Ulquiorra pondered the absence of spiritual energy in this realm; however, he concluded it was futile to continue ruminating about inconsequential matters.
"Hey kid, what are you up to? I've heard you from here. It's pretty clear you're talking to yourself," Ulquiorra said calmly.
"Uhh... I'm just walking home," the boy mumbled, his gaze fixed on the ground.
In his current life, Ulquiorra had developed the ability to perceive even the subtlest emotions. He noticed Naruto's apparent discomfort but chose to ignore it.
"By the way, I am Ulquiorra Cifer," he introduced himself, breaking the silence.
Naruto looked up, surprised. Despite being a bit shy in this story, he found the courage to respond, "I'm Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki."
"And why is there a horn on your helmet?" Naruto inquired.
"We'll talk about that when you're a bit older. For now, let's head to Ichiraku," Ulquiorra responded
'Huh, that's weird,' little Naruto thought to himself,
'How does Ulquiorra know that about me? Did someone tell him?' He felt a tickle of wonder about it.
'And he doesn't seem to care about.. whatever it is that makes everyone afraid of me,' Naruto realized, feeling a bit surprised. But then, his curiosity was replaced by the thought of something else.
'But that's okay, I'll think about it later,' he decided, 'Now, I just want to walk to Ichiraku with Ulquiorra.'
On their way to the ramen shop, Ichiraku, they didn't utter a word to each other because they had many unanswered questions.
After they entered the rather small restaurant, they were greeted by a cheerful and friendly middle-aged man.
"Hey Naruto, ready to order ramen. It's on the house?!" Teuchi asked with a bright smile on his face.
"Yes and add in miso with extra pork cutlets!" Naruto said with a giant smile, impatient for his food to get served.
"Sure thing, kid. As for you Sir, my name's Teuchi, and I'd like to know your name sir?" Asked Teuchi
"And what would you like to order?"
Teuchi followed up.
"Ulquiorra Cifer, that is my name. I will have an order of a cup of red bean paste." Ulquiorra said, with a feeling of nostalgia and sadness.
'In the solitude of Hueco Mundo, within the confines of Las Noches, Orihime was often vocal about her thoughts. As I stood guard near her room, I couldn't help, but overhear her enthusiasm about cooking, and her particular fondness for red bean paste.' Ulquiorra thought
"Red bean paste is not very common. Luckily, we have that item in stock," Teuchi said.
"Thank you." Ulquiorra said with a serious but slight smile, Teuchi smiled and left to make Naruto's ramen and Ulquiorra's red bean paste.
Naruto, despite being very hungry, couldn't help but notice Ulquiorra's sadness in his voice. He was curious, so he asked
"So Ulquiorra, why did you order Red Bean paste?" Naruto asked with a smile, not realizing Ulquiorra was feeling sad inside.
"Ulquiorra, earth to Ulquiorra!" Naruto said, feeling annoyed.
"I was deep in thought, sorry about that Naruto, the Red Bean paste reminds me of someone, a woman I once knew." Ulquiorra said with a mostly indifferent expression with a hint of sadness.
"What's her name? What does she look like?!" Asked Naruto
"Naruto, this isn't up for discussion. I'll bring it up when I feel it's right, but not now." Ulquiorra responded, his tone stern yet detached.
'Wow, red bean paste must hold very high importance to Ulquiorra', Naruto thought.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation, but here's your ramen, Naruto, and here's your red bean paste sir." Said Teuchi with a smile.
Naruto managed to finish 9 bowls of Ramen before Ulquiorra had even started asking for seconds, and Ulquiorra decided it was best to pay the bill and leave before things got out of hand.
"Naruto, where is your apartment?" He asked
"It's over there." Naruto pointed to his apartment, which was located not too far from Ichiraku or the Hokage Mansion.
"I'll walk you home, Naruto." Said Ulquiorra.
"Thanks Ulquiorra," Naruto said with a feeling of warmth, because no one had ever walked him home before.
As they were walking, Naruto got tired just from the fact that today was a long day going to his first day of the academy and having 9 bowls of ramen being the bottomless pit he is, so Ulquiorra decided to carry the little Uzumaki on his back like he is his son even though he isn't related to him by blood.
Naruto couldn't help but feel happiness because he finally didn't have to feel the usual emptiness. It was nice to be able to depend on someone else. They arrived at his apartment building and went inside.
"Good night, Naruto." Said Ulquiorra after making sure his door was locked from the inside. After that, Ulquiorra heard shuffling behind him, and turning around, he saw that he had been half surrounded by masked ninja.
"You, under the orders of the Hokage are under arrest for unauthorized entry and being near Naruto Uzumaki. Come quietly with us." Said a masked ninja
"And why should I do that?" asked Ulquiorra as he flared his spiritual pressure, slightly shaking the masked ninja.
"Because if you don't, we will have to use force." Replied another masked ninja. "We have orders to bring you in dead or alive, so choose wisely. You're only going to get one chance."
Ulquiorra calmly chose to surrender, knowing it's better to not fight a pointless battle when he's trying to maintain his cover.
He got down and put his hands behind his back for them to handcuff. Next thing he knew, he could feel his vision darken like he couldn't see where he was going, this made him curious as to where he's going,
"Where are you taking me?" Ulquiorra asked,
"Intruders don't get to know that kind of information." Said the masked ninja grabbing his right arm,
Ulquiorra didn't respond.
When he felt the blindness wore off he was thrown in what looked to be a small jail cell.
Oblivious to what was going on, Naruto was lying down on his bed thinking about the commotion right outside the door. However, that didn't last very long as he soon remembered his academy class tomorrow.
————————————————————————
Naruto's woke up earlier than he wanted to, due to the bright sun shining through the window straight into his eyes. He quickly took care of his morning routine and had a cup of instant ramen with some toast and a glass of milk. After that, he left his apartment.
The classroom was too large for him, and Naruto did his best to stay in one spot as he walked to a desk in the back row.
He saw others interacting with such confidence that it seemed effortless; that only gave him more anxiety because he didn't feel confident he could interact with others like that.
Why would others reject him for a reason he didn't know? He had no hope of making any real friends. That made him feel like his confidence was a glass bottle about to be cracked, making him so nervous that others would notice and try to come up to him.
Naruto looked outside the window on his left, trying to contain his growing panic. After his anxiety calmed itself down he noticed a familiar portly friend, Choji, waving his hand to greet him.
"Hey Naruto!" Choji said
"Uhh...h-hello Choji." Naruto said
"You look a little nervous, are you okay, Naruto?" Choji asked smiling sincerely.
"Nervous? I'm not nervous, I'm fine!" Naruto denied although he was unable to restrain a flinch at the question.
"Alright, as long as you are okay." Choji quickly said
"Anyways, what do you think will happen today in the academy?" Choji asked
"I don't know." Naruto said shrugging his shoulders
"I think somebody will give me a bag of chips today at the academy." Choji said while he was biting a chip
Naruto chuckled a little at his remark.
As Naruto and Choji finished conversing, their sensei Iruka entered the classroom.
"Good morning class! The entire class is going to meet the Hokage, he's going to speak about the Will of Fire, then we are going to have taijutsu spar practice." Iruka said
————————————————————————
All eyes were fixated on the elderly man. Despite his aged appearance, the grand white robes and hat he wore were undeniable symbols of his status as one of the most powerful shinobi in the village. After all, one doesn't survive to old age in such a perilous profession without exceptional skills.
The Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, greeted the students with a smile. "Greetings, I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, pleased to meet you all," he said. Today, his usual commanding presence was replaced by a desire to make an impression on the younger generation.
"Do you have any questions for me?" he asked.
A boy with red triangle markings on his face raised his hand. "Lord Hokage, what is your most powerful jutsu?" he inquired.
Hiruzen responded gravely, "It's called the Mountain Destruction Jutsu."
The boy gasped, and the entire class erupted into laughter. When the laughter subsided, nobody else ventured a question.
Hiruzen began his speech, "All of you are academy students training to become future shinobi of Konoha. Our village has endured three wars, causing hardship for both us and civilians with shinobi family members."
Pausing, he continued, "Our guiding principle is the Will of Fire, which signifies that this entire village is my family. We love and cherish our home, fighting to protect it as our ancestors did."
His solemn voice commanded deep attention as he added, "However, not all shinobi understand the Will of Fire. Whether corrupted by power or other reasons, they need guidance towards truth. For the Leaf leaves no one behind."
Hiruzen's gaze met Naruto's. Naruto, however, was puzzled by the meaning of his words.
—————————————————–——————
"Today is long enough already. Why can't we just have the taijutsu spar tomorrow? It's pointless," Naruto complained.
"As you know, we are having taijutsu sparring practice. Here are the rules," Iruka began. "First, you will choose a sparring partner, then you will spar against them. The match ends when either party lands a clean hit first."
While others were still deciding who they would spar against, Naruto quickly approached Choji through the crowd, "Could we be sparring partners, please?!"
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm already paired up with Shikamaru. I'm sure you'll find someone else," Choji replied apologetically.
'What would other people think of me? Would some be comfortable around me like Choji? Or would they just judge me? WHY DON'T I KNOW AHHHH!' Naruto thought, taking a shaky breath.
"Alright," Naruto replied, moving to sit by the fence.
Soon, a smug raven-haired boy approached him, "Hey loser, what's your name?"
"Why should I tell you my name when you haven't even told me yours?" Naruto retorted.
"I want to know the name of the person I'm going to fight!" the boy insisted.
"Fine. I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Now that you know, tell me your name!" Naruto demanded.
"I am Sasuke Uchiha. Good luck trying to defeat me!" Sasuke replied smugly.
Naruto remained silent.
As the class noise died down, Iruka commanded, "Alright students, return to the center. If you have a sparring partner, stand next to them so I can write down your names for the taijutsu matches."
Naruto and Sasuke, like the other students, stood beside each other.
"The match is Sasuke Uchiha vs Naruto Uzumaki," Iruka announced.
Naruto faced Sasuke and took his stance as Iruka rang the bell.
"Win Sasuke! You must win!" a few students cheered.
Naruto saw Sasuke's fist blur towards him. His eyes widened as he haphazardly threw his hands up in an attempt to block the punch.
Sasuke quickly retreated, "Not bad, Naruto. I respect you for not running away."
Then Sasuke moved his arms away from his chest, "Let's see if you can punch me!" he challenged.
Naruto lunged, aiming a punch at Sasuke's chest. But at the last moment, Sasuke sidestepped and hit Naruto on his side.
"Wow, look at this kid!" one student laughed.
"What an idiot!" another student sneered.
Soon, more students joined in the laughter.
Amid the crowd's ridicule, Choji spoke, though his voice was drowned out by the laughter, "Don't let this loss stop you from getting better, Naruto."
The sting of defeat felt to Naruto like something was being jabbed through his skin. 'This feeling in my heart... it's the same feeling I had when needles were put into my arm,' Naruto thought.
"Today is long enough already. Why can't we just have the taijutsu spar tomorrow? It's pointless," Naruto complained.
"As you know, we are having taijutsu sparring practice. Here are the rules," Iruka began.
"First, you will choose a sparring partner, then you will spar against them. The match ends when either party lands a clean hit first."
While others were still deciding who they would spar against, Naruto quickly approached Choji through the crowd, "Could we be sparring partners, please?!"
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm already paired up with Shikamaru. I'm sure you'll find someone else," Choji smiled apologetically.
'What would other people think of me? Would some be comfortable around me like Choji? Or would they just judge me? WHY DON'T I KNOW AHHHH!' Naruto thought, taking a shaky breath.
"Alright," Naruto replied, moving to sit by the fence.
Soon, a smug raven-haired boy approached him, "Hey loser, what's your name?"
"Why should I tell you my name when you haven't even told me yours?" Naruto retorted.
"I want to know the name of the person I'm going to fight!" the boy responded.
"Fine. I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Now that you know, tell me your name!" Naruto demanded.
"I am Sasuke Uchiha. Good luck trying to defeat me!" Sasuke replied smugly.
Naruto remained silent.
As the class noise died down, Iruka commanded, "Alright students, return to the center. If you have a sparring partner, stand next to them so I can write down your names for the taijutsu matches."
Naruto and Sasuke, like the other students, stood beside each other.
"The match is Sasuke Uchiha vs Naruto Uzumaki," Iruka announced.
Naruto faced Sasuke and took his stance as Iruka rang the bell.
"Win Sasuke! You must win!" a few students cheered.
Naruto saw Sasuke's fist blur towards him. His eyes widened as he haphazardly threw his hands up in an attempt to block the punch.
Sasuke quickly retreated, "Not bad, Naruto. I respect you for not running away."
Then Sasuke moved his arms away from his chest, "Let's see if you can punch me!" he challenged.
Naruto lunged, aiming a punch at Sasuke's chest. But at the last moment, Sasuke sidestepped and hit Naruto on his side.
"Wow, look at this kid!" one student laughed.
"What an idiot!" another student sneered.
Soon, more students joined in the laughter.
Amid the crowd's ridicule, Choji spoke, though his voice was drowned out by the laughter, "Don't let this loss stop you from getting better, Naruto."
The sting of defeat felt to Naruto like something was being jabbed through his skin. 'This feeling in my heart... it's the same feeling I had when needles were put into my arm,' Naruto thought.
———————————————————————
The tiny prison cell was ensnared in a dim hallway, with scant light penetrating its confines.
Suddenly, luminosity poured into the gloomy cell,
"Hey, shadow figure, how are you faring?"
Ulquiorra chose to ignore his flippant question.
"Quite the silent type, huh?" the Shinobi remarked.
"You're wasting my time, do you actually have a reason to be here?" Ulquiorra asked, cutting straight to the chase instead of reacting to the comment.
"I am here to escort you to the interrogation room," the Shinobi declared.
Upon arrival in the interrogation room,
"I am Ibiki Morino, the Head of the Interrogation Force."
"Do you understand why you're in this room?" Ibiki inquired.
"No, I don't," Ulquiorra replied.
"You're here due to unauthorized entry and your association with Naruto Uzumaki, as he's a Jinchuriki."
"I fail to see the problem with being around Naruto Uzumaki. I'm unfamiliar with the term 'Jinchuriki',"
"Don't presume your freedom is within reach. For now, these prison walls are your confines. Your fate will be determined once the Hokage has deliberated over your circumstances."
Ibiki shifted in his seat, his gaze never leaving Ulquiorra. "First, however, I need some information. Your name...?" he asked.
"Ulquiorra Cifer," he responded, his voice stoic and calm.
"And where does your story start, Ulquiorra Cifer?" Ibiki asked, hoping to understand more about this mysterious stranger that found his way into their village.
"My story begins in the Blood Mist," Ulquiorra began, maintaining his steady and emotionless tone. "I am a refugee. I was forced to leave and since then, I have been wandering, traversing through lands unknown, on a journey seeking Enlightenment."
"And how did you manage to enter our village without setting off the alarm?" Ibiki questioned, intrigued by the inexplicable feat.
Ulquiorra's response was calculated and composed, "I observed the patterns of your security from afar. I noticed a lapse in the surveillance during a certain period and used that opportunity to slip in undetected."
Just before the interrogation was about to conclude, Ibiki asked one last question, "Why were you found near Naruto Uzumaki?"
Ulquiorra, still in his restraints, shifted slightly to face Ibiki. "Our meeting was not a result of a calculated action," he replied, his voice as formal and emotionless as ever. "It was a product of happenstance."
Ibiki considered his answer, his gaze never leaving Ulquiorra's face. There were still so many questions, so many unknowns. But for now, this interrogation was over. He turned to the Shinobi escort waiting by the door. "Mabuchi, escort him back to his cell."
Mabuchi nodded, stepping forward to carefully guide the restrained Ulquiorra back to his bleak and lonely cell. As Ulquiorra was led away, his face remained as unreadable as ever, his eyes reflecting a chilling calmness.
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Good morning,
It's been a while since I last posted, however, it isn't without reason because I have had severe writer's block on this chapter for almost a year. But don't worry I have fleshed out the story for the upcoming chapters, so it shouldn't take that long.
Sincerely,
Animefan1912
