He slept unusually deeply and peacefully.
His consciousness seemed to sink to the silent seabed, cut off from every sound, ray of light, and disturbance outside.
There were no enemies to guard against, no schemes to calculate, no imposing air to maintain. There was only rest.
Perhaps the days of travel and fierce fighting had drained too much of his mental energy, or perhaps being "home" gave him an absolute sense of security. He slept without any defenses, and, unusually for him, without a single dream.
Only after an unknown stretch of time did his consciousness begin to rise slowly, like a bubble floating toward the surface, gradually becoming clear.
When Naruto woke, the room was dim.
The heavy curtains were drawn, with only a little gray light slipping through the gaps at the edges, barely outlining the furniture.
He raised his right hand and rubbed his still-drowsy eyes with his palm, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness.
Looking outside through a gap in the curtains, he saw a gloomy, lead-gray sky. There was no sign of the sun, only a uniform, oppressive dimness.
Overcast?
The thought drifted hazily through his mind.
His brain slowly began to work, and sensation gradually returned to his body.
He lifted the soft blanket covering him and sat up.
As the blanket slid off, it stirred a faint breeze that chilled him slightly and made the changes in his body all the more apparent.
His clothes... seemed much looser.
He lowered his head and looked at the shirt that had once fit him perfectly.
Now its collar hung open loosely, revealing collarbones and a chest noticeably thinner than he remembered.
The sleeves were looser too, making the fabric brushing against his skin especially noticeable whenever he moved his arms.
Naruto stretched out an