Watching the lively scene, Toru Kujyo smiled helplessly. He simply called it a day, set up a grill in Sasuke's newly tidied house, and treated the uninvited bunch to a meal.
Sasuke scowled the entire time. These people had turned his home into a gathering place, and he couldn't even beat the culprit responsible.
Night fell, the campfire blazed, and everyone ate grilled meat amid a noisy din.
In the commotion, Toru Kujyo quietly pulled aside Naruto, whose mouth was slick with grease.
"Hey, Naruto."
"Hm? Kujyo, what is it?" Naruto asked through a mouthful of food.
Toru Kujyo slipped a scroll into his arms.
"This is for you. You worked the hardest today, so here's your reward."
Puzzled, Naruto opened the scroll and found several large words written across it-"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere."
It was an A-Rank Wind Release Ninjutsu!
Naruto froze. He looked up at Toru Kujyo, his eyes growing hot. Ever since he was little, he had always been ignored and ostracized. Apart from Iruka-sensei, hardly anyone had ever taken him so seriously, let alone rewarded him with something this precious.
"Kujyo... I..." Naruto's voice caught in his throat.
"All right, don't look like you're about to cry." Toru Kujyo patted his shoulder. "Your chakra nature is wind, so this technique suits you. Practice hard. Don't let it go to waste."
With that, he turned and rejoined the others.
Naruto clutched the scroll tightly, its searing warmth seeming to reach all the way into his heart. Watching Toru Kujyo's retreating back, he nodded firmly, a light brighter than ever kindling in his eyes.
Only when Naruto Uzumaki's boisterous figure finally disappeared around the street corner did the courtyard truly grow quiet.
Karin let out a long breath and plopped down on a stone bench. Looking up