Chapter 341: Midnight Windows, Hokage Dreams
The knock came soft but steady.
Naruto stirred in his bed, one eye cracking open. He grumbled, half-asleep, until the sound came again—tap tap tap.
"…Tch. Who the hell knocks at this hour?" he muttered, sitting up and scratching his hair. His pajamas, patterned with faded orange swirls, were wrinkled from tossing around. He stumbled to the window, dragging his blanket with him like a cape.
When he slid it open, a blast of winter air slammed into him. Snowflakes tumbled across his floor, and Naruto's teeth instantly chattered.
"What the—Malik?!"
The man floated in as if this were the most natural thing in the world, wrapped in thin, flowing silk robes of pink and gold, glowing faintly against the dark. The cold didn't seem to touch him. He brushed a bit of snow from his shoulder as he drifted past Naruto, humming.
Naruto stood there in shock, blanket wrapped around him like armor, while Malik casually examined the apartment.
"Well, look at this," Malik said, gliding to the small kitchen counter and running a finger along it. "Not a speck of dust. Not a ramen cup graveyard. Floors are swept. Bed's not too messy."
Naruto rubbed his eyes, glaring. "What are you doing?!"
Malik smirked, whispering to himself as he peered into the bathroom. "I Owe her money, my cherry blossom wasn't pulling my leg. This place is spotless. Hinata's been here—probably scrubbing corners with a toothbrush."
Naruto's face went red. "HEY! Don't talk about Hinata like that!"
"I'm complimenting her," Malik said smoothly, still floating lazily. "This is the cleanest I've ever seen your place. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were tidy."
"I am tidy!" Naruto snapped, stamping his foot on the cold floor. "At least now! …Sometimes. Shut up! Why are you even here?!"
Malik finally turned to look at him, hot-pink-and-gold eyes gleaming in the dim light. He gave a big grin, teeth white as snow.
"Because, little brother," Malik said, lowering himself until his feet touched the ground, "this was the only time I could slip away. Sakura is a passionate, possessive beast in bed, and this is my first chance to breathe before she wakes up, realizes I'm gone, and murders me for sneaking off again."
Naruto nearly dropped his blanket, face heating bright red. "Don't—DON'T tell me that stuff!" he yelled, pointing. "I don't need to know about you and Sakura—she'll kill me if she finds out you're blabbing to people!"
Malik shrugged, waving his hand lazily. Magic shimmered out, and the snow and melted puddles on Naruto's floor vanished instantly, leaving it spotless again.
"Problem solved," Malik said, dusting his hands. "And relax. I trust you. Besides, half the village already thinks we're loud. We might as well live up to it."
Naruto groaned, dragging the blanket tighter around himself like a shield. "You're impossible."
Malik's grin softened, though, and he tilted his head. "I get that alot, So. Tell me. How are you doing?"
Naruto blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"
"Life," Malik said simply, stepping closer. "Mission, training, sleeping alone tonight for once. You still chasing that big dream of yours? Being Ninja King—"
"Hokage," Naruto corrected immediately, voice sharp.
Malik raised both hands. "Right, right. Same thing but yes, do ya still wanna be Hokage. The one hat you can't buy, no matter how much charisma you've got."
Naruto crossed his arms, lips curling. "Yeah, and I'll wear it. Believe it."
Malik chuckled and plopped down on Naruto's couch, stretching like a man who owned the place. "I don't doubt you. Never have. But you've been chasing it for years. And it's not just about yelling anymore. It's work. Real work. Responsibility. You ready for that part?"
Naruto hesitated. For once, the fire in his voice dimmed. He scratched his head, walking over to lean against the counter.
"I… I think so," he said slowly. "I mean—I want everyone to notice me. To respect me. That hasn't changed. But…" He frowned, looking at his hands. "It's not just about me anymore. I've got friends now. People who believe in me. Hinata, Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, Sakura… even you, I guess."
Malik smirked. "You guess?"
"Shut up," Naruto muttered, but he was smiling. "Point is, I can't just think about myself if I'm gonna be Hokage. It's about protecting everybody. Making sure nobody feels… like I used to feel."
The last words came quieter. He didn't look up when he said them.
Malik's eyes softened, his grin slipping into something more tender. "That's the answer I wanted to hear."
Naruto finally glanced at him, blue eyes wide. Malik leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"You're more than noise now, Naruto. You're heart. You're stubbornness turned into a promise. And yeah, you'll screw up—hell, you'll screw up a lot—but that's what makes it real. The Hokage isn't perfect. He's just the one who keeps going when everyone else is too tired."
Naruto swallowed, staring at him. For once, he didn't argue. Didn't boast. He just nodded, slow and steady.
"…Thanks," Naruto said finally, rubbing the back of his neck. "I needed to hear that."
Malik smirked again, standing smoothly and brushing imaginary dust from his robe. "Good. Because that's all I came here for. A check-in. A reminder. And maybe to snoop around your place to confirm Hinata's doing God's work in here."
Naruto flushed red again. "Malik!"
"Alright, alright," Malik laughed, floating back toward the window. The winter wind pushed against him, scattering his robe's golden trim. He turned back with a wink. "Get some sleep, future Hokage. Tomorrow's another step. Don't make me regret losing beauty rest for you."
Naruto muttered something under his breath, but his grin was wide as Malik disappeared into the snowy night.
The cold rushed back in, but Naruto felt warmer than before.
= honestly like one mintue later -
Naruto had just slumped back into bed, yanking the blanket over his head and muttering about how Malik was "the worst," when the man's voice drifted faintly back through the open window.
"...Would it be weird if I married your mom?"
Naruto bolted upright, his blanket falling around his waist.
"HUH?!" His voice cracked so loudly the neighbor's dog barked in response. "WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!"
He scrambled to the window, but Malik was gone—nothing but drifting snowflakes tumbling into the night.
Naruto rubbed both hands down his face, groaning. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no. He better have been joking. Please let that be a joke." His mind ran circles, flipping between images of Malik at his kitchen table with Hinata smiling shyly, and Malik standing smugly at the altar next to his mom's memorial picture. Neither made sense, both made him want to scream.
He flopped back into bed, burying his face in his pillow. "WHY would he say that?!" His muffled voice shook through the fabric. "…I'm not gonna sleep now. Stupid Malik."
Far above the Hidden Leaf, Malik floated in silence, the night wind curling through his robes. The snow swirled like silver dust around him, catching faint glints of pink and gold from the aura that trailed lazily off his skin.
He let out a low laugh to himself. "He's probably pacing circles right now. Good. Keeps him sharp."
Still drifting higher, Malik stretched his arms above his head, joints popping. He looked down at the glowing village—the rooftops white, the streets lit in patches of lantern light, the Hokage building stabbing upward like a stone monument.
"Should I bother someone else before heading back?" he mused aloud. "Maybe Kakashi. I could stand at the foot of his bed and whisper 'believe it' until he wakes up."
He pictured the scene—Kakashi's one visible eye narrowing, his book snapping shut, Malik grinning down like a mischievous ghost. It was funny. Very funny.
But then came the mental image of Shisui—Kakashi's unofficial partner in crime, Sakura's good friend—crossing her arms with that disappointed-wife look Malik had seen too many times.
"Mm. Yeah, no. That stare could kill a man. Not tonight."
His thoughts shifted, drifting as lazily as the snow. "Shikamaru, then? He's always fun to poke at. But waking him up at this hour? He'd just roll over, call me a drag, and fall back asleep in under ten seconds. Not worth it."
He sighed, tilting his head back toward the stars. The cold bit at the edges of his robes, but he liked it—it kept him focused, awake. Still, no matter how long he floated here, his thoughts circled back to the same place.
Back to her.
"Guess that settles it," Malik murmured, smile tugging at his lips. "Time to return to the beast."
His heart skipped a beat, remembering the way Sakura's hair spilled across her pillow, the heat of her skin against his, the way she shifted in her sleep until her "giant, glorious, fat butt" pressed against him like it was staking a claim. He chuckled under his breath.
"Yep. That's worth heading back for."
Without another word, Malik tilted downward, robes billowing in the moonlight, and let gravity pull him back toward the village, toward the warmth of Sakura's waiting bed.