That night, the food was amazing.
Naruto enjoyed every bite, eating with an enthusiasm that surprised even himself. The flavors were rich, warm, and comforting—nothing like the instant meals or rushed bowls of ramen he was used to. In his heart, he immediately ranked it as his second favorite food, just below Ichiraku Ramen, a position he did not give lightly.
After dinner, Naruto bid his farewells one by one.
Banri ruffled his hair lightly.
Shion waved at him with an easy smile.
Arata reminded him that he was welcome anytime.
And then—
His body dissolved into light.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto returned to his small, silent apartment. The familiar creak of the floor and the faint hum of the night greeted him once more. Yet, unlike before, the room didn't feel empty.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
'They said they'd invite me again,' he thought. Arata and Shion had promised it. They even mentioned bringing more people from the chat group next time. The thought made Naruto's chest feel warm.
That night, he slept like a log.
With a full stomach and lingering warmth from genuine kindness, Naruto's sleep was deep, peaceful, and unusually cosy.
When Naruto woke up the next morning, pale sunlight filtered through his window.
He stretched his arms lazily before rolling out of bed. The memory of the large bathtub from the previous night flashed in his mind, making the cold shower he took afterwards feel especially cruel. He shivered once, grumbling under his breath.
But when he stepped out, the smell of food reached him. Mira was already there.
She stood by a small table, humming softly as she arranged breakfast. The sight alone stunned Naruto. There was warm milk poured neatly into a cup.
Toasted bread stacked on a plate. Eggs cooked just right.
And then—
Fish. Along with a bowl of vegetable soup that gave off a rich, homely aroma. "Eh…?" Naruto stared. "This is for me?"
Mira smiled. "Of course."
She explained that Arata had sent part of it, while the fish and soup were prepared by someone from the group—a girl named Mikan. Naruto froze. "Mikan? She cooked this?"
"Yes," Mira replied. "She's around your age. Maybe a little younger."
Naruto went silent.
He sat down slowly and took a bite.
The taste hit him immediately. Simple. Warm. Familiar in a way he had never experienced before.
Naruto ate quietly, thoroughly, until not a single crumb remained. When Mira later shared a clip of Naruto enthusiastically praising the food, Mikan turned red on the other side of the screen. She smiled awkwardly, embarrassed by the attention.
She didn't know.
She didn't know that Naruto had lived on ramen—ramen for breakfast, ramen for dinner, ramen for comfort. Food like this wasn't just tasty. It was divine.
Mikan shyly promised to send food daily if she could. She even said Naruto could treat her like a little sister and visit anytime to eat together. Naruto smiled at that. Though unfortunately, Mira informed him that his invitation code was still on cooldown for another fifteen hours. Naruto sighed dramatically—but didn't complain.
With so many people talking to him, caring for him, and thinking about him, Naruto felt like he was living in paradise. And that feeling strengthened his resolve.
"It's five in the morning," Mira said, clapping her hands once. "Best time to train taijutsu."
Naruto straightened immediately. "So, Naruto," she continued, "you'll jog around Konoha three times."
Naruto's eyes sharpened. He nodded without hesitation.
Mira watched closely as he stretched, jumped in place, and then took off running. Her goal was simple—test his stamina, his endurance, and how far his Uzumaki bloodline could carry him.
She also knew he still had missions with Kakashi later.
This jog was just a gauge.
And she planned to increase the distance daily. 'Let's see how dry I can run him in the mornings,' she thought calmly. An hour later, Naruto finally slowed to a stop.
He was sweating. Breathing a bit heavily.
But instead of exhaustion, he felt refreshed. Energized.
It was his stamina as a jinchuriki working quietly in the background, recovering him faster than normal. "Good," Mira said. "Now wash."
Naruto groaned. "Again?"
"If you act like this," Mira replied casually, "how do you expect Sakura to ever like you?"
Naruto froze.
His face stiffened.
Then—
"…I'M GOING!"
He bolted towards the bathroom at full speed, determination burning brighter than ever. Mira watched him go, shaking her head with a small smile.
Arata's and Shion's words from last night echoed faintly in Naruto's mind as he scrubbed himself clean.
This time—
He wouldn't waste what he'd been given.
After washing up, Naruto hurried towards the training ground, the early morning air still cool against his skin. By the time he arrived, Sakura and Sasuke were already there. Naruto raised his hand and jogged over, his steps light. "Morning, Sakura-chan!"
Sakura glanced at him briefly. She nodded once, the smile on her face stiff and forced, before turning away with a small grunt of acknowledgement. "Puff."
Naruto almost laughed out loud.
He clamped his hand over his mouth just in time, shoulders shaking slightly. The image flashed through his mind—something Arata and Shion had shown him the previous night. A moving drawing from another world. His future.
And Sasuke.
They had talked about his personality and casually labelled him something strange but oddly fitting. 'Emo King.'
Naruto peeked at Sasuke from the corner of his eye. The boy stood with his hands in his pockets, expression dark and distant, eyes sharp and unfriendly. The slight scowl on his face fit the image in Naruto's mind far too well.
The grin threatened to break free.
"Have something to say, dobe."
Sasuke's glare snapped towards him, cold and sharp. Sakura also turned, her brows knitting together as she looked at Naruto suspiciously.
Naruto waved his hands quickly. "No! Nothing at all. I just remembered something."
He turned away slightly, muttering inwardly, 'Emo King'. …'
It took every ounce of restraint he had not to laugh.
The moment passed quickly.
Sakura dismissed it as Naruto being an idiot again, someone desperate for attention. She stepped closer to Sasuke, trying to strike up a conversation, only to receive a brief side glance before he went silent once more.
Just like always.
Naruto noticed it.
He remembered Banri-chan's words from last night—how Sakura's feelings were probably chaotic right now, tangled between admiration and frustration. Jumping in carelessly would only push her further away.
So Naruto did something unusual.
He stayed quiet.
The silence that followed was strange. Naruto not talking felt unnatural, and Sakura noticed it immediately. She frowned slightly, wondering when the loud idiot had learned how to keep his mouth shut.
Naruto, meanwhile, stared ahead, lost in thought.
Haku.
Zabuza. The images from that strange moving drawing replayed in his mind. It had predicted his fight with Mizuki perfectly. Every movement. Every outcome.
That realisation was terrifying. If that future was true… then more battles awaited him. And he knew the truth. He was weak.
Right now, he couldn't do much. No matter how much determination he had, his strength was still lacking. Training had started, but time was limited. Very limited. "If I could train more…" Naruto murmured quietly. "I might have been able to help."
Sasuke's ears twitched slightly. He glanced at Naruto, his expression unreadable. Something about him felt… different today. Calmer. Thoughtful.
'What is this idiot thinking now?' Sasuke thought, a faint grin tugging at the corner of his mouth despite himself. He remembered Naruto's surprise attack during the bell test. It hadn't been stupid. It had been clever.
Still, fighting Kakashi had shown Sasuke the truth.
Naruto had weaknesses.
A short temper.
A loudmouth.
A habit of charging forward without thinking.
None of it screamed shinobi. An hour passed before Kakashi finally appeared, emerging lazily from nowhere as if time itself bent around him.
They received a simple mission.
Errands.
Grass pulling.
Naruto sighed dramatically at first, but once he created a shadow clone, the work was finished almost instantly. Kakashi let out a tired sigh, rubbing his temple as he dismissed them.
Sakura immediately followed after Sasuke.
Naruto watched them for a moment, his gaze lingering longer than usual. Something dim flickered in his eyes before he turned away and started walking in the opposite direction.
He didn't chase. High above, Kakashi stood atop a tree branch, watching silently. He noticed everything.
And for once—
He didn't say a word.