The First Friend

Uzumaki Naruto chattered on, introducing Ueno Kei to the general ins and outs of Konoha, such as the First and Second Hokage, the most fun places in the village, the best food, the Ninja Academy, and so on.

Basically, it was all stuff that Uzumaki Naruto himself found interesting.

Although these were all trivial matters, Ueno Kei listened with an expression of genuine interest. Naruto even enthusiastically recommended Ichiraku Ramen to him, and the two chatted without reservation, as if they were old friends of many years.

It wasn't until the sun had completely set and the streetlights in the park flickered to life that Naruto finally snapped back to reality.

He scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "Sorry, Kei-kun. I talked way too much without realizing it. It's so late, your parents must be worried. You should probably head back for dinner."

Ueno Kei paused, then shook his head and said calmly, "It's fine, Naruto. I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but I'm an orphan. My parents were killed by bandits, and I was rescued by the Third Hokage. It is thanks to his kindness that I am able to survive in Konoha."

His tone was extremely understated, as if he were describing something that had nothing to do with him.

Uzumaki Naruto was slightly stunned. He hadn't expected this beautiful boy with long purple hair to be all alone just like him, which made Naruto's perception of Ueno Kei shift slightly.

It could be described as a sense of kinship.

Uzumaki Naruto opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something. He wanted to find a topic to change the current atmosphere, but being clumsy, he didn't know what to say.

Ueno Kei waved his hand and said with a smile, "It is indeed getting late. Naruto, you've been talking about Ichiraku Ramen this whole time, so let's go have ramen for dinner tonight."

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

Afterward, the two boys walked side by side toward Ichiraku Ramen. Under the glow of the streetlights, their shadows stretched longer and longer, and they seemed to grow closer as well.

On an ordinary night in Konoha, two boys met and forged a unique bond.

Ever since that evening, Ueno Kei and Naruto became the closest of friends, often hanging out and eating together, and sometimes Naruto would even sleep over at Ueno Kei's house.

No one bothered with these two children, and no one warned Ueno Kei anymore. For his part, Ueno Kei stopped dwelling on Naruto's special status; to him, Naruto was his first friend in Konoha.

He was also his only friend at the moment. Because of this, although Ueno Kei did not suffer the same treatment as Naruto, people still looked at him with strange eyes.

However, it was limited to just looks. When he went shopping or walked down the street, the villagers didn't refuse to sell to him like they did with Naruto; they treated Ueno Kei like any other villager, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

Otherwise, at the very least, eating would have been a major problem. Even if those people's attitudes were a bit poor, it was enough that they were willing to sell him things.

As for Naruto, Ueno Kei was the most important person in his life. Seeing that Ueno Kei wasn't treated differently, Naruto finally set his anxious heart at ease.

Until one day, after Ueno Kei had finished breakfast at home, a knock came at the door. Ueno Kei looked at the door with confusion; since moving here, no one other than Naruto had ever visited. Even the Third Hokage, who had brought him back, had never come to see him once—though, of course, that was perfectly normal.

It was normal for a Hokage to show compassion and bring an orphan back to the village, but it would be abnormal for him to keep checking on that child, unless the child possessed astonishing status or talent.

At the very least, Ueno Kei had not yet displayed such aptitude.

When Naruto came to see him, he always pushed the door open and walked right in, so it couldn't be Naruto. That was why Ueno Kei felt curious.

Still, he walked toward the door without hesitation and pulled it open. Standing there was a middle-aged ninja wearing a flak jacket.

Having lived in Konoha for a while, Ueno Kei knew this was the standard uniform for ninjas of Chunin rank or higher.

Ueno Kei asked respectfully, "Is there something you need, Ninja-sama?"

The middle-aged man glanced at Ueno Kei indifferently and said, "Ueno Kei, you have turned six years old. According to Konoha's regulations, you are to attend the Ninja Academy. This is your certificate of enrollment. Report to the academy before eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

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

"Yes, I understand," Ueno Kei said.

The middle-aged man nodded curtly and left.

Ueno Kei gripped the certificate tightly, a flicker of fervor in his eyes. Finally, he could step into the world of ninjas. A few days ago, when Ueno Kei was wandering the village, he had been called away by a ninja for some kind of test. He later learned it was a ninja qualification test; not everyone could become a ninja, as only those capable of extracting chakra had the potential.

Although Ueno Kei knew he had passed the test when he left, it wasn't until he received the certificate today that the last of his doubts vanished. He knew that in this world, ninjas represented the pinnacle of power.

I must become a ninja! Ueno Kei decided inwardly.

"Kei? Why are you standing at the door like a daze?" Just as Ueno Kei was thinking about the academy tomorrow, a familiar voice rang in his ears.

Ueno Kei turned his head and, sure enough, it was his good friend, Uzumaki Naruto.

Ueno Kei smiled slightly and waved the certificate in his hand, signaling, "Someone just brought me my enrollment papers. I start learning at the Ninja Academy tomorrow."

As he said this, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. No matter who they were—even someone like Ueno Kei, who possessed the mind of an adult—learning that they could become a ninja (of course, entering the academy didn't mean becoming a ninja; only graduating did, but Ueno Kei didn't know that, and even if he did, he wouldn't care; he believed he could graduate) would naturally make them happy.

Uzumaki Naruto was no exception. He looked at the certificate in Ueno Kei's hand with envy.

A look of regret appeared on his face, and he pouted, "Hmph, I have to wait until next year to enroll. That's so long, another whole year."

Through their time together, Ueno Kei knew that Uzumaki Naruto was a little over a year younger than him and was only five. Konoha's regulations required children to be six to enroll. Of course, there were exceptions, but those were not worth mentioning.

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

Uzumaki Naruto squinted, enjoying the feeling of Ueno Kei patting his head. Just as Ueno Kei treated Naruto like a younger brother, Naruto treated Ueno Kei as both a friend and an older brother.

Afterward, the two went off to play together.

It wasn't until evening, after having dinner at Ueno Kei's house, that Uzumaki Naruto went home. Ueno Kei tidied up a bit and quietly went to sleep, waiting for tomorrow with a heart full of excitement.