The day Itachi had made trees grow from nothing was the day everything changed for Naruto Uzumaki. At first, he didn’t understand why. He was only four years old, and the world around him was confusing and often cruel. The vilgers hated him—he didn’t know why—and people whispered things he couldn’t understand.

  But that day, when Itachi-niisan had shielded him with a forest and protected him from the mob, something shifted.

  The very next day, the Hokage himself came to visit Naruto at the hospital.

  Naruto had stared up at the old man, unsure of what to say. The Hokage’s kind eyes and warm smile were unfamiliar to him—most people scowled when they looked at Naruto.

  “Naruto,” the Hokage said gently, kneeling to meet the boy’s gaze, “how would you like to live with someone who can take care of you? Someone who will keep you safe and make sure you’re never alone?”

  Naruto’s eyes widened. “Really?” he asked, his voice trembling with hope.

  The Hokage smiled and nodded. “Yes. I’ve spoken to them, and they’re more than happy to have you.”

  “Who?” Naruto asked, his heart racing.

  The Hokage chuckled. “Your Itachi-niisan and Mikoto-obasan.”

  Naruto’s jaw dropped. “I get to live with Itachi-niisan?”

  “That’s right,” the Hokage said, patting his head. “Because that’s where you’ll be the most protected.”

  Naruto didn’t understand what the Hokage meant by “protected,” but he didn’t care. He was too excited. He was going to live with Itachi-niisan and Mikoto-obasan!

  When Naruto arrived at their small but cozy home, Mikoto greeted him with open arms.

  “Welcome, Naruto,” she said with a warm smile, kneeling to hug him. “This is your home now.”

  Naruto clung to her tightly, tears welling up in his eyes. It was the first time in as long as he could remember that he hugged someone.

  Itachi stood nearby, his emerald eyes soft as he watched the scene. “Come on, Naruto,” he said, offering his hand. “Let me show you your room.”

  Naruto wiped his tears and took Itachi’s hand, his small fingers curling around his brother figure’s.

  Living with Itachi and Mikoto was like stepping into a dream.

  For the first time, Naruto had good food—warm meals prepared by Mikoto that made his stomach feel full and his heart feel lighter.

  For the first time, Naruto had a real bed—soft and clean, with bnkets that smelled like vender instead of the musty, worn sheets at the orphanage.

  For the first time, Naruto felt safe.

  And it wasn’t just the comforts of their home that made the difference. It was the way Itachi and Mikoto treated him.

  Mikoto fussed over him like a mother, making sure he ate enough, cleaned behind his ears, and wore warm clothes in the colder months.

  Itachi took him outside to train, teaching him basic exercises and sparring with him gently.

  Naruto loved spending time with Itachi, who was patient and kind despite his young age.

  “Niisan, can I do that?” Naruto asked one day, pointing at the small saplings Itachi had grown during his training.

  Itachi smiled. “Not trees, Naruto. That’s something only I can do. But I can teach you how to get stronger in other ways.”

  Naruto’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Really?”

  “Really,” Itachi said, ruffling his hair. “But first, you need to focus. Training isn’t just about strength—it’s about discipline.”

  Though the exercises were simple, Naruto approached them with enthusiasm, eager to make Itachi proud.

  Living with Mikoto and Itachi also changed how some vilgers treated Naruto.

  Before, people avoided him or gred at him openly. Now, they hesitated.

  “That’s the boy living with the Uchiha prodigy,” they whispered. “And Mikoto-san is watching over him too.”

  Some still looked at Naruto with hatred, but others began treating him with cautious politeness. They didn’t want to anger Itachi or Mikoto, whose reputations in the vilge were rising rapidly.

  Naruto noticed the difference. When he walked through the market with Mikoto, people didn’t yell at him or shoo him away. When he trained with Itachi in the fields, no one dared interrupt them.

  For the first time, Naruto felt like he belonged—like he wasn’t just a boy everyone hated.

  One night, after Mikoto tucked Naruto into bed, he looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes.

  “Obasan?” he whispered.

  “Yes, Naruto?” Mikoto replied, brushing a strand of hair from his face.

  “Thank you for letting me stay here,” Naruto said, his voice soft but sincere. “I… I really like it here.”

  Mikoto’s heart melted. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “You don’t need to thank me, sweetheart. This is your home, and we’re happy to have you here.”

  Naruto smiled as his eyes fluttered shut, the warmth of her words lulling him to sleep.

  As Mikoto watched him drift off, she felt a surge of determination. No matter what happened, she would protect Naruto—and Itachi—with everything she had.

  In his own quiet way, Itachi was just as protective of Naruto. He saw the way the boy’s eyes lit up when he trained, how he clung to Mikoto’s every kind word, and how he tried so hard to be useful and appreciated.

  Itachi had already made up his mind.

  “I’ll protect him,” Itachi thought as he watched Naruto sleep one night. “Just like Mama protects me. No one will hurt him as long as I’m here.”

  For Naruto, life had changed in ways he never thought possible.

  He still didn’t understand why people had hated him or why the Hokage had said he needed protection, but none of that mattered.

  Because now, he had Itachi-niisan and Mikoto-obasan.

  And for the first time in his life, Naruto felt truly happy.

  Naruto still remembered the first time Mikoto-obasan had taken him to Ichiraku Ramen, the memory vivid and warm in his heart. It had been a rainy afternoon, and Mikoto had decided that it was the perfect day to introduce Naruto to her favorite food spot.

  “Come on, Naruto,” she had said with a smile, holding his hand as they walked through the drizzle. “There’s a pce I want you to try. It was one of my best friend Kushina’s favorite spots.”

  Naruto tilted his head curiously. “Who’s Kushina?”

  Mikoto’s expression softened. “She was… someone very important to me. She loved ramen, especially from this pce. She used to say it was the best in the whole world.”

  Naruto didn’t understand much, but he could tell that Kushina was special to Mikoto. The way her voice softened when she spoke about her friend made him feel like she was someone worth remembering.

  When they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen, the smell hit Naruto immediately—a delicious, savory aroma that made his stomach growl loudly. Mikoto ughed at his reaction, guiding him to a seat at the counter.

  “Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen!” Teuchi, the owner, greeted them warmly. “What can I get for you today?”

  “I’ll have the miso ramen,” Mikoto said with a nostalgic smile. She gnced at Naruto. “And for this little one, let’s start with a small bowl of shoyu ramen.”

  Naruto didn’t have to wait long. When Teuchi pced the steaming bowl of ramen in front of him, Naruto’s eyes widened at the sight of the golden broth, glistening noodles, and perfectly arranged toppings.

  He picked up his chopsticks hesitantly, gncing at Mikoto. She nodded encouragingly, and Naruto took his first bite.

  His eyes widened as the fvors exploded in his mouth. The salty richness of the broth, the tenderness of the noodles, and the burst of fvor from the toppings were unlike anything he had ever tasted.

  “This is… amazing!” Naruto excimed, slurping up more noodles with enthusiasm.

  Mikoto chuckled softly, watching his reaction. “I told you it was good, didn’t I?”

  From that moment on, Naruto was hooked.

  After that first visit, Ichiraku Ramen became Naruto’s favorite pce.

  Whenever he had the chance, he would run to the small ramen stand, his excitement growing with every step. He tried every kind of ramen on the menu—miso, shoyu, tonkotsu—and loved them all.

  Teuchi and his daughter Ayame quickly grew fond of Naruto, who brought an infectious energy to their little shop.

  “You’re back again, Naruto?” Ayame teased one evening as she set a steaming bowl of ramen in front of him.

  Naruto grinned, his cheeks flushed with happiness. “Of course! This is the best pce in the world!”

  Teuchi ughed heartily from behind the counter. “You’ve got good taste, kid. Eat up!”

  Though Naruto didn’t know much about Kushina, he could tell how much Mikoto loved her friend.

  Every time they visited Ichiraku Ramen together, Mikoto would order miso ramen—the same thing Kushina always ordered. Sometimes, Mikoto would share stories about her te friend, her voice filled with both fondness and sadness.

  “She was a whirlwind,” Mikoto said one evening, twirling her chopsticks idly. “She had this fiery red hair and a temper to match, but she had the biggest heart. She loved ramen so much, she used to say she’d marry Teuchi if he gave her free ramen for life.”

  Naruto ughed at the thought, imagining a fiery-haired woman shouting about ramen.

  “Why did she… die?” Naruto asked hesitantly one day, his voice small.

  Mikoto’s smile faltered for a moment before she pced a gentle hand on his shoulder. “She died protecting something very important, Naruto. She was a hero.”

  Naruto didn’t fully understand, but he nodded solemnly.

  As the months passed, Naruto’s visits to Ichiraku Ramen became a regur tradition, a small comfort in a world that was often unkind.

  For Naruto, the ramen shop wasn’t just a pce to eat—it was a pce where he felt welcomed and cared for, where he could ugh with Teuchi and Ayame, and where he could share happy moments with Mikoto and Itachi.

  Every bowl of ramen was a reminder of the love and kindness he had found in his new family—and of the mysterious woman named Kushina, who had loved the same food as much as he did.

  And as Naruto slurped up another bowl of noodles, his heart felt full, not just from the food, but from the sense of belonging that came with it.

  Naruto stood at the counter of Ichiraku Ramen, his arms crossed and his cheeks puffed out in frustration as he gred at Teuchi.

  “Come on, old man!” Naruto groaned. “You told me you’d have the mushrooms today!”

  Teuchi sighed, his hands resting on the counter as he gave Naruto an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Naruto. My shipment got deyed. There’s not much I can do about it.”

  “But I checked every other pce!” Naruto excimed, throwing his hands up. “Nobody has mushrooms, and even if they do, they won’t sell them to me!” His voice softened, his shoulders slumping. “It’s for Itachi-niisan’s birthday tomorrow. I wanted to make him a mushroom stir-fry because he loves mushrooms…”

  Ayame, Teuchi’s daughter, leaned over the counter, her expression sympathetic. “You’re such a sweet kid, Naruto. I’m sure Itachi will love whatever you do for him.”

  Naruto shook his head. “It’s not the same. Itachi-niisan doesn’t like store-bought stuff, and I don’t have much money to buy him anything fancy. Cooking for him was my only idea…”

  Teuchi rubbed the back of his head, feeling a pang of guilt. He had promised to help Naruto, and now the boy looked completely dejected.

  “Well,” Teuchi began hesitantly, “maybe there’s another way to get mushrooms…”

  Naruto perked up. “Really? How?”

  Teuchi hesitated before answering. “There’s a part of the Forest of Death that’s known for wild mushrooms. It’s risky, but if you’re careful, you might be able to find some there.”

  Naruto’s eyes widened. “The Forest of Death? The one with all the giant bugs and snakes?”

  Ayame frowned, crossing her arms. “Dad, you can’t seriously be suggesting that Naruto go there! It’s way too dangerous!”

  Teuchi raised his hands defensively. “I’m not saying he should go alone! But if he’s determined to get mushrooms, that’s the only pce I can think of.”

  Naruto clenched his fists, determination shining in his eyes. “I’ll do it. I’ll go to the Forest of Death and find the mushrooms myself!”

  “Absolutely not!” Ayame said firmly. “It’s too dangerous for a kid like you!”

  Naruto shook his head stubbornly. “It’s for Itachi-niisan! I have to do this!”

  Teuchi sighed. “If you’re really going to do this, Naruto, be careful. And don’t go too deep into the forest, okay? Just stick to the edges where it’s safer.”

  Naruto set out for the Forest of Death, clutching a small basket and wearing his most determined expression.

  As he entered the edge of the forest, the air grew heavy, and the dense canopy of trees blocked out most of the sunlight. The sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal cries made him shiver, but he pressed on, muttering to himself.

  “It’s for Itachi-niisan. It’s for Itachi-niisan…”

  After some searching, Naruto spotted a patch of wild mushrooms growing near the base of a tree. His face lit up with excitement.

  “Yes! I found them!”

  But as he reached out to pick the mushrooms, a low growl sounded behind him.

  Naruto froze, slowly turning his head to see a massive wild boar, its tusks gleaming and its eyes locked on him.

  “Oh no…” Naruto whispered.

  Author's Note:

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