The Following Day
Inside the operating room where Naruto had been confined, the sound of movement echoed softly.
Naruto was in the middle of doing push-ups, his body glistening with sweat as he raised and lowered himself in perfect rhythm.
Off to the side sat Tsunade, one leg crossed over the other, her posture radiating calm authority. She flipped through a stack of documents, occasionally glancing at Naruto's training.
"Ma'am… Lady Tsunade…"
"You were about to call me sensei just now, weren't you, brat?"
Naruto didn't answer, nor did he deny it. Instead, he spoke while continuing his relentless pace. "I understand the need to train and regain the fitness I lost these past two weeks… but is this really enough to control something like the Combat Awakening Phase?"
"As the name suggests, the Combat Awakening Phase is a second stage. You can't reach it without passing through the first. In other words, you can't awaken that instinct without knowing the exact level of energy and effort required to break through."
Tsunade explained patiently, eyes still on the documents. Then, in her usual indifferent tone, she added, "You've pushed yourself too far in every fight so far, haven't you? You faced an enemy you couldn't hurt… then one you couldn't defeat… and finally, one who intended to kill you."
Naruto kept pushing through his exercises, memories flooding back—his battles with Shino, then Jin, then Tiger. Each time, he had been cornered, forced into despair with no hope of survival.
"That's why, even without knowing your true limits, your body drove you to the second stage. It's a survival instinct—a raw desire to avoid death at all costs."
She finished speaking and lazily pointed a finger at him. "If my guess is right, then you've never actually reached the Combat Awakening Phase before. What you experienced wasn't the real thing—it was just the uniqueness of your body at work. Even now, you don't know where your true limits lie, do you?!"
Naruto finally stopped, breathing hard, her words digging into his mind, unearthing truths he never dared question.
"Well… I wouldn't say it wasn't an awakening at all. You're close—right at the edge, just shy of stepping over. But without full control of your body, you'll never cross that line. It's not your body that holds you back—it's your mind. Your subconscious is both the source of your uniqueness… and the very thing that chains you."
Naruto stared at her, dumbfounded. The blonde woman smirked faintly and added, "At least try to deny it… No? I bet you're wondering how I figured this out. Simple—your reactions, your behavior, your words. No matter how hard you try to act normal, there's a glimmer of maturity in you. The kind you can't fake unless you've endured countless trials. Experience that a pampered brat like you shouldn't have."
Tsunade sighed, her expression unreadable. As someone who had seen more than her share of impossible hardships, she could tell—Naruto was far older on the inside than any boy his age should be. That wasn't something you could hide—not for someone like Naruto, who lived his entire life in unfiltered honesty.
He remained silent, biting his lip. He had sworn never to tell anyone the truth—that he'd come from a world where chakra, bijuu, jinchūriki, and the Sage of Six Paths were real… into this one, devoid of any such powers.
Tsunade rolled her eyes at his visible turmoil and finally spoke, her tone softening ever so slightly. "If you don't want to say it, that's fine. We all have secrets we can't share. But your secret might help me understand what makes you different. It's your choice."
Naruto stayed quiet for a long time, then finally stood, returning to the bed. Lying down, he spoke in a low voice, "I'm sorry… I'll rely on your tests to figure out more about my body… Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade rose from her chair, documents in hand. Without a word, she turned to leave—only to pause as the sound of the doorbell rang.
"Seems like your friends are here. Get ready to leave—and don't forget your weekend checkups."
With an indifferent air, she opened the door for the visitors—Sakura and Kiba.
The moment Naruto saw them, an overwhelming joy welled up inside him. He'd seen them in the past few days, yet no matter how often they visited, every time left his eyes stinging with tears.
Sakura noticed and smiled, brushing his tears away with her fingers. "You're not a kid anymore, so stop crying every time we come to see you, idiot."
"Sorry… it just slipped out."
They laughed together, while Kiba looked away in annoyance. "Tch… Are you two sure there's nothing going on between you? Since when do 'just friends' act this close?"
Sakura stepped back, cheeks flushed, and Naruto scratched his head awkwardly. Neither of them bothered correcting Kiba anymore.
"This is why I hate hanging out with you two!"
Kiba's whining only made them laugh harder, trying to calm him down.
Meanwhile, Tsunade glanced at them, clearly irritated, and tossed her papers onto the table. "Naruto's condition is completely stable now, so I'm finally letting him go."
Both Sakura and Kiba froze, eyes wide—then broke into smiles. "What? Really? He's leaving at last?!"
Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching his cheek. He'd known this was coming, so he wasn't nearly as excited as they were.
"Finally, we can go back to our normal lives… You wouldn't believe how empty school's been without you—and with Sasuke the way he is, it's felt like a ghost town," Kiba grumbled, recalling the bleak atmosphere since Naruto vanished—the boy who had practically been a school-wide celebrity.
Naruto chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry about that… What about Sasuke, though? How's he doing?"
"Save the chit-chat for later and get moving already, you brats."
Tsunade cut in sharply, looming behind them with a glare that sent shivers down the boys' spines. "S-sorry~"
She walked away and dropped another paper on Naruto's lap. "Here's the bill for your treatment. Tell your family to cover forty percent—I'll waive the rest as part of our agreement."
Sakura and Kiba glanced at the paper, feeling dizzy at the endless string of zeros. Naruto, however, didn't flinch—he already knew how outrageous his medical costs were. Bowing his head, he said earnestly, "Thank you for everything… Sensei Tsunade."
"Yeah, yeah… Just pack up and go—and don't make me come running for you again, got it?"
Her words sounded harsh, but Naruto understood—she was telling him to take care of himself and never get this badly hurt again.
He flashed her a bright grin. "Got it!"
---
After packing his few belongings into a small box, the trio finally left. Dusk was settling in—Sakura and Kiba had come straight after class. Nearly two months had passed since the start of their second year; exams loomed ahead, and they had no choice but to focus on passing the term after everything they'd been through.
"Kakashi-sensei will blow a gasket if we don't pull through. We might get demoted to Class 2-B—that's terrifying. I can't break my unbroken streak now…" Naruto muttered, exhaling hard. It wasn't the exams themselves that worried him, but the spotless attendance record he'd just ruined.
"Don't worry. Kakashi-sensei worked hard to convince Principal Hiruzen about your case, so you might not lose any major credits," Sakura said reassuringly, and Naruto nodded, still uneasy.
"Well, you're fine anyway—you're the second-ranked student, aren't you?"
"I'm first!"
"I doubt you'll beat Sasuke—he hasn't missed a single class."
"Damn it! I'll do something about that!"
"Sure you will. Just aim for next term."
As Kiba and Naruto bickered, Sakura chuckled. "Wait, wait… What are you two even saying? Naruto couldn't even take second place if he tried."
Both boys froze, then turned to her—just as Naruto's face fell pale. He'd completely forgotten… the one who always claimed the third spot. Sakura raised two fingers with a smug grin. "Because I'm already second!"
"Damn it!!!"
Naruto clutched his head in despair while Sakura hid her laughter behind her hand, and Kiba doubled over, clutching his stomach.
"Not even second… I'm stuck fighting for third!"
He groaned in defeat, staring ahead—only to spot Sasuke and Ino walking together, hands intertwined, faces glowing with pure happiness. Naruto blinked. "Oh, it's Sasuke and Ino. Let's go say hi—"
He froze mid-sentence, as did Sakura and Kiba, when the scene unfolded before them. Ino's arms slipped around Sasuke's neck, and he didn't resist—in fact, his own arm wrapped around her waist as they closed the gap between them, sharing a deep, heated kiss that left Naruto and his friends utterly speechless.
(This… can't be real. Since when…?) Naruto's mind reeled as he watched the two part slowly, fingers still entwined as they walked away.
He turned to Sakura—but her expression stunned him more than the kiss. She just stared silently, unreadable.
"Oh my god… Sasuke never told me! When did those two start dating? Sneaking around behind our backs?!" Kiba's outburst shattered the suffocating silence, and they all exhaled shakily.
Naruto spoke first, voice tinged with disbelief. "I didn't think Sasuke even liked Ino… When did this happen?"
Everyone knew how hopelessly smitten Ino had always been with Sasuke—but his feelings? That was the real shock. Because they all knew… Sasuke had only ever had eyes for Sakura.
"Well, feelings don't always follow rules, do they? Otherwise, love wouldn't be such an irreplaceable experience," Sakura murmured with a sigh.
"R-right…"
The boys answered softly, but no matter how they tried to talk, the suffocating tension never truly faded.
---
Elsewhere, in a desolate residential area, stood a charred, abandoned building—its scorched shell looming like a haunted ruin.
Inside a crumbling room, three figures occupied the space. Two lay on beds; one sat on a chair.
One was a man with brown hair and a menacing face, bandages wrapped tightly around his neck and mouth. His eyes bore the weight of exhaustion.
On the other bed lay a young man with blue hair, eyes shut, unconscious.
The last figure—a girl with short black hair—sat stiffly in the chair.
"Lord Zabuza… what do we do now? Those men… will they hunt us down until we're dead?"
"Don't worry… foolish girl. Even if they find this place, I'll protect you." Zabuza managed a faint smile, raising his hand toward Haku's face—but he was so weak that she caught it, pressing his palm gently to her cheek.
"And I'll make sure you live—no matter what… Lord Zabuza…"
"You're selfish. If you'd let me die, they wouldn't be after you."
"Are you telling me to live in a world without you? I've lived enough… If you die, then at least… let me die with you…"
Her voice trembled as she fought back tears, but Zabuza said nothing—only exhaled heavily and turned his gaze aside. "Then we fight to live. And to live… we eliminate those who stand in our way."
"You can't be serious… You've seen their strength! You can't take them alone—it's suicide!"
Haku's voice rose in alarm as she pulled away, but Zabuza's expression didn't waver. His eyes shifted to the unconscious boy on the bed.
"There's still Suigetsu. And I'm sure the others survived too. We'll regroup—and we'll take revenge. And if that's still not enough… we'll swallow our pride… and ask for his help."
Haku stiffened, whispering bitterly, "You're insane, Lord Zabuza. He hates you. Why would he ever trust you?"
"Precisely because we tried to kill each other. That's why I know he'll understand. No one else could. The son of the White Fang… the heir to the former leader of the Seven Swordsmen…"
---
To Be Continued…