The next morning, Hyuga Gakuya noticed that the ANBU who had been watching him had finally withdrawn.
Pulling along Karin Uzumaki and Uchiha Hikari, he decided to head out for breakfast.
"Where are we eating?"
"Ichiraku Ramen."
You couldn't come to Konoha without visiting Ichiraku. Gakuya hadn't had a bowl since defecting from the village—it had been far too long.
He led the two girls through the familiar streets until they arrived at the cozy ramen stand.
"Three bowls of tonkotsu ramen, please," he said, taking a seat like he never left.
The shop owner, Teuchi, was a warm and cheerful man—his ever-squinted eyes had long since earned him the nickname "Otsutsuki Ichiraku" from the internet crowd.
"Coming right up! Three tonkotsu!"
With practiced hands, Teuchi got to work—ladling fresh broth into steaming bowls of ramen, topping each with carefully arranged garnishes. Before long, the hot, fragrant bowls were ready.
"Three tonkotsu! Take your time and enjoy!"
"Thanks."
The three took their bowls and began to enjoy their steaming breakfast slowly.
"You folks look new around here," Teuchi commented casually.
Gakuya smiled. "We're foreign shinobi here for the Chunin Exams. Just taking in the sights before the real test begins."
"Ah, well then, hope you enjoy your stay!"
The morning rush at Ichiraku was steady as always.
...
Just as they were quietly savoring their ramen, a loud voice rang out:
"Old man! One bowl of tonkotsu! Kakashi-sensei's paying!"
Speak of the devil—one of the targets had arrived earlier than expected.
Gakuya nearly laughed. With both Yamato and himself gone, he was curious to see who Kakashi would try to dump the bill on this time.
Naruto Uzumaki plopped down energetically next to someone already seated, followed closely by Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Kakashi Hatake himself.
So Kakashi had already lost his Sharingan, taken back by Obito. But he didn't seem broken by it—in fact, he'd swapped it for a regular eye and now carried a short blade strapped to his back.
The four of them took seats right beside Gakuya's group, placing their orders one after another.
"You've been staring at us since we walked in... Sound shinobi?" Kakashi said calmly as he distributed chopsticks to his students.
"Huh? He was staring at us?" Naruto said, completely oblivious.
Sasuke, on the other hand, quietly shifted into alert mode. Ever since the Land of Waves incident, they'd grown cautious around foreign ninja.
But Gakuya didn't flinch. Calm and composed, he turned toward them and said,
"I was just curious what the famous Konoha elite, Kakashi Hatake, looks like in person."
"You here for the Chunin Exams too?"
"Correct. And judging by this group, I'm guessing these are your students? Allow me to introduce ourselves. I'm Chiba Mokushū. On my left is Chiba Hikari. On my right, Uzumaki Karin."
Kakashi's gaze lingered on the red-haired girl. A member of the Uzumaki clan…
"Nice to meet you!"
Naruto enthusiastically shook Gakuya's hand. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
"I'm Haruno Sakura."
"Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke said with his usual cold tone.
Hikari's eyes narrowed with curiosity. So this was the last of the Uchiha.
But the hatred she once carried in her heart had long since burned out. The ones who hurt her were already dust in the wind.
Gakuya had been right—it was the shinobi world itself that was broken. Pain came from its flaws. Everyone here… they were just drifting bubbles in the current. That's why they had to follow Gakuya—to change it all.
Sakura leaned toward Naruto and whispered, "Hey… that red-haired girl has the same last name as you."
"Yeah!" Naruto's eyes lit up. Maybe—just maybe—she knew his parents.
He jumped to his feet, forgetting his ramen entirely, and rushed over to Karin.
"You've got the same surname! Do you know who my parents are?"
Karin shook her head. "Sorry, I don't. I've never lived in Uzushiogakure—I don't even remember it."
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Uzu...shio...where is that?"
Karin blinked in surprise. "Wait, you don't even know?"
"I don't. Is that even a country? I don't think it's on any maps..."
Gakuya chimed in, voice calm.
"Let me explain. Uzushiogakure was located on an island east of the Land of Fire. The Uzumaki clan lived there, known for their powerful sealing techniques and remarkable vitality."
"That makes sense," Sakura added. "Naruto always recovers really fast."
"During Konoha's founding, the village formed a strong alliance with Uzushiogakure. That's why our flak jackets have a red swirl on the back—it's the Uzumaki clan symbol. Naruto, it's on your jacket too."
Everyone turned to look at Naruto's sleeve. His eyes widened.
"So that's what it meant… The Hokage gave me this jacket on purpose."
"Unfortunately," Gakuya continued, "their sealing arts drew the attention of other nations. Kirigakure, from the Land of Water, launched an invasion and destroyed the village. That's why you won't find it on maps anymore."
"The Uzumaki clan was nearly wiped out. Only a few survived, scattered across the world in hiding. Your parents, Naruto, were likely among those refugees."
Naruto's eyes went wide. "It was the Mist again? How could they do something so cruel...?"
"Eat your ramen before it gets soggy," Kakashi said, trying to steer Naruto away from his rising emotions. "You hate soggy noodles, don't you?"
...
But Gakuya wasn't done. "I've noticed a few things about you… You remind me of a couple I once read about in an old mission record."
"Who!?" Naruto's head snapped toward him, his voice trembling with hope.
He'd always wanted to know who his parents were. To prove he wasn't some demon fox. Why did everyone else have parents who loved them—why was he the only one who didn't?
"Mokushū," Kakashi suddenly interrupted, his tone unusually sharp. "That's classified."
Gakuya immediately fell silent. There was no rush. Turning Naruto and Sasuke down their destined paths would take time and care.
"My apologies. I spoke out of turn."
He returned his attention to his bowl, ignoring Naruto's increasingly desperate pleas.
"Please… just tell me! This is the only thing I've ever wanted!"
"I'm sorry, Naruto."
Gakuya shook his head.
Naruto grabbed his sleeve tightly, tears and snot running freely down his face.
"Please... please tell me. I've been treated like a monster my whole life. They call me the demon fox reborn, but I know I have parents. I know it..."
"Don't put us in that position," Gakuya said quietly. "We're just from a small village—we can't risk Konoha's wrath. I'm sorry."
He pulled a thousand-ryō note from his pocket and placed it on the table. "This meal's on me."
Then, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder, he said gently, "I'm sorry…"
...
Without another word, Gakuya stood and walked away, Karin and Hikari silently following behind.
Karin couldn't help but glance back at Naruto, her heart aching. "He's... really pitiful."
Gakuya nodded quietly. He reached out and ruffled her red hair.
"Don't worry. We came here to save him."
As they walked, Karin realized something.
The three of them… really did resemble Team Seven.
One Uchiha. One Uzumaki.
And that made Gakuya…
Was he their Sakura?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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