Chapter 6: A Busy Day
The day in Konoha was joyful. The news of the Hokage's awakening spread all over the village, and everyone was glad, delighted. Their leader, Lady Tsunade, who proved to be the worthy granddaughter of the Shodaime Hokage Hashirama Senju, was back. Of course, this meant a lot of work for the messengers, all the shinobi in charge of communications with the other villages. The events at the Kage Summit created a link between the five nations for the first time since Hashirama's times. This meant that something big was about to happen. The villagers were hopeful given Tsunade's return, but they were also cautious, and the more experienced shinobis were worried. The enemy was still out there. Anyway, this didn't stop the people from trying to look for peaceful moments in their daily lives.
It was barely past midday when Naruto and Sakura were approaching Ichiraku to have a normal breakfast. As they got closer to the center of Konoha, holding each other's hand, they discussed where to have a meal, and ended up deciding for Teuchi's place given the familiarity and the closeness to the Hokage tower. Besides, they knew that since Pain's attack, Ichiraku had expanded its offers, thanks to Naruto's recognition. Ayame took care of serving different plates, more light and adequate for the different times of the day.
When they were a couple of blocks away from their destination, they suddenly saw children returning from the academy, accompanied by their parents. Naruto felt a bit of sadness as he wished his parents could have been there when he was a child, to take him to the academy every day. But at the same time, he was hopeful that one day he could be there with his own children. Now that he got together with Sakura, he could imagine a happy future, and a family with her. Still, he knew that the idea needed years to become true.
Sakura saw his expression, and could tell he was thinking about his parents. She broke the silence.
"So... What are you going to do?" Sakura asked, to take him out of the trance.
Naruto blinked. "About what?"
"About your parents... I mean, Tsunade said there are a couple of boxes from them in the Hokage tower, so... knowing you... You may not wait for her to look in there" she pondered.
He laughed. "You know that's exactly what I thought about the moment she mentioned it... There's no way I'm gonna wait so long"
"I knew it..." she said. She started thinking about Naruto's parents as well. "It's funny... I never figured you could be the son of the 4th..." she looked up at the face carved in the rocks. "How did I never see it? You look like him after all" she said. It seemed so obvious now. How many people with blue eyes and spiky blond hair were living in Konoha?
"Maybe my foolishness deceived you all" he said, chuckling.
"Haha..." she said, ironically. It was funny, but she felt she wasn't so smart after all. "Anyway, it makes total sense, and explains why you are… You. It's like your parents' dreams and hopes are living with you…" Sakura pondered, thinking deeply. In the village, everyone knew about the 4th Hokage's heroic sacrifice to save the village, so she felt that he and his wife's will were being carried by Naruto all this time, even though he didn't know it.
"Maybe… I hope so" Naruto said. He knew his father believed in him, but somewhere in his mind there were doubts. The 4th sealed the Kyuubi inside him, and now he knew the reason, but why did his mother have to die too? Why couldn't his father save her? Was there no other choice? He had thousands of questions about the day he was born, but it seemed that not even Tsunade had the answers.
He was still lost in thought when they reached Ichiraku. The sound of a familiar voice brought him back to reality.
"Naruto! Sakura! Come here... Please have a seat" Teuchi said the moment he saw them coming.
The customers sitting at the tables greeted the two when they reached the stand. Naruto and Sakura politely greeted them as well, and then sat on the front seats.
"Hi Teuchi, how are you doing?" Naruto asked.
"Great, the business is better than ever... How about you two?"
"We're good, we just came from seeing Tsunade" Sakura answered quietly.
"Oh, yes, I heard the news of our Hokage... I'm sure she will have a busy day, but we're all glad to have her back" Teuchi said. "So, I get you the usual?" he asked.
"Actually... we came for breakfast. Is Ayame here?" Naruto wondered, gazing around the kitchen.
"You realize it's midday right?" Teuchi asked, stunned.
"We know, but our meeting with Tsunade took us all morning... " Sakura answered.
"Yeah, I haven't had a real meal since last night, I mean... I woke up, and before I could think about food I was already with Granny" Naruto explained.
"Ok... I understand now" Teuchi said.
"Did you call me?" Ayame asked, coming from the kitchen.
"Hello Ayame" Naruto and Sakura said, almost at the same time.
"Hi, I heard what you said, so you must be starving... What can I get you?"
"I'll have a bowl of rice with seaweed, and a cup of tea please" Sakura answered, gently.
"I'll just have miso soup" Naruto said.
"Alright, I'll prepare it" Teuchi went to the kitchen.
"Sakura, I take your order" Ayame said, as she turned back to prepare the tea and the rice. "So... You guys are dating now?"
"Ayame!" Sakura was surprised.
"How did you know?" Naruto asked.
"I could tell... You look somehow different, like… happier, and... I just saw it" she mumbled, grinning, as she turned around to pass the cup of tea to Sakura.
"Thank you..." Sakura said, getting the cup. "Well, technically we didn't have our first date yet, so..." Sakura pondered.
"Oh, but you know each other since... you were children, and it's not like you never spent time together" Ayame responded. She turned around to receive the bowl of rice her father passed to her.
"I know, but I want to have a first date... and feel it's different" Sakura said, hopeful.
Naruto looked at her, with a sincere smile on his face. He loved the way things were between them now. Then, he turned back to Teuchi's daughter. "Ayame, are you dating someone now?"
"Umm... Yeah, but I can't tell you who he is" she muttered, as she added the seaweed and salt to the rice.
"Why not?" both teenagers asked.
"Well, he is someone you know, and... We just want to keep it quiet for now" Ayame said, before passing the bowl of rice to Sakura.
Right then, Teuchi came with the miso soup for Naruto.
"Thank you Teuchi" Naruto said. Before he or Sakura could keep questioning Ayame, Teuchi spoke.
"Look, it's fine that you want to know, but let them take their time... I trust the man completely, and that should be enough for you, Naruto, right?"
"Ok, but I just want to know because I care about you two" Naruto said.
Sakura gazed at him, tenderly. She knew very well how much Teuchi and Ayame meant to Naruto. They were always there for him, since the beginning. They never denied Naruto a plate of food, not even when the rest of the villagers treated him like a monster.
"We know you do, but be patient... if things turn out ok, you'll have a nice surprise... Trust me" Teuchi said.
Naruto and Sakura accepted the old man's request, and had their breakfast calmly, without saying much more. When they finished, they thanked Teuchi and Ayame again, before getting up to leave.
"Don't worry Teuchi, I'll come for lunch in a while... This soup won't be enough to get me going the whole afternoon" Naruto assured, smiling as he turned to leave.
"I'm sure it won't... See you later" the chef answered as he waved them goodbye.
"Bye Teuchi, Ayame" Sakura said, waving her hand while walking away with Naruto.
Soon, Ichiraku was out of sight, and they were approaching the Hokage tower. They saw Shikaku coming out. He seemed distressed.
"Hi Shikaku, how are you? Did something happen?" Naruto asked, curiously.
Shikamaru's father stopped when he saw them.
"Oh, Hi, Naruto... Sakura..." he mumbled as he thought about what he could say. Then he remembered that they already knew. "You talked to the Hokage right?"
"Yes, almost for two hours, why?" Sakura answered.
"Alright, then you surely know..." Shikaku said, calmer.
Naruto and Sakura guessed that he was referring to the truth about Itachi. Shikaku was part of the council after all, so probably Tsunade and Kakashi told him.
"Ok... I must tell you that Lady Tsunade allowed me to tell Shikamaru... She knows he never really trusted Sasuke, so we decided it would be for the best to let him know. Besides, we may need to devise a strategy for when Sasuke comes... He can help me because he knows him better than I do" Shikaku explained, while watching around carefully to anyone who could have been listening to the conversation.
Naruto nodded. He agreed that Shikamaru should know the truth. Maybe now his friend could understand that he wasn't trying to protect Sasuke, he was simply aware of the reasons for his latest actions, and wanted to be as fair as possible.
"So, is it true? Did the elders confirm it?" Sakura asked.
"Shh... I can't tell you here. You better go in to talk to Kakashi..." he whispered. Before anyone could say something else, Shikaku continued, with a low tone. "Anyway, when you have time, please talk to Shikamaru... I trust him to keep the secret, but I fear he might tell Choji or Ino... That would be pretty bad because it's a lot to take in... They may not be able to handle it... I couldn't even believe it myself..." he said, saddened. When he spotted a shinobi coming closer to them, he finished abruptly. "I gotta go"
Shikaku walked away quickly, without looking back. He has never been so disturbed, as he was usually a quiet, serious man, like his son. The revelation of what Danzo, Homura, Koharu, and Hiruzen allowed impacted him deep down. He was experienced enough, and belonged to the generations of Fugaku Uchiha and Minato Namikaze. When the Uchiha massacre happened, he never thought that the council of Konoha was responsible. He blamed Itachi and the Uchihas, so he was responsible for his son's attitude towards Sasuke. Now, his world suddenly turned upside down. He was wrong, and to admit it was the one of the hardest things for any person. He was struggling, but little by little he was realizing it was the truth. Every memory he had from Itachi and Fugaku came to his mind, and now everything made sense. He hoped his son would be able to understand. He needed to have a long talk with him.
Naruto and Sakura turned around to see Shikaku, and both were stunned by his demeanor. But as they were thinking about this, the shinobi who was heading to the Hokage tower passed right next to them. He was from the Hyuuga clan. He didn't stop to greet them as he was in a hurry, but his presence reminded something to Sakura and Naruto.
"Have you talked to Hinata?" she asked, looking at him.
"Umm..." he doubted.
"You didn't? She was there at the meeting yesterday... and she looked calm, I thought you had said something to her" she pondered with a low voice.
"Well, I thought about it... A lot... but I couldn't" he mumbled.
"Why not?! She almost got killed by Pain and confessed to you... How could you avoid her all this time!" Sakura exclaimed. Sometimes she couldn't believe how Naruto could be so insensible.
"I know... I'm terrible... I feel bad because she's so nice... How am I supposed to tell her without hurting her?" he wondered, sounding regretful.
"Ahhh... You're a fool sometimes, you know that? She's not so fragile... I saw her growing in the last years, when you were on your trip with Jiraiya... You have to talk to her... The more time passes, the worst will be... Do you want to show off to her that we're together?" she asked, with a serious tone.
"No, of course not... She deserves the best" he said, though not too convinced.
She glared at him.
"Alright... Alright... I'll talk to her as soon as I can..." he added. 'If I have the time, and If I find the right words' he thought to himself.
"Come on, we have to go inside now" she said, as she pulled his hand to cross the street and enter the Hokage tower. He followed her without dropping her hand.
They passed through the doors, and headed to the hallway. As they walked fastly, they passed by a classroom without noticing. Iruka was teaching there and saw a flash of red and orange through the window of the door. He stopped his lesson and when he went to check who passed, he saw Naruto and Sakura going away, grabbing each other's hand. He smiled.
"Iruka-sensei, why are you looking outside the door" a student asked.
"Ah, it's nothing... I just saw a friend passing by... Now, let's keep with the history lesson" he said, returning to the front of the classroom. "If you did your homework you should know the answer... How did Hashirama Senju fundate our village?" he asked. With all the latest events, the head of the academy ordered the teachers to give history lessons about Konoha. It was important for the children to learn the story between Hashirama and Madara, the different clans, and how everything was set together to create the Hidden Leaf village. They would resume the ninjutsu and taijutsu training when the reconstruction process of the village finished.
As Naruto and Sakura walked by the hallways from the academy, they spotted Iruka's classroom. Still, though Naruto would have liked to stop and greet his sensei, he knew that they had to meet Kakashi and Tsunade as soon as possible. That's why he didn't make Sakura stop their steps. Then, they reached the stairs, and saw Pakkun guarding the hallway. The hound greeted them, and sent them to the elders office. They found Kakashi waiting outside the door.
"You're right in time..." their sensei said calmly.
Naruto and Sakura seemed curious to know what was happening behind the door, and Kakashi saw their expression. They couldn't hear anything.
"Don't worry, no one can hear what is being told inside the room... or here... We took the same precautions in the tent. That's why Pakkun is also watching" he said calmly.
"So, what can you tell us?" Sakura asked.
"Everything is true... The elders admitted it and explained what happened... Homura and especially Hiruzen were reluctant to approve Danzo's idea, and tried to find a different way to deal with the Uchihas' plan... But they stayed without time. Negotiations failed over and over again... Konoha needed to find the Uchiha responsible for the Kyuubi incident but they refused to be interrogated, not by Ibiki, nor Inoichi, nor anyone... They felt it was an insult... The mistrust, discrimination... And they were right because they were innocent, we know that now... Anyway, as we speak, Tsunade is telling them everything we know about the mysterious masked man... Naruto, she already told them that you know about your parents. They were not pleased because they think you're too young yet... But they agreed to let you have your parents' belongings... Hiruzen would have wanted that" Kakashi explained.
Both were stunned. Since they learned the truth about Itachi, Naruto and Sakura thought about what possible solution they would have found to the cold war between Konoha and the Uchiha clan, but now it seemed impossible. The only solution was to find the person responsible, but the masked man disappeared after the Kyuubi incident. Even if Minato had revealed to Hiruzen who controlled the Kyuubi before dying, Would the villagers have accepted that? The idea that a masked man whose identity was unknown, who called himself Madara, and had the ability to vanish in the air? How could have they believed it? They needed to see him with their own eyes but the man was a ghost. It was an impossible situation.
"So now what?" Naruto was curious to know what would happen now, if the truth would be revealed, and also expected Kakashi to let him look for his precious boxes.
"Well, Tsunade already sent teams to look for Akatsuki's hideout. We have no time to lose. If we detect Sasuke anywhere close to the Land of Fire, the Hokage will send the proposal... hoping he can stop his vengeance... In the meantime, we also have to investigate if Akatsuki actually has an army... That's why it is also crucial to find the hideout... The meeting with the jonins will be about this possible war and to discuss the idea of the Shinobi Alliance... For now, we won't tell anyone else about the secret... We have to remain as quiet as possible" Kakashi sighed deeply.
"Alright... But what are we supposed to do about all this? I also would like to find my parents' pictures" Naruto said. He wanted to say that he would like to be on the mission to find Akatsuki's hideout, but he also knew that he couldn't be reckless, or leave the village without Tsunade's permission. After this morning, he would obey her without questioning. That's why he asked for instructions, and to kill the time, he wanted to find those boxes immediately.
"Naruto, Tsunade wants you to stay in the village for now... So she did allow you to take a look in the Hokage's office... As long as you don't make a mess. In any case, remember there's also the storage room...There's no one over there now, and she'll be busy all afternoon, so take your time..." he said.
"Can I go with him?"
"I'm sorry Sakura, but Tsunade needs you to take care of the hospital, since she and Shizune won't be available these days. If there's a war coming, they'll have a lot of work... She also wants you to get used to leading, and at the same time, clear your head about everything that's been going on" he responded.
"Ok... What about you?" Sakura asked.
"I have to stay here and later attend the jonins meeting... Now, please go... We have no time to lose." Kakashi said.
They greeted him, and then walked away. They didn't go downstairs, instead, headed to the Hokage's office.
Now that Sakura knew that she would be busy at the hospital the rest of the day, she wanted to delay the farewell with Naruto as much as possible. So she decided to accompany him to the office, and they stopped in the doorway without entering.
"Looks like this is it" he said, with a sad tone, holding her hand.
"I know... but we're still on for tomorrow right?" she asked.
"Of course... I can go to the hospital to pick you up" Naruto assured, now looking straight at her green eyes.
"I may need a shower before... Why don't you stop by my house, and then we go out..."
"Time?"
"I don't know... I have to see how the day goes at the hospital... I'll send you a message tomorrow" Sakura answered, still staring at him.
"Alright... Goodbye kiss?" Naruto asked, eagerly.
"No kisses before the first date" she whispered, though deep down she didn't mean it.
"Ok... Goodbye Sakura, I'll see you tomorrow" he said, and then he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
She felt the softness of his lips, and a warm sensation flowed through her body. She would have liked to kiss him back, on the lips, but her mind controlled the situation.
"You're sweet... Thank you... See you tomorrow" she said softly, before turning around to leave. As she walked away, she added "Good luck!", and disappeared right around the corner.
He stayed looking at the place where she left, for a minute, charmed. 'I'm really in love with her' he thought. Once he regained control of his emotions, opened the door, and entered the Hokage's office.
Everything looked as if it was the last time he was there, the day he left with Fukasaku to Mount Myoboku. Danzo never really got to sit in the Hokage's chair, and neither did Kakashi. Shizune has been the only one to enter there since Pain's attack, and she was a very careful person. He would have to look quietly to not make a mess. He walked around the office and saw the
usual pillars of books next to the desk. He went behind it, and opened each one of the drawers, hoping to find anything that belonged to the Yondaime Hokage, a little box, a picture, or a small bag. What he did find, besides paperwork, were three pictures. In one, there was a younger Tsunade and a little boy, who had brown hair and a look similar to his own. He guessed he was Nawaki. The second one, showed a tall man good looking with white long hair. He realized that he must be Dan. And in the third one, there was a younger Hiruzen with brown hair, a pale boy with long black hair, a happy blonde girl with brown eyes, and a boy with spiky white hair. Naruto grinned and tears started rolling down his face. There he was, his beloved godfather, as a boy, with the same smile Naruto remembered. He soon placed the pictures back into the drawer, and wiped out his face. He looked at the frames in the walls, but there was nothing else. He thought that maybe there was a secret room somewhere behind the walls, but he'd need someone with a Byakugan to help him. Neji and Hinata came to his mind, but he didn't want to ask them for help. Tsunade never allowed him to tell someone else about his parents, besides, he felt it would be weird. This was personal. He decided to go to the storage room, and if he didn't find it there, he'd hope Shizune or the Hokage could find the boxes. They surely knew where to look. He left the office slightly disappointed, and went to the next door in the hallway.
In the storage room, he saw various boxes, a wardrobe, and a library. There were more frames hanging in the walls, and a window at the back. He took his time to check up on each box, but he only found old bottles of sake, all empty, more books, novels (including editions of Icha Icha), a broken lamp, and medical stuff. When he looked inside the wardrobe, he found clothes, robes, blankets, bags, and some medical equipment. He saw a big empty spot in the low part of the furniture, but wondered what was supposed to be there. He closed it, and opened the drawers, only to find a lot of paperwork, including archives from the academy records. Then, he went to look around the library, but there was nothing that called his attention. He started wondering why the boxes weren't there. The room was spacious enough, and it looked like there were some things missing. He stayed for almost an hour, even opening several books, hoping to find a picture, or some mention of the Uzumaki or the Namikaze family. But there was nothing. He surrendered, and left the room, upset.
When Naruto reached the stairs, he saw there was no one there. Pakkun was gone. That meant the talk with the elders had finished, and soon the jonins meeting would be held. He walked down and in the road he found Shizune. She was carrying a bag. In the middle of the stairs, they stopped to greet each other.
"Naruto… Lady Tsunade told me she allowed you to take a look to find your parents' stuff. Did you find anything?" she asked.
"No, I looked everywhere and I found nothing about them. Are you sure the boxes were here?" Naruto replied, doubting.
"Lady Tsunade was certain. The boxes were here when we came the first time... And as far as I know, no one besides her, me, or Sakura had complete access to the office or the storage room. Shinobis, teachers, students, all come to work and to receive and report missions..." Shizune explained.
"Sakura had complete access?"
"Yeah, you know since she's Lady Tsunade's apprentice... But she cared more about the books and medical stuff... And I'm sure that if she had found something she'd have told you... There's no way she could forget" Shizune pondered.
"Yeah, you're right... I guess I'm becoming desperate... Anyway, I better let you keep going... I'm starving again" he admitted.
"The Hokage is as well, that's why I'm bringing more food for her" she said, smiling and raising the bag.
"I don't doubt it..."
"Hey, don't worry... I'll tell her that you couldn't find anything... We'll figure something out" Shizune assured, trying to comfort him.
"It's ok... There's no harm in waiting a little longer... I'll see you tomorrow I guess" Naruto answered calmly.
"Alright... See you soon" she said. She walked up the stairs and after placing a hand on his shoulder.
Naruto kept going down, and then crossed the long hallways until he reached the front door. He knew that Iruka was busy teaching so he decided to have lunch.
He rushed towards Ichiraku but a block before arriving he saw a girl with dark blue hair walking slowly in the same direction. He realized it was the time he had to face her.
He reached Hinata to greet her.
"Naruto!" she was surprised to see him.
"Hi Hinata, how are you doing?" he asked calmly.
"I'm fine... I just came with my father for the meeting... He said one day I'll take his place as the clan leader, so it's important for me to know about this stuff... Given all the rumors of war, and the danger of Akatsuki, he had been preparing me... just in case" she explained. She looked confident, as her father was finally trusting her to be his successor. There was pride in her expression.
"That's great, I mean... You're on your way... Still, we're not sure yet about a war, I know every member of Akatsuki and I never heard of an army" he assured.
"Oh... If you say so..." Hinata looked at him. "You seem sad about something"
Naruto forgot that she could see much more than normal ninjas given her Byakugan.
"Well, I had a tough morning with Granny Tsunade talking about... Sasuke, Ero-Sennin, and other stuff... And recently I saw a picture from him..." he said, quietly.
It wasn't like he was lying, after all, the talk with the Hokage did affect him somehow. Seeing the picture of Jiraiya also made him sad.
"Oh... I understand... You must really miss him" Hinata answered. She never really met Jiraiya, but given the trip Naruto took with him, she could tell he was someone he felt like family.
"I do... He was like a grandpa to me" Naruto said. He started thinking about Jiraiya's death, which led to Fukasaku, Pain, and so he remembered what he had to tell. "Hinata... There's something we need to talk about..." he started.
She interrupted him. "Don't worry Naruto... I know..."
"You do?" he asked. He wasn't sure if she was referring to Sakura.
"I know you are in love with Sakura... And in the welcome after you defeated Pain... I could tell she feels something for you as well... I guess I always knew, but... hope is hope... Anyway, when you were trapped, I felt it was the right moment... I thought you were about to be taken away... I'm sorry" she admitted.
"Hey... It's ok... You didn't know I was going to..." 'transform fully into the Kyuubi' he thought. "It was dangerous but in the end... Things turned out well. You're safe, and everyone around... That's what matters" he said, to comfort her.
"Thanks Naruto"
Before she could walk away, he spoke again. "Look, I know we're not meant to be together… but that doesn't mean I'm going to forget about you... You're my friend... Maybe the kindest person in the village. And I made a promise. I will help you to change your clan... No matter what... You, Neji and the other members need that"
"Thanks... I know you will... Oh, and I also know that Neji may not trust you about dealing with Sasuke... But you have my support" Hinata said quietly.
"I know I can always count on you... Well, I better let you go..." he sighed.
"Goodbye Naruto" she said, and calmly turned around to leave.
"I'll see you around... Bye Hinata" he said, waving his hand. As he stood there, watching her walk away, he thought 'Well, that wasn't so bad, wasn't it? She understood even before me'.
Once she was out of sight, he continued his way to Ichiraku. The talk had relieved him. She was a very kind person and deserves someone who could really make her happy. But that person wasn't him. He could be too loud, or sometimes he could be a real fool. He needed someone who could correct him when he was wrong. Someone to make him a better person. And he had known deep down for a long time that the person he needed was Sakura. As he saw the stand, he remembered how just a couple of hours ago he had been sitting right there next to her. Now he was alone and he missed her.
At this time there were not as many customers as before, almost all the tables were empty. There was only an old woman having a meal with her grandson. They grinned at Naruto, the kid exclaiming his name. He smiled at them, and gave the thumb up. Then, he turned around to finally reach the seats.
Teuchi saw him coming from the kitchen.
"Welcome back Naruto" the chef said, as he got to the front.
"Feels good to be back" he answered. There were two things that could actually cheer him up right now, after the failure to find his parents' stuff. One was Sakura, and the other was ramen.
"This time I'll bring you the usual right? You must be starving" Teuchi said.
Naruto nodded, eagerly. He would need at least two bowls of ramen.
"Ok... I'll be back in a few minutes"
Naruto waited and looked back at the street. It was pretty quiet, and he guessed it could be because of the jonins meeting. The grandmother and the kid were eating happily. A few villagers were passing by doing errands. Before he realized, Teuchi was back with his order.
"Thanks... By the way, I don't see Ayame, where is she?" Naruto asked.
"She left for her lunch break" Teuchi answered.
"Oh... she doesn't have lunch here anymore?" Naruto questioned, slurping noodles.
"She does, but sometimes she needs a break... Otherwise she'd live here all day" Teuchi reasoned, calmly.
Naruto could tell that Teuchi was being a good father and allowed Ayame to have her privacy. One day he'd have to ask him for advice on how to be a good parent. As he was thinking of this, took more noodles and pork, and suddenly, he vanished in thin air.
Teuchi was left stunned. He knew that Naruto would never disappear from his favorite place in the world, much less if he was enjoying ramen. It couldn't be a joke. He couldn't be a clone either, as he was consuming the meal like a real person. He saw the kid across the table who was astonished as well.
Where on Earth was Naruto?
AN: Remember that these events I wrote here fit in the manga chapter 489, anime episodes 220-221. With those images, you should be able to imagine better these scenes. And at the same time, you can realize how empty the original canon chapters actually were. Nor Tsunade, Kakashi, nor Shizune cared one bit about Naruto meeting his father, the truth about Itachi, or the confrontation at the Land of Iron. Naruto didn't even bother to have a decent conversation with Hinata. Naruto and Sakura didn't get together in canon.
So, like I said before, I'm correcting all those mistakes, filling all the holes here with this story. The deal with the boxes of Naruto's parents' belongings has an easy solution. I'll reveal it later. I'm sorry if I got a little thoroughly, but it's hard not to dig deeper on these chapters where there was so much material to explore. The more I write, the less I believe how Kishimoto missed all this. If he was pushed, by magazines, fans, the studio Pierrot, or whoever, it's a shame.
Here, I explored various ideas. On one side, Naruto and Sakura's breakfast was like a sort of informal date. And this includes until the moment they said goodbye. Then, there was the discussion about the Uchiha massacre. It's pretty obvious, the situation was very harsh, especially considering the history of the Uchiha clan. About the talk with Hinata, it's pretty clear. If she usually spied Naruto, how couldn't she know that he was in love with Sakura? And I think that with the hug after Pain's defeat, she realized Sakura loved him as well. As for the decision to reveal Shikaku and Shikamaru the truth, I saw it as a good idea given the reasons I mentioned. It's fair. Anyway, the end of this story is close. I hope this work can reach more readers one day. Thanks.