"You scared people away."
I shot Itachi a look of pure disappointment, completely ignoring the fact that I had just framed him for my unpaid tab.
Itachi, being Itachi, didn't even dignify me with a response. He just kept walking, radiating that cool, untouchable aura of his.
"How do you expect to make friends with that stone-cold attitude?" I continued, shaking my head. "Not all of us can be naturally charming like me. Just earlier, the shopkeeper next door was begging to know my name."
I wasn't exaggerating. Well, maybe a little. But details.
I was about to continue my verbal assault when something caught my eye.
Or rather, someone.
"Demon fox! Stay away from our store!"
"Take your bad luck somewhere else!"
A chorus of angry voices rang out as a small figure was shoved out of a shop.
A blond kid, no older than four, stumbled into the street, his wide blue eyes darting around as the surrounding villagers scattered like cockroaches when the lights turn on.
In their panic, someone lost grip of a mask, and it went soaring straight for the kid's face.
"Well, that's just rude," I muttered.
With a flick of my wrist, I snatched the mask midair, spun it around my fingers for dramatic effect, and tucked it under my arm like some sort of mask-collecting connoisseur.
The remaining villagers, who hadn't run for the hills yet, froze.
"Don't get near him!" someone whispered harshly.
"That kid's cursed. Misfortune follows him!"
"And that other one—he's Uchiha!"
"Uchiha?!" The tension in the air skyrocketed as they put two and two together.
People really do love to talk out of their asses.
Ding! [Play Points +100!]
Nice. Apparently, standing dramatically in front of Naruto earns me points.
"Big brother…?" The blond kid blinked up at me, hesitant but curious.
I crouched down to his level, still twirling the mask between my fingers. "You got a name, little guy?"
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" he declared, chest puffed out.
I grinned. "Nice. Naruto, huh? Sounds like someone destined to make waves in the future."
"Really?!" His eyes practically sparkled. "Of course! I'm gonna be Hokage, believe it!"
Oh man. He really says it.
"Future Hokage, huh? Well, even heroes need to eat. Wanna get some ramen?"
Naruto's excitement was instant. "For real?!"
I draped an arm around his tiny shoulders and pointed to Itachi. "Yup. He's paying."
Itachi sighed, but he didn't argue. Good man.
---
"That… was the best ramen ever!" Naruto declared, slamming his empty bowl down like a warrior victorious in battle.
Teuchi, the ramen shop owner, chuckled. "Glad to hear it, kid. You should come by for the upcoming ramen-eating contest."
Naruto's eyes widened. "A ramen contest?! I'm in!"
He turned to me, practically bouncing in his seat. "Big bro, you coming too?!"
"Hmm… sounds fun." I gestured toward Itachi. "Yeah, we'll both join."
"Stop making decisions for me," Itachi muttered, but at this point, he knew resistance was futile.
"See? He agreed," I told Naruto, who nodded enthusiastically.
I knew he didn't actually agree. But Naruto didn't need to know that.
---
As we left the shop, I stretched, feeling full and content.
"Today was a mixed bag. Didn't get to see Itachi in a dress, scared away a potential admirer, and met a bunch of people who really need to mind their own business," I mused. "But at least I got good ramen out of it."
"Stop causing trouble," Itachi said, though he sounded more tired than angry.
"Me? Trouble? That's just slander."
Then, after a pause, I asked, "What do you think about what happened earlier?"
Itachi was quiet for a moment. Then, with that classic, broody Uchiha tone, he replied:
"As long as people live by their own knowledge and cognition, they are bound by it. That is reality. But knowledge and cognition are blurry things. Reality may just be the moon's reflection on water."
I whistled. "So, basically, people are stuck in their own little worlds, huh?"
"Yes."
"Huh. Well, I think people are just like rotten oranges."
Itachi glanced at me. "Rotten… oranges?"
"Yup. You ever see a pile of oranges? One starts rotting, and soon the others start stinking too. People spread their rotten ideas just the same way."
"…That's an interesting way to put it," Itachi admitted.
I bit down on my lollipop, letting the sugar melt in my mouth. "Tch. People are dumb."
Itachi sighed. "You're not wrong."
And just like that, we continued walking, two Uchihas against the world.
---
(A/N: Don't Forget To Add In Your Collection And Support via Powerstone)