Naruto Calls Him Big Brother; I Only Gave Him an Apple

"Who isn't?"

Sen's voice was light and airy, yet it landed like a heavy hammer on the tall boy's heart.

The tall boy's entire face twisted in pain.

He felt the bones in his wrist being crushed bit by bit.

"Sen... Boss Sen! I was wrong, I was wrong! Please spare me!"

The tall boy instantly caved, dropping to his knees with a thud as tears streamed down his face.

The two lackeys beside him were even more terrified. They fled at once, running faster than rabbits.

Sen snorted coldly and flung his hand away as if tossing out garbage.

"Get lost. If I catch you bullying him again, I'll hang you from a tree until graduation."

The tall boy felt as though he had been granted a pardon. He scrambled away in a panic.

Naruto crawled out of the sandpit and dusted the dirt off himself.

He looked at Sen, his azure eyes filled with little stars of admiration.

"Big Brother! You're amazing! That move just now was insanely cool!"

Naruto excitedly waved his little fists and circled around Sen.

Sen rolled his eyes, too lazy to bother with him, and walked straight out.

This kid really knew how to push his luck.

If not for the fact that Naruto could become free labor in the future, Sen would not have bothered with this nonsense.

The two walked out through the school gates, one after the other.

As soon as they turned the corner onto a shopping street, a burst of noisy shouting and cursing reached them.

"Scram, scram, scram! You monster! Don't stand in front of my shop and get in the way!"

"What terrible luck! Get out of here already, don't affect my business!"

Sen stopped and peeked over.

Several shop owners were holding brooms and washbasins, viciously chasing someone away.

Before them stood a small, stubborn figure.

It was Naruto.

He was filthy from head to toe, and his orange jacket was still smeared with mud from the sandpit.

His stomach let out a protesting growl, unusually clear amid the noisy street corner.

His fists were tightly clenched. Though his azure eyes brimmed with tears of grievance, he still glared at the shop owners without retreating a single step.

"I'm not a monster! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

He shouted back, though his voice trembled slightly from hunger and hurt.

"One day, I'll make every one of you acknowledge me!"

"Shut up and get lost!"

The owner of a ramen shop waved his hand in disgust, splashing a basin of dirty water directly at Naruto.

Naruto could not dodge in time and was drenched on one side, looking even more miserable.

He bit his lip, lowered his head, and silently turned around, preparing to leave this place that had humiliated him so deeply.

Sen stood at the mouth of the alley, frowning slightly as he watched.

He found the hatred Konoha Village's residents had been manipulated into feeling utterly laughable and tiresome.

But what annoyed him even more was Naruto's noisy voice.

"What a troublemaker."

Sen sighed. The good mood he had woken up with had been completely ruined by this kid.

He reached into his ninja tool pouch and rummaged around.

He pulled out the mutated red apple he had casually grown at the training ground yesterday.

Though the apple had been left overnight, it remained red and plump due to the Divine Tree chakra inside it, giving off an enticing fragrance.

"Hey! Blondie!"

Sen called out impatiently.

Naruto stopped and turned around in confusion.

Whoosh!

A red afterimage traced a perfect arc through the air.

With a smack, it struck Naruto squarely on the forehead.

"Ow!"

Naruto clutched his head, just about to lose his temper.

Then he saw the large, red apple on the ground.

"Eat it. Once you're done, shut up already. You're making too much noise."

Sen leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets, his tone extremely perfunctory.

Naruto froze.

He looked at the apple on the ground, then at Sen standing in the shadows.

In this village, aside from Grandpa Third and Uncle Ichiraku, no one had ever voluntarily given him food.

Even if it was only an apple.

Naruto swallowed and carefully picked up the apple.

There was no poison, no drugging. There was only an incredibly pleasant fruity scent.

He could no longer hold back. Opening his mouth, he took a huge bite.

Crunch!

A crisp chewing sound rang out.

The flesh melted in his mouth, and intensely sweet juice instantly flooded his entire mouth.

Even more unbelievable was what happened next.

As the apple went down his throat, a warm current instantly spread throughout his body.

His body, which had been trembling slightly from hunger and cold, was suddenly filled with strength.

Even his clothes, soaked by the dirty water, no longer felt so cold.

That sweetness, brimming with vitality, not only filled his stomach but seemed to fill the lonely heart he had always carried.

Naruto wolfed down the apple, but huge tears fell from his eyes in heavy drops.

"It's good... It's so good..."

He mumbled indistinctly as he cried.

In less than a minute, the apple, larger than his fist, had been reduced to nothing but a core.

Naruto wiped his tears and snot carelessly with his sleeve.

Then, like a tiny cannonball, he suddenly charged at Sen.

"Damn it! What are you doing?!"

Sen jumped in surprise and was about to dodge.

But Naruto had already slid forward, dropping with a thud and clinging tightly to his leg!

"Big Brother!"

Naruto looked up, an incomparably bright and dazzling smile blooming across his mud- and tear-streaked face.

"You're amazing! Even your apples taste this good!"

He hugged Sen's leg tightly, his voice loud enough to carry across the whole street.

"From today on, you're my real big brother! No one gets to steal you from me!"

Sen looked down at the extra "blond accessory" hanging from his leg.

He felt his temples throbbing.

Did this kid have some kind of masochistic tendency?

He called him big brother over an apple. If Sen treated him to barbecue, would he sell his life to him?

"Let go! Your clothes are covered in mud! If you get me dirty, I'll have to wash them!"

Sen disgustedly tried to pry Naruto's hands away, but the kid was surprisingly strong and refused to let go.

"No! Not unless you agree to take me in, Big Brother!"

Naruto clung to Sen's leg like a koala, shamelessly refusing to budge.

Sen covered his face in anguish.

He deeply regretted tossing that apple just now.

Now, not only had he failed to get some peace and quiet, he had attracted an even bigger problem.

This was the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, a born troublemaker!

"Fine, fine! I agree! Let go of me first!"

Unable to get rid of him, Sen could only compromise helplessly.

"Yeah! Long live Big Brother!"

Naruto cheered and finally released him, springing up from the ground.

He patted his chest, looking proud.

"Big Brother, from now on, I'm your number one underling at school! Whoever dares to bully you, I'll beat them flying!"

Sen rolled his eyes. Who would bully whom is still uncertain.

He sighed and resigned himself to walking forward.

"Come on, number one underling. Lead the way to barbecue. My treat."

Since he had accepted an underling, he could just think of him as a pet.

Besides, the kid could eat and work. All the errands for groceries and such would be his from now on.

"Wow! Big Brother, you're the best! I want ten platters!"

Naruto leaped three feet into the air in excitement and happily led the way.

The two headed toward Barbecue Q, one behind the other.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, long behind them.

Just as they were about to reach the barbecue restaurant.

A cold voice suddenly came from behind them.

"Hey, dead last. And you, the guy who only knows how to throw apples."

Sen and Naruto stopped at the same time and turned around.

A black-haired boy in a dark blue short-sleeved high-collared shirt stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking at them with an extremely aloof gaze.

Sasuke Uchiha.

He looked at Sen, intense fighting spirit burning in his eyes.

"Tomorrow in practical combat class, I challenge you."