"Loneliness is not caused by being alone. It's caused by being surrounded by people who fail to understand you."

— Gintoki Sakata, Gintama

--

Otis was walking, but he decided to humour him

"I need an axe, my hut broke and I had to fistfight a polar bear."

Naruto blinked again. "Wait, what?!"

"Yeah. it Broke my hut."

"...You're joking."

"I don't joke about my roof."

Naruto let out a whistle. "So who won?"

Otis shrugged. "Me. Barely."

Otis turned a corner, heading toward the market street, where the fish stalls and tool shops buzzed with life. Naruto followed, bouncing beside him.

"Hey, hey—so wait, you really fought a bear? What'd you do, punch it in the nose?"

"I negotiated."

"...With your fists?"

Otis nodded. "And a tree trunk."

Naruto burst into laughter, louder this time, grabbing his stomach.

They passed a few curious villagers who gave Otis the usual mix of awe and caution.The same couldn't be said for Naruto. The fearful gazes fell on Naruto. Some people still whispered when he walked by. Others just avoided looking. 

Naruto didn't flinch. Maybe he didn't notice. Maybe he was just used to it.

As they passed a dumpling cart, Naruto leaned in again, his voice hushed like he was about to ask something profound.

"Hey... hey Otis. Serious question."

Otis didn't slow down. "Hmm?"

"Do bears taste good?"

Otis gave him a long, slow sideways glance.

"I don't know," he replied flatly.

Naruto grinned like he just uncovered a secret.

"You named it, didn't you?"

Otis paused mid-step. Just a beat. And then resumed walking.

"...Yuki-Box."

Naruto froze.

"What?"

Otis didn't look back.

"You heard me."

He blinked.

Then—

"YUKI-BOX?!"

Otis didn't break stride. "Yuki for the snow. Box because I was going to eat it."

Naruto doubled over, wheezing with laughter.

"You—you named a GIANT POLAR BEAR Yuki box?!"

Otis nodded calmly. 

"That's so brilliant!" Naruto cried, a single tear in his eye like he'd found a kindred spirit. "You've got actual secret genius naming sense! Like—like poetry!"

He paused, then added his eyes sparkling

"Sensei Otis... teach me your naming ways."

Otis glanced down at him, his face deadpan. He decided to ignore him

A while later…

The snowflakes stuck to Naruto's spiky hair. He kept brushing them off, only for more to settle in moments later.

Otis walked in long, steady strides, his breath rising in quiet puffs. Every step he took left deep prints in the snow. Naruto scampered beside him, half-jogging just to keep up with his massive pace.

Then Naruto noticed it — the thin, freshly tied ninja headband on Otis's arm.

He gasped like he just saw a bowl of ramen fly.

"YOU'RE A NINJA"

Otis didn't even look at him. "Loud."

"YOU'RE A NINJA?!" Naruto repeated, even louder this time, practically jumping.

Otis sighed.

"How?! When?! I didn't even see you fight!"

"Exactly," Otis muttered.

"Wait—waitwaitwait—was it the rock thing? Was it the rock thing?!" Naruto was bouncing now, skipping backward in front of Otis. "The one from orbit?! I heard they said someone blinked and the guy just died! Was it you? It was you—yes, it was you!"

Otis side-stepped a puddle. "He's not dead."

Naruto was losing his mind. "That's so COOL! Can you teach me that? No—wait—what's your rank now? Do you get better missions? Are you gonna leave the village?! What do you eat before a fight?! Is that headband real?! Is that actually yours—"

Otis stopped walking.

Naruto didn't.

He turned around mid-question just in time to feel two massive fingers clamp the sides of his head like a vice.

"Wah—?!"

Otis lifted him into the air with one hand. Naruto dangled like a ragdoll, his arms flailing.

"You got one more question, brat," Otis said flatly. "And if it starts with 'can you,' 'do you,' or ends with 'teach me how to throw,' I'm planting you in the ground headfirst like a kunai."

Naruto kicked uselessly. "Let me gooo—!"

"This is what happens when you talk too much and think too little," Otis said, carrying him a few steps forward like a suitcase, then dropping him into a snowbank with a heavy thud.

Naruto sat up, spitting snow. "You're mean!"

"You're just annoying," Otis replied.

Naruto wiped his face.

Otis kept walking. Naruto groaned and scrambled out of the snow, chasing him again.

"But seriously—do you think I could pass the genin exam one day? Do I need a move like the Rock and throw it Yeet? I could call it Ramen Rumble or—"

Otis didn't look at him.

"Keep talking, and I'm naming the next bear after you."

Naruto blinked. "You mean the bear? Yuki-box?"

Otis didn't even look at him.

"No, the next bear. The one I'll feed you to if you don't shut up."

Naruto opened his mouth—

Otis raised a single eyebrow.

Naruto closed it again.

Five seconds later:

"But like, how far did you throw that rock exactly—?"

Otis stopped walking. Cracked his neck.

"You're really pushing for a round-trip to orbit, aren't you."

Naruto puffed out his chest. "I'll surpass you in no time and become the Hokage!"

Otis smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Mr. Future Hokage."

Naruto followed after him, still grinning. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Believe it!"

Otis didn't stop walking.

"Yeah, I believe you, Naruto… I believe you're loud."

They turned a corner into a livelier part of the market. Otis stopped in front of a vegetable stall..

The vendor leaned over the counter, smiling. "How can I help you now?"

Naruto had already wandered toward the sweets stall next door.

"Hey, Granny! You still got those red bean buns?"

The woman behind the counter froze, eyes flicking to Naruto like she'd seen a ghost.

For a split second, it was subtle — the way her hand hovered, the way her eyes darted to his whisker-marked cheeks. 

Then she turned her back. Started organizing things that didn't need organizing.

Otis stood slowly, eyes following the motion.

Across the street, a man selling dumplings turned his sign to Closed. Another merchant whispered to his son and gently pulled him behind the stand. A group of villagers passed — they didn't shout, or spit, or point.

They just stared.

Cold and afraid.

Naruto laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "Uh... I guess you're outta buns, huh?"

He turned away from the counter, smile still plastered on.

(Pic)

Otis didn't move at first.

He just stood there, watching. Watching Naruto's back. Watching the silence settle.

And he saw it — not just the looks, but the way Naruto pretended not to see them.

The practiced smile. The shrug. The way his shoulders had already learned to sink — not because of failure, but expectation.

That wasn't the look you gave a prankster.

That was the look you gave a monster.

Otis turned to the vegetable owner.

"Wrap the cabbages."

Then he walked.

Naruto was already stepping away, stuffing his hands in his pockets like it didn't matter. Like he wasn't hungry. 

Like he didn't see the door being shut on him again.

"Naruto."

The blond stopped, glancing up.

Otis tossed him a small pouch — heavier than it looked.

"Ramen. My treat."

Naruto caught it. "Eh? Really?"

Otis didn't smile.

"You said you were training.."

For a moment, Naruto just stared at the pouch.

Then he grinned — not the forced one. The real one. Bright and stubborn.

"You're my true friend, Otis."

Otis shrugged.

"So are you."

They started walking side by side again.

Behind them, the vendors returned to work.

But Otis didn't forget.

And next time someone closed a door on Naruto — he'd open it himself.

--

(A/N)

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