clearly now.
Drake wasn't using chakra.
At all.
And yet the pressure around him earlier had surpassed even tailed beasts.
Impossible.
Nothing about this man fit naturally into the world Hiruzen understood.
Which made him dangerous.
But more unsettling than Drake's power—
Was how gently he treated Naruto.
Hiruzen finally spoke again.
"You care for Naruto despite knowing what he contains."
Drake's expression flattened immediately.
"That sentence right there is part of the problem."
The Hokage went quiet.
Because he understood the meaning instantly.
Naruto wasn't "what he contained."
He was Naruto.
A child first.
Not a prison.
Not a weapon.
Not a burden.
Drake leaned one arm against the counter afterward.
"You all keep talking about him like he's separate from himself."
Naruto frowned slightly while listening carefully now.
Hiruzen answered cautiously.
"The Nine-Tails cannot simply be ignored."
"No," Drake agreed quietly.
"But Naruto shouldn't disappear because of it either."
Silence settled briefly afterward.
Teuchi stopped cleaning dishes entirely.
Because no one ever spoke this openly about Naruto.
Not in Konoha.
Not safely.
Naruto poked slowly at his ramen.
"…What even is the Nine-Tails?"
Drake's eyes flicked briefly toward Hiruzen.
The old Hokage sighed heavily.
"It is a powerful being sealed inside you."
Naruto froze completely.
"…Inside me?"
No one answered immediately.
The little boy stared downward slowly at his stomach.
Confusion.
Fear.
Then quieter—
"…Is that why everyone hates me?"
The question shattered something inside the room.
Because there it was.
The truth underneath everything.
Naruto already knew.
Maybe not consciously.
But children noticed hatred eventually.
Hiruzen closed his eyes briefly.
"…Some people fear what they do not understand."
Naruto laughed once.
Small.
Sad.
"They always look at me weird."
Drake's jaw tightened instantly.
Naruto noticed immediately.
And strangely—
That made him feel better.
Because no one ever got angry for him before.
Not like this.
Not enough to shake buildings.
Ciri gently nudged Naruto's shoulder.
"You know what I think?"
Naruto looked toward her quietly.
"I think they're idiots."
Naruto blinked.
Then laughed softly.
Drake nodded once in agreement.
"Accurate."
Naruto looked between them afterward.
Still uncertain.
Still hurting.
But less alone now.
Drake reached over suddenly and tapped Naruto lightly on the forehead.
The little boy blinked.
"Huh?"
"You're still you."
Simple words.
But they hit Naruto hard enough his eyes widened slightly.
Because deep down—
That had been his real fear.
That whatever was inside him mattered more than he did.
Drake continued calmly.
"Doesn't matter what power someone carries. What matters is what they choose to become."
Naruto stared at him silently afterward.
Like he was trying to memorize every word.
Hiruzen watched carefully.
And for the first time in years—
The old Hokage felt genuine relief.
Because somehow—
These strangers had given Naruto more emotional comfort in one evening than Konoha had managed in years.
That realization hurt.
Naruto suddenly brightened again afterward.
"So if I've got some super powerful thing inside me…"
He grinned widely.
"…Does that mean I'm awesome?"
Ciri immediately pointed at him.
"That is EXACTLY the correct attitude."
Drake buried his face briefly in one hand.
"Oh this is absolutely becoming a problem."
Naruto laughed loudly.
The heaviness around him eased again afterward.
Hiruzen studied Drake quietly for another moment.
Then softly—
"You speak like someone who understands loneliness."
The ramen shop grew quieter again.
Drake didn't answer immediately.
Because he did understand.
Far too well.
Different worlds.
Different pain.
Same emptiness.
Eventually he spoke calmly.
"Power isolates people."
Naruto looked toward him curiously.
Drake's gaze drifted toward the rain-streaked window.
"The stronger you become, the harder it gets for people to understand you."
Ciri's expression softened slightly.
Because she knew.
Drake carried worlds inside him now.
Death.
Creation.
Dimensions.
Power vast enough to terrify gods.
And beneath all of it—
Part of him still feared being alone.
Naruto tilted his head slightly.
"…Were you lonely too?"
The question came innocently.
Directly.
Drake looked at him for a long moment.
Then smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
Naruto considered that seriously.
Then suddenly—
"You can sit with me then."
Silence.
Drake blinked once.
"…What?"
Naruto shrugged casually while eating noodles.
"If you're lonely."
Like it was obvious.
Like kindness cost nothing.
The sheer sincerity behind it hit Drake harder than almost anything else that evening.
Ciri looked dangerously close to emotional collapse trying not to laugh.
Even Hiruzen looked stunned.
Because Naruto—
After learning people hated him—
Still immediately offered comfort to someone else.
Drake stared quietly at the little boy afterward.
Then slowly—
A genuine smile appeared.
Warm.
Soft.
Rare.
"…Thanks, kid."
Naruto grinned brightly in response.
And something shifted quietly between them then.
Not sudden.
Not forced.
But real.
A bond forming naturally.
Protective instinct meeting unconditional trust.
The beginning of something dangerously close to family.
Hiruzen saw it happen in real time.
And oddly enough—
The old Hokage found himself grateful for it.
Because for the first time in years—
Naruto Uzumaki didn't look lonely anymore.
Eventually Hiruzen stepped toward the exit slowly.
But before leaving—
The old Hokage paused.
"You intend to stay in Konoha?"
Drake glanced toward Naruto briefly before answering.
"For a while."
Naruto immediately looked thrilled.
"Really?!"
Ciri smirked.
"Someone seems excited."
Naruto pointed accusingly.
"You guys are cool."
Drake sighed dramatically.
"We have ruined this child."
"Too late," Ciri replied.
Hiruzen watched them quietly.
Then finally—
"You will be watched."
Drake nodded calmly.
"Fair."
The old Hokage hesitated briefly afterward.
Then softer—
"…Thank you."
Naruto blinked in confusion.
"For what?"
Hiruzen looked toward Drake.
"For seeing him."
Silence followed.
Drake's expression softened slightly.
Then Hiruzen left quietly into the night rain beyond the ramen stand.
Naruto watched him go curiously.
Then immediately turned back toward Drake and Ciri.
"So."
He grinned.
"Can either of you breathe fire?"
Ciri burst out laughing.
Drake looked exhausted already.