18 The Party
I adjust the collar of my jacket one last time before stepping out of the Senju estate.
The air is cool, calm. The kind of evening that feels earned.
By the time I reach Choji's family restaurant, the lights inside are already bright, laughter leaking through the wooden doors. When I slide them open, I immediately spot everyone. The whole rookie gang is already there, crowded into the largest booth at the back.
Figures. I'm almost last.
Before I can step inside fully, something catches my eye from across the street.
Temari.
She's walking toward the restaurant from the opposite side, completely unhurried. The black kimono she wore in the morning is gone. Now it's a deep purple, soft and elegant, catching the light just right. Her hair is different too. Instead of her usual four ponytails, it's tied into a single one at the back of her head. No giant battle fan strapped to her shoulder. No armor. Just… Temari.
Relaxed. Real.
I lift a hand and wave. "Hey, Temari."
She looks up and smiles. "Hey."
"You look good in that kimono," I say honestly.
She pauses for half a second, then blushes faintly. "Thanks, Naruto."
"So," I add, nodding toward the restaurant, "ready?"
She chuckles. "Yeah. Let's go."
I step ahead and slide the door open for her. "Ladies first."
She gives me a teasing look as she walks past, lightly brushing her fingers against my cheek. "Such a gentleman."
I snort, but I'm smiling as I follow her inside.
The moment we enter, Ino spots us and waves enthusiastically. "Over here, you two!"
We squeeze into the booth, the largest one, already packed with familiar faces.
"You're almost late," Kiba says.
"Almost," I reply. "That still counts as on time."
Choji is already eating, Shikamaru looks half asleep, Neji sits straight-backed, Lee is beaming, Hinata is quietly smiling, and Shino is… Shino.
"Sorry," I add. "Had to switch houses. Bit of a hassle."
"Switch houses?" Shikamaru repeats, one eyebrow lifting. "You change departments or something?"
I shake my head. "Nah. Aunt Tsunade told me to move into the Uzumaki-Senju estate."
The table goes quiet.
Sakura scoffs first. "Lady Tsunade asked you to move in with her? Don't mess with us, Naruto. There's no way she'd allow that."
I sigh. Almost everyone else sighs too.
"Sakura," I say calmly, "I'm really not in the mood to argue. We talked about this yesterday in her office. She's biologically related to me."
She opens her mouth again, but Temari cuts in.
"He's telling the truth. I've seen the estate. It's impressive."
Sakura turns toward her, surprised. "You've been there?"
"Yeah," Temari says casually.
"Oh, and the estate renovated, Shizune-neecha told me," Naruto started as he turned his head towards Ino and said, "She also told me that Ino and Hinata help a lot."
"Yeah, Last year the interior was outdated. Tsunade-sama wanted to renovate. She asked me and Hinata me for suggestions." Ino said
Hinata stiffens slightly but nods. "Shizune-san was there too. We all discussed it together."
Temari's eyes light up. "Ah, so you two are the reason the place looks so good now."
Ino blushes a little. "It wasn't just us."
Hinata nods shyly. "We only helped Tsunade-sama decide."
"Well," I say honestly, "the cupboards, the layout, the garden path… it's all really well thought out. And the garden redesign was your idea, right, Ino?"
She straightens proudly. "Yep."
"And the koi pond in the back?" I glance at Hinata.
She blushes harder. "That was mine."
"It's beautiful," I say. "You deserve the praise."
Temari nods. "He's right. The place feels alive."
Hinata lowers her head, embarrassed but smiling.
Food arrives soon after, and the mood lightens. Plates fill. Meat sizzles. Choji is in his element.
An hour passes easily.
Then Neji speaks.
"Naruto," he says evenly, "first, congratulations again. But I have to ask… how much were you holding back during the match?"
The table goes quiet.
I lean back against the booth, eyes drifting up to the ceiling for a moment. Then I look at him.
"Honestly?" I say. "Quite a bit."
No arrogance. Just truth.
"I didn't use many jutsu. Shadow Clones and Rasengan. And even those weren't at full power."
I raise a hand before anyone interrupts.
"That doesn't mean you all aren't strong. You are. Way stronger than three years ago. If the toads hadn't trained me in my final year, I wouldn't have been able to overpower you like I did today."
I pause.
"And the biggest difference? You were fighting as a team. I was fighting alone. You relied on each other. I had no one backing me up. That's why I went all out from the start. Maybe we all can do a group training next week when we are free" I said the last part to lift the sprites a bit
The mood dips slightly.
Ino claps her hands. "Okay, enough serious talk."
She grins. "Naruto won fair and square. We'll do team training next week like he said. Tonight is about celebrating."
"She's right," Choji says through a mouthful of meat. "More food!"
Laughter returns.
Then Sakura speaks.
"Naruto still wouldn't have won if Sasuke were here."
Silence slams down hard.
I feel Ino tense beside me. Hinata lowers her head. Even Choji stops chewing.
I exhale slowly.
"Nobody stopped him from being here," I say.
Sakura frowns. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," I say evenly, "three years ago, Sasuke left on his own. Orochimaru didn't kidnap him. He chose power over us."
My voice stays steady.
"We almost died on that mission. Kiba, Lee, Shikamaru, Neji, Choji… all of us were critically injured. If Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro hadn't shown up, some of us wouldn't be sitting here today."
The table stays silent.
"He told me himself, that he wants power and doesn't care from where he gets it" I continue, "when he put a Chidori through my chest."
Sakura's face tightens.
"So if you don't want to ruin the party," I say calmly, "you can leave. But don't expect us to listen to ridicule from someone who wasn't there. You weren't in the ICU. You didn't spend weeks hospitalized."
I stopped, as someone grips my shoulder, only to see,
It's Ino who is gripping my shoulder. "Naruto. Calm down."
I nod. "Fine. My point stands."
Sakura slams money on the table and storms out.
The silence lingers.
I sigh. "Sorry, guys. Didn't mean to kill the mood."
"It was not you," Shino says calmly. "Sakura-san's delusion caused the disruption."
Kiba nods. "Yeah. Forget it."
Choji raises his hand. "More meat!"
Laughter slowly returns.
I lean back, surrounded by friends, and let the night continue.