Uchiha District.
The twelve chimes of noon echoed.
"Lunchtime!"
Sako cheerfully set the chopsticks on the table, beaming.
Even though her father was absent, she did her best to keep the joyful atmosphere alive.
The hearty New Year's meal chased away the winter chill.
Once lunch was over and the dishes were put away, Sako sat beside her brother.
"Big bro..."
She looked up at him with her large, sparkling eyes.
"Do you know what 'New year speed haha' means?"
Pleased with herself, she didn't notice the slight frown on Itachi's face.
After a moment of thought, Itachi shook his head.
"It means 'Happy New Year'!" Sako exclaimed triumphantly.
"No, 'Happy New Year' is just 'Happy New Year,' not..."
Itachi frowned even more. Where had she picked up such broken English?
He quickly figured it out.
It was Naruto's doing, wasn't it?
"Huh?"
Sako was surprised.
She hadn't realized the phrase was wrong.
Itachi then placed his right hand on his sister's head and said in a serious tone:
"Sako, if you don't understand something, you can ask me. Don't go learning nonsense outside..."
"Okay..."
Still confused, Sako wondered who was right—her brother or Naruto.
But Itachi had had enough of Naruto.
Ever since awakening his Sharingan, his senses had sharpened. His perception had reached an incredible level.
Even though he had unlocked it only half a day ago, the improvement was real.
After all, he was the most talented prodigy since Konoha's founding. Such progress was to be expected.
He had seen through the darkness in his instructor's heart.
Then, the immature naïveté of his other teammate.
And now, Naruto...
That Naruto—despite being the same age as Sako—was not as simple as he appeared.
Itachi recalled Shisui's evaluation of Naruto.
"I should discuss this further with Shisui."
But he would have to wait until Shisui returned from the front...
Afternoon.
The weather grew colder.
The sun vanished behind the clouds, and the melted snow absorbed more heat.
As a result, the water that should've evaporated turned to ice.
The north wind blew.
Yes... I'm aging too...
At 25 or 26, this ex-007 Root spy had been caught off guard by Naruto in an instant.
Fortunately, her nerves were solid.
Relying on her reputation as "the best spy in the ninja world", she quickly adjusted her mindset and nodded firmly.
"Yes... I'm a refugee from the Land of Fire... I haven't eaten in several meals..."
As she spoke, Nonō began to stagger, as if on the verge of fainting.
Seeing her like this, Naruto shook his head from side to side.
"Perfect, it's getting late. I was just about to make dinner. If you don't mind, ma'am, you can come in and share the meal with me..."
—
Naruto reached out his hand to invite her in.
Seeing how easily the first step of her mission had gone, Nonō was stunned.
But after all, children were easy to fool...
"!"
Suddenly, her heart tightened.
A sharp pain pierced through her.
An overwhelming sense of guilt flooded her.
She had lied to many people before—but always to enemy ninjas.
Deliberately deceiving a child—especially one from her own village—was a first.
"Hm..."
Nonō nodded, hiding her emotions.
Thanks to her professionalism, she played her role as a rescued victim perfectly.
As she entered the house with Naruto,
yūgao stationed nearby, began to worry.
"If this woman really is an enemy ninja, Naruto's in danger!"
Even though he was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, he was still vulnerable if caught off guard. The ninja world was far too cruel for a child.
Unsure of what to do, Mangetsu grew restless.
Then, an idea came to her.
"I got it..."
She decided to intervene by presenting herself as a visitor.
---
Inside.
Nonō, seated at the table, stared at the instant ramen in front of her, puzzled.
"Naruto-kun... You... always eat this?"
Thanks to their conversation, she had "learned" his name.
"Yup! Instant ramen is delicious and nutritious!"
Naruto launched into a list of their benefits:
Convenient, easy to digest, stimulates the appetite...
Listening to him, Nonō thought... his arguments actually made some sense?
Of course, she knew an exclusive ramen diet wasn't healthy.
"That's fine then..."
But as a "refugee," she had to play her part.
To make her act convincing, she had even gone without food for several days.
With a ninja's endurance, she could go three days without eating, provided she stayed still.
"It takes three minutes."
After pouring hot water into the bowls, Naruto pressed his hands together and waited with almost religious devotion.
Having run an orphanage and cared for hundreds of children, Nonō understood that this was Naruto's personal ritual.
"That, I understand... but why milk?"
Instant ramen with milk... a true culinary crime.
Nonō was shocked that the Fourth Hokage's child had grown up like this.
"Has no one ever taught him how to live properly?"
Her educator's instinct nearly drove her to correct him, but she held back.
So she joined Naruto in waiting.
Watching his innocence, Nonō thought of her distant orphanage.
"I hope everyone's okay..."
Kanpu, Sister Kelly...
And the older kids like Urushi... They'd know how to care for the others.
Then, she returned to her mission.
Danzo had ordered her to approach Naruto.
The next steps—though unspoken—were clear to her.
Once trust was gained, stealing information, betrayal... even stabbing in the back—these were all in a spy's daily life.
The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki had no idea he was already walking toward a dark abyss.