The next day, Naruto woke up early.
Over the past two years, he'd developed this habit naturally. Rising with the sun had become as automatic as breathing.
After washing up, Naruto finished a quick breakfast and headed out to the yard to practice. He worked through his training routine with focused intensity until it was time to prepare for school. Then he took a shower, changed out of his sweat-soaked clothes, and returned to his room to grab his schoolbag.
Nine-Tails lay sprawled across the bed, sleeping soundly with his tail curled around himself. Naruto watched the fox's peaceful breathing for a moment, then decided not to wake him. He picked up his pink backpack—the one the Third Hokage had given him—and quietly left for school.
Carrying that ridiculously small pink bag against his broad frame, Naruto walked toward the Academy with the sunrise at his back. A cheerful nursery rhyme bubbled up from his memories, and he hummed it as he walked:
"Get up in the morning and face the sun;The front is east, and the back is west;The left is north, the right is south;North, south, east, west—know your direction!"
As he sang, Naruto realized something profound. There was no trace of loneliness in his heart anymore. He already had Sasuke as a friend, and in the future, there would be more. Many more.
Thinking about this brought a parade of innocent faces through his mind—all his classmates at the Academy. Each one a potential friend.
Soon, he thought with determination. I'll turn all these classmates into my friends. Then we can all play together.
As he approached the school grounds, Naruto heard someone singing behind him:
"Purple trees, purple flowers;Purple flowers bloom and bear purple melons;Baby sees it, makes a flat mouth;Mama sees it and laughs ha-ha!"
Curious, Naruto turned around to look. Behind him walked a chubby boy with a large schoolbag on his back. Even while walking, the kid was reaching back into his bag to pull out snacks, munching contentedly as he went.
Naruto recognized him immediately—a classmate named Akimichi Choji. From what Naruto could remember, this boy was always eating. Always.
You, Naruto thought, mentally noting the round-faced boy. You'll be my second friend.
He filed the information away and continued on his way.
A short while later, Naruto arrived at the school gates and immediately spotted Sasuke.
His friend was carrying an absolutely enormous schoolbag—so oversized it looked comical on his frame. Sweat already dripped down Sasuke's face despite the cool morning air. The bag was clearly extremely heavy.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out, jogging over with concern. "What's in that bag?"
"I'm not telling you yet." Sasuke's face lit up when he saw Naruto, but when pressed about the bag's contents, he deliberately kept the secret.
"What? We're good friends, aren't we? Why can't you tell me?" Naruto scratched his head, genuinely confused.
"Yes, we are good friends," Sasuke agreed, wiping sweat from his brow. "But I still can't tell you. Not yet."
"Okay..." Naruto observed how Sasuke's back was hunched under the weight. "At least let me carry it for you."
"No way! We're already at school." Sasuke waved off the offer hastily. If Naruto carried the bag, he'd definitely figure out what was inside. That would ruin the surprise completely.
Seeing Sasuke's stubborn insistence, Naruto had no choice but to follow him to the classroom without further argument.
When Sasuke and Naruto entered the classroom together, most students didn't react. But on the other side of the room, Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka exchanged significant glances. In each other's eyes, they recognized the same thought: This situation is getting urgent.
Meanwhile, back at Naruto's apartment...
The morning sun slowly climbed higher in the sky. Warm rays of golden light sneaked through the bedroom window and spilled across the bed.
Nine-Tails shifted position in his sleep, turning over with a soft grunt.
As the sunlight grew warmer and more insistent, Nine-Tails finally rubbed his sleepy eyes. He got up slowly, stretching each limb in turn, then padded over to the window. Outside, the weather was absolutely beautiful—bright sunshine, gentle breeze. Perfect conditions.
First things first. Nine-Tails made his way to the bathroom. He hopped up onto the toilet, took care of his business (producing a respectable amount), then flushed and began his morning wash routine with surprising thoroughness.
After washing up properly, Nine-Tails ate breakfast at a leisurely pace. Then he carried a small cushion out to a bench in the yard and lay down in a patch of sunlight. He sprawled out lazily, letting the warmth soak into his fur and bones. It was good for calcium absorption, he told himself. Purely for health reasons.
After basking for a satisfying length of time, Nine-Tails returned inside the house. He retrieved Naruto's dirty clothes from the laundry basket, then sat himself down on a small stool in the bathroom. With practiced movements, he began scrubbing and washing each piece of clothing, working the soap in thoroughly.
Once the laundry was complete and hung to dry, Nine-Tails locked the apartment door behind him and headed to the farm.
Upon arriving at the farm, Nine-Tails conducted his usual inspections.
First stop: the pigsty. He checked each pig carefully. If any pigs weren't sleeping, that meant something was wrong and would require intervention. Fortunately, every single pig in the pen was sleeping soundly, snoring in contentment. Good.
Next: the bulls. He needed to verify that none of them were slacking off. The growth and expansion of the entire herd depended entirely on their... dedication to duty.
Sure enough, several bulls were being lazy and completely inactive. Nine-Tails sighed. He had to use a minor illusion to help them deeply appreciate the charms of the cows, spurring them back into enthusiastic action once again.
After dealing with the bulls' laziness problem, Nine-Tails moved on to the sheep. He needed to select one as this morning's ingredient. With Naruto's appetite, he now consumed an entire goat per meal.
Walking through the grass, Nine-Tails observed the flock grazing peacefully. Most were content, heads down, munching grass. But one particular goat stood apart from the others. It didn't lower its head to eat. Instead, it gazed up at the sky with a contemplative expression, seemingly lost in deep philosophical thought about the nature of existence.
This one seems unhappy with life, Nine-Tails decided. I'll be doing it a favor.
Decision made, Nine-Tails crept silently toward the philosophically-inclined goat. When he was only a few dozen steps away, he suddenly leaped. His two front paws landed squarely on the goat's back, then he flipped gracefully, ending with the startled animal held firmly in his grasp.
The sheep, whose existential contemplation had been so rudely interrupted, kicked its four legs frantically in the air.
The rest of the flock scattered in chaos.
Nine-Tails paid them no mind. Holding the goat securely, he trotted happily back toward the wooden cabin.
He sharpened knives. Boiled water. Prepared ingredients.
The entire process was executed with expert skill. Soon, mutton was stewing fragrantly in the pot, filling the cabin with mouthwatering aromas.
When it was almost time for Naruto to get out of school, Nine-Tails plated the finished meal. Everything was ready—they could eat the moment Naruto came home.
Nine-Tails tied on his apron and stepped outside the wooden cabin. There was a large, flat stone near the entrance. He hopped up onto it, settled into a comfortable crouch, and waited for Naruto to return from school.
Ring, ring, ring...
The school bell rang, echoing through the Academy halls.
"All right, that's all for today's class. Have a good evening, everyone!" On the podium, Iruka gathered his lesson plans and left the classroom.
Sasuke immediately grabbed his enormous schoolbag, hefting it onto his shoulders with some effort. He called out to Naruto, and the two left school together.
"Sasuke, what's in that bag? I've been wondering about it all morning—it's driving me crazy!" Naruto stared at the massive pack on Sasuke's back, his curiosity practically unbearable.
"You'll find out soon enough. Let's go find a nice spot first—maybe a lawn somewhere." Sasuke smiled mysteriously, clearly enjoying keeping Naruto in suspense.
Naruto suppressed his burning curiosity as best he could. The two walked until they reached a small river with a lovely stretch of lawn beside it, the grass lush and green.
Sasuke carefully set down the heavy schoolbag. He unzipped it and pulled out a large cloth, which he spread neatly across the grass. Then he positioned the schoolbag on the cloth, removed his shoes, and sat down comfortably.
"Naruto, you sit here too," Sasuke instructed, patting the space beside him.
Naruto obeyed immediately, taking off his shoes and settling down on the cloth. His eyes remained fixed on Sasuke's schoolbag, anticipation building...
"Ta-da! Naruto, I brought you bento!" Sasuke reached into the bag and pulled out a bento box with a flourish, shaking it slightly for emphasis. His face glowed with happiness at the reveal.
Back at the farm, Nine-Tails crouched on the stone.
Waiting patiently for Naruto to come home for dinner.
The sun moved slowly across the sky.
The mutton in the cabin grew cold.
Still, Nine-Tails waited.