In the days that followed, Naruto used his position as Danzo's prized subordinate to learn a great deal from Orochimaru. The man truly was a master of forbidden jutsu, a genius standing at the pinnacle of the ninja arts. Even a fraction of Orochimaru's knowledge was enough to turn a common shinobi into a formidable opponent. In exchange, Naruto offered up a few trivial items from Root's vast collection, a trove that even held a large portion of Hashirama's cells. It was a price he paid without a second thought.
The days bled into one another. What began as Naruto's solo training soon beca a group session with Neji, Rock Lee, and Sasuke. After Lee and Neji graduated, it was just the two of them. Now, their small group consisted of Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata. In one more week, they would face the academy's graduation exam, and a new chapter of their lives would begin.
It was worth noting that three months prior, the first of the Uchiha had finally managed to withstand a Level 1 'Satori' induction. The five who passed were Izumi, Inahoshi, Tekka, Yashiro, and Fugaku Uchiha. Naruto had sent Yashiro to Hozuki Castle, while Izumi and Tekka were dispatched to the Land of Snow, a desolate country in the far north. Inahoshi accompanied the Minato to the Land of Demons. As for Fugaku, Naruto had other plans for him. With ti, he knew more of the Uchiha would pass the test.
--**--**
"Let's get so Ichiraku today," Naruto suggested on their way ho from training. "It's been too long. I'm really craving it."
In all of Konoha, if there was one food Naruto loved above all others, it was Ichiraku Ran. Part of it was that the ran was genuinely delicious, the other part was... well due to well known reasons.
"Tch. 'Too long'? It's only been a week, hasn't it?" Sasuke muttered, though he didn't argue. He wasn't particularly fond of the place, but he knew Naruto was.
"It's either Ichiraku or I'm cooking," Naruto said.
A sudden silence fell over the three of them. It wasn't that Naruto's cooking was bad. On the contrary, having lived on his own for so long, he was surprisingly skilled in the kitchen. The silence was because no other shop in the village, aside from Ichiraku, would serve him.
Sasuke's treatnt wasn't much better. The Uchiha clan had never been popular, but the tragedy of their downfall had earned him a degree of sympathy. His handso, brooding deanor drew pity, and most villagers left him alone. Naruto was different. He was the spitting image of the Fourth Hokage, and that resemblance was a curse. It made people think of his father, which made them think of the Nine-Tails, and then all the old bitterness would surface.
"Na-Naruto-kun..." Hinata began, her expression pained. She wanted to offer so comfort, but before she could find the words, her stomach let out an enormous growl.
*Grrrrumble.*
Her face instantly flared crimson with embarrassnt.
"Hahaha, co on, let's go get that ran," Naruto laughed, smoothly changing the subject. He glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "And Sasuke's treating!"
"Why again?"
"Because you're loaded."
After the massacre, a small portion of the Uchiha clan's assets had been transferred to Sasuke. Even a fraction was an enormous sum, making him, by far, the wealthiest of the three.
As soon as they pushed through the curtain, Naruto called out their order. "Uncle Ichiraku! One tonkotsu, one miso, and one tomato ran!" The tonkotsu was for him, the miso for Hinata, and the tomato, of course, for Sasuke.
"Alright!" ca Teuchi's cheerful reply from behind the counter.
Before long, three steaming bowls were placed before them. They wasted no ti, digging in with gusto until a small mountain of empty bowls was stacked on the counter. Between the three of them, they had put away eighty bowls. Naruto had eaten twenty-two, Sasuke managed eight, and Hinata had devoured the rest.
Since they had started their Turtle School martial arts training, both Naruto and Sasuke had noticed their appetites growing. 'It's funny,' Naruto mused, 'in the Dragon Ball ani Krillin and Yamcha never seed to have this problem. But here, anyone who practices it gets hungry enough to eat a horse.' He figured it had sothing to do with shinobi having more cells and faster tabolisms. Still, even with their increased appetites, the two of them together couldn't out-eat Hinata. If anyone had the appetite of a Saiyan, it was her.
As they walked through the evening streets of Konoha, Naruto broke the comfortable silence. "Hey, Sasuke, Hinata... what are your dreams?"
"To kill that man," Sasuke answered without a mont's hesitation, his voice cold. "And to restore the Uchiha clan."
Naruto then turned to Hinata. "What about you, Hinata?"
"I... well, um..." Hinata twisted her fingers together, her words catching in her throat as she struggled to form a complete sentence.
"Right," Naruto said, nodding with perfect seriousness. "I understand."
'Understand what?' Sasuke thought, looking back and forth between them, completely lost. It was like they were having a conversation in a language he couldn't comprehend.
Then, Naruto gently took Hinata's hand in his.
Sasuke's eyes widened. 'They're holding hands... again!'
Hinata's face went crimson, and little wisps of steam started to rise from the top of her head. But whatever shy panic was building inside her vanished when Naruto spoke again.
"If I were to leave Konoha one day," he asked, his voice low and steady, "would you co with ?"
"Huh?" Sasuke stared at Naruto, a frown creasing his forehead. He thought Naruto was joking, but the blond's expression was unwavering.
Sasuke answered without a second thought. "Wherever you go, I'll follow." He cared little about the location, only about growing stronger and achieving his revenge. Konoha held less importance in his heart than Naruto himself.
"I... I..." Hinata saw Sasuke make his declaration and felt a surge of anxiety. She wanted to say the sa, but her throat was tight with nerves.
' too!' she scread in her heart. 'I want to follow Naruto-kun!'
She had parents and a clan, but the Hyuga were not a family bound by deep affection. The rigid hierarchy of the main and branch houses prevented any real closeness from forming. Her gentle nature made her an afterthought, even less significant than her younger sister, Hanabi. Since being stripped of her status as heir, she had beco all but invisible. She didn't like her clan, not after seeing them punish Neji with the Caged Bird Seal ti and ti again. Besides, if she were to marry soday, her na would beco Hinata Uzumaki. Wouldn't it be natural for a wife to follow her husband?
'Oh, what am I thinking?!' The thought sent a fresh wave of heat to her face, and the steam from her head intensified. With a soft sigh, her eyes rolled back, and her body went limp. Naruto caught her just before she hit the ground, pulling her securely into his arms as she fainted, with a blissful expression on her face.
He held her close, a faint smile on his lips. As she drifted into unconsciousness, he murmured softly, so quietly it was almost a thought.
"I've received your wish."
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
spat reon/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.
User Comments
0 comments from readers