Shihouin Naraku understood he had become famous throughout the ninja world. What he hadn't fully grasped was just how overwhelming that fame would be in daily life.
Simply walking down Konoha's streets with Uzuki Yugao had transformed into an ordeal. Every passerby stared at him with near-religious reverence, their gazes so intense he half-expected them to drop to their knees and start burning incense. The attention made his skin crawl with discomfort.
While Naraku endured worship, Yugao faced an entirely different reception. The murderous glares from other women felt like physical kunai aimed at her back. Their eyes screamed a single message: How dare you monopolize him?
"Let's find somewhere to eat," Naraku suggested, his voice strained. "Quickly."
"Excellent idea," Yugao agreed, equally eager to escape.
Fighting tailed beasts would be infinitely preferable to enduring this suffocating attention. At least in battle, he knew how to respond. This celebrity worship left him completely defenseless.
They practically fled to the nearest upscale restaurant, but even entering the lobby provided no relief. The stares followed them, intensifying if anything in the enclosed space.
"A private room, please," Naraku requested, trying to maintain his composure.
"L-Lord Naraku!" The hostess nearly dropped her menus. "Right this way! Immediately!"
The enthusiastic waitress ushered them to a private dining room with unseemly haste. No sooner had she departed than the restaurant owner himself appeared, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Lord Naraku! Such an honor! Your meal today—no, every meal you ever have here—is complimentary! This room is yours exclusively! I'll have our master chef prepare his finest—"
After politely but firmly dismissing the owner (who seemed ready to personally oversee every aspect of their dining experience), Naraku finally slumped in his chair.
"You'll have to endure this for a while," Yugao said sympathetically, pouring his tea. "Your fame won't die down anytime soon."
Naraku groaned but then perked up with mischievous glee. "Speaking of enduring, Yugao—did you notice those women plotting your murder with their eyes? Better watch your back. One might 'accidentally' throw a kunai when you're not looking."
His tone dripped with schadenfreude, which Yugao caught immediately. Rather than being intimidated, she lifted her chin defiantly.
"So what? I gave up my closest friends to win you over. You think I'm afraid of some jealous fangirls?"
Naraku raised his teacup in a mock toast. "That's my woman—absolutely ruthless when it counts."
Even before his recent legendary status, Shihouin Naraku had been Konoha's most eligible bachelor. Student of a Sannin, elite medical ninja, accomplished jonin, and devastatingly handsome—he'd topped every romantic ranking the village gossips could devise.
Most Handsome Ninja. Most Desirable Boyfriend. Most Likely to Cause Swooning. The lists went on embarrassingly.
Only Hatake Kakashi had provided any competition, though his insistence on wearing that mask cost him points. Once people glimpsed his perpetually tired "dead fish eyes," his rankings plummeted further.
Kakashi remained competitive only in two categories: Most Devoted Ninja and Most Tragic Romance. The latter he dominated completely.
His regular visits to the memorial stone to honor Rin and Obito had earned him massive sympathy votes. Until, that is, someone maliciously noted he seemed to spend more time talking to Obito's side of the stone than Rin's. That observation knocked him off the Ideal Boyfriend list entirely.
Still, his position as Most Devoted Ninja remained secure, bolstered by surprising support from Konoha's male population who admired his loyalty to fallen comrades.
Naraku and Yugao spent their meal reminiscing about these absurd rankings and village gossip, the atmosphere light and pleasant.
Their peace shattered with a thunderous knock.
"NARAKU! Where are you hiding, brat?"
"Lady Tsunade, please lower your voice. People are staring..."
"Who cares? That kid's more famous than me now! I don't understand it at all!"
Naraku and Yugao exchanged resigned looks. Those were definitely Tsunade and Shizune's voices.
Yugao rose to answer the door. The moment she opened it, Shizune stumbled forward—apparently she'd been leaning against it while supporting a very drunk Tsunade. All three women tumbled to the floor in an undignified heap.
"...Seriously?" Naraku watched the pile of limbs struggle to separate. He couldn't exactly grab his Hokage and haul her upright, so he waited while they sorted themselves out.
Eventually, all three women made it to seats, though Tsunade immediately grabbed a sake bottle from their table.
"Sensei," Naraku said carefully, eyeing her flushed face, "shouldn't you be in your office right now? Processing the post-war paperwork?"
"Hehe... HAHAHAHA!" Tsunade took a massive swig directly from the bottle. "I'M the Hokage! There's no such thing as advisors telling ME what to do..."
Except there is, and I'm one of them, Naraku thought but didn't say.
He sighed deeply. His rare free day for a romantic date had been thoroughly hijacked.
"Hehehe..." Tsunade pointed an unsteady finger at him. "I knew you were popular with girls, but a girlfriend? My student became the new God of Shinobi! Grandfather would die of shock! HAHAHAHA!"
She rambled on, complaints pouring out with the sake. "So much paperwork... No time for gambling... Hey, Naraku, you're rich now, right? Lend me money for the tables..."
The pressure of being Fifth Hokage had clearly reached a breaking point. With both wars concluded victoriously, she'd finally found an excuse to cut loose.
Neither Naraku nor Yugao had the heart to stop her. They let her drink until she passed out completely, then helped Shizune carry their Hokage home.
Despite the interruption, the date ended pleasantly enough once they returned to Naraku's apartment. The real "battle" began there, with red silk sheets bearing witness to their renewed passion after long separation...
The brief respite passed too quickly. As Naraku settled into his role as Senior Advisor, Jiraiya finally returned with his forces.
Konoha erupted in celebration once more. With all conflicts resolved, true peace had returned.
Yet Jiraiya showed no interest in playing the returning hero. Already, he prepared to depart on another of his "research journeys" through the ninja world.
At Training Ground Three, a small group gathered in the treeline: Tsunade, Naraku, Kakashi, and Jiraiya. They watched silently as Uzumaki Naruto trained with desperate intensity.
"BOOM!"
Another Rasengan crater appeared in the abused ground.
"How long has he been at this?" Jiraiya asked quietly.
"Since I brought him back from the Valley of the End," Tsunade replied, her eyes on the necklace bouncing against Naruto's chest with each movement. "He's torturing himself, just like you did. Hating himself for failing to bring back his friend."
Jiraiya fell silent, remembering his own desperate pursuit of Orochimaru. The final, ugly confrontation where the Sannin's bonds shattered forever...
"This is my failure," Kakashi said heavily. "As his teacher, I should have prevented this."
The Copy Ninja's visible eye reflected deep pain. Watching another student walk the path of vengeance and darkness struck too close to his own losses. Memories of Obito haunted him—another teammate he'd failed to save, another friend lost to darkness.
Shihouin Naraku glanced between his three melancholy companions. They all wore matching expressions of guilt and regret while he stood there feeling... nothing in particular.
Well, this is awkward, he thought. Should I pretend to look sad too?
He understood their pain intellectually. Naruto had failed to retrieve Sasuke, who'd defected to Orochimaru. For those with deep bonds to their students and teammates, such failure cut deep.
But Naraku himself felt disconnected from their grief. He'd completed his missions, won his battles, protected the village. The Uchiha boy's defection was unfortunate but hardly worth this level of melodrama.
"Perhaps," he offered carefully, "instead of wallowing in past failures, you could focus on helping Naruto grow stronger? He'll need that strength whether to save his friend or survive future challenges."
The others turned to stare at him.
"What?" Naraku shrugged. "Standing here looking depressed won't change anything. That boy needs training, not your guilt."
Jiraiya barked out a surprised laugh. "Leave it to you to cut through the drama, kid. You're right, of course."
"Always the pragmatist," Tsunade muttered, though she looked slightly less morose.
Kakashi said nothing, but his posture straightened slightly.
They continued watching Naruto train, but now with purpose rather than mere regret. Plans began forming—ways to help the boy grow, techniques to teach him, methods to channel his pain into progress.
The war had ended, but for Konoha's ninja, the real battles were often internal. Naraku might not fully understand his companions' emotional struggles, but he could at least point them toward productive action.
After all, the ninja world kept spinning regardless of personal tragedies. Better to keep moving forward than drown in the past.
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