In the evening
The training ground was quiet.
The wide stretch of earth bore the marks of countless battles, full of scuffed dirt, broken branches, and shallow craters that hadn't yet been smoothed by time. A gentle breeze passed through the clearing, rustling the leaves overhead and carrying with it the faint scent of grass and soil.
Naruto walked through the open ground with his hands stuffed casually into his pockets. His pace was leisurely, almost lazy, as if he had nowhere important to be.
Yet beneath that relaxed stride, his mind was anything but calm. Thoughts churned quietly, about tomorrow, about leaving, about everything he hadn't said yet.
As he reached the familiar spot, two figures came into view.
Sasuke and Sakura were already there.
Sasuke sat atop a fallen tree trunk, one knee raised, arms resting loosely as his dark eyes scanned the clearing. Sakura stood a short distance away, facing the wind, her short pink hair fluttering softly around her face.
For a brief moment, Naruto simply watched them.
'Team 7… Feels weird knowing I won't see this for a while.'
A smile tugged at his lips.
"Yo," Naruto called out, raising a hand as he walked over. "Waiting long?"
Sasuke snorted. "You're late."
Naruto shrugged. "Relax. I didn't know you were keeping time now."
"Tch." Sasuke shot him a glare.
Naruto tilted his head, feigning curiosity. "What's with the long face? Did your father refuse to train you or something?"
The temperature dropped instantly.
Sasuke's expression turned cold instantly, his eyes sharpening as he glared at Naruto.
"Cut it out," He groaned. "Stop joking around and tell me why you called us here."
Sakura stepped forward quickly. "Naruto," she said, frowning lightly, "don't pull Sasuke's leg."
Naruto stopped, and his grin faded, replaced by something a little awkward. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head, fingers ruffling his blond hair in frustration.
"…Yeah," He muttered. "Sorry."
The shift caught both of them off guard.
"I actually…" Naruto hesitated, then exhaled slowly. "I'm leaving the village for some time."
A series of silence followed.
"Leaving?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and he asked. "Why? Did something happen?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Something did."
Sakura's brows knit together. "What kind of something?"
"I can't tell everything," Naruto looked away briefly, and he admitted. "But I'm leaving with the Pervy Sage."
"Pervy Sage…?" Sakura blinked her eyes, and then her eyes widened as she realized who Naruto was talking about. "You mean Master Jiraiya?"
"Who else other than that old pervert?" Naruto nodded, and he waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you guys before I go."
Sasuke scoffed. "You dragged us all the way here just to say that?"
Naruto grinned again. "Hey, if I didn't know that after getting trained by Uncle Fugaku, you'd come looking for me to spar, I wouldn't have wasted my precious time."
Sasuke froze, and a faint flush crept up his cheeks.
"Tch…" He coughed, looking away. "…As if."
Naruto chuckled softly. 'Hook, line, and sinker.'
Then he turned to Sakura, his expression gentler.
"As for you," Naruto said, "I've got something."
Sakura blinked. "Huh?"
Naruto reached into his jacket and pulled out a sealed scroll. He stepped closer and handed it to her.
Sakura stared at it, surprised. "What is it?"
"I asked my mom for some help," Naruto smiled, and he said. "She helped me get this technique for you."
Sakura's eyes widened immediately. "Kushina-sama… gave this to me?"
Naruto nodded, and he said simply. "With me leaving and Sasuke being busy training, you'd need something to grow too... and this suits you perfectly."
Sakura clutched the scroll to her chest, excitement bubbling up instantly. "Thank you, Naruto! I— I'll work really hard!"
Sasuke glanced at the scroll, a flicker of envy passing through his eyes.
'What kind of jutsu…?'
Naruto noticed, and he chuckled softly.
"Don't look at it like that," He said. "It's something more suitable for someone like Sakura. You should focus on the Uchiha clan's jutsu."
"I was just wondering," Sasuke flushed again, and he muttered, coughing once. "That's all."
Sakura smiled brightly, looking between them. "You two really don't change."
Naruto grinned. "Wouldn't be Team 7 if we did."
For a moment, the three of them stood there with the wind rustling, the sun dipping slightly lower, the world feeling strangely still.
Naruto took it all in, and he looked at them one last time, his smile steady and sincere.
"Don't slack off while I'm gone," He said.
Sasuke smirked faintly. "You better not fall behind."
Sakura nodded firmly. "Come back safe, Naruto."
"Count on it." Naruto laughed, and he waved his hand as he walked off.
------
Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha at an unhurried pace.
The village was alive again.
Merchants called out to passing customers, their voices carrying warmth instead of tension. Children ran through the streets in small groups, laughter ringing out as they chased one another between buildings. Shinobi moved about with renewed purpose, repairing what little damage still remained, their movements steady and practiced.
Naruto watched it all quietly.
'It's really going back to normal…'
A faint smile formed on his lips as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.
'Tomorrow I leave with Pervy Sage…'
His steps slowed slightly as his mind drifted.
Searching for Tsunade was one thing, but healing her hemophobia was another matter entirely. In the original plan, Orochimaru would have played a role, but now, things had changed.
Naruto frowned.
'Orochimaru's my person now… so that option's gone.'
He let out a quiet sigh and muttered under his breath. "Things really did get complicated."
If Tsunade refused to return… if her fear of blood remained… everything would fall apart before it even began.
Naruto racked his brain, replaying ideas again and again, searching for something useful.
'Support? Exposure? Some kind of emotional trigger? Damn it…'
Lost in thought, Naruto didn't notice the figure standing directly in his path.
Thump!
The collision was light, but enough to jolt him back to reality.
A soft scent drifted into his nose.
"Huh—?" Naruto blinked and lifted his head.
Standing before him was Izumi Uchiha.
She looked surprised for a split second before that surprise melted into gentle amusement. Her dark hair swayed slightly as she steadied herself, and her eyes reflected mild curiosity rather than irritation.
Naruto immediately straightened and said quickly. "S-Sorry! I wasn't paying attention. Are you hurt, Sister Izumi?"
Izumi giggled softly, the sound light and warm.
"It's alright," She said gently. "I'm not hurt."
She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "More importantly… I called out to you, you know. You were completely lost in thought. What could be troubling you so much?"
Naruto hesitated, and then he sighed.
"Well… sister," He said slowly, rubbing the back of his neck, "one of my acquaintances has hemophobia."
Izumi's expression softened, attentive.
"I was trying to think of a way to help them overcome their fear," Naruto continued. "But no matter what I think of… nothing really feels right."
He frowned slightly. "I can't find anything helpful."
Izumi smiled as she stepped closer and gently patted his head, her touch affectionate and familiar.
"Little brother Naruto is very thoughtful," She said warmly. "Thinking so deeply about helping a friend."
Naruto scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed. "I just… don't want them to suffer."
Izumi nodded, her eyes kind.
"Helping someone overcome their worst fear is not easy," She said softly. "There's no perfect solution."
She paused, choosing her words carefully. "The simplest, and often the most effective, method is support. Standing beside them. Helping them face their fear at their own pace."
Naruto listened closely.
"But sometimes," Izumi continued, "an emotional outburst can also help. A moment that forces them to confront what they're running from."
She smiled faintly. "Still… in the end, it all depends on the person themselves."
Naruto nodded slowly.
"…Yeah," He murmured. "I'll think about it."
The answer didn't magically solve his problem, but it steadied him.
Naruto bowed his head slightly. "Sorry again for bumping into you."
Izumi waved it off lightly. "Just be careful next time."
Naruto chuckled. "Guess I should watch where I'm going."
"I'd say so," She replied teasingly.
Naruto took a step back. "I should get going. I've got somewhere I need to be."
"Take care, Naruto." Izumi nodded before she turned and walked past him, her steps unhurried as she continued toward her destination.
Naruto watched her retreating figure for a moment, and a small, thoughtful smile crossed his face.
'Support… emotional push… Maybe that's the key.'
Then he turned in the opposite direction and continued down the street.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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