When Naruto finally returned to his now tidier apartment, the rather pleasant aroma of his own cooking welcomed him.
After a filling dinner and a warm bath – during which Hana, of course, quickly 'covered' her view in Naruto's mind, though a faint smile and a subtle blush might have been hidden behind the fingers she used to cover her eyes – Naruto re-entered his subconscious.
Hana was already waiting for him, sitting gracefully within her seal. Her cheeks were still slightly flushed recalling the 'incident' in the bathroom earlier.
"Ahem! Are you done, Naruto-kun?" she cleared her throat, trying to sound professional. "Alright, let's continue your lesson!"
"Ready, Hana-neechan!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.
"Since you've begun to understand how to manipulate your wind chakra for cutting, today I'll teach you your first real wind jutsu," Hana said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Its name is Fūton: Reppūshō (Wind Style: Gale Palm). It's a very useful basic jutsu."
She stood up. "Next, you must watch my hand seals carefully." After that, she began to demonstrate the hand seal movements.
The speed of the hand seal formation was very slow, as if every small movement was deliberately slowed down just to allow Naruto to see every step and detail clearly. Naruto watched Hana's hands intently, not daring to be distracted for even a moment, and mimicked her movements with full concentration. After a while, he managed to complete the sequence of hand seals simultaneously with Hana.
"Good, Naruto-kun! You learn quickly!" Hana nodded in satisfaction. She then took a breath, focused her chakra, and thrust her palm forward. Fūton: Reppūshō!
A small but concentrated gust of wind shot from her palm, making the water beneath Naruto's feet ripple slightly.
"Woah!" Naruto's eyes sparkled.
Hana then patiently explained the principle of the Fūton: Reppūshō jutsu while Naruto was still memorizing and practicing the hand seals. "The principle is to condense wind chakra in your hand, or it can also be from your mouth after forming the seals, then release it as a concentrated wave of wind pressure. Its power depends on how much chakra you channel and how well you condense it."
After several attempts and with Hana's guidance, Naruto finally succeeded. Fūton: Reppūshō!
A very weak gust of wind, almost like a normal puff of air, came out of his palm.
"I did it, Hana-neechan! Although... it's really small," Naruto said, a little disappointed with the result.
"That's already very good for a first attempt at an elemental jutsu!" Hana encouraged. "Remember, Naruto-kun, foundation is the most important thing for a ninja. Those dazzling and powerful jutsu are just additions that come from a solid foundation. For now, rest. You can learn this jutsu slowly in between your missions and physical training."
From that moment on, the next day and the days that followed, Naruto's life underwent significant changes. He trained his physique more intensely in the morning before team meetings, even before the sun had fully risen. After missions with Team 7, he would spend his afternoons in the forest learning his wind jutsu under Hana's direction.
Not forgetting, Naruto also began to take his nutritional intake seriously. He bought fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat according to Hana's recommendations. After several attempts that ended with a slightly burnt kitchen or dishes with a, well, unique taste… Naruto could finally cook decent meals, some of which were even quite tasty.
Although Hana-neechan often nagged him from within his mind to reduce instant ramen and prioritize a balanced diet, ("Naruto-kun, how many times do I have to tell you, vegetables are important! Your brain needs nutrients, not just noodles and MSG!"), Naruto never complained. Instead, a warmth spread through his chest every time he heard that nagging. It felt good to have someone who genuinely cared and paid such close attention to him.
Naruto's teammates certainly noticed the subtle changes in him.
Sakura Haruno was confused because Naruto was no longer as annoying or constantly seeking her attention in silly and noisy ways. He seemed more focused, though still often clumsy. But, Sakura's thoughts were mostly on Sasuke-kun, so she didn't think much further about it. 'Maybe he finally realized I'll never look his way,' Sakura thought occasionally.
Uchiha Sasuke, on the other hand, noticed Naruto's development more sharply. There was something different about his rival – his stamina seemed to have increased, his movements were a bit more focused, and, most strangely, Naruto no longer ate only ramen. Though he was very, very reluctant to admit it, if anyone paid the most attention to the details of Naruto's changes, it was Sasuke. A faint frown often appeared on his forehead when he saw Naruto training alone more diligently than usual.
Hatake Kakashi just thought that Naruto had grown a little more mature since the mission in the Land of Waves. Although still as noisy as usual and often making strange remarks, his annoyance level had somehow decreased a bit. 'Maybe the near-death experience made him a little wiser,' Kakashi thought while reading his favorite book.
Finally, after an unknown amount of time had passed with this new routine, one morning they met at the bridge where they usually gathered. They were about to receive a mission as usual from Kakashi when suddenly a ninja hawk flew in the sky and called out. Kakashi looked at the hawk and said.
"Hmm, looks like there's a sudden call for the Jounin. You three get a sudden day off today. Make good use of it." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Seeing that they apparently had a day off, Naruto immediately said, "Yosh! In that case, I'm going home, I have training to do!" Without waiting for an answer, he immediately turned and left.
Sasuke also intended to do the same, wanting to go home and train by himself immediately. Sakura, seeing an opportunity, mustered her courage. "W-wait, Sasuke-kun!" she called. "Since it's a day off, how about we... go for a little walk? There's a new tea shop I want to try..."
Sasuke turned, looking at Sakura with a piercingly cold gaze. "A walk?" he hissed. "Sakura, you're too weak. Even worse than that Dobe now. Don't waste my time with useless things like that. You should use your time to train." After uttering those sharp words, Sasuke simply walked away, leaving a stunned Sakura behind.
Naruto, who had walked a few steps ahead, looked back because he felt something was off. He saw Sakura standing alone on the bridge, her head bowed. "Huh? Sakura-chan? Why are you alone?" He walked back towards Sakura. "Where's Sasuke?"
Sakura quickly lifted her face, trying to smile though her eyes were a little teary. "Ah, Naruto... Sasuke-kun... he had urgent business."
Naruto, who hadn't heard Sakura and Sasuke's conversation earlier, just nodded innocently. "Oh, I see. Hmm," he scratched his head. "Since it's a day off today, how about we find some good food, Sakura-chan? I know a new dango place that just opened, they say it's really good!" he invited, trying to dispel the faint aura of sadness he vaguely sensed from Sakura.
Sakura was silent for a moment, perhaps still remembering Sasuke's hurtful words and was about to refuse. But after thinking for a moment, Naruto's sincere attention felt a little comforting. "...Alright, Naruto. Why not." The two of them then walked side by side along the village road.
As he walked, Naruto suddenly sensed a strange presence coming from behind him. He looked back and saw a rectangular rock with clear edges and corners following them slowly. This rock had a strange shape. Not only was it rectangular, but there were also two small peepholes on top. It looked very odd.
Naruto lifted his lips slightly, smirking. In his mind, Hana also giggled. 'Kids these days,' Hana thought.
'This is definitely no ordinary rock,' Naruto thought. 'Who else could pull off such a silly trick besides those little devils?'
So, he deliberately shouted loudly, "Whoa! How can there be a square rock with two small holes like that in the middle of the road!? So weird!"
As soon as he finished speaking, loud laughter was heard from behind the rock: "Hahaha! He's indeed worthy of being my chosen one! He's indeed worthy of being my rival!" Immediately after, the strange rock exploded with a 'POOF!', creating a cloud of dust and thick smoke. In the midst of the smoke, three small figures were vaguely visible, coughing continuously.
"Cough, cough, cough! We used too much gunpowder, Konohamaru-kun!" One voice complained.
"Quiet, Udon! This is part of the dramatic effect!" another voice retorted.
As the smoke gradually cleared, Naruto and Sakura finally saw the scene clearly. It turned out that the people standing there were three little ninja prospects from Konoha Village - Moegi, Udon, and Konohamaru Sarutobi.
Currently, they were all covered in dust and dirt, but they still held back their coughs, trying to stand tall, and posed in various postures they considered the coolest.
Moegi placed her hands on her hips confidently and said in a high-pitched voice, "Adult Kunoichi Charm! - Moegi is here!"
Udon seriously adjusted his slipping glasses and announced loudly, "I'm Udon! The best data analyst!"
Finally, Konohamaru, with his signature blue scarf, lifted his head high and shouted proudly: "The strongest genius ninja in the village, future Hokage, Konohamaru! The three of us are collectively known as the Konohamaru Detective Squad! Come on, Aniki! Join us on an investigation mission!"
Seeing their cute and adorable appearance despite the mess, Naruto and Sakura couldn't help but smile at each other, with helpless expressions on their faces. Naruto walked closer, gently touched Konohamaru's head, and said with a smile: "You guys... you're always up to something."
"Aniki, Aniki! Play with us from now on!" Konohamaru immediately surrounded Naruto, tugging at the hem of his jacket and acting coaxingly.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Naruto looked uneasy, scratching the back of his un-itchy head. "Um, Konohamaru, actually I..." he glanced briefly at Sakura, "Well, this is a bit troublesome... I have other things to take care of today." Training with Hana-neechan was far more important than playing.
Konohamaru immediately pouted, his lips jutting out a few centimeters. "But Aniki said you'd play ninja games with us when you have free time! This is free time, kore!" he whined, unwilling to back down.
At that moment, Sakura, standing beside him, folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "Hmph! What's the point of real ninjas playing ninja games? We should all be training our ninjutsu more if we want to get strong," she complained helplessly, though her words were more directed at herself after Sasuke's earlier remark.
Suddenly Moegi, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, pointed towards Sakura. "Aniki Naruto, who is this beautiful big sister? Is she a new member of our squad?"
Hearing this, Konohamaru scrutinized Sakura from top to bottom, then looked at Naruto, then back at Sakura. A mischievous idea seemed to flash in his clever mind. Konohamaru's heart was moved, and he suddenly realized it, or so he thought.
"Hehehe," Konohamaru grinned mischievously, his eyes twinkling knowingly. "Aniki Naruto is truly someone not to be underestimated! You've got a girlfriend, it seems! That sister... could she be Aniki's... this!" Konohamaru cheekily held up his pinky finger towards Naruto, implying Sakura was Naruto's girlfriend. Udon next to him just nodded in agreement with a serious face.
When Sakura saw this, she was initially stunned, not understanding. Then, as the meaning of the pinky finger sank in, her face instantly turned beet red like a boiled crab. "W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU BRAT?!" she snapped, glaring at Konohamaru. She then turned to Naruto with a mixed expression of anger, embarrassment, and something else.
Naruto himself felt his face heat up under Sakura's gaze. He scratched his un-itchy head, unsure how to respond. "Uh, well... Konohamaru, you..." he was about to say shyly, perhaps a little denying but also a little... pleased?
However, before he could open his mouth further, Hana's 'gentle' voice sounded so clearly in his mind, like the whisper of a demon disguised as an angel. "Ara~ ara~ So Naruto-kun has a girlfriend, huh? Fufufu~ Why wasn't Onee-chan told before... You two are so sweet~ I'm curious how far your relationship has gone~" Her tone sounded so sweet, yet Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.
Naruto got a very, very bad feeling, though he didn't know exactly what it was. His reflexes worked faster than his brain. "N-NO! Of course not, Konohamaru!" he denied quickly and firmly, his face panicked. "Sakura-chan is my friend! My precious teammate! Don't talk nonsense, dattebayo! She'll get angry, you know!" A far cry from his original reaction in the anime, where he might have been shy or even a little pleased with the accusation.
Sakura, who had been ready to throw a punch at Naruto if he responded wrongly, let out a sigh of relief unknowingly upon hearing Naruto's quick and firm answer. Thank goodness he denied it. But somehow... there was a slight... strange feeling? Like a small pinch in her heart? 'No way! I like Sasuke-kun! Don't think such things, Sakura!' She quickly pushed that strange thought far away.
Konohamaru just shrugged disappointedly. "Hmph, Aniki Naruto is boring! No fun!" Then, his face brightened again. "But come on, Aniki! Just play ninja for a little while! Yeah? Yeah? We haven't played in so long!" Moegi and Udon nodded in agreement.
Naruto sighed softly. "Haaah... Alright, alright. Just for a little while, okay?"
"YAAAAY!" Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon immediately cheered with delight. "You guys be the villains, Aniki Naruto, Big Sis Sakura! Catch us if you can!" The three kids immediately ran off at full speed down the village streets, laughing merrily.
Naruto turned to Sakura with a resigned expression. "Looks like we don't have much choice," he said with a faint smile.
Sakura, for some reason, felt a little lighter and smiled faintly too. "Well, consider it a warm-up." The two of them then began to 'chase' the three kids at a leisurely pace, letting them run a little way ahead.
However, the fun didn't last long. A moment later, Konohamaru, who was running at the front while looking back to tease Naruto, without watching the path ahead, suddenly...
THUD!
"Ouch!" Konohamaru yelped in pain.
"Konohamaru!" Moegi and Udon exclaimed in unison, stopping their run.
Konohamaru had bumped hard into someone, causing himself to be thrown back and land sitting on the ground. The person he had collided with was a man dressed all in black with strange purple stripes on his face and seemed to be carrying a large bundle covered in bandages on his back. Beside the man walked a girl with pale blonde hair tied into four pigtails, carrying a large folded iron fan on her back. Both of them clearly didn't look like they were from Konoha.