Madoka is not sure if Sasuke will be glad to see him or not. Ino seems to hate Sasuke for some reason, but Madoka knows that Sasuke pretends to hate people she likes. That is one of the reasons that Madoka is nervous that Sasuke will not be very happy to see him. Sasuke never did anything mean to Madoka or refused to be Madoka's friend. In fact, Sasuke has only ever been nice to Madoka. Does that mean Sasuke hates him? But Madoka has a present that will hopefully make Sasuke pretend to be mad.
Madoka enters Sasuke's hospital room, feeling a little nervous. "Hey Sasuke," he says.
Sasuke looks up from staring at the lava lamp on her bedside table and smiles radiantly.
She hates me, I know it! Thinks Madoka. "I um, brought you a walkman and some CDs," says Madoka, holding up the bag she is carrying them in.
"You're the best," says Sasuke, grinning even wider. "You would not believe how bored I am right now."
Madoka is absolutely convinced that Sasuke hates him now. Sasuke does not smile at people unless it's because she just thought of a good way to kill them. Madoka walks over to Sasuke and gives her the bag, glad that Sasuke is incapacitated right now.
"Put it here, where I can reach it," orders Sasuke, pointing to a spot on her right hand side.
"There's spare batteries in there too," says Madoka, putting the bag down where Sasuke indicated. Maybe that will get Sasuke to like him.
"You are awesome," says Sasuke, still grinning.
Madoka is absolutely convinced that Sasuke is about to try and murder him. Like the nerd he is, Madoka starts crying.
"Woah, Madoka!" says Sasuke, sounding concerned. "What's the matter?"
Madoka is to upset to try and brush off the question and ends up bawling and whining, "You hate me, don't you?"
"EEEHHHH?!" Sasuke stares at Madoka like he's lost his mind. "What the f### gave you that impression?"
Madoka does not know how to tell Sasuke that he wishes his team mate would be mean to him from time to time. Madoka simply cries harder.
"You are such a stupid nerd!" snaps Sasuke. "And here I thought you were the normal one!"
Madoka is so shocked that Sasuke said something mean to him that he promptly stops crying. "That was mean!" says Madoka, happily.
"What is wrong with you?" snaps Sasuke, scowling. "What sort of idiot are you? I'm not mean to people because I like them, idiot. Just Uzumakis."
Madoka, realizing his mistake, chokes back his tears and smiles.
Naruto wakes up to the sun glaring in his eyes through the trees. Naruto is sprawled on the grass with Iruka's tummy as a pillow and a little kid starfished over his legs. There are people all around Naruto, and it takes him a moment to remember who they are and where he is. The little kid is Burifu Uzumaki and all the people are her Great Grandfather's followers and descendants: The Order of Steve. It is actually really unclear to Naruto which are Pantsu's kids, grandkids and great grandkids since half the Order calls him Father and the other half calls him Grandfather.
Naruto takes a closer look at the kid starfished across his legs. That can't be comfortable. Ah well, it's just Burifu, and she's strange. Even by Naruto's standards.
Naruto pushes Burifu off himself and gets up. If he wasn't used to randomly waking up the forest, he might feel a bit sore, like he did the first ten times it happened. Naruto looks around and sees some people nearby making food. Naruto makes a beeline for the food and asks, "What's for breakfast?"
"Ah, our newest initiate!" says one the people making food. "We're having mushroom soup for breakfast. With pancakes."
"Nice," says Naruto. That sounds completely unbreakfasty and completely awesome. "My favourite mushrooms are Destroying Angels and Deputy Kinoko."
"I am unfamiliar with the Deputy Mushroom variety," says one of the food-makers. "And aren't Destroying Angels poisonous?"
"Deputy Kinoko is a person!" laughs Naruto. "And I have a special something that makes me resistant to poison." The special something is, of course, Mr. Nine Tails. Naruto grabs a bowl and digs into the soup and pancakes. They taste weird, but it's a good weird. Naruto wonders if his Grandma would let him eat this for breakfast.
From the tree branch where Naruto tethered him the previous night, Sparky squawks, demanding to be let free. Naruto puts his food down and gets up to untether Sparky and brings the phoenix to the campfire.
"Why you keepin' the bird tied up bro?" asks the Food Maker. Naruto can't be bothered remembering all the Order's names. "He should be wild and free."
"I know," sighs Naruto. "But he keeps flying off, and Grandpa says bad people might get him and do bad things to Sparky if he keeps flying off on his own."
"Ah, that makes sense," nods the Food Maker. "I still think he should be free."
"I know," Naruto pulls out Sparky's treats and gives him some since no responsible adults are watching and Naruto feels even worse about the leash.
Neji chooses that moment to flop down on the grass beside Naruto and mumble, "I have a huge headache." into the grass.
"That's called a 'hangover'," says Naruto. "Burifu's brother gave you moonshine whiskey."
"You mean it wasn't actual moonshine?" asks Neji.
The Food Maker laughs heartily and slaps Neji on the back. "You're stupid! You can't drink ACTUAL moonshine! Were you raised under a rock, Brother?"
"Ooooowwww," whines Neji.
"Got any coffee?" asks Naruto's Grandpa, plopping himself down beside Naruto.
"No, but we have this," says the Food Maker, holding up a cup of murky stuff. "The best hangover treatment in the world. And since you're one of us now, Uncle, we can share it with you freely." The Food Maker holds a cup out to Neji. "Here, you have one too, Brother."
"Got some of that for me?" asks Iruka-nii, wandering over and flopping down face-first into the grass. "The light is killing my brain. I need that for teaching."
"Here you go, Brother-sensei," says the Food Maker, giving Iruka-nii his own cup of murky goop.
"Um...What's with all the 'brother' and 'uncle' business?" asks Shisui, staggering over and plopping down by the fire, somehow back in the duck onesie.
"Oh, you don't remember, brother?" asks the Food Maker. "You were only high on sugar, not what I was high on, and I remember everything."
"I'll fill them in," volunteers Naruto. "So basically what happened last night is that Shisui got his hands on some sugar, and Neji got given some whiskey. The shenanigans they pulled were so stupid that Grandpa started drinking too. Iruka-nii decided to have a drink because he wanted to see if it was any good and ended up having several because he doesn't have to teach a bunch of eight year olds within the next 24 hours. Then once Neji had made up with the tree over that misunderstanding, one of the Brothers in the order decided Neji's hair is the best ever. Gramps Pants agreed and invited him to join the order. Then he also decreed that my violin playing is the s###, and asked me to join too."
"Language," says Iruka-nii.
"...and then," continues Naruto. "Gramps Pants decided he didn't want to lose the museum collectable that is Iruka-nii and asked him to join the order too, just as soon as Iruka-nii is done teaching those drunk teens the macarena. And then I told Gramps Pants that I can't join without my grandparents' permission and he invited Grandpa to join too. So then the Order held a ceremony where we all put on pyjamas and drank some slimy goop stuff and declared to follow the way of Steve, which basically just means being at one with nature and getting high and/or drunk whenever possible. And then we all went to bed since we were in our PJs and most everyone was starting to crash and burn from their highs and stuff. Except me. I was just tired. So that's why we're all in our pyjamas."
"So, we're all members of the Order of Steve now?" asks Iruka-nii.
"Yeah, that too," shrugs Naruto. "Try the food, it's awesome."
"So, if we're members, does that mean we are allowed in the temple so I can do my research?" asks Naruto's Grandpa.
"Course it does!" says Gramps Pants, cheerfully joining them.
"Don't you have a hangover?" asks Neji.
"Nope," grins Gramps Pants. "Can't crash the next morning if ya never come down from your high, eh." he pulls out his pipe and takes a big puff. "I've been on this stuff for 70 years - I'm never quitting, not even for an hour, eh."
"It'd probably kill you to quit anyway," says Iruka-nii, with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes," says Gramps Pants, puffing away at his pipe. "I'll give you a proper tour after breakfast, then we can get on our way to the next temple on your list, eh."