Naruto closed Haku's door behind him and padded into the hall.
There, waiting like some kind of domestic goddess, was Haku—already in action.
She had whipped up breakfast and even packed neat little bundles for the road.
Naruto blinked in genuine shock. "Haku, I didn't know you were this much of a morning person," he said, voice a mix of admiration and confusion.
Haku chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've always been an early riser. Plus, you said there'd be training... so I thought I'd be extra prepared. I even went to bed early yesterday," she said, a bit proud.
"Ohhh, look at her, already making us look bad," Karin teased, smirking as she slung an arm around Haku's shoulder.
Haku just smiled, holding up the packed basket like a badge of honor.
"Alright, let's move out!" Naruto said, punching his fist into the air.
The four of them marched out into the brightening morning, the world still fresh with dew and possibility.
Their training began, a well-oiled ritual now:
Long-distance running, their feet pounding the dirt trails.
Body conditioning exercises—push-ups, squats, stretches to keep them limber and lethal.
Sparring sessions to keep their reflexes razor-sharp.
First up: Naruto vs Sasuke.
They squared off, fists up, eyes gleaming. It was pure taijutsu—no flashy jutsu, no shortcuts. Just sweat, fists, and stubborn pride.
Then: Karin vs Haku.
It started playful... until Haku, graceful like a dancer, slipped a senbon between her fingers and almost tagged Karin by surprise.
"Oi, no weapons, you sneak!" Karin barked, grinning despite herself.
After the intense session, they all collapsed under the shade of a great tree, their breathing heavy but their hearts light.
The breakfast Haku prepared was simple but heavenly—soft-boiled eggs, warm bread rolls, and a few sweet pickled vegetables.
They ate with the kind of satisfaction only earned by hard work.
The wind whispered through the leaves above them, and for a moment, everything felt... perfect.
After finishing their breakfast under the shade of the tree, they strolled back home, feeling fresh and ready to tackle the day.
By the time they arrived, the house felt a little emptier—Tsunade and Shizune had already headed off to the hospital, and Kana had zipped away to Ramen to Ruretto for her shift.
Only Kushina was inside, waiting like a predator ready to pounce—but in the most loving way possible.
"Come on, everyone! Breakfast time!" she called out enthusiastically, waving them over with an apron still tied around her waist.
Naruto instinctively flinched, as if expecting something. He knew what she was planning—catch him trying to stuff food in his mouth with dirty hands, then unleash the classic "Naruto, you dummy!" scolding session. A treasured family tradition, honestly.
But today… all four of them—Naruto, Karin, Sasuke, and even Haku—froze in place with awkward, sheepish smiles.
"Uhh... Mom," Naruto started, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "We already ate."
For a moment, the world stood still.
Kushina stared at them like they had just declared war.
"You... what?" she gasped. Her eyes widened in betrayal, dramatic enough to put any soap opera to shame. "Naruto… Karin… Sasuke… Even you, Haku?!" she cried, clutching her heart. "You all betrayed me... and ate outside?! You rejected your mother's lovingly made breakfast?!"
Naruto panicked, throwing up his hands. "No, no, no! It's not like that, Mom!" he yelped. "We didn't eat outside! Haku made us breakfast!"
At that, Kushina paused. Her eyes narrowed, shifting from 'hurt mother' to 'curious investigator' real quick.
"Haku-chan made breakfast...?" she repeated slowly, as if tasting the words.
Haku, looking like a deer caught in headlights, bowed slightly. "I just wanted to help, Kushina-san..."
Kushina folded her arms, pretending to be stern but obviously melting inside. "Well... fine. I suppose that's acceptable. Just this once," she huffed, but her proud little smile betrayed her true feelings.
Karin whispered to Sasuke, "Crisis barely averted."
Sasuke smirked. "Barely."
Naruto, seeing Kushina's exaggerated heartbreak, couldn't take it anymore.
"Mom, I'll eat the food!" he blurted out, hoping to ease her worry.
Kushina's face lit up instantly. "Okay then!" she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, pointing dramatically at the table—which was overflowing with dishes. It looked less like a breakfast spread and more like a full-blown feast for a festival.
The others—Karin, Sasuke, and Haku—stared at the mountain of food, mouths agape. Their faces practically screamed, "Bro, you're dead." They even offered Naruto a few silent prayers for his soul.
Naruto blinked. Then blinked again. His jaw dropped.
He slowly turned to his mother. "Uhh... I think my stomach is already full."
Kushina, now fully embracing her role as Drama Queen Supreme, put her hands on her hips and said sweetly, "Is my lovely son... going back on his word?"
Naruto gulped, feeling the trap close around him. "N-no! I'll finish it!" he promised, voice cracking slightly.
He turned to the others for backup—only to see them retreating faster than shinobi dodging an S-rank mission. They abandoned him with zero shame, leaving dust trails behind.
"Traitors," Naruto muttered under his breath with a tragic expression.
With a defeated sigh, he sat down at the table and began eating. Slowly. Painfully. Bite by bite, fighting a heroic but doomed battle against an army of rice, fish, eggs, dumplings, soup, and something that suspiciously looked like three different types of curry.
Kushina watched proudly from the kitchen, humming as she wiped the counters.
"Did I... maybe go overboard with the food?" she mused aloud, her tone innocent.
Naruto didn't respond. His soul had already left his body.
But in his mind, a tiny voice cried out:
"This isn't 'going overboard'... Mom prepared food for the entire village!"
After somehow surviving the great breakfast war (barely), Naruto dragged himself to his room.There, he collapsed on his futon, deciding to rest for a while before taking a much-needed bath.His body was full, his spirit was broken, and he swore he saw the shinigami waving at him from the corner.
Fast forward to nearly evening—he hadn't even touched lunch.The chaos had drained every last ounce of his energy.
The next day.
Naruto and Karin were out and about, giving Haku the grand tour of the village.Sasuke, ever the edge lord, had excused himself to go train alone at the training grounds.
Since their team had just wrapped up a tough A-rank mission, they were on a well-deserved break—an entire month of peace.(Or at least, whatever counted as "peace" with Naruto involved.)
As they were showing Haku around, a sudden, familiar chaos energy hit.
Two hands covered Naruto's eyes from behind.
"Guess who?" came a teasing voice, unmistakably mischievous and sweet.
Naruto smirked. Without missing a beat, he said, "Sorry, miss, I don't know. Maybe if I investigate a little...?"Smooth as silk, he slowly traced the hands, up the arms—then in one swift move, grabbed the person's wrist and spun her around—making her press against his back.
Softness landed squarely against him.He froze for half a second.
"Ara araaa..." a playful voice whispered into his ear. "If that was your intention, you should've just asked. I would've offered myself willingly."
Naruto blinked as Ino, absolutely zero shame in her system, rested her head against his shoulder, smiling like a cat who caught her favorite mouse.
Meanwhile, Karin stood there, mouth slightly open, Haku blinking in confusion like "...Is this normal?"
Naruto gave a nervous chuckle, realizing he'd just accidentally unlocked Ultra Flirt Mode without even trying.
"I-Ino..." Naruto started.
"Hmm?" she purred, pretending she didn't know exactly what she was doing.
"You've finally arrived, huh? Took your sweet time," Karin said, arms crossed, one eyebrow cocked.
Ino flipped her hair dramatically like she was on a runway."Hinata and Tenten might show up later during the evening," she said, full diva mode. "For now, it's just me—your main event."