Sasuke knocked on the door, not entirely sure she had arrived at the right place.
In front of her stood a two-story house with a rounded design and a slanted red roof. The beige facade, with brown details, had several windows decorated with flower pots filled with colorful blooms. The entrance had a small set of steps leading to a glass-enclosed terrace. Surrounding it, a well-maintained garden with shrubs, small trees, and flowers gave the impression of a warm and welcoming home.
Sasuke couldn't help but compare. Her own house, in contrast, felt empty and lifeless.
Naruto was alone like her, but from the outside, his house gave the impression of being the home of a happy and united family.
When the door opened, Sasuke saw Naruto.
He was wearing black shorts and a white t-shirt with the Uzumaki Clan symbol. His hair was messy and loose, and he was barefoot.
Sasuke frowned as she saw him yawn and scratch his stomach, his eyes still half-closed from sleep.
"You... just woke up, didn't you?" she asked.
Naruto looked at her without responding and simply turned around to go back inside.
"Come in, make yourself at home," he said indifferently.
Sasuke stepped in, took off her shoes, and followed him down the hallway.
To her surprise, even though the house looked full of life from the outside, the interior was half-empty.
"I thought you lived in those orphan apartments..." Sasuke spoke without thinking.
Instantly, she regretted her lack of tact, though she didn't apologize.
However, Naruto didn't seem bothered. After all, until recently, he had indeed lived in one of those places.
"Do you remember our mission in the Land of Waves?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke rolled her eyes.
"How could I forget something that happened just a month ago?"
"And do you remember Gatō?"
"Well, he died... and put me in his will," Naruto said with a grin.
Sasuke looked at him in disbelief.
"You killed him while training with Kakashi and stole his fortune," Sasuke deduced immediately.
Naruto didn't respond to her accusation.
The first rule when accused of a crime is to never admit it... unless there's clear evidence against you.
"I didn't tell you because..." Naruto tried to come up with an excuse but quickly gave up. "I can't think of a reasonable excuse. I just didn't want to share the money."
Sasuke sighed, crossing her arms.
"You think I don't have money?"
As the sole heir of the Uchiha Clan, its entire fortune belonged to her.
Naruto blinked, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to sparkle with the dollar sign before he composed himself.
He had forgotten that Sasuke was rich.
"That means, from now on, you're paying for our meals," Naruto said, trying to take advantage of the situation.
Sasuke ignored him completely.
"Hasn't Sakura arrived yet?"
"Nope," Naruto answered, exaggerating the 'P' at the end of the word.
Hearing that, Sasuke released the Transformation Jutsu and, taking Naruto's words literally, made herself comfortable on the couch as if it were her own home.
[Mikoto Uchiha: Naruto is so young, but he already has his own house. I'm sure they'll be very happy together in the future.]
[Kushina Uzumaki: Mikoto! We're going to be family soon!]
[Izumi Uchiha: I'm so happy for Sasuke. It's a big house, with many rooms… they could have lots of children and build a beautiful family.]
[Shisui Uchiha: Just imagining Itachi's reaction when he hears this… HAHAHA. He's always been very protective of his little sister.]
[Fugaku Uchiha: DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON MY DAUGHTER! STAY WITH THAT BLIND-EYED GIRL IF YOU WANT!]
[Hizashi Hyūga: THAT WON'T HAPPEN EITHER!]
Naruto rolled his eyes as he served himself breakfast, deciding to ignore the group messages.
Out of the corner of his eye, he observed Sasuke sitting on the couch, absentmindedly playing with her hair while she waited.
No. No way. Naruto shook his head.
Had Mikoto and Izumi lost their minds?
He still had trouble accepting that Sasuke was a girl.
The doorbell suddenly rang, and in an instant, Sasuke used the Transformation Jutsu again.
Naruto rolled his eyes for the second time.
She has serious issues.
It turned out to be Sakura.
"So? Why did you call us so early?" the newcomer asked.
"The Chūnin Exams are coming up!" Naruto announced.
Sasuke looked at him with interest.
If she wanted to kill Itachi, an S-rank rogue ninja, she needed to move up in rank as soon as possible.
The Chūnin Exams were another step toward her goal… and also toward the restoration of the Uchiha Clan.
Instinctively, she glanced at Naruto out of the corner of her eye as she thought about it.
No. No way. Sasuke quickly shook her head.
Had she lost her mind? She didn't even see Naruto as a man! Right…?
Sakura, focused on Sasuke, turned her attention to Naruto.
"I didn't know the Chūnin Exams would be held in the village this year," she commented.
Naruto looked at her with feigned disappointment, shaking his head while stirring his bowl of cereal.
"Tch, tch, tch. Sakura, Sakura... As a ninja, you should be better at gathering information."
He took the opportunity to tease her, but unfortunately for him, Sakura ignored him completely.
Naruto blinked in surprise and looked at Sasuke in disbelief.
"S-she's sick… isn't she?"
"Hm," Sasuke nodded in agreement.
Sakura stared at Sasuke, surprised that she was agreeing with Naruto.
"So..." Sasuke narrowed her eyes. "Did you call us just to tell us about the Chūnin Exams?"
Naruto shamelessly nodded.
"It's 7:00 in the morning! It's our day off!" Sakura exploded.
Did he really make them wake up early just for that?
"You... just wanted to show off your new house, didn't you?" Sasuke asked, knowing him too well.
Naruto smiled in satisfaction.
At that moment, Sakura realized it… and her scream echoed throughout the village.
[Hashirama Senju: I-I can't…! My ears are bleeding…!]
[Madara Uchiha: The forehead girl… her voice… it's so high-pitched…]
[Might Duy: THE CEREAL BOWL EXPLODED FROM HER VOICE!!! THAT VOICE IS A SYMBOL OF YOUTH!]