Disclaimer: All respective characters and settings belong to their respective franchises.
"Why are we here again?"
Naruto was standing before a rundown shop, the words " Berber" etched on a sign in fading characters above the door. Anko was standing next to him.
"Your evaluation is tomorrow, Short Man," the kunoichi answered, glancing at him from her peripherals, hands hooked on her hips. "What do you think we're here for?"
"For you to get a haircut?"
"Close," Anko said snidely as she grabbed the back of the blonde's white shirt before he could run off. "Just because you get to have some majestic flowing locks when you go digital doesn't mean you have to grow your hair out. People might start putting two and two together."
Naruto sighed through his nostrils. "My hair isn't that long."
The kunoichi flicked a hand through the scruffy mop that was the boy's crown. "You kidding? I could use you as a broom. Now, come on! Time's a wastin'! Dough Boy is gonna be at Higurashi's after we're done." The blonde whined as he tried to pull away from her, but she grabbed him by the shoulders. "Now, before I decide my apartment needs a good spring cleaning."
Dragging him towards the entrance, Naruto did little to fight her, knowing that she'd do something worse if he tried. Upon entering, the first thing the blonde took note of was how…impeccably clean and modern the inside was. The walls were a pristine white, as opposed to the smooth wooden floor that glistened under a white light from the ceiling. Across where they stood was a counter, with a large cabinet behind it that was connected to shelves filled with what he could make out were instruments, bottles and tins. To his right, wide mirrors reflected the rest of the interior, along with three red swivel chairs that were neatly aligned and bolted to the floor.
"Fancy, huh?" Anko remarked. "This is where I get my hair done."
The blonde shot her a scrutinizing look, to which she responded by ruffling his hair. "Yes, big shock. Hey, master!"
The kunoichi waved at a man entering through the opening next to the shelves. Tall, lanky, black hair that was done in a small pompadour, his mustache thin and well-groomed. Nestled on the ridge of his nose were a pair of spectacles. He wore a white, long sleeved shirt that hugged his upper body, the collar unbuttoned to expose his chest, and black pantaloons. His shoes were black and pointed as they made a soft clicking sound for every step he took.
He was sipping from a teacup as he walked in, perking up at the sight of them as he recognized the kunoichi. "Hm? Oh, Anko-chan, welcome. What brings you here today?"
"Nothing for me, master," Anko replied. "'Cept for this brat." She shoved Naruto forward, who lightly grunted as he stumbled forward. "He's all yours."
The man stepped in front of the blonde after depositing his teacup on the counter, his eyes sweeping over the boy from top to bottom. "Is this…" He was cut off by Anko clearing her throat, prompting him to simply motion for the boy to take a seat on the chair nearest to the counter. "Hm, quite the specimen you've brought me, Anko-chan. Quite the specimen, indeed." He hooked his thumb to his chin, using his free hand to cradle his elbow, slowly encircling the now seated Uzumaki as he seemed to be wrestling over the logistics. His index finger tapped his cheek. "Hm, well this is a toughy."
"Can you do it?" Anko asked the man.
"Can I do it?" The master echoed, some indignation seeping into his tone. "Anko-chan, these fingers of mine have braved absolute jungles of hair. The challenge positively entices me. All I need is to apply the right vibe." Like I did for his father.
"Vibe?" Naruto echoed curiously, some apprehension in his tone. "Uh, what kind of…vibe?"
"That is what I'm still debating over, dear boy," the master expressed. "Oh, do pardon me, where are my manners? My name is Okita."
"Naruto," the blonde responded in kind.
The man nodded and walked to the mantelpiece under the mirror and rummaged inside a plastic tray, fishing out what appeared to be a small stack of polaroids. He flipped through a few before coming to what seemed to satisfy him and presented it to the duo.
It was a man in what looked to be a white dress shirt, winking with his lips puckered. However, what caught their eye the most was the guy's afro, so large that it barely fit into the photo entirely.
"How about this?"
Okita would get the message loud and clear when the boy punched him square on the cheek, destroying that vibe.
"My, my," the barber chuckled weakly after climbing to his feet, clumsily returning the photos into the tray. "How about I just give you a good old-fashioned trim? That vibe seems to fit you more."
Naruto scowled at the man crossly, his fist having left a pronounced red bruise. "Sure," he complied in a firm tone.
With Okita getting ready, Anko took her seat on a stool next to the door to wait. She picked out a magazine from a pile resting on a small coffee table, sneaking a glance through the glass window when her face was momentarily obscured by flipping the pages open. Naruto waited patiently before he felt a cloth being gently tucked around his neck.
As the minutes passed, the young Uzumaki would steal a glance at the scenery overlooking the window ever so often, having been warned by Kurama that they were being watched ever since the kunoichi picked him up. By whom, Anko explained, were shinobi not aligned with the Hokage. Not everyone in Konoha's government was on the same page as Hiruzen, as such, he needed to be on vigilant, as they were not people he would want to meet without an entire contingent of ANBU behind him. He was used to the feeling of being watched, but even he could tell that this wasn't the sense that he got from his usual guard detail. It felt…hollow. Almost empty.
Okita could only admire his handiwork after he was done, the boy's once shaggy hair now shorter and neatly even. Naruto checked himself in the mirror, almost not recognizing the person staring back. He originally had little choice but to cut his own hair or ask one of his caretakers, as other barbers would refuse him, but later grew it out to help build his image to be as eye-catching as possible. Looking at himself now, he was beginning to reconsider that decision.
Anko smacked him on the back after Okita brushed away the leftover hair. "Now that what I call a handsome boy!" She exclaimed, her playful grin reflected on the mirror as she clutched his shoulders, leaning in close. "Everybody better watch out! We got ourselves a big handsome boy over here!"
Said boy was scrunching his face tightly, unamused over the mocking praise, grunting through gritted teeth, "Let's just go already."
Anko let out a chortle. She turned to Okita to give him his money and a tip. "Great work as always, master."
"Anytime, Anko-chan," the man said, bidding the duo farewell. He sighed, smiling nostalgically as he rubbed at his bruise, wincing when he did. His mother punched me, too.
Meanwhile…
His orders were simple.
Keep a close eye on the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, and if the Hokage had begun preparing him as a weapon for Konoha. While any action that was taken for the sole interests of the village were usually not of any concern to them; business as usual as anyone would put it, his superior's eyes and ears had managed to pick up oddities that warranted some attention. A recently found Uzumaki, and a Summon that had been placed in the Jinchūriki's care. All indicators that the boy must be undergoing some level of prep.
The deaths of several of their men were evidence enough that the Hokage was keeping everything under strict lock and key. If he was to be done away with, then it would be all the confirmation they would need.
Several Jōnin that had been exhibiting hints of suspicious behavior supported the notion. Proxies that were stationed in key locations such as bars, clubs, and shops had done their part to frisk intel out of them, but would always be met with an excuse or alibi that was fairly substantiated. Drills, training, home life, at a friend's place, etc. Shadow Clones could never naturally consume food or drink, which meant the ones in those establishments were the real deal, as there were precautions put in place ever since a rise in shinobi using clones or henge to avoid paying. It was times like these that they wished that a Hyūga was among their ranks, but they could never make the clan budge. They had Aburame, but they were always close to their superior at all times ever since Itachi killed the last one. What sensors they had weren't that precise or perfect, and the few times that a clone was discovered, it would be one of them goofing off or getting away from their wives.
He sighed. Using clones for shenanigans was more common than people gave it thought.
Still, what was clear was that something was afoot that they weren't in on, and it had to be big if the Hokage was adamant to keep it that way.
"If you're going to kill me, just do it."
Tenzō didn't move a muscle as he stood behind one of the people he used to work with. He even recognized him.
"Hyō," Tenzō called him by name through his mask. "The kid's just getting a haircut. Are you gonna be there when he's rubbing one off, too?"
Hyō didn't respond, his hand ready to reach for his tantō. Tenzō was fast, but he knew himself to be faster.
They were silent, frozen. Hyō sensed that Tenzō had suddenly and knowingly relaxed, and took this as a sign that he hadn't come alone. A fight in broad daylight was doable, but his odds were slim. That is, if he had any intention of fighting back. "We know of Danzo-sama and Orochimaru."
"...And?"
"...I seem to recall that our sole purpose was, and still is, for the security and protection of Konoha," Tenzō said. "What happened to that?" It was redundant of him to ask, especially given the worst of his government that he knew. Still, Hiruzen and Kakashi had brought back much of his optimism that he thought ROOT had beaten out of him.
Hyō kept silent, releasing the tension of his own body. He stood up and turned, walking past the ANBU without issue, whispering to the man, "I have my orders."
Elsewhere…
Danzo did not expect to hear from Hyō so soon for today, but he welcomed him into his private study all the same from the crawl space behind his chair. "Well?"
"They know, sir."
The Hokage's fellow veteran, friend and rival lowered the scroll that he had been reading. It was a report from one of his agents stationed at the west border. Mizuki had not made a move, nor had there been any signs of contact between him and Orochimaru. The disgraced Chūnin wasn't taking any chances, it would seem. The Hyūga that had confronted him were mauled to unrecognizable chunks when they were found, two of them missing their eyes. Could he be recovering from the aftereffects of using his Curse Mark? Biding his time until security was lax enough for him to return? Likely a little bit of both. How mortifyingly typical. What else could he have expected from an overeager pawn after having tasted power?
"It's a warning," Danzo drawled.
"...What now?"
"Nothing," Danzo answered, reclining back as he rolled up the scroll before handing it to Hyō for disposal. And here I thought he lost his touch. "Withdraw all agents in the village and await further orders. We've already lost enough men." Damn that Seiko.
"Understood."
"It is clear that Hiruzen has become more…bold in his actions as of late," Danzo declared. But why now? When did he start to suspect? Leaking the vessel's identity had been the very start of his long term plan, just one of several, to turn the boy into a weapon against Hiruzen, letting the rest play out until the lad's emotional state reached a point that was just right for extraction. I'd be more surprised if he hadn't. He would have been a fool to not have such a valuable tool under his sway, and with Hiruzen having little influence in the Jinchūriki's life (other than filling his head with the idea of Hokage), the man might have just been humoring him.
Oh well, no plan ever survived contact unscathed. Securing Uzumaki Naruto's loyalty was merely a matter of opportunity, and with his old friend having made such a decisive move on the board, he was now deprived of a key piece that would have served him well in the near future. He found it both mollifying and vexing that the old boy was still as sharp as ever.
"I'll leave the teacher and student to their petty squabbling. Until the right time comes, we have our own preparations to keep us occupied."
"Understood, Danzo-sama."
As soon as Hyō left, the former founder and head of ROOT peered ahead past his desk at a dim corner of the study. "And, what of your progress?"
"..."
A rare, thin smile made its way into the man's features. "Good. Just keep at it."
Elsewhere…
Higurashi's turned out to be a two story weapons shop, a rather humble one that he had never been to. Instead of the market district where they were common, the place was in a section of the village suburbs. It resembled more of a house that was simply slapped with a sign, and indeed, it could have only doubled as a home to whoever owned it.
"You can never go wrong with Higurashi's," Anko proclaimed.
"Is it any good?" Naruto asked her, to which she scoffed like she had just heard a bad joke.
"Better than the "high-end" shit, Short Man," the kunoichi swore. "Now, Dough Boy should-oh, speak of the devil."
The door had slid open to reveal Bokomon, wearing a blue jacket under a white shirt and black shorts. His pink haramaki lay exposed around his waist. "You look good," he remarked upon seeing the boy's new haircut.
The blonde's cheeks went pink, running a hand over his bristled tresses. "Hope you didn't start without us," Anko said.
"I just got here a few minutes ago," Bokomon replied. "Just enough time to get a small tour." As soon as they were inside, Naruto's vision was immediately flooded with a cornucopia of shinobi tools and hardware, many contained in glass displays or hanging by the wall. Uniforms, flak jackets, sandals, pouches, holsters. Kunai, tantōs, kusarigama, sais, tonfa, nunchaku, hook swords, they had it all. It was little wonder the kunoichi spoke so highly of the place as they seemed to be giving off a shine, as if alluring any shinobi who came along to buy them.
Spotting some movement, Naruto's eyes caught a girl that was stepping out between some shelves, lugging a medium-sized crate that seemed heavy from the slight strain visible on her face. She was wearing a green tank top and pants. Her brown hair was done in two buns, with short bangs framing her face. Catching sight of them with chocolate brown eyes, she turned to the counter that led to a stairwell and called in a loud voice, "Uncle, customers!"
Before long, the sound of feet trundling down the wooden steps was followed by the appearance of a man in his late thirties. He was tall, tanned, with short black hair done in a flat cut. He had a toned build underneath a dark blue yukata. His face was stern and serious as he swept his gaze over them, a small scar that ran down his right eyebrow.
"Mitarashi," he hissed out the kunoichi's surname like bile stuck in his throat the moment he spotted her.
Right before his eyes went…lower.
He coughed as if to compose himself, his expression softening as opposed to his niece's, who flatly averted her eyes. "What can I do for you today?"
Anko's smile widened, a hand on her hip as she shoved the blonde forward once again, who pouted back at her. " This is what you can do for me today. Kid's in his fourth year. Kit him up."
The man, who Naruto could presume to be Higurashi himself, quietly surveyed him not unlike Okita did. "I can only recommend the standard set for academy students in their fourth year and nothing more. Other than that, you're free to choose what you need in my shop except in the sections reserved for Genin, Chūnin, and Jōnin. Am I clear?"
"Uh, yes sir," Naruto nodded, taking a moment to study the nearest displays and saw just what he wanted. "Jackets. Do you have anything in orange?"
"Burnt orange?" Higurashi said, folding his arms to rub his chin. "Well, we have a couple of-"
"No, I mean, just regular orange," Naruto corrected him. "Brighter orange is fine, too."
He heard a sound that distinctly sounded like the girl biting back a snort. She was now seated on a stool behind an adjacent counter, unloading the crate that was full of kunai and polishing them.
Higurashi stared at the boy as if he had grown an extra ear. "Son, we only have burnt orange, vermilion or just plain brown. You want brighter colors? There's a kabuki shop in the market district."
The Uzumaki cast a side glare at Anko snickering behind him. "Fine," he conceded. "Maybe-"
"Wait," Higurashi said with a start, raising a hand up. "I might have something. New arrival. Wait right here."
Higurashi turned, heading towards a door on the far right corner. After closing it behind him, the party of three chose to await his return by having a look around, scanning the rest of the wares in case they needed something else. Anko did just that as she picked out two weapon storage scrolls to replace what she lost in the battle with Hyougamon. Bokomon, uninterested in the weapons, found a display of kitchen knives, perusing one out that would suit him best.
Naruto eyed the assortment of items as he meandered next to one of the display cases, right until he reached a counter and the girl's hands entered his line of sight. He looked up, seeing that she was busily polishing a kunai with a cloth.
The girl, entrenched in her task, noticed him staring, "Yeah?"
"N-Nothing," Naruto shook his head, feeling timid. "That looks pretty sharp."
"The sharpest," the girl proclaimed proudly. "You wondering how I don't get cut?"
Naruto meekly nodded after a moment, finding the sheen of the polished metal oddly mesmerizing. "Yeah."
"I've been doing this since I was a kid," the girl answered more humbly, twirling the blade with a practiced ease, cutting him a friendly glance, perhaps finding his curiosity charming. "A sign of a good weapon is how clean and well-maintained it is."
"So, you're an academy student?"
"Genin," the girl corrected him as she was without her hitaete , denoting her as being older. "Graduated last year." She blew at the kunai she was cleaning and examined it closely. "You?"
"That's…what I'm hoping for," Naruto said abashedly, leaning on the counter with his elbow.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, not fully tearing away from the kunai, and said, "...Let me guess. Dead last?"
Naruto opened his mouth to try and deny her assumption, before clamping his lips together tautly in a silent admission.
"I wouldn't give it much thought," she followed with. "Not like you're the first one."
"Was that a pun?" Naruto said archly, throwing his head back to stare at the ceiling. "'Cuz I hardly find that to be something to joke about."
"Hey, I happen to personally know the dead last back in our year, and they actually turned out pretty okay," the girl replied, tilting her head as she added, "And, pun or not, that kind of attitude won't get you anywhere."
The boy was tempted to tell her how ironic it was for him to be on the receiving end of such talk. "Oh, I've got the attitude," Naruto declared. "After being held back once, there's no way I'm not gonna graduate this year."
"Yeah, and in retrospect, it might not even be totally your fault. What went down at the academy was pretty bad from what I heard. Besides the evaluation for you fourth years, all of the underclassmen have had to take remedial classes and then a mock exam," the girl amended, pursing her lips. "Konoha isn't taking any chances since we're gonna be hosting the Chūnin Exams next year." She picked up another kunai and continued before he could set the record straight. That, yes, a good part of him being the dead last was his fault. "But it's not like only you academy scrubs get to suffer. Our Jōnin instructor's been a total slave driver since then. Today's just one of the few breaks I can get."
Naruto winced in sympathy as the girl spared him a look, asking, "So, what's your name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto," he answered, and a flash of amusement seemed to flicker across the girl's eyes, the smile she held becoming playful as her gaze lingered on him. "... What?"
"Nothing," she immediately responded, resuming her task, but not before introducing herself in turn. "I'm Higurashi Tenten. So, what was the deal with you asking for orange? Most usually go for darker colors."
"Oh, heh," Naruto fidgeted, scratching the back of his head self-consciously. "Orange is just my favorite color. I used to have an orange and blue jacket, but…it wouldn't fit me anymore. Didn't really have the time to buy a new one because of all the crap I've been bogged with."
"S'okay, I get 'ya," Tenten shrugged. "I always wear bright pink myself."
Naruto's brows scrunched at hearing that. "Then, what's the deal with your dad-"
"Uncle," Tenten corrected him.
"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry, I thought he was your dad for a second there."
"It's fine," the kunoichi waved the mistake off rather curtly as she plucked out another kunai from the crate.
The elder Higurashi soon returned, carrying a large cardboard box that he placed down on the counter where Naruto and Tenten had been talking, the two having fallen into a comfortable silence. He took out a sharp box cutter from a utility belt he wore around his waist and made a clean cut on the sealing tape. Putting the blade down, he cracked the box open to reveal a stack of clothes, all neatly folded. He pulled the first one out and unraveled a black uniform jacket, though instead of buttons, it was drawn together by an orange zipper. Pulling it open revealed the inside to be a burnt orange color. The ends of the collar and cuffs had metal clip-on buttons, to which the man demonstrated the sleeves could be folded.
Naruto was then led to a fitting room after his measurements were taken and given the right size.
"Huh," Anko sounded, palming her chin as she sized the blonde up after he pulled back the curtains. "Not bad."
Naruto scanned his own reflection at different angles, the uniform a perfect fit. "I don't know. Just doesn't feel…me." He puffed his chest up, pressing down on the front with his forearm.
"Here," Higurashi chimed in, "try it with these." Naruto perked up when the man held out what appeared to be an orange bundle. Thinking that it was the jacket that he had originally asked for, he eagerly took it and unraveled what was actually a pair of pants that resembled his old ones, only a shade of burnt orange upon closer inspection under the light.
He sighed, but quashed down any complaint as he retreated back behind the curtains, straightening his jacket while he was at it.
"Nice!" Anko flashed him a thumbs up of approval when he emerged. "Panties will be dropping to the floor when they get a load of you."
"D-Don't even joke about that," Naruto sputtered in embarrassment, feeling even more self-conscious. He checked himself again, placing a hand on his hip as he pivoted his reflection left to right. "Huh, you know, I…do look kinda nice." The colors certainly didn't seem to clash.
He did a pose, copying what he once saw in a fashion magazine, spreading his feet apart just far enough for his legs to be bent at an arch, leaning his upper body slightly to the side, both hands hooking down onto his thighs parallel to his groin. "I'll take them. How much?"
Higurashi hummed. "The jacket will put you down a good 4000 ryō, and 2000 for the pants."
Naruto felt weak in the knees at those prices. "E-Expensive…" he stuttered out hoarsely.
"They're imported."
"Well, do 'ya happen to have anything that isn't imported?" Naruto insisted. "Preferably dirt cheap? It doesn't even have to be orange."
"In that case, how about those black and navy blue ones over there, and you're in luck, they happen to be on sale," Higurashi said as he pointed to where the apparel was on display. "Starting price is 1500 ryō."
1500 ryō? That's a steal! Naruto took one look at the items and immediately changed his mind. "On second thought, I'll…I'll take these. These are fine."
"You sure? They sell like hotcakes," Higurashi said with an encouraging smile.
Naruto's own smile became strained. "Sure as I'll ever be."
Most of the clothing hanging on display bore an uncanny resemblance to Sasuke's sense of dress, right down to the high collar.
"We'll take five of each," Bokomon added. "The jacket and the pants."
"Ojisan!" Naruto exclaimed in shock.
Oh right, we can't really put it on the Hokage's tab anymore. Bokomon thought, recalling some days ago that the old boy had been on the brink of crying, on his knees as he begged for a reprieve to his clan's coffers. "Don't worry, I have the money."
"Wh-" Naruto knew that any cash Bokomon used was his, as the latter wasn't due an actual salary for being employed at the academy until next month. They had already spent a sizable sum of his inheritance on not only a new desk for his computer, a bean and swivel chair, but also bare necessities like new clothes to replace his old ones. The rest of his inheritance was under a trust under Hiruzen's name, and that he was set to have access only when he turned 16. He still had rent, water, electricity and gas to worry about. "You do?"
"I'll pay," the scholar persisted, surprising his surrogate nephew with a wad of ryō that he drew out from his haramaki. A nonplussed Naruto watched as their purchases were finalized, and once they were outside with their bags in tow after saying a farewell to Tenten, he just had to ask.
"What?" Bokomon shrugged his shoulders. "You didn't really think I wouldn't put away some money for myself, did you? I've been doing some side work for the Hokage. Well compensated side work, at that."
"What…kind of side work?"
"The kind that's classified," Anko answered for the scholar. "Come on. Let's go grab some lunch."
Naruto's stomach grumbled, and this got him to think. Why not? "How about some ramen?"
Bokomon, instead of refusing or voting for Yoshinoya, agreed with a nod. "Sure. It's about time I tried what the ramen here is like."
Naruto's features brightened, throwing a fist up. "Alright!" That was when he paused, remembering the diet Oton had placed him on. "Oh, but…can I?"
"If it's your cheat day, sure," Anko said with a shrug. Bokomon stiffened, his beady eyes widening at the mention.
"A…cheat day?"
"You mean, you've never had a cheat day?" Anko asked the pair incredulously, to which the blonde's head shook no. "It's days when you cheat or skip your diet to eat whatever you like," she explained. "Not exactly popular for those dedicated types, but you can never really hold back certain cravings for long."
"And why wasn't I ever given one of these cheat days?" Naruto wondered pointedly, shooting Bokomon the stink eye.
The scholar plainly answered, "So that you wouldn't be tempted. Oton wanted you to go all in on the diet we designed for you. Can't have you running off to cheat whenever you feel like."
The Uzumaki felt like he had just experienced a betrayal of the highest order. He raised a finger, carping, "One cup ramen. Just one. Is that so bad?"
"And what if that one were to turn into two? Then three?" Anko piped up. "Before you know it, you're back to square one. Just because something tastes or feels good, doesn't mean it is. Especially long term."
"Like you and dang-" The kunoichi cut him off with a bop on the head.
"Listen here you brat, I've been cutting back on my vices too, alright?" Anko retorted sharply with a grin. "I wasn't about to let you be the only one making lifestyle changes. And that it definitely wasn't because some jackass told me to."
Naruto and Bokomon exchanged brief glances, wondering why the kunoichi even added that last part.
"Alright, let's go," Anko said, lightly smacking the blonde on the shoulder. "Off to Yoshinoya."
Naruto blinked, thinking if he had heard her right. "You mean Ichiraku Ramen."
"Ichiraku? That place closed down a week ago," Anko replied carelessly. "Come on, I think you're gonna love what Oton added-" A distinct thud behind the kunoichi cut her off. She turned, then whirled around to find the blonde lying face down on the ground. "Oh…"
Later…
The walk to Yoshinoya was peppered with small talk, but the blonde drowned most of it out as he stewed over what the kunoichi had said.
Closed down. He still didn't want to believe it.
"Don't let it get to you, Short Man," Anko said, walking beside Bokomon. "And don't go blaming yourself, either."
"Well, who can I blame?" Naruto asked dejectedly, more to himself, lagging behind the two.
Anko shrugged. "The market. People's palates these days are more sophisticated or health conscious, and with more restaurants popping up lately, variety is the spice of life. Tough pill to swallow, but man cannot live on ramen alone."
When the boy didn't respond, the kunoichi glanced over her shoulder, then turned around, seeing that he had stopped. "It's just ramen, kid."
"Just ramen?" Naruto echoed softly, looking up at the woman as a frown began to appear on him, releasing his emotions with a repeated, "Just ramen?!"
"That's right," Anko said as she stepped closer to him boldly. "Noodles, soup, toppings. It's cheap, it's filling, but at the end of the day, it's a greasy gunk that's bloated with empty calories. Sentimental bullshit isn't going to change that."
"Oh, like you would understand not having anything better to eat!" Naruto snapped, their increasingly loud voices drawing some attention from the odd passerby, but none dared to go near upon seeing and recognizing the blonde. "Ichiraku was the one and only place that would give me food that was actually good. When I didn't have anything at home, the old man would always have a bowl ready for me, even if I didn't have the money to pay! Ayame-nee chan…would always be there smiling when she saw me. She…she never-"
Anko stared at the boy as he was having a crisis, a peek into how the abuse he endured affected him, and how he ended up clinging to whatever and whoever stood as a positive light in his seemingly bleak childhood. For a part of that light to be taken away, it would naturally have an impact on him.
"Because of me…because of-"
His mumbling was interrupted by a brusque stinging sensation, and only after coming to his senses did he see that the kunoichi had slapped him. "Just try to blame yourself, because I can hit harder."
Naruto looked up and met the woman's eyes. Instead of anger or annoyance, there was a glimmer behind them that he didn't recognize. Was it sympathy? Pity? No, he knew what those looked like, and it would have made him feel worse if the woman indeed beheld him that way.
"I…I just…" His vision blurred, and before he knew it, tears started to sting at his own eyes. Bokomon wanted to comfort his surrogate nephew, but thought it better for the kunoichi to have this.
Anko sighed, then cut a glance at a pair of onlookers that ventured to watch. They didn't know the reason why, nor did they hear or care for that matter, only that they were smiling irreverently, deriving some pleasure from seeing the blonde in such a distressed state.
The kunoichi's gaze became murderous, veins popping on her temple, sending out a wave of menacing killing intent that she made sure to aim at the couple alone for them to take the full brunt. They immediately scuttled away with their heads down, fear stricken.
"That's enough." Bringing her attention back to him and seeing that he wasn't calming down, she placed a firm hand on his head. "I said that's enough. You can keep crying like a little bitch, it won't bring back their business. What they need is time, not tears."
The boy rubbed his eyes, sniffling. "...T-Time?"
"Like I said before you started auditioning for the latest soap opera, Oton added something new to his menu," Anko said to him, giving his head a pat. "Three guesses as to what it is, but I'm gonna let you be the judge. Now, you either come with me, or you stay here all day as a sideshow to these morons."
They arrived at Yoshinoya, the rest of the walk somber, the blonde becoming quiet after he had calmed down. It had been some time since he had eaten in the restaurant itself, with Oton and Bokomon largely handling his meals. The three of them passed Ichiraku on the way, and true to the kunoichi's words, it was locked down. He sniffed the air searchingly, hoping against all odds that there was a pot of broth boiling, that Teuchi and Ayame were there, closed for the day, delayed in opening or simply taking a break. He wanted to knock on their door, but Anko quashed that with a shake of her head. Seeing the sight in person, he expected it to hurt, that he would break down and weep for the loss of the one place filled with some of the most positive memories he had. Instead, all he could do was stare lifelessly at the sealed up shop, boarded shut.
So, here they were, taking their seats as Naruto drowned everything else out, lost in his own thoughts.
Ḏ̷̢̝͉͙͕̱̭͎̱̇͂͒͒̋͗̈́ȃ̵̢̖͕͙̘͇͔͉̮̒̓͐͂̑̿̽͂̀͝d̵̨̻̤̻͚͔̣͕̪̼͙̼͎̜̎̐̑̑̀̈́́̈́̎̌̓̃,̵̬̗̪̣̦͓̺͉̈́̃͊͑͛̒̒͘͘͜ͅ ̵̢̡͇͈̩̘̟͚̅̃̃̈͊͜͠͠a̷̡̺̞̖̬̯͊͗b̴̜̠̻̙̺̩̟͋̔̽̀ǫ̶̯̟̟̤̞͛̑̏̄̐̂̑̂͆͠ŭ̶͍͓̞̣͒̑͝t̸͚͊͂̓̈́́̈̂͝͝ ̷̢̡̜̜͎̱̘̥̄̄͊o̶͉̤͎͔̰̳̪̲̗̊̒̒̎̑̕̕͝u̵̲̐̽̓̉ṙ̶̢̺̣̮̜̼̭͒̄̍ ̵̬̟̱̞̲͇̪̈́̀̋̉̽̍͛͐̈̽͋͋̈́̇͜r̵̨̡̨̥̖͓̲̘̯͙̫̀e̵̬̮͔̟͎͎͓̤̔̿͜ͅn̴̨̧̪͓̠̹͉̭̰͖̼̞͍̞̏t̶̫͚̱̤̭͉̻͕̽̌͛̊͝.̷̢̤̭͉͎͕͈̞̃̌̊͂̀.̴̨̛̠̺̦̰̹̜͇͈͓̱̍̐́̋͝͝͝.̴͈̟̪͓̬̘̼̙͇̞̥̹̰̞̿
He sucked in his lips, feeling the weight of having driven Ichiraku out of business. Anko may have smacked into him that it wasn't his fault, but he knew as well as anyone that it was, even if partially. Only a year ago after chancing upon the father and daughter discussing the dire straits their shop was in, did he finally come to notice. Ever since becoming a regular, he would always be by his lonesome whenever he ate there. There would be exceptions if he happened to be with Iruka or the Hokage, but it would always, always be him.
A feeling of dread began to crawl up his spine at the thought of coming face-to-face with them. Would they curse him? Ignore him? They might even be saving whatever leftovers they had left, just waiting for the opportunity to chuck it all at him to drive home that he was no longer welcome in their lives. Not after he so thoughtlessly ruined them, bleeding them slowly of their livelihood.
"Hey…hey! Naruto, are you going to order or not?" He blinked as he felt something gently tap at his shoulder, paired with a voice that helped to snap him out of his stupor. The depressed Uzumaki slowly looked up, believing it to be Kie.
Instead, it turned out to be a very familiar face.
"...Ayame…-neechan?"
Ayame smiled. She was holding up a pen and notepad, and dressed in Yoshinoya's trademark uniform. The only thing that she kept from Ichiraku was her white bandana. She huffed, saying to him, "Well finally! I was beginning to think you haven't eaten anything since breakfast. Oh, by the way, nice haircut."
"...AYAME-NEECHAN?!" Naruto practically shouted, jumping up to his feet on the seat.
"Ah!" Ayame nodded, beaming at his reaction.
"H-How…"
"Hey, Naruto!" A voice called out to him from the kitchen area, and with a turn of his head, Naruto's gaze landed on Teuchi, also wearing the uniform, though instead of his white chef cap, on the top of his head was a black bandana. He greeted him with a two-fingered salute, adding, "What's it gonna be? Tonkotsu? Shio? Miso? I bet you want a classic Shoyu, right?"
"Te…TEUCHI-OSSAN?!" Naruto squawked, nearly falling back to the table behind him.
Ayame laughed, reaching a hand out to help Naruto up, and nearly buckled over at how much force the boy's pull had to right himself. He quickly apologized to her, which she waved off, though her arm did feel a little sore, but it would pass.
"H-How are you two here?" Naruto asked as he sat back down on his seat, his expression a perfect mix between shock and confusion, but also…relief at seeing them again.
"I think that's a question you should be asking the boss," Teuchi replied, pointing with the ladle that he was holding in the direction of the grill, which a largely built man in the Yoshinoya uniform was manning.
"Oton…?"
Oton turned to him, wearing his glasses for today when he would normally forego them during work hours at the restaurant.
"B-But…" Words failed him, checking to see if he was simply imagining the father and daughter being there. Ayame was still standing by with her notepad, ready to take their order, while Teuchi had gone back to what he could make out was him stirring a pot of broth with the ladle.
"I told you Oton added something new to the menu," Anko said from across the table, smiling cheekily as Naruto turned to her.
"You knew," Naruto said to the woman accusingly. The kunoichi raised both hands in a silent confession.
"Hey, you were the one who started embarrassing yourself out in public," she told him. "I was only supposed to bring you here for it to be a surprise."
"A surprise?" He turned to Ayame once more, who nodded.
"We'll explain later," she told him, "but right now, what'll it be?"
Naruto was at a loss, like his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He cleared his throat to reply with, "R-Ramen…"
"What kind?"
His gaze briefly wandered, trying to reach for what flavor he wanted, a treacherous part of him wondering if he had come to lose his taste for his favorite dish. "...W-Whatever! Every kind you got!"
Ayame chuckled, "Got it." She turned to the kitchen, calling out to her father, "One of everything, dad!"
"Righto!"
Teuchi went to work, boiling the noodles first. He's gonna love this. He watched as the water bubbled, tapping the dial of the stove. Timing, heat, everything according to Seiko's specifications. He checked what he already had simmering in two pots, sampling each. Yes, perfect.
Shio broth made from chicken was to be first, which had a delicate, but robust body, making it one of Naruto's favorites next to Tonkotsu. I can't use my old recipes anymore, but with the new ingredients added, it should…
"Order up!" He called to Ayame, putting out the first bowl. The girl diligently picked it up and marched towards Naruto's table, with an eager blonde barely able to sit still with anticipation, eyes wide as dinner plates and his mouth watering as the dish was placed in front of him.
" It's…It's beautiful…" Tears once again prickled at his eyes, but the smile on his face belied joy.
"Do you two need a moment?" Anko cooed roguishly, cradling her head on her hands, blowing the blonde a kiss.
The Uzumaki ignored her, his chopsticks resting between his thumbs and index fingers. He put his hands together, reciting, " Itadakimasu!" Carefully, he split the chopsticks, the familiar snap making an echo that made his ears burn. He gingerly crept the bowl closer, breathing in the steam that wafted from the hot broth, awakening all his senses, his eyelids fluttering in euphoria.
Goosebumps rippled across his flesh as he took a spoon and scooped up some soup, wanting so desperately to sample the nectar that he had been long deprived of.
One sip, and pure, raw ecstasy exploded inside his mouth. And also…
"Hm?" His eyes snapped open, his blissful smile instantly replaced by confusion.
He looked down at his bowl. Did he just imagine that? He curiously sampled the soup again and found that no, he did not. The taste was different. A frequent diet throughout the years had markedly attuned his palate to ramen, giving him a very discerning tongue to every flavor and variation Teuchi had ever served him. He sucked in his lips, savoring the aftertaste, sensing nothing amiss at first, only to be bushwhacked by a new, very distinct flavor.
Regardless. "It's good…"
The words he had said, those two simple words did not come from him voluntarily. It was like a signal that his brain had picked up once the soup had hit his tongue a second time, a jolt of electricity jumpstarting a long neglected synapse, causing the syllables to take form on their own.
His tongue, his teeth, the inside of his cheeks, every fringe of his mouth worked accordingly to shape, vibrate, and orchestrate his body's natural reaction, as if he was a puppet operated by string.
It was better than good. It was delicious. More delicious than he remembered.
The saltiness of the Shio went down smoother and mellower than what he was used to, leaving him dumbstruck as to what could be different.
He next went for the noodles, choosing to start small. He blew at the meager portion once then slurped it up, passing them through his lips smoothly in one breath.
*snap*
"Hm?!" He paused as soon as his teeth clamped together to chew. What…?
*snap*
The elasticity. Never in all his life did he ever think that noodles could ever get so firm as much as it paired well with the soup. He took a whiff when he lifted some to his nose, detecting a faint sweetness. This smell. Where have I…?
He sipped up another spoonful of soup, then the noodles. Soup, noodles, alternating between both until he forewent the spoon entirely to dive into the bowl. Downing the last morsel, he let out a satisfied breath, letting himself bask in the afterglow.
"Hm, delicious," Bokomon remarked, also partaking into his bowl, he and Anko having ordered the same.
"Huh, not bad," the kunoichi seconded, downplaying how her taste buds were dancing. The soup wasn't too greasy because of the chicken base stock, but it still had an incredible body of flavor. The salty punch that she expected was somehow softened by a mellow sweetness that could only be derived from vegetables, and…something else. The noodles were a different story. "There's definitely something going on with the noodles. You two noticed it, too, right?"
Bokomon smacked his lips. "Yep. Oranges. Specifically, tangerines."
"Hm?" Naruto blinked. The hint of sweetness…that could have only come from a fruit. Oranges?
"Pureed tangerine peelings were mixed and kneaded into the dough," Bokomon declared, smacking and licking his lips, his sharp tongue identifying the exact ingredient. If there was anything that Digimon loved as much as fighting, it was food. It was why the Gourmet Zone was held in such high regard as a wealth of culinary treasures in the Digital World and officially its own sovereign nation, with the citizenry being composed entirely of licensed chefs.
From there, the trio went through several more bowls. Naturally, Naruto indulged himself, leaving a stack of ten in his wake. He let out a loud burp, signaling that he was satisfied, patting his full stomach.
Anko only managed two, while Bokomon went through four. Ayame came in and served each of them a cup of matcha tea after clearing their table.
"So," Naruto began, grabbing his tea, "I believe you all owe me an explanation."
Ayame chuckled, leaning back against the opposite table that was bolted to the floor. "Where to start?"
A week ago…
Ayame sighed, turning away from a customer after placing down his order of Miso Ramen, bereft of her usual spunk. Teuchi was slaving away at the stove, a tray of vegetables and other ingredients on the counter adjacent to him. Today was a fine morning for the village, which always meant good business for the market district as a throng of potential customers were milling about.
Business especially for Ichiraku Ramen, as they had been seeing an uptick in customers in the weeks following Naruto's absence, which they took note of after the third day of him not showing. Not by much, sadly, as they were still in the red when it came to their rent. One would think that they would be happy that they were recovering, albeit slowly, from such a slump. Alas, the mood around the shop was anything but celebratory.
"I wonder where Naruto is right now, dad," Ayame said, approaching her father, his back to her. "Even when I go out for deliveries, I haven't seen hide nor hair of him."
Teuchi, sampling a new recipe he was experimenting with, took a moment to reply with, "Maybe he's just been busy, Ayame. You've heard about the scandal at the Academy. He could just be hard at work studying for his evaluation."
This made Ayame giggle, "Knowing him, I just can't see it. Though…" she drew her head back, a wistful smile lurking on her lips, "if it's Naruto, he'll definitely pass."
Her father smiled, also sharing in her confidence in the boy, nodding as he sounded, "Ah."
The two soon became quiet, with the only sounds being that of the customer eating. Teuchi demurred in his stirring of the broth. "You know, he might have realized that-"
Ayame was quick to interrupt. "Realized what, dad?"
"Well, he…" Teuchi tried to say, only to come short and go with something else. "Ayame, have you been distributing the flyers like I told you?"
"Yes," Ayame replied sorely, mindful of the change in subject. "I don't think advertising is going to work that much, though."
"It has to," Teuchi exclaimed, grimacing after sampling the broth. The third try, and he still wasn't close to a new flavor. The one that would turn their situation around. He hung his head, his shoulders falling in disappointment. Another failure. He glanced at the vegetables that were lying scattered on the counter, eyeing the cabbage whose edges were already dark and mulching, giving off a smell that made the man's nose wrinkle. Who am I kidding?
He let go of the ladle while it was still in the pot, his arms going limp from exhaustion, having had little sleep for days working to recoup their losses, exacerbated by Naruto's growing tab. They didn't even have the money to buy fresher ingredients anymore. They might as well be finished.
He rolled his head back as memories began to flood through him, of his days starting out, blazing through work at various ramen restaurants to learn all the tricks of the trade before opening his own.
He smiled, remembering the scores of people being wowed by his ramen, his first day nothing short a success story. The smile didn't waver, when the memory of a hungry little boy shyly lurking about his shop arose, and calling him in without a care in the world for who he was.
He looked down at the boiling pot before him. If he's working hard, I should, too. I can't give up.
"Put in the root of the konbu."
"Huh?" Teuchi and Ayame turned to the customer, seeing him in the midst of slurping up what was left of his bowl, partially obscuring his face before placing it down.
The man, even while seated, was tall enough that his head was an inch above Teuchi that he could have locked eyes with the latter through his square glasses. Ayame had only now taken in his imposing appearance, complemented by his black, finely tailored suit and tie.
"Rather than throw the roots away, mix them in and let the broth simmer as normal," the man reiterated, reaching into his suit pocket to pull out three thick stacks of ryō to the father and daughter's bewilderment, tossing them down next to his empty bowl. They had never seen so much money before. "Your ramen is good, but there's definitely room for improvement."
Teuchi quickly marched up to the man, stopping just by the counter that was between them. "N-Now wait a minute, sir, th-this is too much-"
"I'll pay," the man said calmly.
"Y-Yes, but again, this is-"
"My meal, your rent, Uzumaki Naruto's tab, and whatever other debts you may have," the man elaborated.
The father and daughter went slack jawed by this declaration. "W-What?" Ayame said as she took a step back, wary of this seemingly random stranger coming to their shop and saying such things, clutching her tray close to her chest. Could he be a money lender?
The man stood up, and they could have sworn that he was now well over twice their size, his shadow enveloping the both of them in the meager space of their workplace. "In exchange…"
Present…
"And, that's pretty much what happened," Teuchi said awkwardly, having taken a seat at Naruto's table, with Ayame standing next to him. Anko and Bokomon were seated next to the blonde, having made room for the man after he came to tell half of the story.
"But, you still had to close the shop anyway," Naruto pointed out ruefully.
"Only until we can stand on our own again, Naruto," Teuchi replied confidently. His features softened at seeing the boy saddened. "You…heard us when we were talking about the rent, didn't you?"
The blonde nodded numbly after a moment, not making eye contact with the man. "We don't blame you, son."
"You don't have to say that to make me feel better," Naruto said, raising his head. "It is my fault. Denying it isn't going to make it less true, and I have to be more considerate when it comes to taking responsibility. Ossan, Ayame-neechan," he poised both hands on the table from side to side, then bowed his head before them, "I'm sorry for ruining your business. If there's anything I can do to make it up, I'll do it."
Teuchi and Ayame blinked in astonishment, touched and amazed at the boy's thoughtfulness, and being one of the few people in Konoha to know him personally as being more than just the vessel of the Kyūbi, they could see just how much his demeanor and mannerisms had changed from the weeks of training with Oton. Before, Naruto could be immature, thoughtless, rude, ignorant, small minded-
"Okay, I get it!" Naruto snapped at Anko, who had been cheekily listing the ways the lad had been before, coincidentally not unlike how they did without saying it. They shrank back in embarrassment, though the blonde assumed that they were just reeling from the kunoichi's antics.
"You can work part-time at the restaurant," Oton suggested as he trudged near. "We could always use a delivery boy."
"W-Wait, me? Deliver?" Naruto pointed at himself in disbelief. "We are talking about me, right? Can't I just clean the toilets?"
"You shouldn't overestimate public opinion," Oton told him. "Go out and see for yourself. You might be surprised."
"B-But I…"
"I think it's a great idea," Anko concurred. "Shinobi do a lot of courier jobs as missions or on the side. It might even give you some good work ethic."
"Well…"
"I'll pay you a salary," Oton added to sweeten the deal. "Income. Pocket money."
"Okay!" Naruto agreed more brightly, drawing some surprise from the others. "What? I could really use the money."
Anko wiped a mock tear from her eye. "Aw, already a little entrepreneur. I'm so proud."
"Naruto!" Teuchi called to him. "Tomorrow is going to be your evaluation, correct?"
"Yeah," Naruto nodded.
"Then," Teuchi stood up and walked back to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned, carrying another tray with a bowl of steaming hot ramen, larger than the last orders. It was Ichiraku's Special Extra Large Tonkotsu Miso Ramen, with extra braised pork, soft boiled eggs, enoki, and scallions.
Naruto's appetite returned the moment the bowl was placed in front of him, gulping down the drool that would have trickled out. "This is…"
"It's been a long time," Teuchi started with a hint of pride in his tone. "I haven't been able to make one of these since we started struggling, but it's only right that you get to have a taste of the new and improved recipe. On the house."
Naruto wiped away the tears before they could fall into the broth, not wanting anything to alter the ramen as it was. "Th-Thank you." He looked to the people surrounding him, and he realized then and there that Oton might have a point. He wouldn't know if he didn't see for himself how the village really felt about him, and that he needed to take a step forward. "All of you guys, thank you."
"Stop," Anko cringed, patting the blonde on the back. "You're gonna rot my teeth, Short Man. Just eat your bowl of high cholesterol already."
The Uzumaki pouted in annoyance at her as he broke his chopsticks.
"Oh, before I forget, add that chili paste," Teuchi reccomened, pointing to a tiny saucer filled with the red condiment.
Naruto nodded and did so, carefully mixing it into the broth. First, the soup. Sampling it, he immediately noticed that it was less…greasier than the shio, which was strange for tonkotsu, but still had a lot of body. In fact, it tasted quite rich. He picked up the braised pork and bit into it, the topping cut into squares to his mild confusion, until he began chewing, the texture throwing him off. " This is…Ossan…this pork…"
"Can't pull the wool over your eyes, can I?" Teuchi said, leaning back against the seat.
"Even this soup, it doesn't…taste like your old recipe," Naruto swallowed, taking another sip. "No, it's different. Totally different. Even the noodles. This isn't tangerine, but lemon. You kneaded lemon zest into the dough."
"Correct, but can you detect exactly why the soup is different?" Oton asked.
Naruto racked his brain, until the pieces fell into place as if he had tasted such a thing before. "This isn't Tonkotsu Miso. It is, and it isn't, because you didn't use bones or meat at all. This is a ramen dish that does not have a speck of meat in it."
Teuchi hid his amazement. Impressive, Naruto. "It's the recipe Oton taught me. Indeed, no meat was used at all."
"And I know this taste anywhere," Naruto continued, sampling the soup again. "There's soy milk in it. Not only that, but the main body is some kind of yam root. You used konbu root alongside the bonito stock to draw out the most flavor. Then there's the miso, obviously, but also garlic, ginger, pepper." He finished one of the "braised pork", chewing it as he tried to discern the texture. "This is…tofu."
"It's a kind of tofu called Tempe," Oton clarified. "In my travels, I came upon a country where it's commonly used as a meat substitute. The texture and flavor is indistinguishable from pork, hence why I use it as an ingredient in my vegetarian menu."
"What about the Shio?" Anko chimed in.
"All of the ramen recipes I use have medicinal herbs and spices thrown in. That includes the Shio, the key ingredient being Rakkyō."
"Rakkyō?" Naruto echoed inquisitively.
"It's a type of spring onion, often used in traditional medicine to treat heart problems and headaches," Anko explained. "I never would have thought shio could taste like that."
"It's hardly innovative," Oton refuted. "The Daimyō of Fire Country in the Sengoku Era was said to have eaten ramen with rakkyō on the side. Here, we pickle the root first before blending it into the sauce."
"So, all of the ramen we ate was healthy?" Naruto asked.
"As healthy as can be," Oton replied as he stepped up next to the edge of their table, towering over the seated Uzumaki, who knew what was coming. His trainer, dietician and physician bent down, aligning his face closer, exuding an uncompromisingly intimidating aura that made the boy stiffen in fear. "Which still doesn't discount you from having to burn through those extra calories later on. Am I clear?"
Naruto almost whimpered as he answered with a trembling, "O-Osu…"
Teuchi flashed the blonde a thumbs up. "Do your best, Naruto!"
"We're gonna throw a party for you right here after you pass," Ayame added brightly. "You can even invite your friends."
The young Uzumaki's face lit up immediately. "For real?!" She nodded. "Alright! You can count on me! I'm gonna ace that evaluation no problem. Believe it!"
Later…
Naruto was in his room, seated behind his desk, hard at work in studying for the written portion of the evaluation. After a grueling 5 hour session of clapping push ups and squats, he ignored the aching of his body, gearing all of his focus into his review. Overcoming pain was also part of Oton's training to help build up his tolerance, endurance and psychological strength. So far, muscle aches were hardly as bothersome as they had first been.
I have to pass. I can't afford to fail. This time, we'll see who's gonna be dead last in the end, because it's not gonna be me!
He was determined to reach higher, even loftier heights, but even if he didn't, just not being at the bottom would be enough. More than enough as a testament to his hard work. Tears trickled down his cheeks, but he either didn't notice or ignored them, drowning out any distraction. He was going to pass, or die trying.
The next day…
Naruto stood from across the entrance of the Academy, staring it down as if the building was an obstacle; no, an enemy that he needed to take down. He took a deep inhale of air through his nose and exhaled, tempering his nerves. This was it. His moment. Okay, he wasn't exactly graduating per se, but this was its own beast that failing here would mean that he'd have to settle with being apprenticed to a Chūnin and start from the ground up, and hopefully then after that, finally receive his headband. That was two years too long for him.
He smacked his cheeks, reorienting himself before turning around to see Bokomon, Piyomon and Anko striding into the courtyard towards him.
"Well, Short Man," Anko started, giving the blonde a pat on the shoulder, a confident smile that seemed to express assurance of his success, only to finish with, "I'll be here to offer a shoulder to cry on."
Naruto's own smile morphed into a scowl, his lips pouting. He knocked her arm away, saying with firm conviction, "There won't be any crying because I'm going to pass, and that's final."
"Pfft, it's not like I want you to fail," Anko intoned, a mischievous smile lurking on her face, "but just in case, I'm here for you."
Naruto's demeanor softened. "Thanks, I guess."
Anko paused, before adding, "Let me rephrase that. If you fail, and I'm not saying-" an abrupt snort cut her sentence off, blatting loudly with, "I'm sorry, I just can't say it with a straight face!" She laughed, clutching her stomach as if there was something hysterical about his situation.
"Oh yeah, laugh it up, ahahahaha," Naruto mumbled in a highly unamused manner.
"No, it's just," Anko said between gasps before recomposing herself. "Let's just say, you and I are gonna be seeing each other a lot more often in the coming days. Just clearing the air, that's all."
It took a moment for the blonde to realize what she meant, paleing at the thought.
"That's right, Short Man," Anko said, reading his expression, now looking down at him with the most sadistically evil face he's ever seen her make, licking her lips like he was a freshly cooked slab of meat. "You get to be mine for two whole years. Hokage's orders."
"No way!" Naruto exclaimed, eagerly backing away from the predatory woman. He pointed at her with a searing finger. "I am not gonna be your pet, you witch!"
"Why do they always play hard to get?" Anko remarked with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.
Piyomon silently turned to Bokomon, who nodded, bringing out a flint rock and a rectangular hunk of metal out of his haramaki. "Turn around, Naruto."
Seeing the kiribi that his surrogate uncle was holding, he obeyed.
The pink avian took the items that the scholar handed to her, and per his instructions, struck them together, making sure to aim the resulting sparks at the blonde's back. "Good luck, Naru-chan!"
"Ah!" Naruto nodded, crossing his arms together before throwing them down, puffing his chest as he declared, "I'm ready!" He marched up to the door, swinging his arms and legs robotically, repeating those two words for every consecutive step as he passed the hallways and corridors, right until he came upon his classroom.
"I'm ready!"
The first thing he saw after opening the door was Iruka, leaning on his desk as he seemed to be going over some papers, before catching sight of the blonde from the corner of his eye. The man's features lit up with a smile after not having seen the boy in a while, a mix of relief and surprise that the Uzumaki had even shown up at all. His expression momentarily shifted as he onced the lad over, taking in the apparent changes in his appearance before the smile returned. "Perfect timing, Naruto. Now, let's start with your written exam."
"Just kill me now!" Naruto broke down, falling to his knees as he clung to the left jamb of the doorway.
By the time the Uzumaki was done an hour and a half later, he collapsed on the desk, his ears emulating smokestacks to cool down the overclocking of his brain.
Iruka was standing next to him as he was flipping through the test papers and nodded in satisfaction that every question and problem was answered, though of course, he caught glimpses of a few notable errors here and there, but all in all, Naruto had exceeded his expectations, however modest they already were to begin with. Now, all that was left for him to do was send the boy off to the next stage so he could start grading.
"Alright, Naruto," Iruka said, patting the boy on the back. "Go to the training hall. The Hokage should already be there waiting for you."
The Uzumaki lamely looked up from his heap at the man, his jaw hanging open limply as some drool trickled out. With a moan, he forced his body to move on its own, dragging himself to his feet and wobbling out of the classroom. He mindlessly trundled down the corridor in the direction of the training hall, coming upon the door and slamming his head against it. After about a minute, he gathered his bearings and slid it open to find the Hokage sitting behind a wide table at the far end atop a podium. Yet, rather than being by himself, he was between two others.
The first on the right he could easily recognize was Oton, juxtaposed by his height over the other two even while seated. His arms were folded over his barrel chest, and Naruto could feel his gaze boring a hole into him the moment he appeared by the door. The second on the Hokage's left was a man, or so he believed them to be from their build and stature, for the fellow's entire head was wrapped in bandages. Only two small slits where his eyes were served to allow him his sight. He was dressed in a simple brown yukata. Squinting, the Uzumaki could make out that even the figure's torso and hands were also bandaged.
Naruto took an errant step forward, and was immediately bombarded with a profusely suffocating pressure, freezing him in place, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. His chest tightened from the oppressive air that saturated the room, and for a pregnant moment, he was contemplating if it was even safe to go inside.
Kurama must have sensed it, as well. Do not let your guard down. The one on the left. I can tell he's trying to mask his emotions.
Hiruzen, elbows propped on the table and fingers steepled together, espied the apprehension in the boy's demeanor, knowing full well why as he sneaked a glance to his left. He leaned against the backrest of his chair and put on a pleased smile, beckoning his surrogate grandson with a signal of his fingers. Naruto seemed to hesitate before slowly stepping inside and gingerly sliding the door closed behind, his eyes never tearing away from the three. The blonde marched up to the table and stopped when he was about two meters away from them.
"I see the written exam wasn't too challenging for you, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen started to help break the ice.
It was an attempt at humor that was followed by a small chuckle, and Naruto could only glower petulantly at the Hokage in his typical fashion. "Are you kidding, Jii-chan? I thought my brain was gonna shut down on me. Seriously, why can't tests be easier?"
"Why, if that were to be so, that would defeat the overall point of a test now wouldn't it?" Hiruzen replied coyly.
"Whatever," Naruto grunted, pushing his bottom lip out. His eyes idly wandered around the room, his heart nearly stopping when he passed Oton's cold gaze continuing to dig into him, as opposed to the mystery man, who was shrinking in his seat like a shy child, his head hanging so low that he seemed to not be looking at anything in particular.
You sure about this guy?
Positive.
Hiruzen watched as Naruto seemed to be eyeing the man quietly with a mask of indifference before motioning to introduce the latter. His hand dithered, but it was obtuse enough that the boy didn't notice. "Naruto-kun, this-"
The man raised a hand in Hiruzen's direction, then spoke, "Allow me, Hokage-sama."
Naruto's brows shot up. It might have been his ears playing tricks on him, but he could have sworn that he heard the man's voice tense near the last syllable upon addressing Hiruzen. The Hokage looked slightly aghast at being interrupted before schooling his features. He quietly nodded his assent, and the bandaged man proceeded to rise from his seat.
"Greetings, young man," the man said civilly, "I am Masa, one of the new instructors."
Naruto observed the bandaged fellow with a natural curiosity, as he had presumed him to be timid from initial impressions, only to now be more assertive in the way he conducted himself, making rigid eye contact through the narrow slits of his coverings. At his full height, he may have been a few inches taller than Hiruzen, who had long shrunk from old age.
Naruto bowed, saying in turn, "Uzumaki Naruto, sir. Pleased to meet you."
An Uzumaki? So the rumors were true. The man now known as Masa thought, keeping his eyes trained on the blonde. You wouldn't know by the hair alone, though. Which means he could only be…
Hiruzen cleared his throat as he and Oton rose, the village leader declaring, "Now then, Naruto-kun, I take it you know why you're here?"
"Yep, gonna duke it out with whoever poor schmuck you suckered in to face off with yours truly," Naruto answered boastfully, pointing at himself with both thumbs.
"He's certainly confident," Masa remarked flatly as the three men walked out of the table.
Hiruzen coughed. "Quite, and for good reason, I hope."
Oton chimed in, adjusting the ridge of his glasses. "He's ready. I've made sure of it."
The Hokage nodded, then pitched a glance at Masa, who nodded as well. "Masa-san here will be the one sparring with you, Naruto-kun."
"Wait, I thought it was gonna be-"
"Me?" Hiruzen finished, a grin lurking on his lips, to which Naruto nodded. "Rather impudent of you to flatter this old boy," he meant in good jest with a gruff chortle. Masa tilted his head away, rolling his eyes while Oton remained ever stoic. "We would have issued Iruka for the role, but Miyazawa-san insisted that Masa-san would suffice as a way to…settle him in."
"Masa retired from active duty a year ago," Oton began on his end. "You can make a guess as to why."
Naruto took in Masa's apparent state and winced, nodding in understanding. "He's since recovered, but his days as a shinobi are well and truly over. As such, he answered the call to become an instructor. Both as a means of income and as a way to impart his wealth of experience to the next generation."
"Whoa," Naruto marveled. His features lit up in amazement, stars shining behind his gaze, "So, does that mean that you're a veteran, Masa-san? A Jōnin? Then, you must have been in an epic battle to end up like that, huh?"
Masa took a moment to answer, a bit taken aback at how…blunt the young man was, and from stealing glances at the two other men doing nothing to reprimand such impertinence, this must have been normal. Not at all what he had been expecting. He gingerly rubbed the back of his head so as not to aggravate what may have remained of his wounds, responding with, "You…could say that, kid."
"Now then," Hiruzen cleared his throat to arrest their attention. "Let's not waste any more time. Both of you," he gestured to both Masa and Naruto, who moved to the center of the room, facing one another.
"I'll referee," Oton declared, standing off center between the two. "This will be a two out of three match." He raised his right arm at the same time the combatants assumed their respective stances. "First round."
He glanced at both to see if they were ready, then threw his arm down parallel to his chest. "Begin!"
Masa closed the distance in an instant, wishing to end it quickly, but also to test the boy's reaction time. He wasn't disappointed when Naruto knocked away a palm strike aimed at his chest with an upward swipe of his right arm, repaying with a jab to the taller man's stomach, which Masa caught with his free hand. Naruto spun around to force him to let go, but the man's grip held, forcing the boy to land in an awkward position, facing the ceiling. With a back flip, he aimed a kick to Masa's face, but with a simple jerk of the head, Naruto's foot struck air, leaving him open to a palm strike to the stomach.
"Point, Masa," Oton said.
Naruto dropped to the polished wooden floor with a thud, clutching his stomach as he gasped for air to replace what was knocked out of him.
Masa observed the boy writhing on the wooden floor, then looked down at the palm he used. He's jacked.
"Second round. Begin!"
I can't let him get a hold of me.
Naruto dodged another palm strike, on the defensive as he retreated from Masa, who advanced on him, trying to throw him off balance.
"This brings me back…" Masa thought to himself.
The Uzumaki gritted his teeth, grunting as he avoided the man's attempts to trip him with quick footwork, but it was obvious that he was dealing with someone experienced, predicting his maneuvers to keep him on his toes. Naruto sped up, circling swiftly around the man, but before he could strike, he ducked a swipe and blocked a kick with an upward flail of his arms, planting his feet firmly to not be pushed back. He then hopped over a sweep, but before he could land, another palm strike was coming his way. He instinctively grabbed hold of his opponent's forearm before the blow could connect to lever his lower body, wrapping his legs around the man's neck, then gathered all his weight to bring the two of them down.
Masa tried to resist, but was thrown off by one thing. "He's this strong?"
They fell to the floor, Naruto having a firm hold as he arched and pulled with little effort. Masa, his breathing restricted by the tightening of the legs, struggled to free himself, but the grapple, while not flawless, didn't yield. He tapped Naruto's thigh, signaling that the boy had this round.
"Point, Naruto."
The blonde managed to untangle himself first, whipping back to his feet. He looked down and saw that Masa was still on the floor, on his side and balancing on his elbow as he was catching his breath.
"Unreal. Was he even using chakra?"
His gaze darted to a hand entering his line of sight. Looking up, he saw a smiling Naruto, reaching his arm out to him, his blue eyes bright and animated through the sweat on his brow. He was having fun, to Masa's perplexity, and he could tell that he wasn't faking. Rather than immediately accept the gesture, he just kept staring at the boy, who blinked in confusion from him not moving.
Hiruzen cleared his throat, which seemed to snap the man out of whatever kept him. Masa soon clambered to his feet on his own, turning away from a confused Naruto to reassume his place for the last bout.
"Final round. Begin!"
Naruto immediately sensed a change in the air, almost failing to dodge as Masa lunged at him with a jab, which he dodged with a timely tilt of his upper body. His eyes widened when he gathered his bearings, realizing just how fast the man's arm had traveled.
Hiruzen bristled; that had been a killing blow. His body tensed, ready to jump in, but a stern look from Oton; the both of them standing opposite outside the two combatants, stopped him in place. He had been against this from the very beginning, but the imposing man swore on his life that he would take responsibility. "Whatever happens, I am prepared for the both of us, Seiko."
Masa's forearm was hanging just inches away from Naruto's head, right above his neck, fingers set into an eagle hand strike. Before he could even make eye contact, Naruto gyrated to avoid a nukite to his chest, only for the hand to retract and grab him by the hem of his jacket, but he reacted quickly and once again knocked the man's arm off, followed by a fluid step in to swing at the latter's open chest.
Masa grunted from the blow connecting, but didn't stagger, having countered with a knee to the lad's solar plexus. Naruto similarly didn't buckle, and they continued trading blows, picking up speed that Hiruzen was watching them in pure astonishment. The bandaged man was hardly holding back, fully intending to either kill or cripple, but Naruto either didn't take notice or didn't care, his expression far from fearful, as Masa could see the invigorated gleam behind his eyes.
He's either insane or stupid. His arms, going for a pincer maneuver, were deflected with ease even after luring his opponent's defense with a feint, but pitched in a kick to the stomach that pushed the boy back a few steps. His skill is nothing to write home about, but his reaction time, strength, and endurance. I would have expected such traits belonging to someone twice his age.
Naruto ducked another lunging blow, affording him a few good hits to Masa's chest and stomach, until the latter grabbed his right bicep with his other arm. The bandaged man stole a glance from Hiruzen, who glared back with the promise of death if he was to go through with it.
You owe me far more than this boy's life, Sarutobi.
Naruto instinctively dug in his heel and whirred, no longer holding back as he dragged the surprised man around like a ragdoll.
W-What?!
His vision swam as he was forced to let go when Naruto used the very arm that he grabbed to toss him overhead. Unfortunately, Masa managed to retain enough of his senses to see that he was in a perfect position to twist the boy's neck. Fortuity wrestled with anticipation. He had nothing to lose, not anymore. If he was to deprive Konoha of their greatest weapon, all the better.
Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he reached for the blonde's head, who had yet to move. From his peripherals, Hiruzen was on the verge of intervening.
It's too late.
In that very instant, Naruto turned his head up ever so slightly, and Masa froze in midair when the corner of the blonde's eye met his.
Instead of a vibrant blue, what he saw was a merciless green that was devoid of any light.
He unwittingly relaxed his arms and fell unceremoniously to the floor in a heap.
Seeing this, Hiruzen quickly recomposed himself before Naruto noticed, the latter still processing what happened.
Masa, meanwhile, was flat on his stomach, his face scrunched into a deep frown behind his bandages. Damn it…
Naruto looked down at the man and barely heard Oton call the match in his victory. "Uh, you okay?"
Masa didn't respond, slowly rising to his feet and dusting himself off. For a moment, he stood perfectly still in place, prompting Naruto to ask in concern, "Um, I-I didn't hurt you badly, did I?"
"…No," Masa replied drily after another moment. Rather than stay, he brusquely marched past Naruto, the boy stepping aside that his shoulder was grazed by the man's bicep. He was heading for the door, ignoring Hiruzen's call for him to stop, when Naruto ran up to place himself in front of the departing instructor.
"Ossan!"
"Hm? What do you want now?"
Naruto locked eyes with the man intensely; could he have figured out what his intent was?
"That was awesome!"
"…Eh?"
And just like that, the tension faded. "You were so cool, and I didn't think I could fight like that!" Naruto exclaimed with a wide smile. He flailed his arms, playing out a crude dramatization of their tousle. "I was like, bam! And you were like, zoom!"
Masa could only stare at the exuberant blonde blankly as Naruto started punching the air like an overexcited child.
"Oh! Hey, how about I invite you to my party?!"
"…Hah?"
"We're all gonna be celebrating at Oton's restaurant later," Naruto informed him. "You and Jii-chan can come along, Ossan." He blinked as he suddenly remembered. "Wait a minute! Did I…even pass?"
Before Hiruzen could answer, the door slid open to reveal Iruka, smiling brightly through shortness of breath and calling in a loud voice, "Naruto!"
"Hm? Iruka-sensei?"
"70!" Iruka lifted up Naruto's test papers with both hands, revealing the first page where he penned the result. "I double checked, even triple checked, but you did it! You have a passing score of 70!"
Naruto's jaw went slack, and he thought his brain had genuinely ceased all function. "I…passed?"
Iruka nodded, smiling ear to ear. "Yes you have, Naruto!"
Silence fell on the room, and for one brief moment, Naruto didn't believe his own eyes or ears. He didn't think he rightly could, that maybe they were lying or playing a prank on him as payback for all his past mischief.
Utterly speechless, Oton became free to add, "Having won the sparring match as well, you've cleared the entire evaluation. Welcome back to the Academy."
"Congratulations, Naruto," Iruka said as he sauntered near to hand the vindicated blonde his papers.
Naruto slowly took them and still couldn't believe that it was there in red ink.
A passing score of 70.
"I did it…" he muttered weakly, his hands quaking with a climbing excitement that caused him to jump for joy, throwing his arms up and scattering the papers in place of confetti. "I DID IT!"
A few minutes later, after gathering the discarded papers, he ran out the door, followed by Iruka, eager to show his friends.
The only ones left were Hiruzen, Masa and Oton, who had his hands in his pockets.
"So?" Masa turned to Hiruzen. "What can you say about him?"
Masa's eyes returned to the door, not answering the question as the blonde's words replayed in his head, but with one tiny difference.
T̵̻̹̭̜̱̬͂͛͆̍͠͠ͅh̵̛̘̗̜̟̙̮̣͇̝͙̩̆̍̈́͌̇̈́͘ą̵͈̱̩̲̳͍̼̜́̀̒̒̾̀̋̅ţ̸̬͉̪̤̱̫̰͇́̅͗ ̵͎͇̯̬͍̱̞͍̫̘͚̫̦͗͊̌̂͊̚w̷̝͍̬̹̞̬͔͎̣̍̆̔̅̎͐̇̚͠a̶͔̫̱͙̼̮̼͉͑͂̆̊ṣ̶̡͍̳̭͑̽̈͒͜͠ ̸̨͕̪̳̬̙̪͈͉͉̞͍̒̽̃̾͛ͅã̸̧̛̛͙̰̥̮̖̘̓̂̂̐̈́̈́̀͛͛̾́͜͜͜ͅẅ̵̛̫̻͈̩̬̪̩́́͑̅̆͜e̴͖̞̤͙̹̬̲̞̻̊͂͆̏͠ͅs̴̭̠̎̍̒́̓̄̄͗̇͒͌̓͘͘͜o̶̧͇̻͈̣̙̻̭̪̼̝̿̎͜m̶̠̄̀̈̓̈̃͝͝ĕ̶̗͎͎̱͔̘̍̋̏̀͆͒̔̏̌,̷̢̛̮̪̳͗̂͗̈́͛͑͗͘͠͝ ̷̙̖̰̲͕̞̤̮͎̼̚d̶̜̹͕̿a̸̛͖̩͋̈́͗͂̅͋d̶̘̥̅!̷̡͔͕̭̟̦̦̘͔͗ ̶̢͑
"Hmph," Masa huffed without answering, ready to leave, only for someone to grab his shoulder.
It was Oton, leaning in that their faces were mere inches apart, saying in a tone that brooked for no argument, "He invited you to the party. I suggest you go."
Masa pulled away from him, barking out, "I will do no such-wha-h-hey! Hey!" Oton twined a thick arm around the man's neck to drag him out the door with him, the imposing man ignoring the myriad of pleas mixed with threats being thrown his way.
Hiruzen chuckled, following the two closely behind. Perhaps he could bring Konohamaru along.
He supposed it was about time for both his grandsons to formally meet.