"Come on in."
After setting Pakura down, Kiyosuke took off his shoes and stepped inside the house.
"I'm back. Haku, Naruto?"
"Ah! Kiyosuke-san!"
Naruto came bouncing out, his eyes landing on the woman behind Kiyosuke. He looked puzzled for a second, then asked:
"Is that your wife?"
"No," Pakura said, blushing.
"Huh? No way? This is the first time Kiyosuke-san has brought home a girl who isn't Rin, Kurenai, or Anko!" Naruto said.
Pakura had heard those names before—they were a few of Kiyosuke's friends. She smiled and said:
"You must be Naruto. You can call me Pakura-san. Haku does, too."
"Okay, Pakura-san."
Pakura couldn't help ruffling Naruto's hair.
Mm, it felt really nice.
Haku came over and said:
"Kiyosuke-sama, Pakura-san, dinner's ready. Kiyosuke-sama's takeout has arrived."
Don't ask if Kiyosuke, a single man, can cook. The answer is no. Even if he could, he wouldn't!
He just couldn't be bothered. Cooking at home was such a hassle—washing vegetables, rinsing rice, frying, boiling, and then doing the dishes afterward? Just thinking about it made him lose all motivation. So usually, the kitchen only got used when Rin or Kurenai dropped by and cooked something while they were there.
Otherwise?
He didn't touch it.
What about holidays?
During the New Year, he'd spent it with Kakashi and Rin, looking after Naruto. No need to worry about food.
Most days, he either mooched off someone else or just ate out.
In some aspects, this guy was famously lazy.
Even though he had every ability to make things easy for himself.
Pakura looked at the ramen on the table with a headache and asked:
"You're feeding this to kids?"
"Is that a problem?" Kiyosuke sat down and said, "You don't like it? Sorry, I can go grab you some sushi or something else."
"Forget it. Let's just buy some groceries tomorrow." Pakura took a seat and said, "I'll cook for you. Kids shouldn't eat like this—it's not good for their development."
"I think it's fine." Naruto slurped his ramen and said, "Ichiraku-san's ramen is really tasty. You should try it."
"No, I mean… forget it."
She wanted to explain about nutrition to Naruto, but then decided against it. There was no way a child would understand something like balanced meals.
"Let's eat!"
Everyone picked up their chopsticks and began eating.
The ramen was springy, the broth rich and flavorful. The taste exploded on the tongue—truly delicious. Even Pakura couldn't help but say:
"This is really good."
"Told you."
"Just eat your noodles."
"Okay..."
Watching Kiyosuke get smacked down by Pakura, Naruto blinked.
Yup. No way I'm growing up to be like Kiyosuke-san!
...
After dinner, Kiyosuke took Pakura to her room and handed her a stack of clothes.
"These are for you. I'm not sure if the size will fit."
He glanced at her chest.
Pakura punched him.
"Asakawa!!"
"Hahaha. The bath's in the backyard—there's a private hot spring. Oh, and I want to give the kids a bath."
He sent Haku and Naruto off to bathe, took a quick soak himself, then tucked them into bed and let Pakura go wash up.
Soaking in the warm water, Pakura let out a long breath.
Once I recover, I'm heading back to Sunagakure.
No matter what... Rasa must pay the price!
If he's still alive...
Then maybe I'll go on that date with Asakawa.
After all, I still owe him one.
...
The next few days passed peacefully.
When the day came for the Ninja Academy to begin, Kiyosuke brought Haku to enroll. Hiruzen Sarutobi had already arranged everything—he just needed to bring Haku there.
"…Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn..."
It was the same old Will of Fire speech.
Kiyosuke nearly nodded off as he listened. After all these years, couldn't the man change his script?
A bunch of kids were already zoning out, while Haku listened intently.
What a good kid!
Sarutobi thought to himself. Then he glanced at Kiyosuke, who already had one eye closed.
This brat… sleeping again, just like he did when he first enrolled.
After the ceremony, Kiyosuke left with Haku. Classes would officially start tomorrow.
Haku was easy to handle—a far cry from that little troublemaker Naruto.
That kid didn't even need looking after anymore. He was constantly running back and forth between the Uchiha and Hyūga clans. Sasuke kept acting all aloof, saying he didn't want to play with Naruto, but honestly, he was the one who spent the most time with him.
Back home, Pakura was in the kitchen, wearing an apron with her hair tied in a low ponytail. The sight of her gave off a gentle, peaceful vibe—and made Kiyosuke think of Mei Terumī.
God, I'm such a scumbag…
He sighed and said:
"I'm home."
"Mhm. Go wash your hands, dinner's ready. Where's Naruto?"
"That little punk's probably mooching food off the Uchiha or Hyūga again. Kid runs around all day. I keep telling him he should be training, but he's still just a brat."
Kiyosuke washed his hands and sat down.
Pakura brought over the stir-fried dishes, served the rice, and said:
"That's just how kids are. Once they grow up, they'll change. He kind of reminds me of my student."
"Huh? You already have a student? That was fast."
"Yeah. She's a hardworking kid." Pakura sighed and smiled. "Anyway, let's not talk about it."
Kiyosuke said:
"I'll take you to the hospital this afternoon for treatment. Haku, do you want to come with us or stay home?"
"Um, Kiyosuke-sama, can I go out and play?" Haku asked cautiously.
"Sure. Made a friend?"
"Yes."
"Boy or girl?"
"A boy. He thought I was a girl, but I explained it to him." Haku looked a bit troubled about his appearance. It wasn't the first time someone had mistaken him, and it probably wouldn't be the last.
"Alright, go ahead. Just be back in time for dinner."
"Okay!"
After eating, they cleaned up the dishes. Pakura took off her apron, and she and Kiyosuke headed to the Konoha Hospital for treatment.
Her injuries had improved a lot—she could move freely now. However, one strike had damaged her internal organs, and full recovery would take a long period of careful care. Kiyosuke had managed to save her back then, but since he wasn't a proper medical-nin, it was inevitable that there were a few complications.
Thankfully, with the help of Konoha's medical-nin, the damage had been greatly reduced. Now, she would just feel some aches when it rained, and with medication, the pain was barely noticeable.
As the sun began to set and Kiyosuke was preparing to take Pakura home, Kakashi suddenly appeared, covered in wounds.
"Found you. There's a problem I need your help with."
"You've gotta be kidding me, Kakashi. It's almost dark and you want me to work overtime?"