The Following Days
A few days passed, with Naruto spending his time as usual—endless, hellish training under Karin, and the constant, unreasonable rejections that nearly drove him insane.
Yet Naruto understood that Karin's intentions weren't malicious. She truly put her effort into his training, even if she took every opportunity to turn him down.
His birthday was drawing closer and closer, and everyone seemed to have their own plans for that special day.
That day's classes ended with Kurenai's final lecture. After their red-eyed, raven-haired teacher departed, Naruto stretched his arms high and let out a sigh.
"Finally done… time to get ready for basketball practice."
He rose slowly from his seat once most of the students had already left. His eyes drifted toward Sakura, who was still sitting at her desk, tucking her books neatly into her bag.
She looked charming even in such ordinary moments, without meaning to. Just watching her like this made Naruto oddly happy.
Sakura noticed his gaze. Her cheeks tinged pink as she turned away, muttering, "You stare too much, idiot…"
Flustered, Naruto looked aside. "Sorry…"
"I never said I minded it…"
"So… should I keep staring, then?"
"No. Too late now…"
She stood, holding her bag, and hurried off to catch up with Ino. As she waved at him, she called back, "I'll head home first, Naruto. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah…"
Naruto gave her a small nod before packing his own things. He was the last to leave the classroom.
---
Elsewhere, in a modest hotel room with two beds, one bathroom, and a kitchen, two women had taken up residence in hiding—Izumi and Tsunade.
Since Izumi had fled from her clan, she had nowhere else to go, and Tsunade had reluctantly become her refuge.
Izumi busied herself with chores as part of her "contract" with Tsunade, who allowed her to stay. She was already skilled in household tasks—preparing for the day she once dreamed of living with Itachi under one roof.
Her cheeks flushed at the thought of him, only to sink into sorrow a moment later. All her innocent dreams of a happy future with her beloved had turned into a bitter memory.
(It's not like we can live that life anymore… Itachi betrayed the clan… he betrayed me…)
Her face darkened as she folded Tsunade's green blouse, stacking it neatly with the others before carrying them to the closet. When her eyes strayed to the lower shelf, her cheeks burned even redder at the sheer size of Tsunade's undergarments. She quickly turned away, as if the sight itself deepened her gloom.
The door swung open with a kick. Tsunade stumbled in, flushed and reeking of alcohol, and burped unceremoniously.
"I'm back…"
Izumi immediately covered her nose, grimacing. "You went drinking with that lecherous old man again, didn't you?"
Tsunade collapsed onto the couch, head tilted back in weary annoyance. "If I don't, he'll just come here to complain about his miserable life. You wouldn't like that either."
"Just admit you wanted to drink on his tab," Izumi retorted coolly. She knew Tsunade wouldn't part with a single coin if she could help it. And with Jiraiya always footing the bill, how could an addict refuse her fix for free?
Rolling her eyes, Tsunade snapped, "You blaming your teacher now, you brat?"
"This has been your daily routine for weeks…" Izumi muttered, spraying air freshener to drown out the heavy stench of wine.
Tsunade fell silent for a moment, eyes lowering, her voice softer than usual.
"How am I supposed to say no, when he looks at me like that every time? He's a scoundrel, but he knows my weaknesses better than anyone…"
"If you two love each other that much, why aren't you married already?" Izumi asked coldly.
Tsunade took her time before answering in a low voice, "Because I'm not the Tsunade he loves."
"But, sensei… if that accident ten years ago truly changed who you are, doesn't that only mean his love was never real to begin with? If he loved you, he would love any version of you."
Tsunade let out a sharp laugh, mocking Izumi. "What would a brat like you know about grown-up matters?"
"I am an adult! I'm over twenty-four!"
"Even if you were forty, with that mindset you'd still be just a brat."
Frustrated, Izumi snapped back, "Then why? If you love him and he doesn't love you, why stick around? Why keep trying to win him? I'm sure he'd give up if you just turned him down once or twice."
But Tsunade ignored her, rising coolly to her feet. "Get dinner ready, brat."
Izumi's lips parted to reply, but stopped short as Tsunade suddenly peeled off her blouse on her way to the bathroom. Stunned into silence, Izumi simply stood there as her teacher disappeared behind the door.
Alone in the bath, Tsunade sank into steaming water, her thoughts echoing Izumi's words.
"Che… brat… so what if I love him? So what if I want his love? So what if I want to feel cherished? Is that forbidden for people our age?"
Her fist tightened beneath the water. A single hot tear slid down her cheek as she whispered with closed eyes,
"For these ten long years, I wished I could be Tsunade again… but the dead don't return to life…"
---
The days crept by slowly. And at last, the long-awaited day arrived.
Naruto's seventeenth birthday.
After bathing and dressing, he left his room only to encounter the first person waiting outside—his maid, Mina. She was a stunning woman with dark skin, short black hair, striking green eyes, and a traditional black-and-white maid's dress with a long skirt that covered her legs.
What made her even more radiant was the silver band glimmering on her finger—a ring.
Naruto's eyes widened as he clasped her hand, gazing at it. To him, Mina was like a mother.
"You've gone this far already? Congratulations, Mina!"
Her cheeks flushed softly as she looked at him with gentle eyes. "Thank you, young master…"
"Have you set a wedding date yet?" Naruto asked brightly.
Flustered, Mina averted her gaze. "We thought of holding it during summer break… so I can request a few months off."
"You're delaying your wedding because of me?" Naruto's eyes grew wet as he gripped her hands tighter. "You don't have to, Mina! If it's because of me, I won't be happy. You should marry whenever you want. I'm grown now—I can take care of myself. I'm not that crying little boy anymore."
With a tender smile, Mina slipped her hands free and patted his hair.
"No matter how much you grow, to me you'll always be the same young master I first met."
Naruto remembered. He had been about four years old, freshly brought into a new house, surrounded by strangers and a new clan. Frightened and tearful, always calling for his parents—until Mina appeared. She cared for him then, and from that day on, the two had never parted.
He didn't move her hand from his head, only nodded faintly. "…Alright. I get it."
Mina stepped back, her voice softer now. "Even so, it wasn't only my choice. The delay works for both of us… Lucas said he'd wait for his younger brother, Lucian, to finish his schooling before we wed."
"Lucian?" Naruto blinked in surprise.
Mina smiled warmly. "I think you know him. A third-year at your school? Red hair?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "Lucian—the same Lucian—is your fiancé's brother?!"
Mina nodded, pressing a finger lightly to her lip. "When I mentioned I worked for your family, Lucian was surprised your name was Uzumaki and not Sarutobi. But he was kind enough to keep it a secret."
(Author's Note: this was hinted at in Chapter 58 and another earlier one.)
"So Lucian knew all this time… and did nothing. That explains why he suddenly grew closer to us—even joined our group…" Naruto thought back. It was around the time Mina had started dating Lucas that Lucian had drifted into their circle.
Naruto looked back at her. "Yes… I remember him well. We know each other."
Relieved, Mina smiled. "That's good to hear."
Just then, a small but sharp voice rang from the hall.
"Naruto! Breakfast time—hurry up!"
Seven-year-old Rebecca stomped in, spoon in hand, pouting. Clearly they had all been waiting for Naruto, who had taken too long chatting with Mina.
Naruto laughed, waving as he turned away. "I'd better go before Rebecca gets really mad."
Mina bowed politely, arms folded. "Of course."
---
Breakfast went by as usual, and Naruto set off for school. Just as he was leaving the Uzumaki estate, a voice called out from behind him.
"Wait up, Naruto!"
He turned and saw a girl running toward him, face hidden behind a mask. He didn't need to guess twice. He smiled faintly.
"Oh… Scarlet."
Immoral Scarlet beamed as she reached him. "It's your birthday today, isn't it? Happy birthday! I brought you a gift."
(Why give me a gift as Scarlet and not as Ayla? She really is a strange girl…)
Still, Naruto accepted it with a smile. "Thanks. What did you bring?"
Scarlet leaned toward him, lips puckering as if to kiss. Startled, Naruto jerked back.
"Hey—are you crazy? What are you doing?"
"Tch…" Scarlet steadied herself, hands on her hips. "What, don't you want to kiss me?"
Rolling his eyes, Naruto turned away. "If that's your gift, I'll be leaving."
"Wait, wait—I'm joking!" She darted forward, clinging to his arm. No matter how much he ignored her advances, the shameless crimson-haired girl never seemed to learn.
"Fine, then hurry up. I've got school—I'll be late," Naruto sighed. He wasn't harsh, but he knew too well that Scarlet had a way of dragging him into insane situations. Last time, she had roped him into shooting a music video. Luckily, it had been about two brothers surviving after their parents' death, nothing indecent.
The director had been thrilled she'd brought Naruto back again, convinced he was slowly developing an actor's spark. Naruto, however, remained blissfully unaware—ever since that wild kissing scene over a year ago, he had tried not to think about it.
This time, Scarlet pulled a small red box from her pocket and offered it with a gentle smile.
"I wasn't sure what you'd like most, since you're happy with almost anything. So I brought something I like myself. I hope you'll like it too."
Naruto accepted it gratefully and opened it. Inside was a silver bracelet, engraved with the Uzumaki crest and the letter "N," crafted with obvious skill. It was worth thousands.
His eyes lit up, a joyful smile spreading across his face. "This looks so expensive, Scarlet… you really didn't have to."
"What, do you measure relationships by price tags, idiot? Something like this is nothing for you, so don't say that." She smiled sweetly, poking his nose with her finger. The warm gesture lit him up inside—though, true to form, Scarlet couldn't resist ruining the moment.
"But if you insist, you could kiss me as thanks… maybe touch a few other things, too…"
Naruto's smile froze as he pulled out his phone.
"Hello, Uncle Yukiteru? Did you hear what your daughter just said?"
Scarlet wailed, clinging to him in panic. "Wait, wait, Naruto, I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"
---
After chatting a little longer, Scarlet was called away—her manager scolding her for suddenly disappearing before an important meeting. She hurried off.
Her company, Prestige, was the number one global enterprise. Their headquarters was the massive tower where Naruto and Scarlet had once filmed the video a year ago.
Of course, being number one meant many rivals. Chief among them was Future Generation Fashions—the store Sakura and Ino had once visited, back when Sakura had bought Ino a new skirt after their fight.
Other competitors included H&M, which, oddly enough, seemed to have ties with the Akatsuki, waging a shadowy war against the Uzumaki family businesses.
As for the rest, their stories would come later.
---
Clearing his thoughts, Naruto entered the school grounds with a calm expression. Fortunately, his personal details—such as his birthday—were kept confidential. No one would throw him a huge celebration, he was certain.
At least, that's what he believed.
Until he saw the massive banner draped across the school, even covering its crest.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NARUTO
Our Best Student and Greatest Leader!"
His jaw dropped in shock. Applause erupted from every corner of the campus.
(How the hell did Principal Hiruzen agree to this?!!)
Before he could even recover, two pairs of hands lifted him off the ground. Shino and Kiba, grinning ear to ear.
"Waaah—!"
He barely managed to balance himself before the wave hit—hundreds of students rushing forward, arms raised, voices thundering together:
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NARUTO!!"
---
To Be Continued.