Aftermath (3,000-Vote Bonus Chapter)

Naruto knew that voice all too well.

Even without turning around, Naruto knew who was standing at the ward door. His expression shifted, then delight spread across his face as he turned with a smile. "Grandpa Third."

At the ward entrance, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, saw the childlike affection on Naruto's face. A kind, benevolent smile appeared on his aged features as well. He took a puff from his pipe and said, "Naruto."

"Did Grandpa Third come to see Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. He glanced at the No Smoking sign on the corridor wall, extinguished his pipe, and entered the ward. Looking at the unconscious Sasuke, his face was expressionless.

"Naruto, how is Sasuke doing now?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with concern.

"The doctor said he suffered some internal injuries, but they aren't serious. His right hand and left foot have minor fractures, and the rest are superficial wounds. He can be discharged after resting in the hospital for a month. Now we just need to wait for Sasuke to wake up," Naruto answered truthfully.

"Mm, that's good. The poor child has suffered," Hiruzen Sarutobi said as he walked, with Naruto following beside him.

"Originally, I came to see whether Sasuke had woken up. If he had, I wanted to tell him a few things. Since he hasn't woken up, I'll wait until then." Once outside the ward, Hiruzen Sarutobi said to Naruto, "Naruto, take good care of Sasuke here."

"Mm-hm, don't worry. Sasuke is my friend. I'll definitely take good care of him," Naruto promised earnestly.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly disappeared down the hospital corridor, Naruto turned and returned to the ward. The smile on his face vanished in an instant.

It was worth mentioning that Hiruzen Sarutobi had not brought up why Naruto had appeared at the Uchiha Clan Grounds that day.

Nor had Naruto taken the initiative to ask about it.

It was as if the matter had never existed at all.

Three days later, Sasuke woke up. The first thing he saw was that he was in a hospital ward, with Naruto asleep against the edge of his bed.

Sasuke did not wake Naruto.

He stared quietly at the ceiling as tears slowly welled up in his eyes.

Sasuke would never be able to forget the sight of Itachi slaughtering their father and mother. Whenever he thought of it, he felt as though he were falling into endless pain.

Why?

It was something he had never been able to understand.

They had seemed like such a harmonious family. The parents loved their children, the children respected their parents, and the brothers cared for one another. How could something like murdering one's parents and exterminating one's clan possibly happen?

It had been too sudden.

There had not been the slightest warning.

Even now, Sasuke could not believe his brother was capable of doing such a thing.

Yet the facts lay before him, leaving him no choice but to accept them.

"Mm..." Naruto stirred and slowly woke up. He had kept watch over Sasuke all night yesterday, only to drift off unknowingly in the middle of the night.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Sasuke staring blankly at the ceiling. Tears silently flowed from his eyes, down his cheeks, and finally soaked into the pillow.

Ah...

Naruto sighed inwardly. He understood Sasuke's pain. When he was alone, he often wondered: If I weren't an orphan, if my mom and dad were still around, would my life have been completely different?

"Sasuke," Naruto called softly.

Hearing Naruto's voice, Sasuke choked back a sob. He raised his left hand to wipe the tears from his face and gave a quiet hum.

"How long have I been asleep?" Sasuke asked, looking at his friend Naruto.

"Three days," Naruto answered. "Oh, right. Sasuke, you must be hungry. There's millet porridge here. I made it yesterday. I'll go heat it up."

With that, Naruto picked up the thermos and headed out.

About five minutes later, Naruto returned. He set the thermos on the table beside the bed, took out the bowl and a spoon, and helped Sasuke eat.

Sasuke ate quietly.

After finishing, Sasuke looked at Naruto and said, "Thank you, Naruto."

At Sasuke's thanks, Naruto scratched his head and waved it off. "No need to thank me, Sasuke. We're good friends. If I were hurt, Sasuke would definitely take care of me just as attentively, right?"

"Mm, I would." Sasuke nodded seriously. After going through this, he had truly felt the warmth of friendship from Naruto. Especially in that situation, when death loomed over them, Naruto had still been willing to stand before him and shield him from every danger.

Thank you, my friend, Sasuke said silently in his heart.

"Oh, right, Sasuke. Look, these flowers were sent by Iruka-sensei. He hopes you recover soon. That day, Iruka-sensei even brought the entire class to visit you..."

"This was sent by Sakura..."

"This was sent by Ino..."

"This was sent by Choji. I'm sure you can guess it—yes, Choji sent food. He said that as long as you get better, he'd be willing to share his favorite snacks with you..."

"This was sent by Shikamaru. That guy is pretty boring, sending something like this..."

Naruto tried his best to keep smiling as he talked about the gifts from their classmates, hoping his own mood would rub off on Sasuke and help him emerge from the darkness sooner.

He did not mention a single word about what had happened three days ago.

That afternoon, Hiruzen Sarutobi came again. At the time, Naruto was telling Sasuke some cheerful stories, hoping to drive away the darkness in his heart as quickly as possible.

After all, if things went badly, Sasuke might spend the rest of his life trapped in an abyss.

"Grandpa Third, you're here." Naruto went up to greet him and took the pastries he was carrying, a gift for Sasuke.

"Third Hokage." Sasuke could not get out of bed, so he could only call out to him.

"Mm. Sasuke, are you feeling better?" Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on the stool Naruto had brought over and looked at Sasuke as he spoke.

"I'm much better. Thank you for your concern, Third Hokage," Sasuke said.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and waved his hand, his face full of regret. "You are a part of Konoha, and I am Konoha's Third Hokage. My duty is to protect Konoha."

"No one wished for something like this to happen."

"Sasuke, rest assured. I promise you that the culprit will be brought to justice sooner or later. Itachi Uchiha has become a rogue ninja of the village, and I have already dispatched people specifically to hunt him down."

At the mention of Itachi Uchiha's name, Sasuke's pupils visibly contracted, and a trace of hatred appeared in his eyes.

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Sasuke, we have already buried your clansmen. Once your injuries have healed, go pay your respects. As for the Uchiha clan's homes, including your own, I have already sent people to repair them. You may return and live there whenever you wish."

"Also, the Uchiha clan's assets have been sorted and accounted for. Since you are still young, Konoha will hold them for you for now and return them once you come of age. As for living expenses and tuition for the ninja academy, you will receive them every month."