Growth (3)

I stood with an half-lidded eye, too tired to deal with anything else any further.

All the street thugs lied on the ground, knocked unconscious by the handsome blonde shinobi in front of me.

'What now then?'

I can either keep faking myself as a frightened boy, or quit this facade.

The blonde then turned around and faced me with a visible suspicion in his eyes.

"Why didn't you fight back?" He lowered his gaze onto my body, "With that physique, you certainly have more than enough to deal with these thugs by yourself."

...This one is quite perceptive.

I actually was getting curious to some extent, about how much damage these street thugs can inflict on me.

Yawning from the surge of fatigue that rushed into me, I discarded my 'frightened boy' facade, "Dead tired right now."

I stretched momentarily before returning to my slouched form,

"So, why did you help me?"

The blonde smiled as he tilted his head slightly, "Why do I need a reason to help someone?"

Upon hearing the words, I found myself chuckling.

"Well said."

A simple act of kindness can lead to a tremendous change. Kindness is essentially a self-sacrifice—sacrificing something that belongs to you for another's peace.

'I sincerely hope that your words were spoken out of your heart.'

As I thought within my mind, I held my hand out to the blonde with a smile of my own, "My name is Kakashi. What's yours?"

"...Kakashi?" The blonde repeated the name I gave, before chuckling slightly.

"What?" I raised my eyebrow, "You got a problem with my name?"

"No no, absolutely not." Shaking his head with an apologic look, the blonde clasped my hand without any further delay, "I'm Namikaze Minato. Nice to meet you."

__________

"Uh..." I, who had a bowl of ramen sitting in front of me, asked in confusion, "Why are you here?"

Minato, the blonde boy and the full-fledged shinobi from Konoha—he's followed me all up to here, the cheap ramen stall. When I ordered my dish, so did he, taking a seat next to me.

'My cover wasn't blown. I can deduce that much, since this guy's emotions seem to be genuine.'

I scratched the back of my head, really not knowing the cause.

"Haha..." Minato laughed weakly as he cast his eyes down, "Well, you see, I have two teammates who formed a cell with me, but they don't seem to like me that much."

While slurping down the noodle, I asked, "And?"

"I've only met you an hour ago, but strangely enough, you seem closer to me than those two."

"Are you being bullied?"

Minato's eyes widened as he turned his eyes to me, before... going into deep thought.

Cool, let's eat.

I slurped... and bam, it was gone within seconds.

I sighed in disppointment. Looking down at my stomach, I heard yet another growl; one bowl was far from enough.

My lone eye shifted on its own to Minato, and landed on the untouched bowl of still-fresh ramen. For how long was he going to think?

'Hmm...'

I am still hungry, but in contrast, this dreamy boy seemed not.

'I can't allow the food to go to waste, can I?'

I slowly pushed my empty bowl to Minato, and grabbed his, before bringing it to my side.

He still didn't realize what I've done, judging by how his hand was still intact below his chin. Awesome, free meal.

Itadakimasu~!

Mm, unlike the cheapest option, the basic miso ramen that I had, Minato's was the deluxe meat bombardment tonkotsu ramen—the most expensive menu here; it tasted absolutely fantastic. Protein is good as always.

"...Yes."

Then, when I finished Minato's bowl and placed it down on my side, Minato spoke up, having woken up from his thought,

"I think I am being bullied—huh? Since when did I eat?"

I replied casually, "I guess you were busy thinking as you ate. That's an interesting habit to have for sure."

Turning my face up and staring back at the ramen chef, who peered at me with squinted eyes, I winked.

'You brat...' His eyes seemed to be conveying such a message to me.

'Heh, ramen is good while it's hot. Letting it cool down is a disgrace; I did ramen a favour.' I wiggled my eyebrows with a cheesy smile, causing the ramen chef to back off, trying to hold his laugh.

"Hey, Minato..." I then asked dryly, "I only have 800 ryo with me right now... if it's alright for you, will you..."

"Sure." Minato answered coolly as he paid for both our meals, before the two of us walked out of the ramen stall.

From my back, I could literally feel the ramen chef's gaze.

"So," While using a toothpick to clean my teeth, I continued the conversation, "Why do you think they are bullying you?"

"I... hm."

...Are you serious?

"Because you are too good-looking?" I suggested, but got no answer in response.

'Ha... I think I know why.'

"I think... it's because our teacher favours me." Minato seemed to finish his thought, sharing the conclusion that he drew with me.

"Because you are better than them." I commented with a nod, as we continued walking in the dusk.

"Hm..."

Oh, s***!

"Alright, I think I know what's going on, so hear me out!" I said loudly before Minato began another endless thinking spree of his, earning his attention.

"Those two lazy idiots are interested in being jealous of you, instead of trying to improve by themselves! Your teacher probably is teaching you an entirely different thing, of course, because you already know everything that they are currently learning, am I right?!"

"...Hm—"

"I guess I am right then! Then don't bother, and just focus on doing your own thing! If teamwork is impossible, might as well do something more practical! Like, developing your own technique or something!"

"...Yeah. Thanks." Minato nodded with a thoughtful expression, before smiling at me, "You really are great at giving advices, Kaka...pff, shi."

Why was he keep on laughing at this fake name of mine?

...Don't tell me that there actually is someone named Kakashi back in Konoha.

"I really wish you were on my team~." Minato sighed, before perking up as if having thought up of a new idea, "Actually, why don't you come to our village then? Become ninja, and you know, we can be a team."

I stared at Minato with a disbelief, "No way it's that simple. What if I am a spy?"

"Are you?"

"Nope."

Minato shrugged, "Then it should be fine, right?"

He then pointed his thumb at himself while puffing out his chest, "Besides, I am going to be the Hokage in the future. I can make it happen anytime."

"Sure." I chuckled mischievously, "You be the Hokage. As for me... heh, I will become the symbol..."

"Symbol?"

I comically spread my hands out in a dramatic manner, "Of peace."

"Haha, I see." Minato seemed to have taken my joke seriously, nodding with a gentle smile, "I will be looking forward to that day, Ka... kashi."

...I bet that he's the type to name anything of his creation with ridiculous names.

"Anyway, I suppose that this is where we separate—"

"...Akashi?"

My words ceased as a familiar voice was heard from our back.

"Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato, who turned around, waved his hand casually, "You are here as well, I see!"

I too turned, and saw Jiraiya, the white-haired man who taught me the 'self-genjutsu technique' a long time ago, staring at me with widened eyes... with his arms around two young women.

"What the actual f***." Jiraiya said with a dumbfounded expression, "You were alive?"