"Alright, today your mission is to clean a house."
Kiyosuke said to Naruto and the others standing before him.
Naruto frowned.
"Kiyosuke-san, we're Chūnin now. Do we still have to take on these kinds of D-rank missions?"
"Why are you whining so much? Just follow me."
Kiyosuke walked ahead, leading the six of them through Konoha's busy streets. After a few turns, they stopped in front of an old house.
The yard was overgrown with weeds, moss clung to the walls, and the tiles were cracked and broken in places. The whole place looked abandoned and neglected, like it hadn't seen care in years.
Looking at the house, Kiyosuke sighed.
"Too long without anyone living here... it's ended up like this. Kakashi hasn't bothered to come back and fix it either."
Naruto stared at the building, puzzled.
"Kiyosuke-san, how long has this house been empty? How did it get this run-down?"
"Sixteen, maybe almost seventeen years," Kiyosuke replied. "This is your house."
"My house? But my house isn't—"
Realization struck Naruto. His eyes widened in shock.
"This… this was where my dad and mom used to live? How could it end up like this?!"
"Because no one's been living in it. Neither I, Kakashi, nor Rin had the time to repair it. And your dad bought this place in a quiet spot outside the busy districts—peaceful, good for resting, but far off the main roads. We hardly ever passed by, and over time… we just forgot."
Kiyosuke yawned.
"Anyway, we remembered now, didn't we? Alright, let's go inside and fix it up."
"Yes!"
"Everyone, let's clean this place up!"
Naruto, full of energy, was determined to restore his parents' old home with his own hands.
Kiyosuke went to the gate, found the hidden key—now rusted and corroded—and gave the lock a tug. It broke right off in his hand. He pushed open the gate.
"Go in."
"Mm."
The group stepped into the weed-filled yard. Kiyosuke climbed the porch steps, located another key that was only lightly rusted, and unlocked the front door.
The moment the door opened, a musty, moldy smell rushed out. He coughed.
"We'll have to air this place out, or it's not livable."
The wooden floor was stained with mold and thick with dust. Years of abandonment had turned it into a haven for bacteria and pests. Tiny footprints of rats could be seen in the dust.
Several snakes slithered from Kiyosuke's sleeves, dispersing into the corners of the house to hunt down the mice and other pests.
"Shino, relocate the insects living here."
"Understood."
Shino actually liked insects, so giving him the task of moving them elsewhere suited him perfectly.
"Alright, the rest is up to you. Clean everything."
Kiyosuke waved a hand.
"I'll go find Yamato."
Yes, with Yamato's Wood Release, the floor wouldn't even cost money to replace. Better to save where you can!
Yamato: "…"
Because the house had been left empty for so long, parts of it needed major repair, even remodeling before it could be lived in again.
Kiyosuke planned for Naruto to move in eventually. The boy was old enough now—it was time for him to live independently. Since Haku was busy with ANBU and hardly ever home, and Karin was a girl, Kiyosuke intended to leave his own house to her. As for himself?
After so many years of missions, buying another house wouldn't be a problem.
Besides, when he got married, a new house would be better.
He couldn't exactly let Mei Terumī live in some shabby old place, could he?
Not that she'd care, but still.
...
With Yamato's help, renovations went quickly. His Wood Release was a perfect fit for the task, and he seemed to have a knack for carpentry. The new wooden floors were durable—ordinary termites or pests couldn't even touch them. Only special insects bred by Shino's clan could chew chakra-infused wood like that.
"See, Yamato, if you used your Wood Release to go into construction, you'd make a fortune,"
Kiyosuke said, half-amazed, half-teasing.
"Senpai, don't joke around. I'm a shinobi! How could I get into the real estate business?" Yamato said, both laughing and exasperated.
If the First Hokage knew his Wood Release was being used like this, he'd probably cry.
Then again, knowing Hashirama, he'd probably just come join in…
...
After Minato's death, Kiyosuke had moved all of Kushina's belongings prepared for Naruto into his own house. So there wasn't much left to sort through here. Most of the furniture, however, had rotted or broken down and had to be thrown away.
Clothes and keepsakes had been carefully stored in Kiyosuke's home. Photographs stood by Naruto's bedside, ensuring he at least knew what his parents looked like.
...
Thanks to everyone's efforts, by the second day the house was fully restored.
The yard was cleared of weeds and replaced with green grass and fresh flowers from the Yamanaka flower shop.
The house itself had been renovated, rewired, and furnished with new appliances and furniture. It looked almost brand new.
Naruto stood at the doorway, eyes shining with satisfaction.
"Here."
Kiyosuke tossed him a key.
"When you get married one day, you can move in here."
"Eh?!" Naruto yelped. "Kiyosuke-san, I'm only sixteen!"
"So what? You'll definitely be married before you're eighteen. I said so. So don't argue. Start getting used to living on your own—your aunt will be coming over soon."
That line made not only Naruto but the other five kids perk up immediately. Even Yamato's ears twitched.
"Wait… Senpai, you're getting married already? To the Fifth Mizukage?"
"That's right. If I don't hurry up and go to her, she'll kill me!"
Mei Terumī had been pressing him harder and harder about marriage recently. Her letters were practically nothing but "marriage, marriage, marriage" between the lines.
Kiyosuke had lost sleep over it.
The glamorous older woman was on the verge of turning into a resentful spinster!
"I heard the Fifth Mizukage is really beautiful," Hinata whispered.
"Yeah, yeah. Kiyosuke-sensei must have good taste. Otherwise, why would he only be settling down now?" Kiba laughed loudly.
"Enough about me." Kiyosuke waved them off. "You've all been doing well these days. Tonight, I'll treat you to yakiniku."
He gathered them all for a good meal.
Along the way they bumped into Jiraiya, who joined in, and then Tsunade showed up too. The group crowded around the table, laughing and eating merrily.
By the end, Kiyosuke was sweating over the bill. Luckily, years of missions had padded his savings.
Still, these kids could really eat.
The bill was almost as much as a D-rank mission's reward.
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