Promise

After the two reconciled, Hiruzen came to the conclusion that it would be best if Naruto came to live inside the Sarutobi Household.

Naruto, hesitant at first, finally agreed as Hiruzen said that since he would be mentoring the red head, he can just live there.

After giving it some thought, Naruto decided that it was indeed a good idea. That way he wouldn't have to worry about food anymore or a place to train. The Sarutobi household was huge but there weren't many people living in it.

As far as he knew, only three people lived inside. The third hokage, the third's son, and the third's grandson. There were cleaners and a nanny for the hokage's grandson but they would leave before the sun turned dark. As for the others... they either moved out or were dead.

...

...

...

"Well now that today's sparring is over, I'll have to head back to the Hokage tower. My clone's chakra is almost depleted by now" The old man said to Naruto.

"Alright, I'll explore around the mansion and get familiar with it" Naruto said as he nodded.

"Okay. If you find the kitchen, you can just make yourself something. It should be stocked with ingredients." The old man said as Naruto nodded.

After saying that, the old man suddenly took out a small scroll and threw it towards the boy who easily caught it. "What's this?"

"During the spar, I've sensed and concluded that you already know how to circulate and coat your body with chakra to enhance your physical attacks. Since you already know how to use chakra, I might as well give you this. The scroll is about the Transformation Jutsu, if you can master it you can go and shop around the village without being harrassed" Hiruzen said with a smile.

Honestly, he knew the boy already knew the three jutsu that the academy set for graduation, but he didn't want Naruto to know he spied on him so he could only do this.

"Your control of chakra is quite good, if you master the transformation jutsu, you can just eat out in disguise. I left money for you in your room" Hiruzen said before he disappeared in a flicker.

"...This feels weird" Naruto muttered to himself as he felt the chakra of the third hokage move at high speeds toward the direction of the Hokage tower. He wasn't familiar with someone actually bothering to take care of him...

He looked at the scroll for a few moments before shaking his head, he already knew it.

He glanced at the sky and found that it might already have been two or three hours past lunch time. Along with the sparring session coupled with not eating dinner yesterday, Naruto was indeed hungry.

"...I'm too lazy to cook."

Afterwards he decided to just go eat out. Like the old man said, since he already knew the transformation technique he could just eat out. The vendors were mostly civilian's anyway, so they won't be able to see through his disguise.

As for Shinobi, he could just go to a place where he senses had no large chakra signatures.

...

...

...

He walked along the streets as he acted as one of the many passers by.

"Hey kid, want a kabob? Only 50 ryo!? What a steal!"

"Limited time deal, we're only open for one more hour"

"My, what a handsome boy you are. I think these clothes would bring out your eyes"

Naruto kept walking as he ignored the vendors. It was a weird feeling... Now that he was disguised by the transformation jutsu, he could interact with them normally.

No shouts for him to leave.

Nothing getting thrown his way.

No glares burning holes at him.

He was just... nothing. A normal person, that's what he looked like to these ignorant villagers right now. Normal. For so long, Naruto wanted to be treated as such.

He remembered when he first mastered the transformation jutsu, he was ecstatic. Going around buying things he normally wouldn't be allowed to buy, or go around and explore the village without care.

Now however, it was so underwhelming.

He no longer cared about what the villagers thought of him. Sure, in the depths of his heart, he probably still hated and despised them. But he at least had enough pride in himself to not be so petty and start a fight with them now that he's disguised.

If anything, to get them back, he still wanted to be hokage. Though just out of spite.

But now that he's had the conversation with the third, he didn't know if he still wanted to walk that path.

Hokage?

Shinobi?

Did he have any other choice in the matter? In all honesty, no he didn't.

But Naruto didn't know what else there was for him out there. What other occupation could he fulfill?

A street vendor? With his popularity? What a joke.

He stopped to glance at where his feet took him. The park, one of the many places locked away in his memories. He probably stopped going to it about three years ago, when he first enrolled into the academy.

He was still naïve then.

Thinking that he could make friends.

"Tch... who needs them" Naruto thought. He's been fine alone for the past ten years, he could handle it.

But as he was about to leave, he stopped as he glanced at the small flower field located in the park. It triggered a particular memory of his.

A small blonde girl protecting another pink haired girl from bullies. He remembered as he watched the girl stand up to those bullies, it gave him a little hope too.

That one day, the hokage... no anyone, would stand up for him like she did for the pink haired girl.

"...so, you're that girl huh..." Naruto muttered to himself as he remembered the cause of his current predicament. All of this started because of a bento. Not that he held a grudge, in fact he was a little glad that someone wasn't treating like air or trash.

Then when he thought of her declaration yesterday. That she'll just have to make him another one...

"Argh! What's wrong with me!" He said as his cheeks grew heated.

Then he froze...

"...Her promise... i-it's today" Naruto muttered to himself before looking at sky. It was almost noon, the day was almost over...

...

...

...

Ino was determined. She was determined to befriend Uzumaki Naruto.

Yesterday, she didn't know why, but he suddenly broke down in front of the hokage. She was there to hear it as prior to the arrival of her father and their hokage, she and Naruto were called to the headmasters office.

They along with the witnesses of the incident had to enter one by one and state their side of the story.

When it was finally Naruto's turn, to her surprise, she was greeted with her daddy along with the third hokage.

When she heard of her benefactor and crush's painfully heart wrenching emotional outburst, the pure raw emotions she felt from his pained outburst seemed to trigger something in her as well. As by the time she noticed, she was also crying.

Today, she woke up early and begged her mom to help her make a bento. An especially big bento just for one Uzumaki Naruto.

Yet when she got to the academy, she didn't find him.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't saddened by his absence. She didn't even know why, but the world around her suddenly seemed so colorless without him. She didn't know what was happening to her... she didn't even know him for more than a day.

"Alright everyone, class dismissed" Their instructor said.

Soon all the student began to leave one bye one. As Ino was about to leave her ex-rival, Sakura suddenly came up to her.

"Hey... Ino-pig. Are you feeling alright?" She asked surprising Ino.

'Wow, I guess I was so out of it that even forehead's concerned' She thought as she put on a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine Sakura" Ino said as she got out of her seat. She didn't call Sakura by her usual insult as she really wasn't in the mood. She just wanted to go home and plop herself in her bed. Maybe even scream into her pillow...

"O-oh, t-then do you want to go see if any vendors have anything new to wear?" Sakura asked.

"... No, I don't feel like it today. Maybe tomorrow" And with that Ino made her way out the class.

She had her head down as she walked through the almost empty halls. Most students already left. She walked out and saw the sky. It was already tainted with orange.

Though as she was about to walk by the gate, she spotted something. No someone. She knew that mop of red hair anywhere.

He was running fast towards her. No, more like blurring towards her. Although she couldn't see his face she knew it was him, who else had hair like that?

*Ba-dump!* *Ba-dump!* *Ba-Dump!*

As he got closer, Ino's heartbeat suddenly started to pick up. With each beat resounding louder than the previous in her ears. She suddenly grew panicked as she calmed herself down just as the red blur arrived in front of her.

Stopping in front of her, a rather sorry sight. Loose yukata, haggard hair, out of breath, and sweat dripping on his forehead.

But despite that she felt her lips curl up.

"I- hah, hah, I'm... hah... here for... your bento" He managed to say as he caught his breath.

Hearing him, Ino flushed slightly as she panicked. Looking everywhere for her storage scroll before finding it. Taking a full 3-4 minutes to find. The whole time, Naruto's burning stare was on her.

*Poof!* A large bento box appeared as she handed it.

"H-here" Ino spoke.

"..."

Taking it, Naruto was dazed at the sight of the large bento box. He was fighting back and doing everything in his power to fight back a smile. Before he decided to speak.

"I-it's a-already cold... S-so, you'll just have to make me another one tomorrow!" Naruto managed to say. Although Naruto's face looked stoic as well as slightly cold, coupled with his haggard look and stuttering, Ino thought he was quite adorable.

"Stupid! Stuttering like that, so uncool!" Ino heard Naruto mutter to himself. It seemed he didn't know he said it out loud.

Watching him leave with quickened steps as he carried the bento she made, Ino's gloomy mood seemed to turn into a complete 180.

Her lips curled up as she grinned.

"I'm so going to befriend you..."

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Chapter End

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