17 New Home
By the time the three of us reached the hotel, the sky had started leaning toward evening.
Shizune unlocked the door to my room first, and the moment it opened, both she and Temari paused.
The room was… clean.
Not sterile, not overly neat, but clearly lived in and properly maintained. The bed was made. The mattress wasn't crooked. A couple of used cups sat near the desk, my suitcase rested beside the bed, and a towel was folded on the chair. It looked like someone who actually respected the space slept here.
Temari blinked. Shizune glanced around again, just to be sure.
I crossed my arms. "What?"
Temari turned to me slowly. "I don't know what I was expecting, but… not this."
"Hey," I said defensively, "I'm not a slob. I'm not Kiba. What did you think, the blanket would be on the floor and ramen cups everywhere?"
Shizune coughed lightly. "It's not that we thought you were dirty, Naruto. We just… assumed you'd be a little more chaotic."
I snorted. "Sorry to disappoint."
She smiled, a bit embarrassed. "All right, fair enough. Sorry for doubting you."
I waved it off. "It's fine. Most of my stuff's already packed anyway. I just need my toothbrush and a few things from the washroom."
A few minutes later, we were back outside, heading toward the Senju compound. As we walked, my thoughts drifted.
The original Naruto… yeah, he probably was a mess. But I couldn't blame him. A kid raising himself, no guidance, no one to teach him basic habits like cleaning or making a bed. Honestly, he did better than most would have.
The village slowly thinned as we moved toward the edge.
"Now that I think about it," I said aloud, "the Senju compound is almost directly opposite the Uchiha district."
Shizune nodded. "That's right. When the village was founded, only a few clans were here. Senju and Uchiha were the largest, and they settled on opposite ends. The Sarutobi, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and some civilians filled the middle. The Hyuga came later."
She continued as we walked, explaining how the Senju clan eventually dissolved after the First Hokage's decision, choosing to live as civilians instead of maintaining a formal clan structure.
"This compound," she said, "was built for the First Hokage and Mito-sama after their marriage. It's been standing almost since the village began."
Temari whistled softly. "That's… old."
"Renovated," Shizune added quickly. "Many times."
Good. I didn't feel like sleeping in a historical artifact.
We reached the compound gates soon after. Before we entered, Temari raised an eyebrow.
"So you're really not staying out late tonight? Jonin promotion and all?"
I shrugged. "Honestly? I already know how this party's going to go."
They both looked at me.
"Kiba's going to say something stupid. Shino will shut him up. Hinata won't talk much. Shikamaru will complain that it's troublesome. Choji will eat everything before anyone else gets a second serving. Lee won't drink because of his body restrictions. Neji will hover protectively. Ino and Tenten will gossip for a bit. Then Sakura will bring up Sasuke and kill the mood."
Temari stared at me. "You sound very confident."
"I'd bet money on it."
Shizune sighed. "You're probably not wrong."
As we walked inside, the topic drifted to Sakura. Shizune explained carefully, quietly, about Tsunade's concerns. About the double personality. About how they'd tried therapy, missions, hospital work. How Sakura's fixation on Sasuke made her unreliable in critical moments.
I listened. Didn't comment.
I already knew.
That was the difference between me and the Naruto who came before.
We reached the main house.
Shizune opened the door with a small smile. "Welcome home, Naruto."
The interior surprised me.
To the left was the kitchen, clean and modern, followed by a library. Beyond that, glass doors opened to a backyard training field and a koi pond. To the right was a small gathering room, then Tsunade's room. Two guest rooms sat opposite, with storage further down.
"Pick whichever room you like," Shizune said.
I checked both, then chose the one directly across from Tsunade's.
"This one," I said. "Good view of the training ground. Close to the kitchen."
Priorities.
The room was spacious. Bigger than my old apartment. The bed was solid and neatly made. A desk sat in the corner with a lamp. Two bookshelves lined the wall. A mirror stood opposite, and a connected washroom completed it.
Temari looked around. "This doesn't feel centuries old."
"Tsunade remodeled it last year," Shizune said. "She has money. More than people think."
I smirked. "So not all of it went to gambling."
Shizune shot me a look. "Behave."
Temari laughed. "I should head back and change."
I nodded. "See you at eight."
After she left, I stood alone in the room for a moment.