Ⅰ

"Darren," my grandpa said sternly. "The mask store owner came by and told me everything about what you did a few days ago."

I was listening quietly.

"But before I decide what to do with it, I would like to know the full story first. So tell me, why did you do it?" He kindly asked, giving me the opportunity chance to explain my actions. And so, I told him the whole story truthfully without any lies.

"Some of the men were chasing after Naruto like an angry mob. I sensed they were about to hurt him badly, and I couldn't let it happen. When I rescued Naruto, I asked him why they were trying to harm him. After listening to his explanation, I suggested that we give a payback to the store owner."

And that payback was throwing water balloons at the store's displayed mask—an effective method to give the owner a strong message. Our plan worked, but the aftermath was quite eventful. We were soon chased by a group of Chunins trying to catch us for damaging the store. However, thanks to my parkour skills, we were lucky to escape from them before they could catch us.

When my grandpa heard the name of the blonde boy involved, he raised his eyebrow and asked, "Naruto? So he was involved too?"

I nodded in response.

My grandpa furrowed his brow while furiously scratching his grey goatee. Naruto's name seemed not included when the shopkeeper filed a complaint. He perhaps assumed that the Hokage wouldn't find out about the wrongdoings being done to Naruto and tried to cover it up. Deceiving someone, especially the leader of Konoha village, was unwise.

He looked me in the eye upon comprehending the situation that led to the store owner's complaint regarding Naruto. He sternly advised, "I understand why you took such drastic measures, but violence is never the solution to any problem." He shook his head and continued, "I want you to keep this lesson in mind: Always think about the potential negative outcome before taking action. Understood?"

I replied, "Yes, Grandpa. I fully understand. I am deeply sorry for my actions." I bowed my head to show how much I regretted my behavior.

Looking back on it, Naruto and I got carried away with the water balloons. We were thrilled to see the store owner running away in fear, thinking our prank had worked.

However, I failed to consider the number of masks that we had destroyed during the process. I should have thought about this further when suggesting this idea to Naruto.

"That's alright, Darren." He warmly smiled. "I just hope you'll be more cautious in the future before making any decisions." He patted me on the head, showing his trust that I would make an effort to learn from my mistakes.

"Thank you, Grandpa," I kept my head down with both hands together.

"Well, then. You leave this matter to me. I'll discuss this with the store owner and see if we could work our way to find the middle ground for the issue you had caused." He then stood up and turned towards the sliding door.

As he was about to leave the room, I abruptly stopped him when I raised a question, "Hey, Grandpa. There is something I want to ask."

He stopped in his tracks, "That is?"

"What did Naruto do to make the villagers hate him?" I asked innocently, hoping for an answer that would shed some light on the reasons behind their animosity towards him.

However, his response was far from satisfactory. "You'll know it when the time comes. Focus on your things for now,". There was a chiding tone in his reply while facing his back to me.

Ⅱ

It was very peculiar for my grandpa to respond to me in such an ambiguous manner. He had always been honest and straightforward while also being considerate. His words often felt like guidance when we needed the most.

However, his deliberate choice of words caught my attention. I had never seen him behave in such a way that showed uncertainty. What was he unsure of? Was there something I didn't need to know about Naruto at this point? I felt there was a reason behind his ambiguous answer - a reason that only a few people know.

I could have tried to ask him about it to get a clear picture of what he meant by "You will know when the time comes…" but I had a feeling that he would keep dodging my question no matter how many times I asked. Instead of letting my curiosity continue to plague me, I decided to distract myself with a book. That way, I wouldn't have to keep thinking about it for a while.

While reading alone in my room, I heard a sound coming from the window. At first, I thought it was a tree branch rubbing against it. However, as the sound grew louder, I realized someone was outside, trying to get my attention. I closed the book and walked towards the window.

"Who is there?" I called out.

Then, a few seconds later, a familiar voice was heard. "It's me!"

In the distance, I saw a blonde boy with whisker marks on his face. He was wearing the same clothes he had on when I first met him. It was Naruto. I was surprised to see him standing outside in the middle of the night. "Naruto?! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to ask you something." he replied as he fidgeted with his thumbs, "Are you feeling a bit hungry?"

Ⅲ

"一楽ラーメン" (Ichirakue Ramen). A humble ramen stall that was located on a quiet street corner. While the outside of the establishment is showing signs of wear and tear, such as chipping paint on the roof tiles and a few small cracks in the walls, it only adds to the charm of this long-standing eatery.

Naruto invited me to have a meal together at this place. He wanted to treat me and show gratitude for saving him from the attackers. While I was happy to have helped him before the matter got worse, I was hesitant to accept his kind offer. It was too much for him to treat me to a meal. However, he insisted that I deserved the best meal in Konoha.

So, in the end, we came to Ichiraku.

Upon entering the store, I was immediately welcomed with a warm and cozy feeling that made me feel you were at home. The sound of sizzling broth coming from the kitchen counter added to the welcoming ambiance.

In the kitchen, there were two people cooking the meal. A middle-aged man named Teuchi was busy boiling the noodles, while a young woman named Ayame was bustling around the area, preparing bowls for the noodles to be served. Later, I learned that these two had known Naruto for a few months and treated him kindly. They would always welcome him to have a meal, and there were occasions when they provided him with food without charge. It was good to know that not all villagers despised the poor boy.

As Naruto and I sat at the counter, Teuchi greeted Naruto with a warm smile and asked how he was doing.

"I'm doing well, pops," Naruto replied with a smile.

Then, soon after, the ramen chef noticed me and asked for my name. I introduced myself as Darren Sarutobi.

"Darren Sarutobi? Quite an unusual name you have." The man remarked, "And Sarutobi…are you related to the Third Hokage?" he asked with curiosity

"Yes, he is my grandpa," I replied with a nod.

Teuchi's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, wow! What a surprise! I never thought I'd meet the grandson of the Third Hokage here tonight," he said with a smile.

Naruto looked at me with equal surprise and asked, "Wait, you're the Gramp's grandson?"

"Gramp?" I repeated

"Yeah. I call him Gramp. He used to come to my place from time to time."

"Really?" I was intrigued. "What does he do when he visits you?"

"Well…" Naruto recalled, "He would always check on me and ask if I was feeling fine… or sick".

"He does that…?"

"Yep."

I slowly raised my eyebrow after hearing that. It was odd that my grandpa had been visiting Naruto for quite some time. I started to wonder why he would do it when Naruto had someone else in his house taking care of him. "What about your parents? Don't they check up on you, too?" I bluntly asked.

Naruto's face darkened as he replied slowly, "I don't have any parents."

"Oh…I am…sorry." I was shocked. I quickly apologized to him for being blunt.

"It's alright," he shook his head, "I'm used to it. It's not a big deal." He put on a smile as he reassured me. But I could sense a hint of sadness in his voice despite his attempt to appear fine.

"Anyway, Let's start eating. You will definitely love this place." He quickly changed the subject as he looked back at Teuchi, "Two Miso Chahsu Ramen, please!"

Ⅳ

After finishing our meal at the ramen stall, we walked home and talked about our dreams and things we enjoyed. I learned a few things about the blonde boy as we chatted under the peaceful moonlight. He was a gentle and kind person who didn't seem like the type to cause trouble in Konoha Village. He even told me that whenever he walked on the street, everyone would stay further away from him as if he were a plague to everyone. He even wondered why people around him were acting hostile towards him.

As I continued to listen to him speak, my curiosity about this deep-rooted prejudice against Naruto grew even stronger. What terrible things had he done to the community before I came to Konoha? What was the reason for the prejudice to be formed, and had been strongly existed since the day he was welcomed to this life?

I am not sure. But there was one thing I could tell was that whatever reason was layered behind this hatred, it must have cost the life of his parents to be deceased ten years ago. Living alone in his house in the absence of his parents, he had always wondered who they were. He tried to ask my grandpa whenever he paid a visit to him. But my grandpa gave him a vague reply like "They were the heroes of protecting the village from the Nine-tailed beast attack" or, "It was a long time ago, and there is no point in asking about it now."

Such a heartless way to answer the boy's curiosity. All he wanted to know was what kind of people they were. Why beat around the bush and not give him the answer he needed? Again, I hadn't got the foggiest clue about this.

"We are here, Darren," Naruto said as he pointed his finger to a building where he lived. It was an apartment shaped like a dome. Judging from the size of the building's exterior look, it is impressively big for a kid to live on his own. He must have received financial support from the Konoha officials to live in this place. Otherwise, he would end up living in a street or an orphanage if he was fortunate enough to be accepted.

"Thank you for having dinner with me, Darren. I had a great time." He smiled.

I shook my head and replied, "Don't thank me. I am the one who should be thanking you. I had never had ramen before, so I appreciated the invitation."

"Well, I am glad you like it." He kept smiling as he nodded his head. I sensed that he didn't want to end the night just yet.

"I guess…this is where we are going to say goodbye and hit the hay so - "

But before he could finish, I interrupted him and said, "The night is still young, Naruto. Let me take you somewhere special."

"Special?" His eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. You are not tired, right?"

"No, I am not…" he shook his head.

"Then, come on. You will like this place. I am sure of it," I urged, hoping to persuade him to visit. At first, he hesitated, uncertainty evident in his expression. But after some consideration, he finally agreed to accompany me. As we had had a nice meal back at Ichiraku, I believe he started to feel more comfortable spending time with me.

Ⅴ

"Are we there yet?" Naruto asked.

"Not yet," I replied. "But we're almost there."

"You sure?" He was skeptical.

"Absolutely," I reassured him, taking his hand and leading him forward while we walked further into the woods.

The place we were heading to had the nearest viewpoint in Konoha. A place where we could see the lights all glittering brightly. Unlike the Hokage Tower, which I used to climb during the day, this place was best visited at night. The darkness provided the perfect background for the lights to shine, creating a breathtaking view. From that point of view, seeing it gives you hope and the motivation that thrives you to do better. And for this, I wanted to share this with Naruto. So that he could feel the same way as I am.

As we walked further, we finally arrived at the top of a hill. A fresh green meadow spread across the area, all glistening in the moonlight. I slowly turned back to Naruto, who had his eyes shut. I told him to have his eyes closed when we approached near to the destination.

"We are here." I slowly replied, "You can open your eyes."

His eyelids were gently lifted, and his pupils widened in amazement when he beheld the immersive numbers of polar-white sparkles scattered across the sky.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, "Look at the stars! It's so many!" his voice raised with excitement. He was in awe to see thousands and thousands of stars spread like dust in the air.

"Indeed it is," I nodded in agreement. "This is the only place where you can see the stars up close."

Naruto looked up at the stars and smiled, his face lighting up. As he continued to gaze at the stars, I could sense that he was slowly beginning to feel at peace. It was as if all the bad things that had happened to him before were gradually fading, replaced by a small but powerful feeling of positivity when his blue pupils sparkled.

As he gazed up at the twinkling stars in the sky, mesmerized by their beauty, I quietly approached him from behind and gently placed my hand on his shoulder. Naruto, lost in his thoughts, didn't notice my presence at first. But as soon as he felt my touch, he turned his head quickly, surprised. It was at this moment that I changed the course of our life.

"Naruto," I softly spoke, "Would you like to be my friend?"

For a moment, Naruto seemed taken aback by my offer. His eyes went wide, and his mouth quivered with disbelief. He couldn't believe that someone was offering to be his friend.

"Y-you want to become… my friend?" he softly asked, almost in a whisper.

"Yes," I replied with a gentle nod. "I do."

I could see the emotions playing across his face as he struggled to understand why someone would want to be his friend. He asked again, "Are you... serious? Do you... really want to become my friend?" His eyes watered up as he tried not to burst into tears. He seemed to wonder if this was a dream.

But it wasn't. I smiled at him warmly and nodded again, "I am serious. You are not going to be alone, Naruto. I promise you that."

I could see the relief and joy spreading across his face as he realized that I was being sincere. His lips trembled as he could no longer hold on to his joy. I brought him closer and gave him a warm embrace. Naruto's body jittered when he received the embrace, but he soon returned it and brought me closer.

From that day on, I pledged to always be there for him, to support him in his struggles, and to be a true friend he could always depend on. We would spend countless hours together, talking, playing, and exploring the world around us. I swear of it.