After finishing their barbecue, Naruto placed a hand on Lily's shoulder and teleported them all back to the Uchiha compound with his Flying Thunder God technique. Once Lily was settled comfortably in her new room, Naruto immediately whisked himself back into the Forest of Death, where he rejoined Hinata and Sasuke. Together, the three made their way toward the central tower.
The tower wasn't far from their last stop, but the thought of stepping inside without a meal made Naruto wrinkle his nose. "What if there's no lunch waiting in there?" he had said earlier. And so, the team had roasted some meat in the forest before finally heading in.
As they pushed open the tower's heavy doors, they found a large inscription hanging on the wall ahead. It bore the Third Hokage's familiar brushstrokes, written with solemn weight.
"It says something about opening the two scrolls here," Naruto said, pulling the Heaven and Earth scrolls from his pouch. With a flick of his wrist, both unfurled at once and dropped onto the stone floor.
Hinata leaned closer, her eyes scanning the lines. "Human?" she whispered softly, confused by the characters.
Naruto, who had spent countless hours studying sealing techniques in secret, recognized the intricate pattern immediately. "It's a summoning seal," he explained calmly. "Just a possession-type technique."
He tossed the two scrolls onto the open ground before them. Instantly, smoke burst forth in twin clouds, swirling into the air with a loud puff. A figure began to form within the haze.
When the smoke cleared, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata's eyes widened in surprise.
"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto blurted.
Indeed, standing there, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin, was none other than Iruka Umino their homeroom teacher back at the Academy.
"Haha! Surprised you, didn't I?" Iruka chuckled, his warm laughter echoing in the tower's empty hall.
Naruto clapped enthusiastically. "You totally got me there, Iruka-sensei!"
Hinata followed Naruto's lead and clapped politely as well, though a faint blush touched her cheeks. Sasuke, of course, didn't move an inch. His cool, unreadable expression said everything cheering wasn't his style.
Iruka coughed into his fist, clearly aware of the awkward silence. "If you weren't actually surprised, you don't have to fake it," he said, his eyes twitching when a crow chose that moment to flap overhead, squawking, idiot, idiot!
Naruto dropped his hands. "So, Iruka-sensei, why are you here anyway?"
Iruka straightened and explained, "At the end of this exam, Chunin like us are assigned to meet the candidates. And since I was chosen for this role, I suppose you could say I'm your official messenger."
"Messenger?" Hinata asked curiously.
Pulling out a pocket watch, Iruka gave them an approving nod. "The fact that you reached here on the very first day… that's impressive. Truly the work of my best students." His gaze lingered warmly on their faces before he spread his arms wide and declared, "Congratulations. You've passed the second stage of the exam!"
Naruto's face lit up instantly. He clapped his hands together in glee. "Awesome! In that case, let's celebrate… and Iruka-sensei, you're treating us to Ichiraku Ramen!"
Iruka froze, the smile on his face faltering. "…Eh?"
Naruto stared at him with watery, pleading eyes. "Come on, sensei. We risked our lives for this exam, you know. You wouldn't really let us pass without at least one meal to celebrate, would you?"
Iruka rubbed the back of his head, torn between laughter and exasperation. Turning his eyes toward the trio, he found three eager faces staring back at him well, two eager and one utterly impassive. Sasuke didn't look hungry, but he certainly wasn't saying no either.
Iruka sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright. I'll treat you. Just don't drag me out the door like that!"
Naruto, however, was already tugging on his sleeve. "Let's go, let's go!"
Hinata let out a small giggle, Sasuke smirked faintly, and together they followed Iruka out of the tower. None of them could resist the promise of steaming bowls of Ichiraku ramen, not even after their roasted meat earlier.
Meanwhile, back in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in silence, gazing out the window at the peaceful village below. At his side stood Anko Mitarashi, her hand pressed against the cursed mark seared into her shoulder. Pain flickered across her face.
"Does the seal still ache?" the old man asked, pipe resting between his teeth.
"Thanks to you, it's bearable now," Anko answered, pulling her coat closed to hide the mark.
Two other exam proctors Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane stood in attendance.
"It's no wonder," Kotetsu muttered, his tone grim. "Orochimaru is one of the Legendary Sannin. Even if we'd sent a full squad of ANBU, stopping him would've been nearly impossible."
Izumo frowned. "He's been gone from Konoha for years. Why come back now? And why the Forest of Death?"
Anko lowered her head, her mind replaying the words Orochimaru had whispered to her. A chill ran down her spine. "Maybe… because of—"
"Because of Sasuke," Hiruzen finished for her.
Anko stiffened, her eyes snapping toward him in shock. How could he know?
Hiruzen removed the pipe from his lips, his gaze returning to the village below. His voice carried the weight of command. "Increase the patrols. Ensure the village's safety. If Orochimaru is spotted again, report to me immediately."
"Yes, sir!" the three chorused before dispersing.
Left alone, Hiruzen's eyes grew heavy with thought. In his mind, he recalled Itachi Uchiha's last message the one warning that Orochimaru, defeated and cast out of Akatsuki, might turn his sights on Sasuke.
"Don't worry, Itachi," he murmured quietly. "With Naruto around, Sasuke will be protected."
He turned his attention to the surveillance crystal ball, which showed Naruto gleefully dragging Iruka down Konoha's main street. Sasuke followed behind, his face calm, almost relaxed. For a moment, Hiruzen allowed himself a bittersweet smile.
"If only you hadn't taken such a radical path, perhaps the bond between Konoha and the Uchiha could have been healed," he whispered, letting out a long sigh before turning back to his paperwork.
Iruka, meanwhile, sat at Ichiraku Ramen with his three students, clutching his wallet like a man awaiting execution. Naruto, Hinata, and even Sasuke dug into their bowls with satisfaction.
"Thanks for the treat, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said with his cheeks full, waving his chopsticks cheerfully.
Hinata and Sasuke were far more polite. "Thank you very much," they said in unison, bowing their heads slightly.
Iruka forced a smile, though his heart ached as he glanced at the pile of empty bowls stacking up in front of Naruto. There goes my salary…
When the three finally left, waving happily, Iruka looked down at his near-empty wallet and felt tears prick his eyes. "Why… why did it have to be me who ran into them?" he groaned, staring mournfully at the heavens above.
Back at the Uchiha compound, Lily waited patiently for their return. Now that there was time, Naruto knew it was important to officially register her as a Konoha citizen. Without proper documents, she'd remain a wanderer, a "ghost" in the village an easy target for suspicion.
So Naruto marched her straight to the administration building. Staff members along the way paused to bow respectfully, murmuring, "Young Master Naruto."
After learning that the Third Hokage was indeed in his office, Naruto didn't bother with formalities. He strode right up to the door and kicked it open with a grin.
"Old man, I'm here!" he declared proudly, Lily standing shyly at his side.
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