At lunchtime, the five members of their little group-Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Shino-headed to the school rooftop together without needing to discuss it. With its open view and pleasant sunshine, it was the secret hideout they had recently discovered.
Naruto took a neatly stacked pile of lunch boxes from his backpack, filled with the lunches he had carefully prepared that morning.
Seeing this, the others took out their money and handed it to Naruto with practiced ease. This seemed to have become their routine: Naruto did the cooking, and everyone shared the cost of the ingredients.
"Naruto's cooking is so good! I've been looking forward to this forever!"
Choji gazed eagerly at the lunch boxes and swallowed, voicing his heartfelt praise. He was the first to reach out, unable to wait any longer to grab a box and dig in.
"Wait!"
But Naruto reacted quickly, gently blocking Choji's hand with his chopsticks. He smiled and said, "That one's mine. Your special edition is right here."
With that, Naruto pulled an enormous lunch box from the very bottom of his backpack, a good two or three sizes larger than the regular ones, and solemnly handed it to Choji.
Seeing Choji's delighted expression, Naruto explained in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone, "You paid the most, so naturally, your money bought more ingredients."
Watching from beside them, Shikamaru drawled, "Seriously, even lunch has to be such a drag..."
Yet he wasn't the least bit slow to accept his own lunch box.
How did Naruto manage to make his food taste so good?
At the sight of Choji's enormous, generously filled lunch box, envy appeared on Kiba Inuzuka's face. As though making up his mind, he immediately fished some money out of his pocket and pressed it into Naruto's hand without taking no for an answer.
"Here, Naruto! This is an advance!"
Kiba sounded as boisterous as ever, but his eyes were serious.
"My family will officially start teaching me our clan's secret techniques soon, and they'll give me a ninja dog, too. I'll be raising a dog, so remember to make a portion for him when the time comes. Something nutritious that'll replenish his stamina!"
He could already picture himself and his future partner feasting together.
Then he gave Naruto's shoulder a hearty slap, regaining his usual competitive spirit as he declared with enthusiasm:
"Just you wait, Naruto! Once I start properly practicing the Inuzuka Clan's secret techniques and teaming up with my dog, I'll definitely surpass you!"
It was both a declaration and a promise to the future partner who would fight at his side.
"Sure!"
Naruto nodded with a smile.
The rooftop door suddenly flew open with a bang, and a figure in green swept in like a whirlwind. It was Might Guy.
"Naruto! Let's go to..."
He had intended to invite Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen, but before he could finish, a rich, familiar aroma rushed into his nose.
"...That smells amazing!"
His attention immediately shifted to the five boys sitting together with lunch boxes in their hands, especially the mouthwatering food inside.
Seeing this, Naruto immediately offered his own lunch box to Guy, looking apologetic as he said:
"Sorry, Guy-sensei. I didn't know you'd be coming to school today, so I didn't make a portion for you. If you don't mind, why don't you have mine?"
"No, no! I've already eaten, Naruto."
Might Guy shook his head hard, as though trying to shake off that tempting aroma. He swallowed with difficulty, but his gaze grew resolute, and he firmly declined Naruto's kind offer.
In truth, he hadn't had time to eat lunch, and his stomach was already empty. Still, as a strong-willed shinobi, he believed he could withstand this little culinary temptation!
I have to maintain my image as a teacher in front of my student.
He forced his eyes away from the lunch box and looked at Naruto, revealing the real reason he had come. "I just came to let you know that I'll only be substitute teaching here for a month."
He raised an index finger, his tone turning serious. "Later, I'll try to persuade Kakashi not to accept the team-leading assignment Lord Third gives him just yet."
At that, Guy's face broke into a smile brimming with anticipation and fighting spirit. "Once you graduate and officially become a Genin, the two of us will lead teams from your graduating class together! That will be an even more fiery celebration of youth!"
Originally, Third and Might Guy had reached an agreement.
Might Guy would persuade Kakashi to leave the ANBU and become a jonin instructor, so they could start leading teams at the same time.
If he couldn't persuade Kakashi, Might Guy would have to teach practical combat at the Ninja Academy for one month every year to gain teaching experience.
However, after witnessing Naruto's potential for growth firsthand and forming a deep bond with him as teacher and student, Might Guy had made a new decision. He chose a path that appeared to align with the Third's original intent but actually led in the opposite direction.
He had no intention of persuading Kakashi to lead a team immediately. Instead, he planned to "hold Kakashi back," urging him not to accept the Third's team-leading assignment for now.
Guy wanted to wait until Naruto's class officially graduated from the Ninja Academy and became Genin.
Then he and Kakashi would step up together as jonin team leaders in the same year, leading the Genin squads formed from Naruto's class!
"That... works, too."
In truth, Naruto considered Guy far more reliable than Kakashi.
Whether it was Pain's invasion or a war in the shinobi world, Might Guy truly had the power to settle everything with a single kick.
Obito was a different story, though. That slippery bastard could turn intangible, making him hard to kick.
After Might Guy rushed off, the atmosphere on the rooftop relaxed again. The five boys gathered back together and resumed their lunch, chatting and laughing.
Soon, however, someone opened the rooftop door from outside again.
All five turned in unison and discovered Sasuke Uchiha standing in the doorway, holding an elegant lunch box.
Sasuke had been pestered beyond endurance by a crowd of overly enthusiastic girls downstairs. He had planned to escape to this rooftop, assuming no one else would have discovered it, only to find it already occupied.
Worse still, Naruto Uzumaki, who had just defeated him in practical combat class, was among them.
And the atmosphere as they sat eating together was so harmonious, while the aroma of food filling the air was downright enticing.
They're really enjoying their food... The thought rose unbidden.
"Oh, Sasuke!"
Just then, Naruto greeted Sasuke in the doorway with easy familiarity, his tone so casual that it was as though their fierce match that morning had never happened. "Are you here for lunch, too?"
Sasuke didn't answer.
Faced with this warm atmosphere that left him feeling out of place, along with Naruto's overly natural attitude, he felt a wave of inexplicable irritation and awkwardness.
Sasuke pressed his lips together. Without saying a word, he turned and left, pulling the door closed behind him.
It looked like he would have to find somewhere else to get some peace and quiet.