A Hidden Gift for Sasuke

One month later, Konoha Village was astounded by Naruto's miraculous recovery. After his devastating incident, the medical ninjas at Konoha Hospital had initially thought he wouldn't survive. His body was so badly damaged that the prognosis was grim—everyone expected him to remain an invalid for the rest of his life.

But to everyone's surprise, Naruto's vital signs returned to normal within a week. Then, as if defying medical logic, his bones healed and his scars vanished in another week. Konoha Hospital was left questioning the limits of medical science and marveling at Naruto's miraculous recovery.

Meanwhile, in the sealed space—

"Big fox, when do you think I will wake up?" Naruto lounged on the sofa, munching on barbecue and sipping a chilled grape sparkling drink.

Kurama, still fuming from Naruto's previous reckless use of power, was in full trolling mode. "You are the worst Jinchūriki I've ever seen!" he bellowed, hoping to rile Naruto up.

Naruto, still half-asleep, could only stare in shock. Kurama's words sounded eerily familiar, like the complaints of a disappointed teacher.

"Train twice as hard as soon as you recover. As an old man, Jinchūriki, you're too weak!" Kurama continued, savoring his skewers. "I was much stronger than you at your age."

Naruto had no retort. What could he say? How could a tailed beast, who was once a mere six years old, compare?

After finishing his meal, Naruto noticed that his body was healing rapidly. His recovery was attributed not just to his Uzumaki bloodline and Kurama's chakra but also to the magical dragon meat he had consumed since childhood. Even the food in the sealed space seemed to aid his recovery.

"Big fox, can't you give me a break? I haven't had a moment of rest since I started practicing Chakra!" Naruto complained. His current life felt even more grueling than his previous existence.

Kurama, however, was unmoved. "Snort! You brought this on yourself. It's time for you to get out."

With that, Kurama pointed to the left, and before Naruto could react, he was unceremoniously ejected from the sealed space.

Naruto woke up on his hospital bed, wrapped like a mummy, and groaned. "Too careless!" he cursed internally, feeling betrayed by the fox.

The sunlight streaming through the window felt bright and a bit blinding. Naruto shielded his eyes and took a moment to appreciate being alive. The bedside table was covered with greeting cards and a fruit basket. Among the well-wishes from Hinata, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Chōji, Inuzuka Kiba, and Ino, Naruto was surprised to find a card from Sakura.

Why was Sakura sending him a card when they hadn't spoken recently?

Shrugging off the oddity, Naruto picked up an apple from the fruit basket and noticed something startling—Sasuke was in the bed next to him. Sasuke looked vacant, his eyes hollow and unseeing.

Naruto was taken aback. "Sasuke? Why is he here?" He noticed Sasuke's vacant stare and realized something unsettling: the Uchiha clan had been wiped out.

Although Naruto wanted to offer comfort, he hesitated, worried that any wrong word might make things worse. Instead, he decided to leave a small gift—a golden apple from the system that could restore a bit of spirit and health.

Naruto quietly dressed, tiptoed to Sasuke's bedside, and gently placed the golden apple on the table. Sasuke remained unresponsive, staring blankly at the ceiling.

After Naruto left, Sasuke's eyes flickered with recognition. He gazed at the golden apple for a long time before finally picking it up. He buried his face in the quilt, a single word escaping his lips amidst his tears.

"Uzumaki…Naruto."

"Thanks."