Carl spent the entire day at school feeling uneasy. It wasn't until the afternoon, just before classes ended, that he saw Carl standing at the classroom door. Only then did Naruto let out a heavy sigh of relief.
A little while later, when the final bell rang, Naruto grabbed his bag and bolted out of the classroom like a gust of wind, rushing straight toward Carl.
Carl couldn't help but feel a bit strange—why did this feel like a parent waiting to pick their child up after school?
Still, he didn't turn Naruto away. The two walked out of the school together, passing through the respectful and cautious gazes of the students.
On the way home, Naruto chattered nonstop about everything that had happened at school that day. He excitedly recounted how his classmates had reacted to him. Seeing the boy's flushed face, Carl couldn't help but smile inwardly—though it didn't show on his expressionless face.
Naruto also asked Carl what he'd done today. When he heard Carl had eaten at Ichiraku Ramen, he let out a loud, exaggerated gasp. Passersby on the street all turned to look. When they saw it was Naruto, their faces instinctively twisted into the same old disgusted expressions—but the heavy, oppressive presence from the shadow beside Naruto quickly forced them to avert their eyes and hurry away.
When they finally arrived home, Naruto pulled two cups of instant noodles from the fridge. Carl glanced at them, waved his hand casually, and a surge of darkness swallowed both cups whole.
Naruto stared blankly at the now-empty table, then finally croaked out,
"Carl, where'd the noodles go? That was our dinner…"
Carl replied flatly,
"Idiot. With the value you're showing now, there's no reason to eat this kind of junk anymore. Come with me."
He pushed the door open and stepped out. Naruto scrambled after him.
"Eh? Eh? Eh? Carl! Where are we going!?"
"Barbecue."
...
Carl had wandered through many parts of Konoha today and already knew where several barbecue places were. He headed to the closest one.
When they walked in, the owner froze at the sight of Carl's shadowy figure. Then Naruto stepped through the door, and the man's expression instantly darkened even further. In his eyes, Naruto's presence meant trouble for business.
Just as the owner opened his mouth, ready to shout at Naruto to leave, Carl spoke first.
"Bring out your most expensive and best cuts of meat."
Without waiting for a reply, Carl led Naruto to an empty table and sat down. Naruto nervously hunched his shoulders and whispered,
"Carl, I don't have any money…"
Carl crossed his arms and said calmly,
"Just eat. Don't worry about the money."
"Uh… Carl, you're not planning to dine and dash, are you?"
"I don't do things that low. You'll see after we eat."
The owner finally snapped out of his daze and frowned at the two of them. A waiter beside him whispered,
"Boss, should we… serve them?"
Carl, in his shadowy form, looked intimidating enough. The owner gritted his teeth and said,
"Tell the kitchen to prepare the food. I'll get the patrol. If they cause trouble or try to leave without paying, I'll make sure they regret it!"
He turned and rushed toward the door—only to bump straight into someone walking in.
The person was tall and broad-shouldered. The owner felt like he'd crashed into a wall. He looked up, about to apologize, then his eyes lit up with relief.
"Asuma-sama!"
Sarutobi Asuma took the cigarette from his mouth and glanced at the overly excited owner with mild confusion.
From behind him came a cool, mature woman's voice,
"What's going on?"
The owner craned his neck and saw Yūhi Kurenai. His face brightened even more. Two Jonin—one of them famous in the village. With them here, why bother calling the patrol?
To someone like the owner, Jonin were a rock-solid guarantee of safety.
Grabbing Asuma's hand, the owner pointed discreetly at Naruto and Carl.
"Asuma-sama, that Nine-Tails brat came to eat here, and the guy with him looks really suspicious. I'm worried they're going to cause trouble—I can't afford any damage to my little business!"
Hearing the words "Nine-Tails," Asuma froze for a moment, then quickly understood who the man was talking about. His gaze fell on Naruto, but there was no disgust on his face.
He was, after all, the Third Hokage's son. He knew the truth behind what happened back then, unlike the ordinary villagers who saw Naruto as nothing but a demon fox.
Seeing Naruto sitting there quietly, waiting for his meal, Asuma shook his head and said,
"Boss, anyone who comes in here is your customer. Don't assume the worst. I don't think he's here to cause trouble."
Kurenai smiled faintly at that and said to the stunned owner,
"Yeah, you're way too jumpy."
The owner didn't dare get upset after being teased by Kurenai. He could only laugh awkwardly and rub his hands together.
"You're right. With you two here, no one would dare make a scene anyway."
Asuma waved a hand, ordered a few dishes, and walked into the dining area with Kurenai. They ended up sitting not far from Carl and Naruto.
...
By now, Naruto was no longer stiff and nervous. He'd slipped into his usual chatterbox mode. Carl listened to Naruto babbling, veins forming on his forehead, and finally raised a hand to stop him.
"Enough. Save your energy for eating."
Naruto nodded eagerly. He'd never had the money to eat at a barbecue place like this before. And even if he had scraped it together, he'd never dared to step inside.
He wasn't sure how Carl planned to pay for the meal, but he trusted him completely. If Carl said there was a way, then there was a way. All Naruto needed to do was eat.
...
Asuma observed the two from a short distance away. Kurenai leaned in and whispered,
"Asuma, that shadow beside Uzumaki Naruto—so that's the shadow clone he created with Dark Release, huh? Its self-awareness really is strong."
Asuma nodded slightly.
"Not just that. Based on what we know, that shadow clone might be immune to most physical attacks. Dark Release is a Kekkei tōta we've never encountered before—there's still too much we don't understand about it. Naruto's importance to Konoha now goes far beyond just being a Jinchūriki."
Kurenai pursed her lips slightly.
"From what I've heard, the village hasn't treated him well all these years. Honestly, it's been awful. That kid's had a really hard life."
Asuma sighed. That much was obvious—from the barbecue shop owner's reaction alone.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg