Naruto: The Great Virtue

After my refreshing shower, which removed the sweat that made my body sticky, I changed into new clothes and headed to where our daily meals would be served. As I walked through the corridors, I noticed some children who shared the same goal as mine. However, my attention was drawn to a peculiar group of boys gathered near the meal distribution area. Although my reputation often preceded me as a loner, some bolder kids still tried to approach me and invite me to their activities. When I looked at this group, I recognized some prominent figures.

I walked a bit further and finally became the center of their attention. A boy of medium height, with a childish smile, stood out from the rest and blocked my path to the dining hall entrance.

"Good morning, Kenshi, we meet again," he said with a smile, but honestly, I wasn't eager to see him again. For some reason, this boy didn't inspire confidence in me.

"Good morning..." I replied, while trying to remember his name. After a few seconds of contemplation, I finally recalled: "Sota." This response elicited laughter from some of the other boys, leaving Sota visibly annoyed.

"It's not Sota, it's Kota. Please remember my name. I will be the future Hokage," he said somewhat awkwardly.

"Understood. See you later, Sota. I'm hungry; I spent the morning training. I hope you reach your goals, Sota," I said stoically, quickly walking past them to rid myself of his presence.

"Maybe next time, Sota. I'm busy today," I concluded as I moved away. 'Come to think of it, his name was Kota... Anyway, who cares?' I thought.

Shortly after entering the dining hall, I observed a series of long wooden tables arranged to accommodate as many children as possible. I walked slowly toward a table with fewer children and took my seat. I waited until one of the orphanage caretakers approached me to hand over my breakfast, which consisted of a balanced diet of fruit, bread, and milk.

With a friendly smile for the caretaker, I tried to flatter her: "Thank you very much, Miss Hana. The bread and fruits smell almost as good as you." Even after uttering these cheap and cheeky words, she gave me an affectionate and sweet look before continuing to distribute meals to the other children, who watched with envy the superiority of my plate.

Unconcerned about the opinions of the other children, I began to eat, replenishing my energy for the next training session. While I ate, oblivious to what was happening around me, I sensed a clear disturbance as the aura of someone peculiar approached. Looking toward the dining hall's entrance, I could tell that something familiar was about to happen. "It looks like Sota won't let the fox boy get away again..." I thought, anticipating a scene I had witnessed before.

"Please let me through. I'm starving... I haven't eaten in two days," said the blond-haired boy, looking battered and malnourished. Although I didn't agree with the bullying directed at him, I knew I couldn't do much to help. It was common knowledge that, regardless of who assisted him, they would be banished to ostracism. So, I preferred to keep up appearances, at least until the harassment reached an extreme point, at which I would decide to help the fox boy anonymously.

Watching the events unfold, I noticed some boys preparing to harass him, closing the escape routes for the blond boy. Quickly, I grabbed some untouched food and stored it in my pocket, heading to the center of the event.

"Hold the demon fox," Sota ordered his cronies, causing two boys who were behind the blond-haired boy to rush and hold him, not giving him a chance to escape.

"No, please, I didn't do anything," the blond-haired boy began to cry weakly, held tightly by Sota's henchmen.

"It's a pity this isn't the first time I've witnessed this pitiful scene," I thought, tired of seeing this situation repeat itself day after day.

"Destroy the demon fox!" one orphan yelled, encouraging others to join in, filling the air with shouts and curses.

"Screw this," I thought, making a quick decision as I saw Sota about to throw a punch at the blond boy. With all my speed, I blinked into position and firmly held Sota's fist, which caused other orphans to look at me with judgmental eyes.

"Let me go!" Sota yelled, and with a swift move, I released him, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Silence, you idiots. All this commotion has ruined my appetite," I said, raising my voice to appear authoritative.

"I'm tired of this," I muttered, turning to Sota's cronies who were still holding the blond-haired boy. "Let go of the demon boy," I said, maintaining the same tone in my voice.

The two boys hesitated but, under my pressure, finally relented, stepping away from me and the still crying boy.

"Why are you helping this demon? He killed our parents," Sota asked, anger in his eyes.

"Shut up, Sota. Don't talk nonsense; a demon would never be this weak," I retorted, leaving Sota even more annoyed.

"My name is not Sota; it's Kota!" Sota yelled, angrily.

I spun lightly, performed an acrobatic move, and kicked Sota toward one of his cronies, who softened his fall. "Sota, Kota, who cares?" I said, still watching Sota or Kota on the ground.

"Everyone hates you here. I suggest you run away," I openly told the blond boy, who was in shock.

"But I have nowhere to go," the blond boy responded sadly.

"Is there anywhere worse than this place outside?" I asked, making him ponder for a moment.

"Not that I care about you or anything, but if you want some advice, head to a place away from people, near water, like a river, where you can fish and drink," I said, handing over the food I had stored in my pockets for him so he'd have something to eat later in his old utility room.

After handing over the food, I pressed him, "What are you waiting for to leave?" I saw the boy run toward the orphanage's exit, bumping into some other children who were watching the show. I thought, "There, problem solved. I hope he manages just fine. After all, anywhere he goes must be better than this orphanage."

Turning my attention back to Sota, with an irritated expression, I asked, "Do you have anything to say, Sota?"

Frustrated, Sota replied, "You won't get away, Kenshi."

"I'd like to see you try, Sota," I taunted.

Seeing Sota give up on responding, still frustrated, he got up and quickly disappeared from my view, followed by his cronies.

Still surrounded by several orphans who were watching me, I decided to speak again, "You can disperse, folks. The show's over!" This made many of the orphans who surrounded me go on their way.

"Wow, that was so tiring. I'm starting to hate kids more and more with each day I spend in this orphanage," I thought, bidding farewell to the place as I left to relax a bit and take a nap before continuing my training.