You Were the Fastest Runner

Back at the wooden cabin,

Naruto placed the Nine-Tails on the sofa, then said to Sasuke, "Have a seat, Sasuke. I'm going to get some ingredients and make dinner."

"Want me to come with you?" Sasuke asked.

Since they were friends, they should naturally stick together through thick and thin. That was what Sasuke thought.

"No need. Just sit tight and wait for dinner. Look at you—you're in such poor shape. You were already panting after sparring with me for a little while. You should get some proper rest," Naruto said kindly.

Sasuke choked up. Wasn't it because this guy had no sense of restraint when he attacked?

Glancing at Naruto, who was still bare-chested, Sasuke coughed lightly and said, "Naruto, you should put on some clothes before going out."

Naruto like this was far too visually overwhelming. Sasuke was afraid that if he looked any longer, he would be dreaming tonight about Naruto's explosive physique.

"I forgot because you didn't mention it." Naruto laughed heartily, raised an arm to flex his biceps, then flexed his Pectoralis Major and asked, "How is it? Sexy, right?"

Sasuke: (angry)

After changing clothes, Naruto left the cabin to find some ingredients and properly entertain Sasuke. After all, Sasuke was the first friend he had made; he couldn't be too shabby about it.

Naruto hunched over, muffled his footsteps, pushed aside the weeds before him, and looked ahead.

A flock of goats was quietly grazing. Naruto looked over them one by one. Then, in the next instant, he stomped forward and shot into the herd.

"Baa baa baa..."

The goats immediately descended into chaos, fleeing in every direction.

Naruto fixed his eyes on one goat and chased after it. Before long, he grabbed it in his arms and scolded, "You were the fastest runner just now! And you were scared of me too. Am I really that scary?"

"Baa baa baa..." The Goat cried out desperately in Naruto's arms.

"Hmph, are you scared of me now or not?" Ignoring its bleating, Naruto picked it up, tucked it beneath his arm, and strode back toward the cabin.

"Baa baa baa... Why did I run so fast..." The Goat was completely despairing. Why had it run so fast just now?

After Naruto left, Sasuke sat kneeling on the tatami, looking a little bored. He glanced at the little orange fox lying on the sofa and suddenly felt an irresistible itch in his hands.

So cute. I really want to pet it.

Sasuke struggled internally. At the end of the day, he was still a child, and he had absolutely no resistance to such cute little animals.

Just one little touch!

Having made up his mind, Sasuke stood and carefully approached the Nine-Tails. Slowly, he extended his hand toward its head.

When his hand was only a few centimeters from the Nine-Tails, it suddenly sprang up, its fur standing on end. One forepaw smacked Sasuke's hand as it screeched, "Don't touch me!"

Sasuke: "..."

Nine-Tails: "..."

It could talk? Was it a Ninja Beast? Sasuke awkwardly left his hand hanging in midair as questions rose one after another in his mind.

The Nine-Tails, meanwhile, thought, What do I do? I actually spoke? Hmph, who told him to touch me? Naruto can pet me because he has people backing him up. What right does this brat have?!

Still, the Nine-Tails felt that it needed to salvage the situation.

With that thought, its bristling fur settled down. It stared at Sasuke with a pair of innocent vertical pupils and weakly whimpered, "Yip yip yip..."

Just then, the sound of a goat bleating came from outside. Sasuke went out to look and saw Naruto returning with a Goat tucked beneath his arm. He had already sharpened the knife and was preparing to slaughter it.

He even had to slaughter a goat himself?

For a moment, Sasuke did not know how to comfort Naruto. But then he remembered that Naruto had lived like this since childhood. He had always been strong. If Sasuke tried to comfort him, Naruto would only think Sasuke saw him as weak.

But no matter how strong someone was, strength was only a cocoon formed from weakness!

Hearing footsteps, Naruto turned around while tying his apron and said, "Sasuke, just rest inside. I'll handle everything."

"Don't worry!" Naruto confidently patted his chest.

"Um, Naruto, I can't eat that much. There's no need to slaughter an entire goat. Let's have fried eggs instead, Naruto," Sasuke suggested. Fried eggs were also wonderful food. His brother Itachi often made them for him.

They were super delicious!

"That won't do." Naruto shook his head in refusal. I'm afraid I'll be hungry.

As he spoke, Naruto began slaughtering the goat. Its bleating abruptly stopped. Next, Naruto boiled water and removed the hair. Soon, the Goat revealed a clean, pale body.

Judging by its expression, it had passed peacefully!

Sasuke walked over and watched Naruto skillfully chop the goat meat. In a low voice, he asked, "Naruto, that fox... is it a Ninja Beast?"

"A Ninja Beast? No, it's just an ordinary fox. One time, on my way home, I saw it by the roadside and thought it looked pitiful, so I brought it home and took care of it," Naruto explained.

"Really?" Sasuke did not quite believe him. "But... I heard it talk!"

"Talk? You must have been hallucinating. Yes, that must be it. Your face is injured, and you used too much Chakra while having that friendly spar with me, so you've developed a slight mental problem," Naruto analyzed seriously.

"I was hallucinating?" Sasuke was left dazed by Naruto's words and began doubting himself.

"By the way, does your face hurt?" Naruto changed the subject.

"Doesn't hurt!" What kind of man would admit to pain? Sasuke raised a hand and touched his face. "Hiss..."

Naruto: "..."

"Go rest inside. The food will be ready soon, so please wait a moment." Naruto persuaded the stubborn Sasuke back onto the tatami, poured him some tea, and then headed to the kitchen to get busy.

Once in the kitchen, Naruto muttered to himself, "Where are the eggs? I'll boil a few for Sasuke to soothe his face."

Naruto found the eggs, boiled them in hot water, then took them out and peeled the shells. He wrapped them in gauze, twisted it tight, and walked into the main room.

"Sasuke, I boiled some eggs to soothe your face." As he spoke, Naruto moved to press the eggs against Sasuke's face.

"I'll do it myself!" Sasuke rejected Naruto's kindness, took the eggs, and gently pressed them against his face again and again. The pain immediately eased somewhat.

"Then I'll go finish cooking first." Seeing that Sasuke could handle it himself, Naruto turned and returned to the kitchen.

Half an hour later...

"Dinner's ready."

Wearing an apron, Naruto carried a large steaming bowl of lamb soup to the dining table and called Sasuke over to sit down.

Then Naruto brought out the other dishes as well.

The table was packed with food. Sasuke only had to breathe lightly to smell the fragrance in the air.

Looking closely, it was practically a Whole Lamb Feast: braised lamb, lamb served in broth, lamb soup, Spicy Lamb Trotter, hand-shredded lamb... an overwhelming variety, all enticingly colored.

"Please enjoy, my friend Sasuke." Naruto untied his apron, sat kneeling opposite Sasuke, and gestured for him to begin.

"Th-then, I'll dig in."

Sasuke picked up his chopsticks and declared loudly.

Leave some spicy comments in this chapter, everyone, so I'll have material to draw from. Muah.