Awakening, Ichiraku Ramen

"Hmm?"

A Luo woke from his sleep and looked at the dozen or so people in the room, his face full of confusion and curiosity.

He had slept until the evening of the next day. Besides Naruto, the advisors, and the others in his hospital room, there were also several doctors and nurses.

And there was a young boy leaning against his bedside, staring at him intently with a pair of catlike eyes.

"A Luo..."

Sasuke Uchiha had woken up a little earlier. After waking, he had been in pain, enraged, and filled with hatred...

All sorts of emotions had nearly driven him to collapse. Yet just when he thought he had lost everything, he suddenly heard that his younger brother was still alive.

He cast aside every other emotion, shoved past the nurses trying to stop him, and ran next door, where he saw A Luo still asleep.

His younger brother. When he had been very young, his bro... that man had told him that this was the younger brother they needed to protect...

Now, their father and mother were gone. That man had destroyed everything he once had...

"Sasuke? Sasuke, have you seen Father and Mother? They were taking me away, but I got separated from them halfway there. I can't find them..."

A Luo felt no anger or resentment. Under the gaze of so many people, he merely leaned against Sasuke's shoulder and cried in grievance.

As a child who had never left the small courtyard by the age of eight, who had hardly ever seen outsiders and had only spoken with family, there was nothing wrong with being a little weak.

Besides, it was the easiest approach for him.

As for pride...

A Luo figured that he had long since synchronized with the system. If he could cultivate while lying down, he would never stand up. A "sickly kid" was always more comfortable than a diligent youth.

"They've left. From now on, your brother will take care of you, A Luo. Your brother will definitely take good care of you!"

Sasuke wanted to cry too. Father and Mother were gone. Everything was gone...

But he knew he could not cry now. He needed to suppress his emotions and carefully coax his younger brother not to cry.

While waiting for A Luo to wake up, he had heard the doctor report to Naruto that A Luo had suffered severe mental trauma before this. Not only was his body weak now, but his mind could not withstand any more stimulation.

That information made Sasuke think of himself, of how he had been tortured in that genjutsu space. He had already assumed that A Luo had suffered the same thing he had.

"Mm..."

A Luo nodded obediently. Leaning against Sasuke's shoulder, tears still slipped from his closed eyes.

This would do.

At least for now, he still had one relative in this world.

As for Sasuke's future...

Since they were family, he could not simply leave him alone. But that was only if he could feel familial affection from him.

Having been alone for hundreds of years, he could not selflessly devote himself just because of some nominal relationship. But if someone could let him experience warmth, he was willing to respond in kind.

He had long stopped taking the initiative to give. Since a long time ago, he had always looked at the returns first before deciding how much to invest...

As for the result of doing that—he would almost never gain anything...

That was fine too. If he gave nothing first, then it was only natural that he received nothing.

If there was something, he would be happy. If there was nothing, that was normal. At least he would not lose out...

"Doctor, A Luo has fallen asleep again!"

Sasuke held him for a while, but when he heard no response from A Luo, he did not know what to say either.

He had just wanted to ask whether A Luo was hungry, but when he let go and looked, why had he fallen asleep again...

He anxiously called the doctor over for an examination. Only after confirming there was no danger, and that A Luo merely needed more rest due to sorrow and exhaustion, did he finally feel a little relieved.

"Sasuke, what are your thoughts regarding you and your brother?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi beckoned Sasuke out and asked for his opinion in the corridor.

After seeing how the brothers interacted, Hiruzen Sarutobi was in quite a good mood. Sasuke's concern for his younger brother in particular made him feel that the plan had basically succeeded.

Such a wonderful brotherly bond had to be properly nurtured from now on.

"Once A Luo recovers a little, we'll go home. I can take good care of him."

Sasuke leaned against the wall, his gaze still fixed on the door to the hospital room. His last remaining family was inside.

As for Konoha...

He did not trust it.

Even that person had turned his blade against them. Now, he would not trust anyone other than his younger brother.

"You still need to attend school. How will you take care of him while you're in class?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned in hesitation, then raised a very practical question.

Sasuke was only eight years old. He did not have much fighting ability. Going to school, graduating successfully, and becoming a ninja was the path he needed to take.

So how would he balance his studies and caring for his younger brother? Which side should he prioritize?

He wanted to see this child's attitude. If Sasuke could not maintain a stable balance, he could arrange for a ninja to provide "care" at all times.

"Lord Naruto, I hope to bring A Luo to school with me. He's usually very well-behaved. Just give him a place to play by himself, or let him sleep."

Sasuke raised his head and looked seriously at the Third Hokage.

He could not give up on becoming stronger, but he absolutely would not abandon his younger brother, much less let another family adopt them.

"Sigh... I'll have the school make arrangements when I return. Your brother's physical and mental condition is not very good, so don't tell him too much about certain things."

Hiruzen Sarutobi wore the expression of a kindly old man. His tone was mournful and sympathetic, filled with compassion...

After agreeing to Sasuke's request, he walked out of the hospital with heavy steps.

What an actor. An old master of acting!

A Luo lay in the hospital bed, inwardly mocking Hiruzen Sarutobi for being such a convincing performer.

Still, he had not expected Sasuke to ask to bring him to school. That forced him to alter his original plan of lazing around at home.

School and all that—although he could find a place to sleep the moment he arrived, it was still different from staying at home.

But after thinking it over carefully, it seemed that he really did need to stay by Sasuke's side. Otherwise, Itachi Uchiha might return at any time and kill him.

He had not forgotten that although Itachi Uchiha had taken good care of him since childhood, he had also firmly believed that A Luo should die, because his existence would hold Sasuke back.

And his cultivation had only just begun. In the short term, he could only repair his body. For a long time to come, he would not have the strength to deal with Itachi Uchiha with ease.

"A Luo, get up and eat."

Less than an hour after falling asleep, Sasuke came to wake A Luo for dinner.

"Sasuke, what are we eating?"

A Luo woke up and opened his bleary eyes. Seeing Sasuke's worried face, he did not continue acting sad.

His gaze shifted to the bedside table. That packaging... was it Ichiraku Ramen?

Was it really alright for a patient to eat Ichiraku Ramen?

But aside from Ichiraku Ramen, there did not seem to be any other food, because no one would cook for the two brothers.

"I went and bought ramen. The owner made it separately and didn't add anything you can't eat. Eat a little first. You still need another examination later. Once they confirm there's no problem, we'll go home..."

Sasuke was not someone who talked much, but now that he needed to care for his younger brother, the words came naturally.

As he spoke, he carefully helped A Luo sit up against the pillow, then brought the ramen over and placed it before him.

Earlier, he had gone to ask the doctor and memorized everything he needed to watch out for.

When the owner of Ichiraku Ramen heard that he was bringing food back for his sick younger brother, he first asked what A Luo could eat before making it...

Though they were the same age, and though he should have been sad and miserable now, having his younger brother here gave Sasuke a sense of responsibility as an older brother.

He would be a good older brother. He would bear all the hatred himself. He would not let hatred blind him, because he first had to ensure his younger brother's safety...

The identity of an older brother had made him grow up greatly overnight.

"Sasuke, have you eaten?"

A Luo lowered his head and sniffed. The ramen smelled very mild. Without all the usual toppings, there were only noodles and the faint fragrance of chicken broth.

Tilting his head, he looked at Sasuke. He had not eaten anything since last night either...

"I'll eat while you're having your examination later."

Sasuke looked into A Luo's eyes and carefully held the bowl, letting him eat first.

"Mm..."

A Luo did not stand on ceremony. He ate about a third of it.

"I'm full. If I eat any more, I'll feel sick. Sasuke, help me finish it."

He stopped eating once he no longer felt hungry after a few bites and pushed the bowl toward Sasuke.

As for how his body was so weak that he could only eat a little at a time, he might as well let everyone see it. The weaker he appeared, the more at ease those people would be.

"Okay."

Sasuke looked at his frail younger brother and knew that A Luo had always eaten very little.

He had not had much appetite to begin with, but now, seeing A Luo's expectant gaze, he lowered his head and quickly finished the ramen.

After eating, it was time for the examinations.

The doctors wheeled him away for one test after another. Once they were done, Luo Uchiha—weak and sickly, but without any major complications—was released from the hospital.