Mikoto's voice trembled, soft and full of motherly concern."Is he… going to be alright?"
Naruto didn't hesitate."Yes."
The certainty in his voice made Mikoto's shoulders relax. She let out a slow breath, relief washing over her features.
"There's more," Naruto continued, his tone calm but serious. "Orochimaru has a student with a similar bloodline disease. His kekkei genkai is too powerful—his body's literally being torn apart by it. You've probably heard of the Kaguya clan, right? Their kekkei genkai, Shikotsumyaku, is... monstrous. Bone manipulation so advanced it eats the user from the inside."
Fugaku's brows furrowed. Mikoto's expression tightened again.
"Orochimaru's been experimenting to find a solution," Naruto added. "I plan to meet with him. Don't worry—he may still be obsessed with immortality, but he's changed his approach. He's not the same madman he once was. His research might just be the key to Itachi's survival."
He leaned back slightly, eyes gleaming with confidence now.
"And besides… we've got the best healer in the world."A smug grin curled on his lips. "With Tsunade on our side, everything's going to be alright."
The way he said her name—proud and just a little playful—didn't go unnoticed.
Mikoto raised an eyebrow, a teasing sparkle in her eye."Oh? Is Tsunade your—?"
She didn't get to finish.
Naruto flashed a cheeky grin and interrupted smoothly."Didn't you know? Tsunade's already one of my girls."
Mikoto blinked, then broke into soft laughter, shaking her head.Fugaku smirked quietly. Even Sasuke side-eyed him, somewhere between disbelief and respect.
Naruto just shrugged, basking in the quiet approval.Because in this home, among these people, he wasn't just a hero.
He was family.
The conversation eased into lighter topics. Laughter trickled in between stories, memories, and gentle jabs. It was the kind of warmth that only came from people who knew each other's pain—and still chose to smile through it.
But then Naruto, with his usual timing, decided to drop a nuke.
"I'm going to travel around the world. For two years," he said casually, like he was announcing the weather.
Three pairs of eyes froze. Three hearts skipped.
Sasuke unfroze first.
"What? No!" he snapped, eyes blazing.
Naruto blinked. "Huh?"
"You're not doing this again! What is this? Some kind of joke? First Itachi, now you?!" Sasuke stood, fists clenched, practically trembling.
Naruto opened his mouth to explain. "Look, I just—"
"No means no!" Sasuke barked, eyes narrowed.
And just like that, they were back at it. Arguing, snapping, stomping over each other's sentences.
Mikoto's patience had limits—and they just hit them.
WHACK!
Both boys recoiled from a double bonk to the head, delivered with deadly precision.
"Mom!""Obasan!"
They rubbed their heads in sync, looking like two scolded puppies.
"What are you two even doing? Fighting again? Over something this childish?" Mikoto scolded, her words sharp, her tone sharper.
Heads lowered, shoulders slumped. Neither dared to argue. Fugaku sipped his tea slowly, eyes on the window.
For fifteen long minutes, Mikoto laid into them, blending lecture with motherly wisdom—and enough emotional pressure to make grown shinobi cry.
When she was done, she sighed deeply… then hugged both of them tight, kissing their foreheads.
Fugaku, sensing the storm had passed, made a move toward the hallway.
A single glare from Mikoto pinned him in place.
"…Yes, I'd also like to say a few things," he muttered and reluctantly joined in.
Naruto and Sasuke shared a malicious grin behind their backs.
As the air settled, Naruto turned to Sasuke. "Then how about this—you come too."
Sasuke blinked. "Huh?"
"Travel. You've been stuck in the village too long. You wanna grow, learn, find yourself or whatever broody thing you're thinking? Do it with a passport," Naruto said, smirking.
Mikoto nodded. "That might actually be good for you."
Fugaku frowned. "But—"
Another Mikoto Glare™.
Fugaku went silent like someone hit mute on the remote.
Sasuke scratched his chin, thinking. "Alright. Then we travel together."
"Heeeehhh, nope. That's not gonna happen," Naruto said, waving him off with a grin.
"What?!"
"You go one way. I go the other. If fate's feeling generous, we'll meet up somewhere mid-journey. Think of it like training—solo."
Mikoto tapped her chin. "I see the logic in that…"
"But why not just go together?" Sasuke pushed.
Naruto mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that?" Fugaku asked.
"I said," Naruto grumbled louder, "who wants to travel with another guy? If it were a cute girl, I might consider."
The room went quiet.
All three Uchihas stared at him.
Clear. Sharp. Not a syllable missed.
Sasuke's eye twitched.Fugaku sighed.Mikoto snorted.
"…Typical," she muttered, already reaching for the wooden spoon.
Naruto's eyes widened as Mikoto reached for the dreaded wooden spoon—a weapon far deadlier than most kunai in his experience.
"Welp! I just remembered—I've got something very urgent to do!"
And with that, he was gone. Poof. Dust trail. Vanished like a guilty toddler.
Mikoto and Fugaku chuckled, used to his antics by now.
Sasuke, however, stayed rooted where he was, thoughtful and conflicted.
Outside the Uchiha estate, Naruto finally slowed his pace and glanced back cautiously.
No one in pursuit.
He exhaled in relief, shoulders relaxing."Close call," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.
But the break was brief. His expression shifted. The second reason for his visit weighed on his mind now.
He walked with purpose, weaving through Konoha's streets until he arrived at the village's largest ninja tools shop—a well-established store that had been around since the Second Shinobi War. If it wasn't in this shop, it didn't exist.
The place looked quiet. Too quiet.
"Oi! Anybody here?" Naruto called, stepping inside.
No answer.
He glanced around—rows of polished weapons, smoke bombs, scrolls, and rare utility gear lined the walls. Still no movement.
"Helloooo?" he repeated, louder this time.
A voice answered from the back, slightly muffled."Yes, I'm coming!"
Naruto raised a brow. He knew that voice.
Footsteps approached.
But the footsteps weren't normal.
There were two sets—clearly—but they moved in such perfect sync it was eerie, almost mechanical. Naruto's brow furrowed.
And then… out stepped someone he didn't expect at all.
"Lee?"
Rock Lee emerged from the back room, his expression calm but his posture clearly strained. He was walking slowly, using a cane for support—his legs unhealed, visibly weakened.
Naruto rushed to his side without hesitation. "Oi, oi! What are you doing walking around like that?" he asked, gently helping Lee to the nearest chair.
Lee smiled faintly, pride refusing to vanish even behind pain. "I came to see Tenten… but she ran off, saying I should look after her shop."
Naruto sighed, almost dramatically. "So I missed her again, huh…? Figures."
He slumped into a chair beside Lee.
"Was it something urgent?" Lee asked with a curious glance.
Naruto waved it off casually, though his face betrayed a hint of disappointment. "Nah. Nothing life-or-death. Forget it."
Lee nodded but his expression turned thoughtful. He seemed... distant. Troubled.
"You still haven't decided what you want to do, huh?" Naruto asked, watching his friend with quiet intensity.
Lee looked up slowly, his eyes soft but hesitant. He gave the smallest nod.
Naruto leaned forward, suddenly serious. "Alright then, I'm gonna hit you with it straight. Two options. You gotta pick one fast. No overthinking."
Lee blinked. "What?"
"No explanations. No context. Just pick one. Trust me," Naruto said, eyes narrowing as he leaned in dramatically.
Lee recoiled slightly, a nervous grin forming. "O-Okay?"
Naruto leaned in, a spark of mischief flickering in his eye.
"1000 push-ups or 1000 kicks?"
"Push-ups!"
"Run up a cliff or jump off it?"
"Run up!"
"Train till sunrise or spar till you drop?"
"Till I drop!"
"Protect your friends or Afraid of death?"
Lee's expression wavered.
But only for a moment.
"…Protect my friends."
Naruto smiled softly. "There it is."
Lee's eyes widened—because suddenly, it all made sense. Naruto wasn't testing him. He was helping Lee find himself again, the way only a true comrade could.
"You already know what you want, Lee. You're just scared to say it out loud."
Lee trembled. Then he stood—legs shaking, body weak—but posture strong.
"…I want to fight again. I want to stand with everyone else, even if I crawl there."
Naruto grinned. "Then let's make sure you do."
Lee's eyes burned, glistening.
And before he could stop himself, he hugged Naruto tight, burying his tears in the shoulder of the boy who never gave up on anyone.
"Yosh, yosh," Naruto whispered with a smile, patting his back. "This is the power of youth, huh?"
They sat there for a while, just two friends—one healing, the other reminding him how.
From behind a tree just outside the tool shop, three pairs of eyes peeked from the shadows.
Tenten, Neji, and Might Guy stood watch like proud parents at a school play.
Guy was already a waterfall of tears. Not a stream, not a river—a full-blown summoning jutsu of emotion.
"My youthful student... MY BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOM!" he wailed, hugging the tree dramatically. "He's finally blooming again!"
Tenten patted his back awkwardly, then wiped a tear of her own, smiling as Lee clung to Naruto like a lifeline.
"I told you," she said, a note of pride in her voice. "If anyone could reach him like this, it was Naruto. He just gets it."
Neji, arms crossed beside her, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. And then—because he was a Byakugan-using genius with the emotional subtlety of a kunai—he dropped the million-ryō question.
"Tenten... are you in love with Naruto?"
Tenten blinked.
Then tilted her head.
"…Don't know," she said casually. "Maybe. Maybe not."
Neji raised a brow. "That's not a no."
"Yeah, well..." she shrugged, eyes still fixed on the two inside the shop. "Let's just say... I like the way he moves."
"You mean emotionally or physically?" Neji pressed like a detective at a confession.
Tenten snorted. "Both."
Neji was about to open his mouth again when she cut him off, smirking. "And no—I'm not gonna copy his method. I'm not Naruto."
"Then what will you do?" Neji asked.
Tenten's eyes sparkled as she stepped away from the tree, heading back toward the street.
"I'll figure it out my own way. With my own hands. Just like he does."
Neji watched her go, silent.
Guy, meanwhile, was still gripping the tree dramatically.
"YOUTH IS AN EVER-BURNING TORCH OF POSSIBILITY!"
"…He's gonna be like this for a while, isn't he?" Neji muttered.
"Yep," Tenten called from ahead. "Better go get the mop."