That hotpot was, without a doubt, the hardest meal Kazane Arata had ever eaten.
Naruto wouldn't shut up for even two seconds, babbling about everything from training to ramen flavors. Sakura barely spoke, but every time she did, the topic somehow circled right back to Sasuke.
And Sasuke? He sat there with the same moody face that practically screamed, I'm brooding, don't talk to me. Conversation? Impossible.
At least the kid liked the food, though. In fact, aside from Naruto's nonstop chopstick warfare, Sasuke was the one who ate the most.
Afterward, the four of them slumped onto the sofa, stuffed and lazy. Arata was already planning out his afternoon nap strategy—If I wake up, I'll open the store. If not, screw it, we're closed.
Naruto had other ideas. "Let's play games!"
Sasuke immediately declined, lost in his eternal quest for power-ups that didn't exist in video games. Sakura looked tempted, mostly because she'd never seen a TV screen that big before. Still, the thought of ignoring Sasuke-kun just to play with pixels made her hesitate.
So in the end, only Arata and Naruto picked up controllers.
"Listen, brat," Arata smirked, patting Naruto's shoulder, "I tried to set you up, but if you're not interested, don't blame me when nothing happens."
Earlier, Naruto had begged him to cooperate—use gaming time as an excuse to get closer to Sakura. Arata had agreed, mostly to see if Sakura would clock Naruto for being late to class.
Instead, Sakura didn't even join the game. Naruto's plan crashed and burned before takeoff.
"Uncle shopkeeper, how could you say that?!" Naruto wailed. He shot a glance at Sakura… only to see her leaning on her hand, gazing dreamily at Sasuke. She hadn't heard a word.
Naruto's heart cracked. Why won't you look at me, Sakura-chan? What does Sasuke have that I don't? …Okay, fine, his smoldering glare is kinda cool, but still!
The little chibi inside his brain twisted and spun in lovesick agony. He was so distracted he didn't even notice his in-game character had just died.
"Arghhh!" Naruto clutched his head. "Uncle, why'd you hit me again?!"
Arata rapped him once more on the skull, watching the second bump pop up like a cartoon gag. "Just reminding you—you're about to miss class."
Sasuke checked the clock, stood without a word, and stalked off downstairs.
Sakura immediately bolted after him. "Thank you for the meal, uncle owner! Today was really—" Her voice faded as she disappeared. Arata didn't catch the rest.
"Wait for me!" Naruto dropped the controller like it was on fire and sprinted after Sakura.
"Close the door on your way out!" Arata called.
"Got it!" Naruto's hand waved lazily behind him, already gone.
Silence. The once-lively room was now empty. Arata shrugged, picked up the controller, and went back to playing alone. Nap? Forgotten. A true gamer never disrespected the craft.
Hours later.
"I'm back, uncle shopkeeper…" Naruto's voice was tired as he dumped grocery bags into the kitchen.
Ever since moving in, his meals had leveled up drastically. No more cup noodles and milk. With Arata occasionally cooking—and "occasionally" was generous—Naruto had started learning proper skills. After all, they said the way to a woman's heart was through her stomach.
Naruto believed it. He imagined future missions where Sakura swooned over his cooking and forgot all about Sasuke. Just thinking about it made him giggle out loud.
Of course, he had no clue Arata's real plan was simple: teach Naruto all his cooking tricks so he never had to cook again.
So now, grocery shopping had been added to Naruto's daily after-school routine.
Meanwhile, Arata, exhausted after a whole afternoon of gaming, put on a movie. When Naruto greeted him, he just grunted in response, eyes glued to the screen.
"Hey." Naruto plopped down beside him. No reaction. "Heeeey~." Still nothing.
"Cough! Cough cough cough—"
"Cut it out before you hack up a lung." Arata finally paused the movie, exasperated. "What is it? Couldn't wait five minutes?"
Naruto scratched his head, uneasy. "Uncle owner… tomorrow's the real graduation exam. Do you think I can… actually pass?"
For once, his voice was serious. He'd barely scraped through the academy's test, and now there was another one. Fail this, and he'd be thrown back into the academy—while Sakura and Sasuke moved on without him.
The thought was unbearable.
Naruto always put on a tough face for others, but with Arata, his guard slipped. Maybe it was because the old man always listened, always had a snarky word of comfort ready. Maybe this is what having a home felt like.
"Have you met your instructor yet?" Arata asked casually.
Naruto blinked. "Yeah! …Uh, wait…" His mind had been so full of Sakura, he couldn't even remember the guy's face.
After a long struggle, he managed: "Short white hair… mask over his face… only shows one eye."
"That's it?" Arata pinched the bridge of his nose. "Didn't your teachers ever tell you to remember enemy details? On the battlefield, not knowing means you're dead."
"He's not the enemy!" Naruto snapped back.
"Whatever." Arata sighed. "Your teacher's Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi."
Naruto's eyes widened. "How do you know that?!"
"Customer gossip." Arata waved it off. "He's famous. Whole world calls him the Copy Ninja."
"Copy Ninja? Why?"
Arata leaned back, cigarette glowing. "Because he can steal your moves mid-fight and throw them back at you. Imagine facing yourself, only better. Scary, right?"
Naruto pictured it and shivered. No wonder his exam would be tough.
Arata smacked him on the head. "Stop panicking. Copy Ninja or not, that's your problem for tomorrow. If you want to pass, I've got a method."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
"Yep. But first, you're cooking dinner." Arata lay down with a grin.
Dinner was… edible. Barely. Arata ate without complaint—standards low, mood steady.
Afterward, he lit another cigarette. "Hisss~. Alright, brat. Here's the trick to passing tomorrow's exam. It's simple. Got it?"
Naruto nodded so hard his neck almost snapped.
"Is it really that easy?" he asked, doubtful.
"Sometimes," Arata smirked, "the simplest method is the most effective. Trust me. Do as I say, and you'll pass."