Inside the Village – Konoha's Gates
At the entrance of Konoha, Kakashi raised a hand.
"Alright, wait for me at Yakiniku Q BBQ. I'll collect the mission reward and catch up."
The trio nodded.
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At Yakiniku Q BBQ
Haruto, Naruto, and Sasuke entered the lively restaurant, the scent of grilled meat hitting them instantly. Inside, they spotted Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino already at a table.
"Yo, Shika! Hey, Choji!" Naruto waved enthusiastically.
Haruto gave a small smile. "Good to see you both."
Sasuke nodded silently, hands in his pockets.
Choji looked up, chip bag in hand. "Naruto! So, how's that ninja way of yours treating you?" he asked, crunching loudly.
Shikamaru leaned back lazily, eyeing Haruto. "You look different, Haruto… stronger."
Haruto chuckled lightly. "Maybe you're overthinking it."
Ino tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and offered a polite smile.
"Oh—this is Ino. Ino Yamanaka."
Naruto grinned. "Nice to meet ya!"
Haruto gave a short bow. "Uzumaki Haruto. And that loudmouth is my twin brother, Uzumaki Naruto."
He gestured at Sasuke. "You already know him—Sasuke Uchiha."
Ino's eyes briefly lingered on Haruto, but she turned to Naruto. "So, what kind of mission were you guys on?"
"B-rank!" Naruto beamed.
Choji nearly dropped his chips. "Wait—seriously?"
"Yeah," Haruto confirmed.
Shikamaru whistled. "B-rank, huh… Not bad."
"Impressive," Ino added, her eyes flicking toward Sasuke. "Nice job, Sasuke."
Sasuke gave an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Honestly… I didn't do much. It was all Haruto."
Haruto shook his head. "We did it as a team. That's what matters."
They all settled around the table.
"So what about you guys?" Haruto asked.
Shikamaru sighed. "Same old… Cat retrieval."
Naruto perked up. "Wait, the fat lady's demon cat again?"
SMACK!
Haruto slapped the back of Naruto's head.
"Ow! What? I meant—uh, the fluffy… boulder-like lady's cat?"
Everyone laughed, even Sasuke smirking quietly.
"The way that cat looked at us…" Ino said with a giggle. "Swear it was plotting revenge."
Haruto leaned back. "Honestly, before this mission, I didn't think we'd survive anything tougher than chasing cats. We nearly died—but we got through it."
Shikamaru gave a thoughtful nod. "Sounds like your teamwork's solid."
Just then, the restaurant door opened. Kakashi strolled in, hands in his pockets.
"Yo."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cheered.
"Hope you're all hungry," he said, sliding into the booth. "Mission reward came in. Tonight's on me."
"Feast time!" Choji yelled, slamming the table.
Plates piled up. Grills sizzled. Laughter filled the room.
And for a moment, they were just kids again—ninjas, yes—but enjoying a rare night of peace.
As the plates piled high with sizzling meat and steaming rice, the conversation shifted from missions to dreams.
"So," Ino leaned forward, curiosity twinkling in her eyes, "what do you guys want to be in the future?"
Naruto raised a fist. "I'm gonna be Hokage, believe it!"
Choji wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I just wanna eat good food and stay alive."
Shikamaru sighed. "Too troublesome to think about right now."
Everyone laughed.
Haruto glanced at the grill, then looked up thoughtfully. "I don't know yet… but I want to protect the village. Protect the people I care about. Maybe that's enough for now."
Ino blinked, caught off-guard by the sincerity in his voice.
"That's… a really nice answer," she said, softer than before.
Their eyes met for a second longer than usual before Naruto butted in.
"Oi! Don't go all mushy during meat time!"
Haruto chuckled. "Says the guy who cries during ramen."
Sasuke smirked. "He's not wrong tho."
Naruto crossed his arms, pouting dramatically. "Tch. You're all just jealous of my unbreakable bond with ramen!"
As the teasing continued, Ino leaned over to Haruto, voice quieter.
"Hey… thanks for earlier. For not bragging, I mean."
Haruto turned slightly, curious. "About the mission?"
She nodded. "Yeah. A lot of people would show off. But you didn't."
Haruto gave a small, almost bashful smile. "That's not my style."
Ino smiled back. "I noticed."
Before he could reply, Naruto suddenly shouted, "I call dibs on the last beef slice!"
A blur of chopsticks followed as everyone reached at once, laughing and yelling. Chaos erupted at the table.
And in that noisy little BBQ place, under warm lights and full bellies, a relationship was in the making...