Because he had not seen what happened, he sensed an invisible presence and felt his emotions shift for no clear reason. That lingering presence was extremely faint, so faint that he wondered if it was just an illusion.
"Brother Shisui?"
When there was no response for a long time, Sasuke tugged at his clothes and looked up at him in confusion. Shisui Uchiha snapped out of it, and given his personality, he did not overthink it. He shook his head to cast the doubt aside and smiled down at Sasuke.
"It is nothing. Come on, your brother has an ANBU mission today, so I will keep you company."
Sasuke's face immediately fell, and he muttered, "Again. He said last time was the last time."
"All right, all right. You know your brother."
Shisui Uchiha laughed and rested a hand on his shoulder, turning him and guiding him away. Before leaving, he still turned back and took one last deep look at the figure holding that small child's hand as they disappeared around the corner.
Lately, the clan's dissatisfaction with the village had grown stronger, and the words spoken in meetings had become bolder. Being caught in the middle made him feel more and more pained. He hoped he could ease the conflict between the village and the clan, but he had no solution yet and was already mentally exhausted.
So he hoped that feeling just now was only his imagination.
At this moment, Yunchuan Hyuga was holding Naruto Uzumaki's hand as they walked down the street together. He did not notice Shisui Uchiha's gaze, or rather, he could feel many surprised looks directed at him right now. Mixed among them were two faint, restrained looks of scrutiny, clearly from ANBU assigned to "watch over" the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Yunchuan Hyuga not only knew they were ANBU Ninja, he even knew exactly who those two were. They were Tenzo and Kakashi Hatake. With the goodwill he had built up with Third Hokage, as long as he showed no obvious abnormal behavior, there would be no problem even if they reported this.
After all, he had spent so many years in Konoha investing time and effort to raise that level of trust, precisely for moments like this. Even on Danzo Shimura's side, if he learned that Yunchuan Hyuga had contacted the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he likely would not rush to whisper suggestions to Third Hokage the way he used to.
Danzo Shimura's attention was focused on the Uchiha Clan, otherwise, given Danzo Shimura's interest in him, he would have already come to preach his so called Root theories.
Based on Yunchuan Hyuga's understanding of Danzo Shimura, that man would probably try to groom him the same way he once treated Orochimaru. He would push him toward becoming the Fifth Hokage, and then rule from behind the scenes himself. That was exactly what Yunchuan Hyuga wanted, because once the Uchiha Clan issue was settled, it would be time to make use of Danzo Shimura.
Meanwhile, the Naruto Uzumaki being led along by Yunchuan Hyuga was almost like a puppet, passively following each step. He did not know what Yunchuan Hyuga was thinking, only staring at the broad back in front of him and then down at the hand still holding his. The warmth and strength from that hand felt real, slowly driving away the cold and loneliness he had known for so long.
For some reason, he felt like this big brother was glowing. Lost in that thought, he let himself be guided by the warmth through streets that were familiar, yet somehow felt different. In the end, they stopped in front of a small shop filled with an inviting smell of food.
"We're here," Yunchuan Hyuga said, breaking Naruto Uzumaki's thoughts.
Naruto Uzumaki looked up and saw the shop curtain, along with the name written on it. It was Ichiraku Ramen. Yunchuan Hyuga lifted the curtain and led Naruto Uzumaki inside.
"Hey, Yunchuan is here. The usual?" Teuchi looked up from his work, smiled broadly when he saw Yunchuan Hyuga, and greeted him warmly.
"Yes, please trouble you as usual. Tonkotsu Ramen," Yunchuan Hyuga replied with a nod, then added, "And give this kid a super big bowl of Char Siu Rib Ramen."
"Huh?" Teuchi paused with his hands mid motion and only then noticed the uneasy boy hiding behind Yunchuan Hyuga. At the same time, another customer nearby recognized Naruto Uzumaki, his expression changed, and he stood up and left without another word.
"Dad, is Yunchuan here?" Ayame leaned out from where she was helping in the shop, smiled when she saw Yunchuan, then hesitated slightly when her eyes fell on Naruto Uzumaki.
Noticing their looks, Naruto Uzumaki stiffened a little. He knew the customer had left because of him, and he worried the shop owners might be angry. To his surprise, they exchanged a glance and kept smiling as usual.
"One Tonkotsu Ramen and one super big bowl of Char Siu Rib Ramen. Coming right up. Please wait a moment," they said together.
They headed to the back kitchen, and Naruto Uzumaki, who had been clutching Yunchuan's clothes, finally relaxed. Yunchuan Hyuga sat down on a stool at the counter, patted the seat beside him, and spoke in an easy tone.
"Don't worry. Teuchi and Ayame are very pure people. To them, anyone who loves ramen is a good person."
Naruto Uzumaki climbed onto the tall stool, his feet unable to reach the ground and swinging slightly in the air. After a moment, he seemed to gather his courage and looked at Yunchuan Hyuga. In a low voice, he said, "Big brother, my name is…"
"Naruto Uzumaki," Yunchuan Hyuga said gently, cutting him off with a smile. "My name is Yunchuan Hyuga."
Naruto Uzumaki looked up at him in surprise. "You know my name?"
"Of course," Yunchuan Hyuga replied with a nod. "Not just me. Many people know your name. You will understand later."
"Many people know my name?" Naruto Uzumaki scratched his head in confusion.
Clearly, this big brother named Yunchuan Hyuga was the only one who ever called him by his name. Everyone else called him "demon fox" or "that kid." If so many people really knew him, why had he never met them? He did not understand, and he did not dare to ask again.
"One Tonkotsu Ramen and one super big bowl of Char Siu Rib Ramen are ready." Teuchi and Ayame brought the ramen out and carefully set the steaming bowls in front of Naruto Uzumaki.
The golden broth was piled high with thick slices of char siu, rich ribs, green scallions, halved soft boiled eggs, and sheets of seaweed. The huge bowl almost filled Naruto Uzumaki's entire view. Wrapped in the warm smell of meat and broth, he swallowed without thinking.
Seeing his reaction, their smiles grew wider. "Take it slow, it's hot," they reminded kindly.
They truly were among the few pure hearted people in Konoha Village. Naruto Uzumaki stared at the bowl that seemed to glow, then secretly glanced at Yunchuan Hyuga smiling beside him. It was his first time sitting in a bright shop with a huge bowl of hot food meant only for him, without any cold stares or malice.
An unfamiliar feeling welled up in his chest, making his nose sting. Yunchuan Hyuga picked up his chopsticks and said with a smile, "I'm starting."
Awkwardly, Naruto Uzumaki picked up his chopsticks and followed along. "I, I'm starting," he said softly but seriously. He picked up a small piece of rib, blew on it, and carefully put it in his mouth.