The Next Morning.
Yuto returned to the long-absent ninja academy. The moment he stepped into the classroom, he spotted Naruto, bruised and battered, slumping at his desk with a dejected look while Shikamaru patted his shoulder in quiet consolation.
"Good morning," Yuto greeted as he walked over.
"Whoa, you actually showed up to school?" Shikamaru's eyes widened in disbelief. "Now that's a rare sight!"
"Well, technically, I'm still enrolled as a student in Konoha," Yuto shrugged.
"Dude, that's just ridiculous," Naruto groaned, wincing as he spoke. "If Konoha has students like you, it should count itself lucky!"
As they chatted, more students trickled into the classroom.
"Yuto!" Ino's eyes lit up the moment she spotted the bespectacled boy in the back row, and she hurried over. "You're actually attending class today?"
"Good morning, Yuto" Sakura greeted with a warm smile.
"Morning, ladies," Yuto waved. "Feels like forever since we last saw each other in class, huh?"
"'Forever'? Try two whole months!" Ino nearly pounced on him for a hug but held back, mindful of the classroom setting.
"Today's my last day of school, so take care of me, everyone," Yuto said lightly.
The mood instantly turned somber.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "So it's been decided, then?"
"Yeah. The Hokage wants me to start interning with the Anbu soon" Yuto replied with a smile.
"That old geezer can't keep his word for crap!" Naruto snapped, scowling. "He promised you could finish the term before becoming a ninja. What's the damn rush?"
"Don't be too hard on him, Naruto," Shikamaru sighed. "The Hokage just wants Yuto to grow faster—he's basically grooming him as his successor."
"Too bad our Yuto couldn't care less about being Hokage," Ino teased with a smirk.
It was hard to believe.
Once upon a time, she too had idolized the title, seeing it as the most honorable position in Konoha. But now, Ino and the rest of their little group couldn't care less.
"I do care a little, actually," Yuto chuckled. "The Fifth Hokage has to be my master, Tsunade. Then, it'll be Naruto's turn to take over after her."
"Me?!" Naruto jabbed a finger at his own nose, shaking his head violently. "No way! I'm gonna be a citizen of the Land of Waves! If I stay in Konoha, my mom will break my legs!"
"Yikes, is your mom really that scary?" Sakura gasped.
"Scarier than you can imagine, Sakura-chan," Naruto whined, rubbing his bruised face. "She looks all sweet and pretty, but deep down, she's a humanoid monster! Look what she did to her long-lost son's face—this is her idea of 'love'!"
"Naruto, some things are better left unsaid," Yuto clapped him on the shoulder, subtly signaling with his eyes. "Pretty sure you brought at least part of this beating on yourself, no?"
"How is it my fault?! I didn't know she was the No. 1 Espada!"
Naruto huffed, dead serious. "Listen, Yuto, you're totally fooled by her act. The second you two actually get married, she'll beat the crap out of you!"
'You're digging your own grave, kid.'
Yuto fell silent.
He could already hear Kushina's knuckles cracking inside the Spirit Pearl. Naruto had a real talent for self-sabotage.
"Kushina, calm down," Mikoto said gently. "He's just a kid. He doesn't understand these things yet."
"You know why I beat him up last night?" Kushina muttered darkly.
"Wasn't it because he called you a 'green-faced, fanged, three-headed freak'?" Mikoto asked, puzzled.
"That was just the tip of the iceberg," Kushina took a deep breath. "The real reason? I found a stash of questionable manga under his bed!"
"Uh…"
Mikoto hesitated. "At his age, isn't that… kinda normal?"
Hell, compared to what she and Yuto got up to, manga was downright tame. They were just waiting for him to come of age for the real deal.
"What if it's men… with other men?" Kushina's face darkened.
"W-what?!" Mikoto paled.
"Oh, and tucked between those pages?" Kushina delivered the killing blow. "A cross-dressing photo of your son."
*Crack.*
Mikoto froze, her soul seemingly leaving her body.
Even Yuto felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
'Naruto had a hidden stash of Sasuke's cross-dressing pics?! What kind of plot twist is this?!'
'This wasn't in the original story!'
"Uh, sis, are you sure?" Yuto whispered. "Where would Naruto even get those?"
"Ever heard of cameras? Half the school took pics during the Chunin Exams!" Kushina hissed, hands on her hips. "He won that photo in a card game!"
"…I don't even know what to say."
"Honestly, this is your fault!" Kushina glared. "If you hadn't pulled that stunt during the exams, he wouldn't have 'expanded his horizons' like this!"
"Fine, I'll… "guide" him back on track," Yuto chuckled awkwardly.
*Bzzzt.*
A sudden vibration came from his pocket.
Yuto blinked and pulled out the "Mysterious Communicator".
[Match Found: Suitable Friend Located.]
His eyebrows shot up.
"Huh. It actually worked?"
"After over a month?"
Both women peered at the screen curiously.
[Begin Conversation?]
Without hesitation, Yuto tapped Yes.
[Select Your Online Alias (profile name):]
1. Dumb Snack
2. Middle-Aged Women's Emotional Support
3. Danzo's Plush Toy
'I DON'T WANT ANY OF THESE!'
Yuto's eye twitched before reluctantly selecting 1.
[???]: Interesting. A mysterious chat?
[Dumb Snack]: Hey. What's your Name?
[???]: Hold on, gotta deal with something first…
[Dumb Snack]: Huh?
[???]: Just a 1000-year-old Cursed King. Don't worry—I'll win!
"What's a '1000-year-old Cursed King'?" Kushina frowned.
Before Yuto could answer—
[Your Friend Has Died.]
Yuto stared at the grayed-out screen in silence.
'WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT'
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