If the world insists on spitting on him, then he'll learn to spit back harder.
"Good day, Young Master Alaric~"
"You don't come by often—what brings you here today?"
"Fresh fruit just arrived! Please have some, Young Master!"
The moment Alaric stepped onto the commercial street, shopkeepers rushed to greet him with eager smiles.
After all—
Half of Konoha's commercial district belonged to the Sarutobi and Shimura families.
As for how they acquired it…
Those who knew, knew.
Most of the buildings erected later had been built by the two families themselves—thanks largely to Root's resident construction genius. As a result, the majority of merchants were renting Sarutobi properties.
Courtesy wasn't optional.
Alaric ignored them completely.
What the merchants did notice, however, was the blond boy walking behind him.
Murmurs stirred, unease flickering in their eyes—but not a single person dared show disgust in front of Alaric.
Naruto, who had been tense the whole way, slowly realized something strange.
The smiles around him—
They weren't the ones he knew.
No contempt.
No fear.
No revulsion.
Just… politeness.
Confused and unsure how to react, Naruto followed silently behind Alaric, a strange warmth blooming in his chest.
Soon, the two stopped in front of a barbecue restaurant.
A slender figure was already waiting.
"Everything's been prepared, Young Master Alaric."
It was Izumi Uchiha, now officially Alaric's personal attendant.
Seeing how respectfully Izumi treated Alaric made Naruto feel a pang of envy.
But that feeling vanished almost instantly.
Because the sizzling sound of meat hitting the grill stole all of his attention.
"Gulp…"
Naruto had never eaten barbecue in his life.
The rich aroma made him swallow hard again and again.
Watching this, Alaric felt both amused—and oddly irritated.
"Eat."
"Huh?! You mean… me?"
Naruto's eyes lit up, then quickly dimmed with hesitation as he glanced at Alaric.
As if trying to figure out—
What part of him was worth being treated like this?
When you've lived too long in the dark, the first reaction to light isn't joy—
It's suspicion.
Alaric saw straight through him.
"Go on," he said casually. "Didn't you say you wanted to be friends with me?"
"What—scared now?"
Naruto scratched his head awkwardly, then dove in.
For the first time in his life, he ate real barbecue.
And with his first friend sitting across from him.
As he chewed, something glistened briefly at the corner of his eye—before he hurriedly wiped it away.
After all, surviving like this hadn't been easy.
Aside from Ichiraku Ramen, most shops refused to serve him. Even groceries sold him near-expired food.
Hunger was normal. Fishing to survive wasn't unusual.
Watching Naruto eat, Alaric's resolve hardened.
This kid was supposed to grow into a calculating, thick-skinned survivor.
Instead, he'd become a walking embodiment of forgiveness and sunshine.
That wasn't right.
After they finished eating, Alaric glanced at Izumi.
She immediately understood and quietly slid the partition closed.
"Naruto," Alaric said calmly.
"Do you want to know why the village hates you?"
Naruto stiffened.
"Yes. Why?"
Years of loneliness made that question burn in his chest.
Alaric nodded to Izumi.
Her eyes shifted—
Three tomoe spun into existence.
The world warped.
—
In the blink of an eye, they stood in a damp, shadowy sewer.
"This place…"
Naruto looked around, an eerie familiarity crawling up his spine.
As if something had always been calling him here.
Guided by instinct, they walked forward until they reached a massive iron gate.
Behind it—
A colossal crimson fox slowly opened its eyes.
"Little brat…"
"Come. Tear off the seal."
"Free me, and I'll give you the power to destroy everything."
"Kill everyone who mocked you. Everyone who hurt you."
The voice slithered straight into Naruto's heart.
His eyes reddened as he stepped forward, trance-like.
Alaric sighed—and punched him in the head.
"Bang!"
"Ow!!"
Naruto clutched his head, tears welling up.
"Big brother Alaric, why'd you hit me?!"
Alaric ignored him and walked straight to the gate.
The fox, annoyed at being interrupted, was about to explode—
Then it noticed who was standing there.
Thinking Alaric was about to remove the seal, the Nine-Tails grinned.
"Good. Tear it off!"
"I'll give you power!"
"Unmatched power!"
Alaric laughed.
"You were sealed by ordinary ninja."
"What power could you possibly give me?"
The words hit like a slap.
The Nine-Tails roared in fury, claws smashing against the bars.
"You damn brat!!!"
"Let me out! I'll rip you to shreds!!!"
Alaric tilted his head.
"Oh?"
"Then I'll come in."
Before the Nine-Tails could finish raging—
Alaric was suddenly standing in front of it.
The fox froze.
Then its joy exploded.
"You're dead!"
A massive claw slammed down.
"BOOM!!!"
The sealing space shook violently. Water surged like a tidal wave.
"Tch."
"Not bad for the Nine-Tails."
The words echoed calmly—
Right as the claw stopped moving.
The fox's pupils shrank.
And the real nightmare began.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/MythArcStudio