Under the bright red sign of Yakiniku Q, the scent of grilled meat spilled into the street. Inside, the restaurant buzzed with noise and heat, proof that business was booming.
"I'm here!"
The noren curtain flew open as Mitarashi Anko burst in, her voice loud and cheerful, instantly announcing herself to the private room. She looked completely at home, as if this were her own place.
Several people were already seated inside. The most noticeable was Sarutobi Asuma. He looked more mature than the others, a cigarette hanging from his lips. When he looked up and saw who had arrived, his eyes froze for a brief second before he clicked his tongue and looked away, forcing an unimpressed expression. The competitive spark in his gaze betrayed him.
Anko waved excitedly and went straight to Yūhi Kurenai.
And then the room noticed the person who followed her in.
When Uchiha Yoru stepped through the curtain, the chatter stalled for a moment.
He was tall now. Easily over 180 centimeters. His physique had filled out into something lean and solid, the kind of build that came from relentless training rather than age alone.
He wore a simple white kimono-style top and black trousers. The collar hung loosely, revealing defined muscle. Dark forearm guards extended down to his hands, and a purple cord secured the straight-bladed ninja sword at his waist.
Cool, composed. Unmistakably Uchiha.
"Tch. Still showing off, huh, Uchiha Yoru," Asuma muttered.
Yoru smiled faintly. "Can't help it. Still growing."
Asuma snorted, though the envy was hard to hide. Height had always been a sore point for him. Standing next to Yoru only made it worse.
Behind Asuma sat his usual circle: Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo, and Ebisu. Even back in school, cliques had existed.
"Did you miss me, Kurenai?" Anko asked brightly, flashing a grin that was a little too casual.
Kurenai lifted her cup and smiled back. "You really haven't changed, Anko."
The awkward history between them went unspoken. Yoru sat down beside Anko without hesitation, relaxed and self-assured. Political maneuvering had long since burned embarrassment out of him.
"Sorry we're late!"
The curtain lifted again as Might Guy strode in, scratching the back of his head before instantly lighting up with energy.
"I brought Kakashi!"
Hatake Kakashi followed behind him, eyes dull, expression empty. He nodded once in greeting, then stopped reacting altogether. The mood dipped slightly.
"Come on, Kakashi! Sit here!" Guy laughed, dragging him to a seat with unstoppable enthusiasm.
Kakashi wore ANBU-style armor and looked like a man going through the motions of being alive.
Nine people sat together in total.
Might Guy. Hatake Kakashi. Sarutobi Asuma. Hagane Kotetsu. Kamizuki Izumo. Ebisu. Yūhi Kurenai. Mitarashi Anko. Uchiha Yoru.
The atmosphere was subdued, heavy with memories. No one mentioned the classmates who weren't there. Everyone knew why. Some were on missions. Others had died.
War didn't wait for age or schedules.
They'd been grouped together back then because they were considered promising. Even in wartime, talent was protected when possible.
Guy clapped his hands together, oblivious to the weight in the room.
"Come on! It's rare we're all together like this!"
His enthusiasm finally drew a few smiles. Everyone except Kakashi.
Yoru glanced at Kakashi quietly. This was the period when Kakashi had shut himself away from the world. Broken, numb, drifting into darkness. A dangerous state. And an exploitable one.
Across the table, Kurenai chatted lightly with Anko, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She hoped her mission wouldn't spiral out of control.
Asuma kept shooting irritated looks at Yoru. What had once been simple rivalry had grown heavier, tangled with clan politics and personal resentment.
Kotetsu, Izumo, and Ebisu stayed close to Asuma, just as they always had. As civilian-born ninja, sticking with the Sarutobi name had been the safest path upward.
Among them all, only Guy seemed genuinely happy. He'd seen too many people die. Being able to gather like this mattered to him. More than that, he wanted to pull Kakashi back into the light.
"Hahaha! Yoru, I heard you made jōnin!" Guy said loudly, giving a thumbs-up and flashing a blinding smile. "That makes you the second in our class after Kakashi! But I won't lose. The third jōnin will be me, Might Guy!"
Yoru stiffened slightly. Guy's intensity was hard for anyone to face head-on.
"Tch. Being promoted doesn't mean you're really a jōnin," Asuma scoffed.
The implication was obvious.
Kakashi had earned his rank through raw ability and battlefield results. Yoru, in contrast, had returned as Orochimaru's student and immediately taken command of a Police Division unit. To Asuma, that looked like influence, not merit.
Yoru didn't respond. He simply smiled and reached for his chopsticks.
Some rivalries never faded. They just learned new reasons to exist.