Akari stepped out, carrying three heavy green vests. She held them out, a bittersweet smile on her face. "Your genin days end here. You're all officially chunin now."
She dropped her gaze for a second. "I know I wasn't that good of a sensei, and I couldn't teach you much... you all have way more potential than this. But if you ever feel stuck, you can come to me without hesitation. I'll always be here for you."
Yuki gripped the green fabric, her eyebrows pinching together in a slight frown. "Sensei, don't talk like that about yourself. You taught us so many things." She stepped forward and hugged Akari tightly. "You're the best sensei I could have asked for."
Akari's eyes widened slightly from the unexpected hug before softening into a gentle smile. She wrapped her arms around Yuki. "And you're the best students I could have asked for."
Standing awkwardly beside Ryuma, Kazuki watched them. 'It's true she wasn't a perfect mentor, he thought, but she gave it her best. I don't think anyone other than Kakashi could have handled a team like us.'
Akari finally pulled back, clearing her throat to change the mood. "So, what do you guys plan on doing now?"
"I was thinking of training with my father for some time," Yuki replied immediately.
"That's great," Akari said. "What about you, Ryuma?"
Ryuma hesitated, shifting his weight. He looked away before answering. "Me? I was thinking of doing some more missions. I need to save up to buy a house.... outside of the Hatake clan."
"A new house, huh? That's great!" Yuki grinned. "Make sure to invite me when you buy it, I'd love to visit."
"Sure," Ryuma muttered. He quickly turned to Kazuki to deflect the attention. "What about you, Kazuki? What are your plans?"
Kazuki shrugged, already slipping his hands into his pockets. "I'm just going to train. Maybe take on some missions. Nothing specific."
'Oh yeah, the meeting with the Uchiha clan is tomorrow.' Kazuki kept his face neutral, but felt a little guilty. He certainly couldn't tell them about that.
"Good luck to all of you," Akari said warmly. They talked for a few more minutes before parting ways.
When Kazuki unlocked the door to his apartment, the wave of dust hit him, his apartment wasn't opened for several days.
He sighed, forming a familiar hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."
With a soft poof, four clones appeared. They immediately scattered, grabbing brooms and heading for the kitchen while Kazuki went straight to the bathroom. By the time he stepped out of the shower, the apartment was spotless, and a warm meal was waiting on the table. He dismissed the clones and sat down to eat.
'The meeting is tomorrow,' Kazuki realized, taking a bite. 'I would have missed it entirely if the mission went on for one more day.'
After dinner, the quiet of the apartment started to settle in, so he went outside for a stroll. The village was already dark, lit only by street lamps. He eventually stopped by the small dumpling shop he and Yuki usually visited together.
'The Uchiha clan isn't that bad,' he thought, 'They initially hated me, but their resentment slowly disappeared. Maybe they hated me because they thought my parents were traitors? This whole village is like this, everyone hated Naruto, but they started treating him like a hero when he saved the village.'
He bought a skewer and took a bite, watching the empty street, 'Being alone isn't that bad,' he thought. 'In my last life, I was always alone. Sure, I had friends on Discord, but that's totally different.'
A soft smile reached his eyes, 'I'm glad I made such great friends in this world.'
The following night, Kazuki walked up the steps to the Naka Shrine.
Before he could enter the temple-like structure, a shinobi guard stepped directly into his path. "Hey kid," the guard grunted, looking down at him. "Do you even know where you're going?"
Kazuki didn't say a word. He simply looked up, meeting the man's gaze, and activated his Sharingan. The crimson red flared to life, two tomoe spinning in each eye.
The guard's eyes widened slightly. He immediately stepped aside, allowing him to pass.
Kazuki entered the dimly lit hall. There were dozens of people already sitting in silence, facing Fugaku Uchiha at the very front. Kazuki kept his steps quiet as his eyes scanned the crowd, quickly landing on Itachi and Shisui. There was a single empty cushion waiting right beside them.
He walked over and quietly took his seat next to Itachi.
'It's my first time seeing Shisui.' He thought.