After finishing their meal, Naruto and Shikamaru's group slowly parted ways, each heading off to handle their own plans for the rest of the day.
Naruto, now left with Karin, Haku, and Ino, stood outside the restaurant for a moment, feeling the gentle warmth of the afternoon sun. His hands tucked lazily behind his head, he glanced at his friends with an easy smile.
"So... what do you guys wanna do now?" he asked, his voice light and unhurried.
The three paused, thoughtful.
Karin stretched and let out a small yawn. "Honestly? I could really go for a nap right about now."
Haku gave a soft, serene nod. "We just had lunch... and there's nothing urgent waiting for us. Resting a bit wouldn't hurt."
Ino grinned, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Yeah, let's just sleep off the food coma until dinner."
Naruto chuckled under his breath, feeling a rare and precious sense of peace stir inside him.Moments like this — simple, unscripted — were the ones he cherished most.
"Alright then," he said, beaming. "Let's head to my gambling house. The bedrooms there are huge — perfect for a good nap."
The decision made, the four of them set off, their laughter trailing behind them like music on the breeze.
Soon, they arrived at one of the grandest buildings in the city — Naruto's gambling house. Massive and regal, it loomed like a palace, though its heart beat for games of chance, not for crowns or thrones.
The guards at the entrance straightened up immediately at the sight of him, while the waitresses smiled warmly, bowing their heads. Naruto, their boss, was known not just for his title, but for the way he treated everyone with respect.
A young new employee, clearly nervous and stiff, rushed forward, tripping over himself in an effort to greet him properly.
Naruto laughed, easy and genuine, clapping the guy lightly on the shoulder."No need to be so stiff," he said kindly, his voice a steady, reassuring balm. "I'm just here to catch a nap with my friends. Relax, you're doing great."
The new worker blinked in shock, then broke into a shy but grateful smile — the kind of smile that told Naruto he'd done something right.
As they wandered deeper into the heart of the mansion, Naruto took a deep breath, feeling the soft hum of life around him.
Inside the boss's chamber, the atmosphere was quiet but charged with focus.
Kana sat at her grand desk, flipping through thick stacks of documents — reports on finances, client activity, and the endless streams of people tied up in the world of gambling. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, her pen dancing swiftly across the pages.
A soft knock sounded against the polished door.
"Come in," Kana said without looking up, her voice composed but slightly weary.
The door opened, and Kaori, her ever-loyal assistant, stepped in with careful, respectful steps.
"Kana-sama," Kaori said, bowing slightly. "Naruto-sama has arrived at the house."
Kana, still immersed in her paperwork, barely lifted her gaze."Oh? What did he say?" she asked, her tone businesslike.
Kaori smiled gently. "He mentioned he's just here to take a nap. He's with your daughter, Karin, and two other girls."
Kana let out a soft chuckle under her breath, her shoulders relaxing a little."Let them be," she said warmly. "I'll meet them once I finish up here."
Kaori hesitated, fiddling with the hem of her sleeve as she approached the desk. She leaned in a little, speaking more softly — almost like a daughter scolding her stubborn mother.
"Kana-sama," she said with a pout. "I've told you so many times… these are my jobs. You hired me to handle this paperwork, yet you always take it on yourself. It makes me feel like I'm not needed. It makes me sad."
Kana finally set her pen down and lifted her head fully to look at her assistant. For a moment, the strong, commanding boss softened, her expression touched by guilt and affection.
"Kaori," she said with a sigh, a small, rare smile playing at her lips, "It's not because I don't trust you. It's just... old habits die hard. When you build something from the ground up, sometimes it's hard to let go."
Kaori huffed, half-frustrated, half-affectionate."At least let me help. We're a team, right?"
Kana laughed — a rich, rare sound that filled the chamber — and pushed a stack of documents toward her.
"Alright, alright," she said. "Let's finish this together."
For a brief moment, amidst the piles of cold, hard numbers, the room was warm with something far more valuable: trust, loyalty, and the quiet bond of family not born by blood, but by choice.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the mansion, Naruto and his group were picking out their rooms.
"Haku, you take the other room. We'll take this one," Karin said casually, tossing her bag onto a bed.
Haku blinked, a little confused. "Are you three... going to sleep in the same room?"
Naruto chuckled, leaning against the doorway with that familiar, easy grin."Did you forget?" he teased. "We're lovers. No need for separate beds."
Ino smirked mischievously, tilting her head. "Unless... you wanna come sleep with us too?" she asked with a playful wink.
At that, Haku's entire face turned a deep shade of pink. Flustered beyond words, she quickly waved her hands in panic.
"N-No! I'm fine, really!" she squeaked, before darting toward the other room like a startled rabbit.
Naruto, Karin, and Ino burst out laughing, finding Haku's adorable reaction absolutely priceless.
Shaking their heads, the three entered their room, kicked off their shoes, and flopped onto the massive bed without a care in the world.
Sleep took them almost immediately — the kind of peaceful, heavy sleep that only comes when you're completely, blissfully safe.
Karin and Ino both snuggled up to Naruto from either side, clinging to him tightly as if afraid he might vanish if they let go — their breaths soon falling into a soft, steady rhythm.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring room, Haku sat upright on her bed, fidgeting with the sheets.Curiosity gnawed at her, innocent but persistent.
She crept quietly to the shared wall and pressed her ear against it, hoping — or maybe fearing — to hear something... questionable.
But there was nothing.
Only silence.
Haku sighed in deep, visible relief, though a tiny voice in her mind had already jumped to... interesting conclusions. Shaking her head fiercely to clear her thoughts, she trudged back to her bed.
Moments later, she too surrendered to the gentle pull of sleep, drifting into dreams far sweeter than anything she could have imagined.
When they finally stirred from their slumber, the golden hues of evening were already pouring through the wide windows, painting the rooms in soft, lazy light.
The reason for their awakening? None other than Kana.
After spending the entire afternoon buried in work, Kana had finally closed the last file with a decisive snap. Without wasting a moment, she rose from her desk, a rare lightness in her steps.
"I'm done," she whispered to herself, a smile tugging at her lips.
Kaori, who had been quietly observing her boss's shift in energy — the way her usual stern demeanor melted into something gentler — simply smiled knowingly.
Without needing any instructions, Kaori made her way to the sleeping chambers.
She knocked gently, then pushed the door open, her voice light and teasing.
"Time to wake up, sleepyheads."
Inside, Naruto, Karin, Ino, and Haku all groaned and stirred, reluctant to leave the warm comfort of their dreams. They woke up groggily, rubbing their eyes and stretching like overgrown cats.
Kana, standing just beyond the threshold, couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
Her children — by blood or by bond — were here, safe, content, and real.
Moments like these were the rarest kind of treasure. The kind of money could never buy, even in the grandest gambling house.
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[A/N: I know that Haku's personality here feels different from how she was first introduced — the cold, emotionless girl we remember.But beneath that mask, wasn't she always just... a delicate soul, quietly yearning for love and acceptance?
I wanted to explore that side of her — the real her — the part that had been hidden away under layers of survival and pain.So I decided to let her be a little more open, a little more vulnerable, a little more herself.
Whether you like this portrayal or not... well, that's entirely up to you, dear reader.As always, thank you for walking this journey with me.]