Naruto and Sakura had only just stepped out of the classroom when they spotted Nonō walking hand in hand with a little girl.
The child had long, crimson hair and followed obediently beside Nonō.
"Auntie Nonō," Naruto called out, then turned to Sakura to introduce her. "She's Nagato-sensei's wife."
"Naruto, are you off to buy snacks?"
Nonō stopped and smiled warmly when she saw him.
"Nii-chan, Naruto!"
The little girl called out in a sweet, childish voice, utterly adorable.
"Hey, Moeka!"
Naruto grinned and ran over, giving her chubby cheeks a playful squeeze.
"This your classmate?"
"She's pretty cute."
"I'm also a teacher at this Academy. My name is Nonō Yakushi."
Noticing Sakura standing beside Naruto, Nonō greeted her with a gentle smile.
"Hello, Nonō-sensei," Sakura said, immediately tensing up upon learning she was a teacher.
"I don't teach your class, so no need to be nervous."
Nonō reached out and brushed aside Sakura's bangs with a comforting touch.
"Mm."
Sakura nodded but still couldn't shake off her nerves.
"Break time isn't long, so you two should go on ahead."
"I don't have any more classes, so I'm taking Moeka out for a bit."
With that, Nonō took her daughter's hand, bid Naruto farewell, and soon disappeared into the crowd.
...
"Nagato-sensei is my dad's junior disciple," Naruto explained as they walked toward the convenience store.
"And Auntie Nonō was trained by Granny Tsunade."
As for who his father and Tsunade were, there wasn't a single person in the village who didn't know.
"Oh, I see."
Sakura nodded, feeling a twinge of envy at how many powerful people surrounded Naruto.
...
"We're here! Grab whatever you want."
"Boss, three bottles of soda and two bags of chips."
Sasuke had only asked for one soda, and Naruto didn't bother getting him anything extra.
After all, he knew he wouldn't even get a simple "thank you" out of him.
"I'll just take this."
After hesitating for a moment, Sakura picked up a pack of instant noodles, looking a little uneasy.
Even though she knew Naruto wasn't short on money, she still felt guilty about letting him treat her.
"Boss, check out."
Naruto didn't insist on buying anything extra for Sakura. After paying the bill, he left the store with her.
As they chatted back and forth, they became more familiar with each other.
Back in the classroom, Naruto casually tossed a soda toward Sasuke, who was still reading. Meanwhile, Sakura walked straight to her seat.
Without even looking up, Sasuke caught it effortlessly and muttered, "Thanks."
"Here, this one's yours."
Naruto walked over to Shikamaru and pressed the cold soda against his cheek.
"Ugh, that's freezing."
"Consider it compensation."
Shikamaru took a sip of the soda, then, without hesitation, handed the bag of chips to Chōji right in front of Naruto.
"Hello, Naruto Namikaze."
"A friend of Shikamaru's is a friend of mine."
Naruto didn't mind Shikamaru's actions. He knew Shikamaru wasn't the type to share so easily unless he really considered someone a friend.
"Hello, Chōji Akimichi."
Chōji's face lit up with a big grin as he happily accepted the full bag of chips.
"It's time for class. I'm heading back."
Naruto glanced at the time and quickly returned to his seat.
Nagato walked into the classroom right on cue as the bell rang. Another dry and sleep-inducing theory lesson began.
This time, Naruto had learned his lesson. Every time he felt drowsy, he stood up for a moment to shake it off. That way, he managed to stay awake—and, more importantly, avoid getting smacked.
Of course, the real reason he made the effort was because Sasuke had warned him about what would happen if Nagato reported him to Kushina.
Naruto had thought it through. To protect his own backside, he decided that from now on, he would never sleep in class again.
...
The day passed quickly, and after school, Naruto and Sasuke left the Academy together.
At the fork in the road, they split up since they didn't live in the same direction.
"I'm home!"
As soon as Naruto pushed open the door, the mouthwatering aroma of food filled the air.
"Your father will be home from work soon."
"Wash your hands and get ready for dinner."
Wearing an apron and smiling warmly, Kushina carried a large pot of soup to the table.
Her happiest moment every day was watching Minato and Naruto enjoy her cooking.
"Okay!"
Naruto tossed his school bag onto the couch and ran to the kitchen to wash his hands.
Once the table was set, Kushina and Naruto waited for Minato to come home.
"How was school today?"
Like any caring parent, Kushina hoped that Naruto was both learning and enjoying himself at the Academy.
"It was great."
"I even met a girl named Sakura Haruno."
"She kinda reminds me of you, Mom."
Naruto thought back and realized that Sakura did share some traits with his mother.
"Oh? Really?"
"A good woman like your mother, huh? You'd better treat her well!"
Kushina's eyes sparkled at the thought. She had always considered herself a prime example of a great woman.
Other than the occasional, uh... physical discipline, there were no issues at all.
"Alright, Mom."
"Tell me more—what else happened today?"
...
Naruto and Kushina kept chatting for who knows how long, until finally, Minato appeared in the dining room.
"Dad, you're back!"
Naruto turned to greet him.
"I'm home."
"Did everything go well at school today?"
After washing his hands, Minato sat down at the table and, just like Kushina, asked about Naruto's day.
Naruto repeated his answer, not the least bit tired of talking about it.
The family of three ate and talked, their laughter filling the room with warmth and happiness.
...
Meanwhile, when Sasuke returned home, he noticed his older brother still wasn't back.
"Dad, why isn't Itachi home yet?"
Sasuke remembered that Itachi had promised to practice shuriken with him today.
"Sometimes the lab keeps him busy."
"As Lord Orochimaru's disciple, your brother has a lot of responsibilities."
"You need to be understanding of him."
Fugaku patted Sasuke's head, his words carrying the weight of his expectations for Itachi.
"...Alright."
"But he promised to practice shuriken with me."
Sasuke pouted slightly, clearly disappointed.
"Does it have to be your brother?"
"Isn't your father good enough?"
At Mikoto's words, Sasuke's eyes brightened noticeably.
"Of course!"
"But... do you have time, Dad?"
Sasuke stared at Fugaku, full of anticipation.
"How could I not make time for my precious son?"
"Now hurry up and eat. Once you're done, we'll start training."
With no internal or external threats pressing on the Uchiha clan, Fugaku had both the time and energy to focus on his family.
"Alright!"
"Then, I'm digging in!"
After watching Fugaku take the first bite, Sasuke immediately buried his face in his food.
"Slow down, there's no rush."
Mikoto gently placed more food onto his plate, her eyes filled with affection.
...
By the time the three of them had finished eating, Itachi finally returned home.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Itachi looked at Sasuke apologetically. It wasn't that he had forgotten his promise—he had just been tied up with work.
"Hmph! I don't need you anymore."
"Father is training me now!"
Sasuke lifted his chin slightly in defiance, clearly sulking.
"Have you eaten?"
Mikoto took Itachi's coat and brushed off the dust.
"I have."
Itachi nodded, then turned to coax Sasuke.
"How about this? Father and I will both help you train in shuriken today."
"...Fine. I guess I can forgive you—just this once."