Naruto didn't hesitate. He plunged the fork into the pile of fried rice, scooping up a generous mouthful coated in the rich, dark sauce. The warmth spread instantly through his empty core. He chewed furiously, eyes wide with the sheer, honest pleasure of the taste—the gentle spice, the satisfying starchiness of the rice, the sweet savory chicken.
Then, the floodgates opened.
Tears, hot and sudden, spilled over his cheeks and dripped onto the plate. He tried to stifle the sound by stuffing another huge bite into his mouth, but the sobs racked his small, nine-year-old frame. He ate ravenously, gulping the food down while tears tracked paths through the dust and grime on his face.
Agung watched with a professional, heavy heart. This was more than just hunger; this was the release of years of loneliness, compounded by the sharp, immediate pain of team rejection.
Agung moved back to the counter and poured a tall glass of bright, cold freshly squeezed orange juice. He brought it over and set it next to the boy's plate.
"Go slow," Agung murmured, his voice a low, steady rumble. "The food isn't going anywhere. Drink this. It will help settle your stomach."
Naruto stopped eating just long enough to grab the glass with both hands. He didn't sip; he drank half of it in one long, desperate gulp. The sweet, tangy coolness seemed to anchor him slightly. He wiped his face with his sleeve and went back to the Nasi Goreng, but the furious speed had lessened.
Agung leaned against the wall near the table, adopting a relaxed, non-threatening posture. He knew the source of Naruto's current dilemma was Kakashi's seemingly cruel "teamwork lesson," a lesson designed to break the individualistic spirit before rebuilding it. He had to gently guide Naruto toward that complex truth without giving away his encyclopedic knowledge of the ninja world.
"You talked about your teacher, the one who tied you up and denied you food," Agung began, his voice calm. "That hurt you deeply, I can see that. And the pain of seeing your friends break the rules only to share their food together… that felt like a real betrayal."
Naruto nodded miserably, his mouth full.
Agung looked directly into the boy's tired blue eyes, offering the difficult, counselor-level question.
"Young man, what if… the one who always helps you, the one who is actually trying to push you to be stronger, is the same one that made you suffer? What would you do then?"
Agung's gaze was steady. "In my world, sometimes the greatest teachers give the hardest tests. They cut us down not to destroy us, but to show us where we need to regrow. If your teacher's test was meant to teach you something about being a team… and your friends ignored the rules to show loyalty to you… what was the real lesson you missed?"