At dawn, Hagoromo got up and glanced at the sky.
After stretching my neck, I got out of bed, tidied up, and prepared to leave.
He came back on his own after reading the sealing scroll last night.
I simply couldn't take it anymore. After a series of trips, and then back home, I was back to studying the sealing scroll.
As soon as the door was opened, the person standing outside, Hagoromo, was taken aback.
"What are you doing?"
Outside the Hagoromo Gate, five little rascals stood in a row.
Naruto and Sasuke, standing at the very front, were shoulder to shoulder, putting their strength to each other.
Hearing the voice, they quickly stood up straight and shouted, "Good morning, teacher!"
Hagoromo nodded and looked at Shikamaru, who looked like he had just woken up and was yawning.
It's best to ask Shikamaru about this; he'll be more certain.
"Teacher, last night Naruto passed by your house and saw that your room was on. He was about to come in, but then he turned off the lights the next second."
After Shikamaru finished speaking, he opened his mouth wide and yawned again:
"So, he came to wake us up early this morning, saying he was coming to see you."
Hagoromo then realized what was going on, shook her head, and smiled, "Since you're all here, come in."
"The teacher will make you breakfast."
As soon as Hagoromo finished speaking, Naruto and Choji shouted, "Yay!"
He then bypassed Hagoromo's figure and ran inside.
Hagoromo called out helplessly from the doorway, "Take off your shoes first!"
"Good!"
The two figures were no longer visible in the entryway; only their responses could be heard.
"Excuse me, teacher."
Sasuke awkwardly changed his shoes, greeted Hagoromo, and then went inside.
As for Ino and Shikamaru, they had been here a few times before and didn't find anything wrong with it.
Ino was squatting down, putting Naruto and Choji's shoes away.
Seeing Hagoromo, Yu Yi chuckled and went to the main hall.
Naruto and Choji were already inside the kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator to get vegetables to wash.
Shikamaru leisurely picked up the kettle, placed the cups one by one, and poured water.
As for Sasuke, he stood next to the sofa, seemingly unsure of what to do.
Hagoromo gestured for Ino to come forward, then said to Sasuke, "Sasuke, it's your first time at your teacher's house, don't be so reserved, please sit on the sofa."
After saying that, Hagoromo rolled up her sleeves and stepped into the kitchen.
Sasuke had stayed where he was, blinked and was then pushed by Ino from behind to sit down on the sofa.
Just then, Shikamaru picked up a cup of hot tea, intending to bring it to his lips.
Ino snatched the tea away, saying irritably, "Shikamaru, don't be lazy. Why did you make yourself hot tea?"
With that, Ino handed the teacup in her hand to Sasuke.
"Okay, okay, I'm on my way." Shikamaru rolled his dead fish eyes and replied irritably.
Watching Shikamaru and the others casually strolling around their teacher's house.
Sasuke felt something inexplicable at that moment...
Unable to express herself in words, Ino nudged Sasuke beside her.
Sasuke turned his head and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Sasuke, relax. Just make yourself at Hagoromo -sensei's house."
Right, after hearing Ino say that, Sasuke finally understood what he had felt earlier.
Just like at home, so casual.
Sasuke nodded, his body gradually relaxing.
--
Inside the kitchen, Hagoromo tossed the wok while asking Naruto about his training progress over the past two days.
Hearing Naruto boast that he had already mastered the Hagoromo he learned during the ball-playing stage, he couldn't help but be a little surprised.
He reached out and took Naruto's hand to confirm.
Fortunately, it was just a trace of ordinary Chakra overuse.
Unlike in the original story, he didn't even have time to lift his hands.
Hagoromo nodded and said, "Okay, you seem to be obedient. Training also needs to be balanced with rest."
"By the way, Choji, where are you guys?"
Hagoromo turned to look at Choji, who was picking vegetables to the side.
Choji raised his chubby face and replied without hesitation, "I'm cultivating according to the schedule you instructed, Master."
"It's just that Shikamaru sometimes..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shikamaru, who was still in the main hall, rushed in with lightning speed and covered Choji's mouth.
"Hehe..."
Seeing Hagoromo's smiling face, Shikamaru could only give an awkward chuckle.
"Alright, go to the restaurant and get things ready. Don't let too many people crowd the kitchen."
Hagoromo rudely told Shikamaru to leave, which was undoubtedly because Shikamaru sometimes slacked off and rested.
After all, for Shikamaru, increasing his strength wasn't something he was particularly interested in.
However, he probably never imagined what would happen in the future.
Because of Naruto, he forced himself to move forward step by step, taking Naruto's Ninja Way as his own and carrying it out.
Bonds...
In the original story, Naruto always seemed like a fool, chasing after Sasuke.
Shikamaru was the constant support behind that idiot Naruto.
"Naruto, you'd better listen to Shikamaru."
Hagoromo's casual remark startled Naruto, who was smelling the aroma of rice sizzling in the pot.
He then grinned, showing his teeth, and said, "Of course! Shikamaru is my best friend!"
"You brat." Seeing Naruto like this, Hagoromo shook his head in annoyance.
That silly boy.
Outside the kitchen, Shikamaru, who hadn't gone far, chuckled softly before walking towards the cupboard to get bowls and chopsticks.
At the dining table, Hagoromo was drinking tea from a teacup.
He glanced at his apprentices, who were engrossed in eating, and couldn't help but chuckle.
"By the way, teacher, you don't need to leave the village anymore, right?"
Naruto asked, turning his head as he chewed something.
"No need, and school starts the day after tomorrow, so remember to get ready."
"Yes!"
Having received a response, Hagoromo nodded, glanced at the wall clock, and said:
I won't be practicing this morning; I'll get some rest later.
"Let's have a match this afternoon."
Shikamaru was initially quite happy to hear that he didn't have to train, but the next second his lips twitched involuntarily.
Sure enough, it's impossible for them to really rest.
"The student with the best grades will have their workload halved this semester."
Hagoromo blew on the steam rising from the teacup and said calmly.
Upon hearing this, the apprentices immediately became more interested than ever before.
"I want to be number one!" Naruto shouted, quickly raising his hand.
"Impossible! I'm going to beat you this time, Dead Last!" Sasuke said disdainfully from the side.
Shikamaru, with his arm around Choji's shoulder, was talking to him, indicating that they were recalling what happened last time.
Ino calmly put down her chopsticks, glanced at the boys, and said helplessly, "How childish."
After finishing his meal and resting for a while, Hagoromo got up first, as he had to go and set up the venue.
Seeing Hagoromo preparing to leave, Naruto slapped his forehead, as if he had remembered something, and quickly chased after him.
"Teacher!"
Looking at Naruto's mysterious Naruto, Hagoromo asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Naruto looked around first, then said softly, "My dad said he needs to talk to you."
Hagoromo and saying, "Okay, I'll come to your house tonight."