Chapter 13: Thin-Skinned and Thick-Skulled
The pattern of unexpected kindness was becoming a theme. First Mikoto, then Sasuke in his own awkward way, Hinata, and now a complete stranger from the Uchiha clan. It was… baffling, but Naruto wasn't about to question a good thing. His mood, already lifted by the ramen, soared.
Uchiha Izumi… He committed the name to memory. A bright, kind soul destined for a dark end. The thought brought a familiar, cold anger, but he tucked it away. For now, she was just a nice girl who gave him dango.
Just then, Teuchi placed a steaming, fragrant bowl of tonkotsu ramen before him with a satisfying clunk.
"Here you go! Enjoy, you two!"
"Thank you, Teuchi-oji-san!" Naruto and Izumi chorused.
"I should eat quickly," Izumi said, picking up her chopsticks. "And you too, little brother. Don't you have class soon?" She began to eat her own ramen with tidy, efficient motions.
Naruto nodded and dug in. Slurp… slurp… The rich, savory broth and chewy noodles were pure comfort. It truly did taste better when he was happy.
Outside, leaning against a wall across the street with his nose buried in Make-Out Paradise, Kakashi noted the interaction. Uchiha. Civilian clothes, not a uniform. Genin, likely. The Hokage's orders were clear: protect the boy from physical threats and report significant deviations. A friendly lunch with a clan kid, even an Uchiha, didn't qualify. He turned a page, his visible eye scanning the text while his other senses remained locked on the ramen shop.
Half an hour later, Naruto was finishing his tenth bowl. He handed over six crisp hundred-ryo notes to a beaming, if slightly bewildered, Teuchi.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Teuchi chuckled, accepting the money. "My, my, Naruto-chan! That appetite! Though," he added with a wink, "I suppose a certain white-eyed young lady could give you a run for your money one day." He was, of course, thinking of a certain voracious Hyuga prodigy from years past.
Naruto just grinned. "I'll be off to school now! Thanks again!"
"You study hard, now!"
Izumi had finished her single bowl and left while Naruto was on his fourth, but not before leaning over and giving his slightly distended stomach an experimental poke. "Just how do you fit all that in there?" she'd asked, amazed.
Naruto, mouth full, had answered with complete honesty. "I was really happy today 'cause I met a pretty nee-san, so I ate a lot!"
The straightforward compliment had made Izumi blush to the roots of her hair. She'd playfully swatted his arm. "Even if you say things like that, I won't get too happy! See you later, little brother!" And with a wave, she was gone, leaving Naruto with the memory of her smile and the scent of cherry blossoms.
Now, stepping out into the afternoon sun, Naruto patted his full stomach with satisfaction. He took a deep breath of clean air, then, instead of braving the street-level gauntlet, he crouched and sprang upwards, landing on a low roof. He'd run the rooftops back. No sense letting the village's walking misery-inducers ruin a perfectly good post-ramen buzz.
Hokage's Office
The atmosphere was thick with tension and old pipe smoke.
"Hiruzen! I am telling you for the last time, coddling the Jinchuriki in that school is a waste of its potential! Its training should be handed to Root!" Danzo's voice was a low snarl, his single eye blazing as he leaned on his cane.
Sarutobi Hiruzen regarded him with a placid expression, puffing slowly on his own pipe. "Danzo, if you have come only to repeat this mantra, you may see yourself out."
"You—!"
"That is enough!" Hiruzen's voice cracked like a whip, the authority of the Hokage filling the room. "The disposition of the Jinchuriki is my decision, and it has been made. He does not require your… specialized oversight."
He took another long drag, watching the smoke curl towards the ceiling. He knew Danzo's ambition was a ravenous beast. Handing him Naruto would be like feeding a shark its own kin—it would only grow hungrier, more powerful, and ultimately turn on the hand that fed it. Naruto was a symbol of the Hokage's power, a future banner-carrier for the Will of Fire. He would remain under the sun, where Hiruzen could shape him, not in the twisted shadows of Root.
Danzo glared, his bandaged face a mask of fury. "This softness, Hiruzen… it will be your undoing. And Konoha's." Without another word, he turned and stormed out, slamming the heavy office door with a force that shook the framed portraits on the wall.
Hiruzen watched him go, a vein pulsing faintly at his temple. I am the Hokage, he thought coldly. You are the Root, Danzo. You exist to support the tree, not strangle it. Know your place.
Ninja School, Training Ground #3
Naruto surveyed the area with a critical eye. It was a standard, well-maintained training field—about half the size of a soccer pitch, with neatly trimmed grass, a line of human-shaped wooden targets at the far end, and equipment sheds stocked with practice shuriken and kunai. Konoha doesn't skimp on its future cannon fodder, he mused wryly.
"Alright, everyone is present. We will now begin the evaluation." Iruka's voice cut through the chatter, clapping his hands for attention.
The students formed a nervous, shuffling semi-circle. Hinata, standing so close her sleeve brushed his, turned to him, her face pale with anxiety.
"N-Naruto-kun… g-good luck!" she whispered, the words a tremulous breath.
Naruto looked down at her, his expression softening. He gave her his most reassuring, sunny smile and a thumbs-up. "You too, Hinata-chan! Let's both do our best!"
Direct Hit.
Hinata's entire system seemed to overload. Her face ignited into a spectacular blush, her eyes lost focus, and she let out a soft, high-pitched whine. "Uuuhh…" She swayed on her feet.
Oh no, not again! Naruto thought, watching in alarm. She's gonna faceplant right here in the dirt! Her skin is literally thinner than rice paper! Adorable, but problematic!
Just as she seemed to teeter on the edge of consciousness, Iruka's voice boomed out again, acting as an emergency reset.
"The first participant: Shimura, Reiko!"
A girl with neat brown hair stepped forward, looking determined. The class fell into a watchful silence, everyone mentally measuring themselves against the first contestant.
"Alright," Iruka instructed. "Pick up a shuriken from the basket. Aim for the center of your designated target. Throw with purpose, not just arm strength."
The girl nodded, selected a shuriken, took a steadying breath, and let it fly. It spun through the air with a soft whirr and struck the target with a solid thunk!, embedding itself in the outer ring, just shy of the bullseye.
Iruka smiled. "Good control! 90 points!"
A murmur ran through the crowd. The benchmark was set.
Uchiha Sasuke, standing with his hands in his pockets a few feet away, let out a quiet, confident scoff. "Hn. Child's play. My brother drilled me on this years ago. Full points. Obviously." His cool pronouncement was met with a fresh wave of adoring sighs and whispered praises from the girls around him.
"Sasuke-kun is so amazing!"
"As expected of an Uchiha!"
"He's so cool and confident!"
Hinata, now marginally recovered, heard none of it. Her world had narrowed to the boy standing beside her, his smile still imprinted on her retinas.
Iruka consulted his clipboard. "Next up: Nara, Shikamaru."
Silence.
Iruka looked up, scanning the group. "Nara Shikamaru?"
More silence, broken by the sound of the breeze.
Then, from near the back of the group, a slow, drawn-out yawn. "Haaaah… I'm heeeere… Sensei…" Nara Shikamaru shuffled forward, his hands still buried deep in his pockets, his eyes half-lidded and heavy with profound disinterest. "So… troublesome…"