The restaurant Ino chose was nothing like the places Naruto usually ate at.
Soft lantern light reflected off polished wooden tables, and the air carried the rich scent of grilled meat and spices. It was quiet—refined—almost too calm for someone like him.
Naruto and Ino sat across from each other, plates set neatly before them.
Steak.
Perfectly cooked.
Naruto cut into it, took a bite—and paused.
"…Okay," he admitted after chewing. "I haven't had this in a long time."
Ino smirked, lifting her glass. "See? Worth it."
He nodded. "Yeah. Definitely."
They ate while talking, the conversation flowing easily—about missions, village gossip, childhood memories, and the occasional sarcastic jab. Naruto found himself laughing more than he expected, relaxed in a way that felt rare lately.
After they finished, they paid and stepped back out into the village.
Konoha was beautiful at night.
The streets were quieter, lanterns glowing softly, rooftops silhouetted against the dark sky. They walked side by side without rushing, occasionally brushing shoulders as they passed familiar streets and quiet parks.
Eventually, they reached a small clearing with a bench beneath an old tree.
Naruto leaned back against it, hands behind his head, staring up at the moon hanging high above Konohagakure.
"Well," he said casually, "this turned out pretty interesting."
"Yeah," Ino replied, sitting beside him. "I enjoyed it. I just wish we hadn't spent most of the day at the shop." She chuckled softly.
"Nah," Naruto said. "I think that actually brought us closer." He glanced at her, smirk forming. "If we can spend a whole day together like that, I guess spending eternity together wouldn't be a problem."
She immediately pouted, lightly smacking his shoulder. "You're just teasing me."
"I'm not," he said honestly. Then he added, calmer, "But let's forget all that and just enjoy the silence."
Ino smiled and slipped her arm around his.
"Yeah, let's—"
"Shh," Naruto interrupted gently. "I said silence."
She frowned up at him.
Naruto broke immediately, laughing. "Okay, okay."
"I hate you," she said, though her tone was clearly joking.
"Liar," he replied easily.
Later that night, Naruto walked her home. When they reached her place, neither of them spoke for a moment.
Then Ino stepped forward and hugged him. When she finally pulled away and headed inside, Naruto caught sight of her father glaring at him from an upstairs window.
Naruto pretended not to notice.
In the next instant, space folded—and Naruto Uzumaki vanished.
He reappeared in his apartment and dropped onto his bed with a tired sigh, staring up at the ceiling.
"Yeah… today was hectic," he muttered.
He closed his eyes.
"I should just sleep. I'm sure tomorrow they'll send us to look for Itachi Uchiha."
The room fell quiet as exhaustion finally caught up to him, the events of the day lingering pleasantly in his thoughts as sleep claimed him.
.....
Just as Naruto had predicted, there was a knock on his door early the next morning.
It was slow. Insistent.
Naruto groaned softly into his pillow before dragging himself out of bed, eyes half-lidded as he shuffled toward the door.
The moment he opened it—
"Sakura—"
He didn't even get to finish her name.
Sakura Haruno lunged forward without warning, arms looping around his shoulders as she pressed a quick, enthusiastic kiss to his lips.
Naruto froze for exactly half a second before instinctively steadying her.
Then she pulled back abruptly, scrunching her nose.
"…You haven't brushed your teeth yet," she said flatly.
Naruto sighed, already used to this. "Well, I did just wake up."
She crossed her arms. "Not my problem. Get ready—Tsunade called for us."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah… alright."
He turned and walked back into the apartment, leaving the door open behind him. Sakura followed—and immediately stopped.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…When did this happen?" she asked, looking around.
The apartment was noticeably bigger now. More open.
"A day ago," he replied casually as he headed into the bathroom.
She blinked, then shrugged it off. "Of course."
Without asking further, she walked in and sat down on his bed, hands resting in her lap.
' Second time at a guy's place,' she thought. ' And it's Naruto again…'
Her gaze wandered around the room—walls, shelves, folded furniture—
Then it stopped.On his pillow. Her heart skipped. ' No. Sakura. That's creepy.'
She immediately shook her head, trying to push the thought away. But curiosity crept back in. She glanced toward the bathroom door. The sound of running water told her he was still busy.
Slowly—hesitantly—she leaned down and pressed her face into his pillow, inhaling before she could stop herself.
Her eyes widened. ' His hair smells really nice.' Her cheeks warmed. ' And he's actually well-groomed. I've noticed that before. '
She bit her lip slightly. ' A guy who takes care of himself… that's already a huge plus.'
The water suddenly shut off.
Sakura snapped upright like she'd been caught committing a crime, heart pounding as she straightened her clothes and fixed her expression.
A moment later, Naruto Uzumaki stepped out of the bathroom, already dressed in his ninja attire, expression focused and awake now.
"Alright," he said simply. "Let's go."
Sakura cleared her throat and stood quickly, nodding. "R-right. Let's go."
She didn't look at the bed again.
And Naruto—completely unaware of what had just happened—grabbed his things as the two of them headed out.
A few minutes later, Naruto and Sakura arrived at the Hokage's Tower.
The familiar structure loomed above them, sunlight reflecting off its windows as shinobi moved in and out with purpose. Standing near the entrance were several familiar faces.
First—and most noticeably—
Kakashi Hatake.
He leaned casually against the railing, hands in his pockets, visible eye curved in what was unmistakably a lazy smile. His presence alone shifted the atmosphere—calmer, more official.
' Oh he's back. Then again, he was alright for the Hidan and Kakuzu arc in the manga' he thought.
Nearby stood another full team.
Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga. Notably absent was Kurenai. Naruto's face brightened immediately.
"Kiba! Shino!" he called out as he walked over.
Kiba turned—and froze.
"…Woah," he said slowly, stepping closer. "You're taller than me now. When did that happen?"
He straightened up instinctively, comparing their heights.
Naruto grinned. "Me?" He nodded toward the massive white dog beside Kiba. "Bro, look at Akamaru. He used to sit on your head last I checked."
"Shut up!"he protested.
Naruto laughed and immediately knelt, rubbing Akamaru's head with both hands. "Look at you, big guy. You've gotten huge."
Akamaru barked happily, tail wagging hard enough to sway his entire body.
Naruto stood and turned toward Shino. "Still mysterious, I see, Shino."
Shino adjusted his glasses slightly. "Yes. I will never change."
Naruto nodded seriously. "Good. By the way—don't ever become a teacher."
Shino paused. "…What does that mean?"
Naruto had already turned away, pretending he hadn't heard him. He stopped in front of Hinata. The moment their eyes met, she stiffened.
Her cheeks flushed pink almost instantly.
"H-hi, Naruto-kun," she said softly.
Naruto smiled warmly. "Hey, Hinata. How've you been?"
"I-I'm good," she replied, hands clasped in front of her. "And you?"
"Great," he said easily. "It's really nice seeing you again."
Her blush deepened. "N-nice to see you too…"
The moment lingered—gentle, quiet.
Then Naruto felt it. A stare. Sharp. Burning. He didn't need to look to know who it was. Sakura. Naruto kept his expression neutral and chose the wiser path. He ignored it completely.
TO BE CONTINUED