His First Friend

Naruto Uzumaki rambled on, telling Ueno Kei all sorts of things about Konoha: the First and Second Hokage, the most fun places in the village, the best food, the Ninja Academy, and so on.

Most of it was stuff Naruto himself was interested in.

Though these were all trivial matters, Ueno Kei listened with keen interest. Naruto even enthusiastically recommended Ichiraku Ramen to him. The two chatted as if they had been friends for years, with no awkwardness between them.

They stayed until the sun had completely set and the park's streetlamps came on.

Only then did Naruto come to his senses. He scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Sorry, Kei. I got carried away talking and didn't realize how late it was. Your parents must be worried. You should probably head home for dinner."

Ueno Kei paused, then shook his head and replied calmly, "It's okay, Naruto. I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but I'm an orphan too. My parents were killed by bandits, and Lord Third brought me back here. I'm grateful to him for saving me. Thanks to his kindness, I've been able to survive in Konoha."

His tone was utterly casual, as though he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

Naruto was taken aback. He hadn't expected the handsome, purple-haired boy in front of him to be all alone, just like him. It changed the way he felt about Ueno Kei.

Maybe it was because they were alike.

Naruto opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something. He tried to think of a way to change the mood, but he was too clumsy to know what to say.

Ueno Kei waved a hand and smiled. "It is getting late. Naruto, you've been talking about Ichiraku Ramen all evening, so why don't we go there for dinner tonight?"

Naruto glanced at Ueno Kei, then nodded emphatically. "Yeah!"

The two boys walked side by side toward Ichiraku Ramen. Under the streetlamps, their shadows stretched longer and longer, while the two of them seemed to grow closer.

On an ordinary evening in Konoha, two boys had met and forged an unusual bond.

From that evening on, Ueno Kei and Naruto became close friends. They often spent time together, playing and eating, and sometimes Naruto even stayed over at Ueno Kei's house.

No one came to interfere with the boys, and no one warned Ueno Kei again. Ueno Kei, for his part, stopped investigating Naruto's unusual circumstances. To him, Naruto was his first friend in Konoha.

And his only friend so far. Because of that, although Ueno Kei wasn't treated the same way as Naruto, people still looked at him strangely.

But it never went beyond their stares. When Ueno Kei went shopping or walked around the village, people treated him like any other villager instead of refusing to sell him things as they did with Naruto. Ueno Kei couldn't help but feel relieved.

Otherwise, even getting a meal would have been a major problem. The people weren't very friendly, but as long as they were willing to sell him things, that was enough.

To Naruto, Ueno Kei was the most important person in the world. Once he saw that Ueno Kei wasn't being treated strangely, Naruto finally let out the breath he'd been holding.

Then one day, after Ueno Kei had finished breakfast at home,

someone knocked at the door. Ueno Kei glanced at it in confusion. Since moving here, no one but Naruto had ever come to visit him. Even the Third Hokage, who had brought him back, had never once checked in on him. Of course, that was only natural.

It was normal for a Hokage to take pity on an orphan and bring him back to the village. It would be strange for him to keep checking on the child, unless that child had an extraordinary background or talent.

At least for now, Ueno Kei had shown no such promise.

And when Naruto came to see him, he always walked right in without knocking. So it couldn't be Naruto, which was why Ueno Kei was curious.

Still, he didn't hesitate. He went straight to the door and opened it to find a middle-aged ninja wearing a flak jacket.

Ueno Kei had been in Konoha for a while now, so he knew that this was the standard uniform worn by Chunin and above.

He immediately asked respectfully, "Is something the matter, sir?"

The middle-aged man glanced at Ueno Kei and said flatly, "Ueno Kei, you've turned six. According to Konoha's regulations, you're supposed to attend the Ninja Academy. Here's your enrollment letter. The Academy opens tomorrow. Be there by eight o'clock to register."

As he spoke, he handed over a document. Ueno Kei accepted it with both hands.

"Understood," Ueno Kei replied.

The middle-aged man gave a slight nod, then left.

Ueno Kei gripped the enrollment letter tightly, excitement flickering in his eyes. At last, he could finally step into the world of ninjas. Just a few days earlier, while wandering around the village,

a ninja had called him in for some kind of test. Ueno Kei later learned it was an aptitude test for becoming a ninja. Not everyone could become a ninja; only those capable of extracting chakra had a chance.

Before he left, Ueno Kei had learned that he'd passed the test.

But it wasn't until he received the letter today that the last of his doubts faded. He knew that in this world, ninjas represented the highest level of power.

I have to become a ninja! Ueno Kei silently made up his mind.

"Kei? Why are you standing there like a statue?" A familiar voice suddenly sounded beside him as he was still thinking about going to the Academy tomorrow.

Ueno Kei turned around and, sure enough, saw his friend, Naruto Uzumaki.

He smiled and waved the letter to show him. "Someone just brought me my enrollment letter. I start at the Ninja Academy tomorrow."

As he spoke, a smile crept onto Ueno Kei's lips. Anyone would have been happy to learn they could become a ninja—even Ueno Kei, despite his adult mind. Of course, enrolling didn't mean he was guaranteed to become one; only those who graduated successfully could. But Ueno Kei didn't know that. And even if he had, he wouldn't have worried. He believed he could graduate.

Naruto looked at the letter in Ueno Kei's hand with envy.

A trace of disappointment showed on his face. Pouting, he said, "Hmph, I can't enroll until next year. That's so far away. I have to wait a whole year."

After spending so much time together, Ueno Kei knew Naruto was a little over a year younger than him. He was only five, and Konoha's rules required children to be six before they could enroll. There were exceptions, of course, but those were another matter.

Looking at Naruto's expression, Ueno Kei patted his head as usual. "Next year. I'll be waiting for you at the Academy."

Naruto closed his eyes and savored the feeling of Ueno Kei stroking his head. Ueno Kei treated him like a little brother, and Naruto saw Ueno Kei as both a friend and an older brother.

After that, the two went off to play together.

Naruto stayed for dinner at Ueno Kei's house, then went home that evening. Ueno Kei tidied up a little before quietly going to bed, excitedly awaiting the next day.