After leaving the hospital, the Sandaime led Sora to stand before an old apartment building.
The wooden boards of the apartment had faded to a light brown, and dust clung to the window frames.
It looked quite old, but fortunately, it wasn’t too small.
The yard was kept clean, barely passing for tidy.
The Sandaime turned to look at Sora beside him.
Seeing the boy clutching his clothes, looking nervous, he softened his voice.
“This will be your home from now on.
Your clansman, Uzumaki Naruto, lives here.” Sora lifted his head.
His amber eyes first swept over the mottled window frames of the wooden house, then settled back on the Sandaime’s gentle face.
He gave a slight nod.
His demeanor held the restraint of one who had just lost family.
Even his steps were deliberately lightened, as if afraid of disturbing the person inside.
The Sandaime raised his hand and knocked on the door.
The *thump thump thump* echoed clearly in the quiet hallway.
Before long, hurried footsteps sounded from inside, accompanied by the rustle of fabric and a few muffled “Coming, coming!” laced with the nasal tone of someone just woken up.
After waiting about half a minute, the door finally creaked open with the particular stiffness of an old wooden door.
Naruto stood behind the door.
His golden hair stuck up in a messy tuft, like an exploded little sun.
A few strands clung to his forehead, still damp with a thin layer of sweat.
He had clearly just gotten out of bed.
He wore somewhat dirty white pajamas, the collar crumpled.
Dark circles lingered faintly under his eyes.
But when he saw the Sandaime standing outside, those bright blue eyes instantly lit up.
Most of his sleepiness vanished.
The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned upwards, his voice full of surprise.
“Gramps Sandaime?
What brings you here!” Seeing his disheveled state, the Sandaime couldn’t help but chuckle.
He took a step forward, raising a hand to gently ruffle Naruto’s messy hair.
“Gramps brought you a roommate.
You two need to get along well from now on.
This child is two years younger than you.
As the older brother, you’ll have to take good care of him.” “Roommate?” Naruto’s eyes widened even further.
The news first shocked him, then a wave of wild joy surged up—someone was finally going to live with him?
But that joy didn’t last more than a few seconds.
It was as if doused with cold water.
The light in his eyes slowly dimmed.
He lowered his hand, his fingertips unconsciously picking at the hem of his pajamas.
His mind flashed with scenes of Village children hiding at the sight of him.
Those children would whisper about him, hide behind their mothers, look at him with eyes full of disgust, and sometimes say very hurtful things.
Even if Gramps Sandaime arranged a roommate for him…
would this companion really like him?
Would he also run away at the sight of him, just like the others?
And then quickly move out from here?
The Sandaime took in all of Naruto’s small gestures, a wave of helplessness rising in his heart.
He saw through Naruto’s worries at a glance, but this was the prejudice of the entire Ninja World towards their own Jinchuriki.
For the moment, he had no good solution.
Fortunately, Sora’s appearance now became a new variable.
The Sandaime looked at the two children before him—one with messy golden hair and uneasy eyes, the other with soft red hair and a timid air.
His voice took on a more solemn tone.
“Naruto, this child’s name is Sora.
Uzumaki Sora.
He shares your surname, Uzumaki.
He’s a distant relative of sorts.
You two…
will be family from now on.” The word “family” landed like a feather on the hearts of the two boys, then rapidly exploded in their minds, sending ripples through them.
Naruto stood frozen in place.
His heart pounded *thump thump*, so fast it felt like it would burst from his chest.
Even his breathing became somewhat hurried.
He had never had family.
He had never had friends.
On countless nights, he would often lie awake, hugging his pillow and curling up in the corner of his bed, thinking: If only someone could talk with me.
If only I had family.
And now, this guy with a head of red hair, who shared his surname, was actually his family?
Sora’s gaze also grew distant.
Not long ago, he had had parents who doted on him.
But a sudden incident had taken everything from him.
From “having no family” to “having family,” then to “losing it again”—this drop felt like a stone pressing on his heart, hurting so much he could barely breathe.
He too longed for family.
Anything would do.
He never wanted to be alone again, especially in this Ninja World that felt both familiar and strange to him.
Sora took a deep breath and took a small step forward.
His voice was soft, yet it clearly reached both of them.
“Naruto…
Nii-san, hello.
I am Uzumaki Sora.
You can call me Sora or Little Sora from now on.” “Nii-san?” Naruto stumbled back two steps, his hands instinctively covering his chest, his face filled with shock.
The heartbeat there was so fast it felt like it would leap out.
His mind went blank, leaving only the two words “Nii-san” echoing over and over.
Someone…
called him older brother?
He had family now?
This realization left him dazed.
Even his gaze grew somewhat unfocused, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening before him.
Seeing him like this, a trace of confusion rose in Sora’s heart.
He shifted forward a bit more, reaching out a hand as if to touch Naruto’s arm, but stopped mid-air.
He worried the gesture might startle Naruto.
Wanting to connect, Sora asked softly, “Naruto Nii-san, are you okay?
Are you feeling unwell?
Or…
do you not like me calling you that?” Sora had accepted this new family identity very quickly.
Calling him “older brother” felt particularly natural.
In his previous life at the orphanage, he was the oldest child, always taking care of younger siblings.
He had long wished for an older brother or sister, someone to protect and cherish him.
In this life, he was his parents’ only child, still missing the chance to experience having an older brother.
Now, meeting Naruto, they both shared the blood of the Uzumaki Clan in their veins.
Naruto was two years older than him.
Calling him “older brother” was perfectly fitting.
Naruto shook his head, finally snapping out of his daze.
He looked at Sora’s red hair.
That vibrant red was like a small flame.
Somehow, seeing that color made his heart feel warm.
His previous unease and restraint, like snow melted by sunlight, gradually faded away for the most part.
He scratched his head, his cheeks slightly flushed, the tips of his ears tinged pink.
He smiled somewhat sheepishly.
“N-no, I’m fine!
Sorry about that, Little…
Little Sora.
I’m just…
just a bit happy.” He paused, as if afraid Sora wouldn’t believe him, then raised his voice a notch, unable to hide his excitement.
His eyes even curved into crescents.
“And I really like that title!
I have a little brother now!
Little Sora, welcome!
From now on, I’m your older brother!” With that, he stepped aside from the doorway, his eyes sparkling.
“Come on in!
I’ll show you our home!” Naruto was genuinely excited, happy from the bottom of his heart.
He felt today must be the happiest day of his life—he finally had family, and such a cute little brother at that!
He grabbed Sora’s hand, eagerly pulling him into the house.
He even spoke faster than usual, chattering nonstop.
“I just bought a few cartons of milk yesterday!
I just put them in the fridge last night!
I’ll go get you some to drink!” “And also!
And also!
I bought some limited edition cup noodles a while ago!
I’ll get those for you too!” Listening to Naruto’s words, Sora felt a stir in his heart.
He naturally knew about Naruto’s preferences.
Fresh milk and limited edition ramen…
he hadn’t expected Naruto would offer these things to him on their first meeting.
His impression of Naruto’s clumsiness was deep.
This guy often spent money recklessly, buying things without restraint, hoarding a lot at once.
Many things would end up expiring.
Living alone, perhaps he truly didn’t understand.
He wouldn’t even throw away expired things, leading to stomachaches after eating them and causing quite a few amusing incidents.
Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Sora’s face—this silly brother was really a handful.
It seemed he would have a lot to worry about in the days to come.
The Sandaime watched the two enter the house with a gratified expression.
Although Naruto, in his excitement, had forgotten about him, the old man, it also proved that Naruto genuinely liked Sora, and Sora held no resistance towards Naruto.
This was the best possible start.
Listening to the sounds of Naruto’s excited voice from inside the house, and Sora’s occasional soft responses, a smile of both helplessness and contentment appeared on the Sandaime’s face.
He took an envelope from his pocket.
Inside were some money and a note.
He gently placed it on the step of the entranceway.
It was living expenses for the two children.
Some of it was the Fourth Hokage’s money, and some was the Village’s subsidy for these two children who had lost their families.
This was one of the few ways he could help.