He understands the person in front of him. It's not just that he likes ramen, but because the people at Ichiraku Ramen are kind and welcoming. Unlike many in the village, they never treated him as an outcast. They saw him as a person, not a monster.
Because he was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto had been shunned by the entire village since childhood. Everyone regarded him as a curse, a walking disaster.
Adults avoided him like the plague, and children refused to play with him. Under such circumstances, the kindness shown at Ichiraku Ramen was a rare refuge for him.
In Konohagakure, there were few places where he could feel warmth.
"Don't get me wrong, we are nothing alike!"
Without giving him a chance to respond, Ye dou turned and continued walking toward the training grounds in the back mountain.
Naruto stood frozen in place, his fists clenched tightly. The words "Jinchūriki" echoed in his mind, filling him with an indescribable mixture of anger and sadness.
"...Who do you think you are, bastard? No, that's too mild—you're just a stubborn, self-righteous idiot!"
After a long pause, Naruto snapped out of his daze and spat in Yatō's direction, cursing furiously.
He only stopped when Ye dou's figure disappeared completely. Lowering his head, he muttered under his breath, feeling lost.
"Ye dou, that was too harsh." The mongoose perched on Ye dou's shoulder glanced back at Naruto and suddenly said, "He's the protagonist, you know. What if you need his help one day?"
"He is the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki," Ye dou replied without looking back. "Not just Sarutobi, but all of Konoha's higher-ups are watching his every move."
A Jinchūriki.
Though Jinchūriki had caused great devastation to the Five Great Shinobi Villages, each outbreak leaving countless casualties, they were still never abandoned. Instead, each village continued to create new Jinchūriki.
The reason was simple—the power of a Tailed Beast was too immense.
On the battlefield, they were living weapons, deterrents akin to nuclear bombs. Just the mention of a Tailed Beast was enough to make enemy villages hesitate and bow in submission.
A Jinchūriki was never just a person. They were assets, watched constantly, their every action scrutinized.
And now, an even greater threat loomed—the Akatsuki, an organization dedicated to hunting down all Jinchūriki.
Although the Akatsuki had yet to make their move, staying close to Naruto Uzumaki meant becoming a target. It was dangerous.
Besides, Ye dou and Naruto were never the same.
At first, he had only known Naruto as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki with the blood of the Uzumaki clan. But over time, he realized the terrifying weight of Naruto's legacy.
Naruto was the sole heir of the Fourth Hokage. The prophesied child spoken of by the Great Toad Sage. The reincarnation of Asura Ōtsutsuki.
He was supported by Konohagakure, Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya, and even the Sage of the Six Paths himself.
He failed the Academy's Clone Technique exam, and the Third Hokage personally granted him the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
His parents were gone, the Uzumaki Clan destroyed, and he had no one to teach him sealing techniques—so he learned the A-rank Rasengan on his own.
Madara Uchiha, wielding the Rinnegan, was too strong—so the Sage of the Six Paths personally granted him the power of Yang and awakened his Six Paths Sage Mode.
From the moment he was born, Naruto was destined for greatness.
The title of "Konoha's Prince" didn't come out of nowhere. Though he worked hard and had a strong sense of justice, many others worked just as hard—yet would never reach his heights.
---
Late at night, in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a wisp of white smoke, gazing at the masked Anbu kneeling before him.
"Naruto interacted with that boy after school?"
The Anbu, who had been tasked with monitoring Naruto, nodded. "Yes, Lord Third. The target approached Naruto after school, but the conversation did not go well."
"Do you know why?"
"Based on our observations and analysis, it appears the child harbors resentment toward Naruto for being a Jinchūriki."
Hiruzen was unsurprised.
In all of Konoha, whether shinobi or civilian, few could separate Naruto from the Nine-Tails. The fox that had taken so much from them.
"That may be for the best."
Anyone close to a Jinchūriki would naturally draw the scrutiny of Konoha's leadership.
Especially someone like Ye dou—whose parents had been executed by Konoha. His ties to the village were tenuous at best.
If he became too close to Naruto, Konoha's higher-ups would have no choice but to consider the potential consequences.
Even if Ye dou was still just a child.
The Nine-Tails was too dangerous. Twice now, its rampages had resulted in the deaths of Hokage—the First and the Fourth.
It was only natural for them to be cautious of those who lingered near Naruto.
And if someone like Ye dou sought revenge on Konoha… he might see Naruto as his means to an end.