Chapter Thirteen: Friends? Maybe.

"Ramen is The Best Pleasure," Raio mumbled, reading the ink kanji on the tarps hanging from the restaurant's overhanging roof. It seemed like this was supposed to be the door– Naruto breezed by, going straight through. "This is where you were talking about, right?"

"Yeah– come on!"

Through the swaying fabric, he could see Naruto sitting down at the counter inside. Raio glanced over his shoulder. There were some stray looks, sure, and it wasn't helping that he was still in his ratty tank top and shorts. With a huff, he ducked under the hanging sheets.

A married couple and their son sat between them and were the only other people in the small establishment. Naruto sat in the seat furthest from them. Quietly, Raio slid into the spot next to him. Though the barstools weren't very comfortable, he found himself not caring. He's had worse. Besides, at least they had cushions.

Whoever was working wasn't present. The clicking of utensils against each other, the sound of hissing gas and sizzling meat. Oh, the meat. Pork? Barbequed pork. Raio's stomach twisted in a growl, and he put his chin on the counter. Concentrate. Focus. Discreet, he dug his rounded nails into his palms until his knuckles strained white. He had to hold his breath too. Just to preoccupy himself.

Maybe he should've clocked it earlier, but he wasn't expecting to wait to get his food. The family next to them looked like they'd been sitting here longer from the drinks in front of them, and the discarded paper straw sleeves the kid twisted into bits.

Raio's gaze slid back to Naruto. He was staring at the family, too. Though not of concern or any agitation; distinctly, his blue eyes were glossed through forlorn lenses.

He thought about it. Just for a minute. Karin hadn't mentioned any family members, and Naruto was his roommate in what was government housing. Raio perked up, his eyes wide. Desperation and hope thickened his words and dripped like honey.

"Hey Naruto," Raio breathed out, grabbing his attention. "Were you made in a test tube, too?"

"What?" The blond stared at him, incredulous.

That wasn't it. He deflated, putting his chin back on the counter. "Oh, nothing. Sorry."

The odd question (Raio didn't think it was that odd, but he digressed) drew the attention of the father on their right. His brows scrunched together in a concentrated, hateful look. What was his deal? His gaze lingered longer on Naruto than on himself. Surely they didn't know each other-- Naruto hadn't said anything when they came in.

Raio glanced back at his companion. Naruto was distinctly looking away, his elbow on the counter so that his cheek was pressed in the palm of his hand. Why did he look so miserable?

Okay. Something unspoken was happening here.

"Why's that guy staring at you?" Instead of beating around the bush, Raio asked outright. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at the father, who went back to chatting with his family. He couldn't imagine anyone being scared of this puny blond boy with whiskers. Naruto was harmless! Maybe to a nauseating degree.

Naruto lowered his head. Sore topic. In a sharp inhale, he jerked his head to Raio. The same sharp-toothed grin was on his face. "He's probably just thinking of the time I defaced Hokage Rock. Haha!"

Okay… Raio nodded. What a bald-faced lie.

"When is Teuchi gonna get up here already?" Naruto stood up on the balls of his feet and leaned over the counter. "Teuchi? Hey!"

Summoned from the depths of the kitchen, an older man came from the back. Three bowls were balanced between his forearms and rough hands. Calloused from heat, Raio thought. The makings of a true cook. A cloth turn-up chef's hat sat on his head, going with his attire of a white uniform. The apron around his waist was tied in a knot, a splotch of blue to the white monotony.

"Naruto!" He boomed, his voice a friendly baritone. Raio warily noted the crow's feet and laugh lines on the man's face. Teuchi, it seemed, put the three bowls in front of the family with the smallest going to the son. Then he turned to face him and the blond. "You brought a friend, did you?"

Almost noticeably, Naruto stiffened. His breath caught in his throat. He was quick to pick up a shield, an excuse, near anything, and opened his mouth to pass it off–

"Mhm," Raio nodded. He didn't know how much longer he could wait. "I'm his friend. Raio. I moved in next to him today."

"I see," Teuchi nodded, an easygoing smile put on his lips. "The usual, then?"

"Y- yeah," Naruto stammered. He sat back down and grabbed a pair of wrapped chopsticks from a metal holder in front of them. Mindlessly he tore at the paper. Then turning his head, he owlishly looked at Raio. "He'll have the same!"

Raio adequately sat up, his posture straightening. Food? Please, whatever benevolent deity was out there, let Teuchi cook quickly. "Could I have a drink, too?"

Teuchi looked over, halfway through the door to the kitchen. "We have a brown sugar tapioca tea, flavored soy milk, Calpis, Ramune… What would you like?"

He looked at the old chef, a little flabbergasted at the odd variety of options. How was he supposed to know what any of that was? Helpless, his eyes darted to Naruto.

"Get the melon Ramune," He whispered in a way that grated on Raio's ears.

"The melon Ramune."

"Alright, I'll be back with it in a moment." Tuchi disappeared through the doorframe.

Lightly shaking his head in mild disbelief, Raio turned his sharp eyes back to his companion. Naruto was staring at him a little blankly, but expectant of something he couldn't place.

"What?" Raio raised his brows at him. Oh, he knew what this was. When Naruto was so hesitant when Teuchi asked if they were friends, and how he was so off-guard when he said yes. Now that he thought about it– Raio had been a little rash in answering, had he?

He and Naruto just met. Not even an hour ago, Raio was staving off an irresistible urge to eat the kid alive. Slowly, he breathed out. His nails went deeper into his palms. At this point, he'd need to get himself another muzzle or something.

Ugh. The idea was sickening. He nixed it. If being free entailed controlling himself, then he'd adapt like he always did.

"So…" Naruto tilted back on his barstool. The reaching, optimistic undercurrent to his words wasn't lost on him. "Friends, huh?"

Raio stopped himself from frowning. Ibiki used the same title to pry easier answers from him, and Anko ran away to a commitment. The word itself was foreign. He didn't know where he heard the word in a positive light. It slipped from twisted lips in a sardonic inclination. Cruel, mocking.

"𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘚𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘩𝘮𝘮?"

A tormenting voice played in his ears. Raio recoiled in a sharp, jittery motion. He lowered his chin on the counter and put his feet on the barstool, curling inwards on himself to the best of his ability.

Naruto was still looking at him. Expecting an answer with bated breath... Ironic. Raio steadily exhaled.

Things were different here. New, untouched. Naruto Uzumaki's skin wasn't littered with scars, and Naruto Uzumaki didn't know who Raio was. He didn't know what Raio was made to be.

"Friends," Raio twitched. He nodded after a slow moment. "Yeah."

"Yeah!" He was quick to have another gleaming smile on his whiskered face. Naruto's hand curled into a fist, and he brought it to the air in a zealous hoot. Then, he cleared his throat. "I mean… Yeah, cool. I have a lot of friends. So…"

Raio squinted at him and chortled, chidingly shaking his head. Naruto was one of those boys who wore their hearts on their sleeves. It was a rare thing, but not entirely uncommon– it was something Raio himself had seen a lot. He supposed the circumstances were far different.

Orochimaru was always so fixated on pushing people to the brink. To see how the human psyche worked, to see how people resorted to mere animals when put in a corner. Always so outspoken; reacting on pure instinct. This wasn't the same.

He had to remember that. He had to remember that when he took a sharp breath to refill his lungs, the aching pang of hunger sunk in like a serrated blade and saliva pooled in his mouth.

This was different, Raio reiterated. He was staring at a boy who was entirely green to the world.

"Anyways. Naruto," Raio tentatively called, and supposed this was a good enough distraction. "How come you have whiskers?"

He didn't even have to say much else. From the corner of Raio's eye, the older couple stiffened. Silverware clinked against their decorated porcelain bowls. The man was straining; his muscles were pulled taut. Raio narrowed his eyes. If he didn't know any better, he'd assume this man was preparing to strike.

His wife picked up on this. She reached over their son's hands, putting her own over the father's arm.

So much hatred. So much animosity.

Naruto shrugged. He didn't pick up on this, because of course he didn't. "I dunno. I was just born with 'em. I tried plucking them out before, but they just grew back! So I'm stuck with them."

He gave Raio a cheesy grin. "Why? They're pretty cool, huh? You jealous?"

Admittedly, Naruto was more spot-on than Raio was willing to admit. "Maybe."

Snickering, the blond seemed pleased with his answer. Raio's attention was halfway off of him; the father took his wallet from his pocket and was slapping Ryo bills onto the counter. He stood up, grabbed his son's arm, and dragged his family out of the establishment.

Raio let himself breathe. Oh, there was a god in this cruel world. He sprung from his seat and onto his new victims:

The family's half-eaten bowls of ramen.

He didn't use silverware, or pause to dab his face with frivolous napkins. What transpired next was an unruly and feral display of a starved wild animal relinquishing its hunger. None of the thick, wheat noodles were wasted. Not a scrap of half-chewed barbecued pork. Down to the very broth, Raio licked the bowls clean.

"Wh…" Naruto could do nothing but watch. His eyebrow twitched. Mumbling, he lowered his voice to himself. "Why does this guy gotta be my first friend…?"