The Hokage office was a grand building in the heart of the Hidden Leaf Village, surrounded by tall trees that swayed gently in the night breeze. The dark sky above seemed to emphasize the importance of the building, where the village's leader worked tirelessly. At the entrance, two imposing stone statues stood watch, their eyes seeming to pierce through the darkness.
One statue depicted Senju Hashirama,Shodaime Hokage, known as the "God of Shinobi". He was shown as a sturdy man with a strong jawline, wearing a flowing beard and a determined expression. He was dressed in a traditional ninja attire, with a flak jacket and a forehead protector bearing the Senju clan symbol. His right hand grasped a massive staff, while his left hand rested on the hilt of a sword.
The other statue showed Senju Tobirama, the Nidaime Hokage, known as the "Fastest Shinobi Alive". He was depicted as a slightly leaner figure with more refined features, sporting a short beard and a wise gaze. He wore a similar ninja outfit, but with a distinctive hat and a cape flowing behind him. His right hand held a unique sword, while his left hand was clenched into a fist.
Both statues represented the legendary founders of the Hidden Leaf Village, and were held in high esteem by the villagers.
Inside, Naruto sat at his cluttered desk, surrounded by the weight of his responsibilities. The room was dimly lit, with only a few lights casting a warm glow. The walls were lined with shelves, containing books, scrolls, and various compartments. Pictures of previous Hokage's hung proudly, including the Yondaime Hokage,Namikaze Minato, whose presence seemed to inspire a sense of duty in Naruto.
Naruto's desk was a mess of documents, scrolls, and his laptop, all piled haphazardly. An empty ramen cup sat on the edge, a testament to his late-night snack. He sat in his chair, arranging his documents with a sigh, his eyes heavy with fatigue. He opened a scroll, but his gaze drifted away, lost in thought.
"I hope Boruto understands," he thought to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. "I promised him I'd be there for his exams, but... duty calls dattebayo." He trailed off, his energy consumed by the weight of his responsibilities.
The room was silent, except for the occasional creak of the old building and the distant hooting of owls outside. Naruto's eyes seemed to bore into the scroll, but his mind was elsewhere, worried about his son and the burdens of being Hokage.
The door to the Hokage office slid open, and a figure stepped inside. "Hey, bumbling fool," he said, his voice low and even, as he gazed at Naruto with an air of quiet superiority.
Naruto, lost in thought, looked up at the sound of the door opening and the familiar taunt. His eyes met the newcomer, and a weary smile spread across his face. "Sasuke!!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with surprise and warmth, despite the dark circles under his eyes.
Sasuke was a tall, lean man with black eyes and jet-black hair that fell to his shoulders. His sharp features and angular cheekbones gave him a striking appearance, and his dark attire seemed to blend with the shadows. A belt around his waist held a forehead protector, its symbol emblazoned with the emblem of the Fire Nation - a stylized flame design. Though he didn't wear it on his forehead, the protector hung like a pendant, a subtle hint at his allegiance and heritage.
Sasuke's gaze swept the room, his eyes lingering on the empty chairs before settling on Naruto. "Shikamaru's not around?" he asked, his voice still low and even.
Naruto nodded, his smile faltering for a moment. "He's taken a holiday to train with his son,ttebayo."
Sasuke's expression didn't change, but Naruto sensed a flicker of interest behind his eyes.
"What brings you here, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on Sasuke's face.
Sasuke's expression turned serious, and he said, "Leave your work and come with me."
Naruto leaned back in his chair, a hint of frustration in his voice. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I can't just leave my work. I've got a mountain of paperwork to get through, and I'm already behind schedule ttebayo." He chuckled, thinking Sasuke was inviting him to hang out. "We can grab drinks or something tomorrow, but tonight's not good you know. I'm barely keeping my eyes open as it is."
He rubbed his tired eyes, adding, "To be honest, I've been so busy, I feel like I'm neglecting my family. I promised Boruto I'd train with him today, but I couldn't even make time for that. I feel terrible about it."
But Sasuke's expression only turned more grave, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Quit with your talk and come with me to the hospital," he said, his voice firm and urgent.
Naruto's brow furrowed, wondering, "Hospital, but why?" He was still at ease, not losing his cool or being serious... until the next second, when his expression changed to one of alarm. "Don't tell me... did something happen to Boruto or Sarada?" His voice was now laced with concern and a hint of fear.
Sasuke's expression turned grave. "No, it's about Yamato. He got bitten in his shoulder."
Naruto's confusion deepened. "What? Yamato Taichou got bitten? But how does that—"
Sasuke turned and started walking towards the door. "Now come with me to the hospital."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait, Sasuke! Wha—"
"Stop right there, Sasuke!" Naruto said, holding up his hands. "I understand that he got bitten and it's my duty to visit him as his student.But what's up with that urgency dattebayo?"
Sasuke turned, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "Are you coming or not?"
Naruto hesitated, but Sasuke's urgency was infectious. "But—"
Sasuke turned again and strode towards the door, saying, "I'll tell you the details at the hospital. Now hurry up!"
Naruto sighed,"Alright, alright... dattebayo. I'm coming."
The Konoha Hospital stood as a beacon of hope and healing, its white walls and sloping roof a familiar sight in the village. A large sign bearing the hospital's name in bold, black letters hung above the entrance, while a smaller sign below read "Emergency Entrance".
Inside, Yamato sat on a bed, wearing a green hospital gown that fell just below his knee. His forehead was bare, devoid of his usual forehead protector. A small, blue-white slug named Katsuyu perched on his right shoulder, its eyes closed as it focused on healing Yamato's wound.
The door to the hospital room slid open, and Naruto and Sasuke entered. Naruto's face was etched with concern, his eyes fixed on Yamato with a worried expression. Sasuke, on the other hand, showed no emotion, his face a mask of calmness.
Naruto's eyes darted to Yamato, his voice filled with concern. " Yamato Taichou... are you alright?"
He then turned to a figure standing beside Yamato's bed, a young woman with striking green eyes and short, pink hair. A diamond-shaped mark, her Yin Seal, adorned her forehead, its purple color a testament to her exceptional healing abilities. She wore a red top and white trousers, her black heels clicking softly on the floor as she moved. Naruto's gaze locked onto her, and he asked, "Sakura-chan, please tell me what happened."
Sakura started to explain, "He got—"
But Sasuke cut her off, his voice firm. "His flesh got stolen."
Yamato's eyes dropped, shame and sadness etched on his face. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Nanadaime-sama," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Naruto quickly sat down in the chair in front of Yamato's bed, his face set in a determined expression. "No, it's alright... there's nothing to worry about,dattebayo" he said, trying to reassure Yamato.
Then, he turned to Sasuke, who was standing behind him, and asked, "What do you mean by 'flesh got stolen'?"
Sasuke looks at Naruto who was sitting on a chair and says, "I was only told that his flesh got stolen..but no idea how it got stolen"
Sakura at the corner of the room folds her hands and says annoyed, "Goodness! Sasuke-kun..he is Naruto..not Shikamaru, how can he understand so quickly!"
Naruto didn't understand why he got dragged out of the blue and says, "huh..what do you.."
Sakura looks at Sasuke and says, "Sasuke-kun at least you should know him better than me. Are you tired?"
Sakura then makes a serious face and says, "or" Sakura looks at Sasuke and says in a worried tone, "are you not eating properly?!"
Sakura becomes worried and starts pacing around the room to release her frustration. "That's why I always tell you... come to the village more often," she says, concerned that Sasuke is not taking care of himself, eating properly, or getting enough rest. She fears that his exhaustion is causing him to forget things, like Naruto's personality.
Sakura closes her eyes, trying to calm herself, and says, "Now what shall I do?"
Sasuke's voice breaks the silence from where he's standing. "It's alright, Sakura."
Sakura opens her eyes, still looking worried, and turns towards Sasuke.
Sasuke says, "It's this dobe's fault for not understanding."
Naruto looks at Sasuke, his eyes conveying a sense of hurt and betrayal, though Sasuke hasn't actually done anything to betray him. Naruto's expression shows he feels stung by Sasuke's words in front of Sakura.
Naruto speaks up, his voice slightly shaking, "S-Sasuke, why are you making it sound like I'm the one at fault, dattebayo?"
Naruto raises one finger, explaining, "It's your fault for not explaining things to me, ttebayo!"
Sasuke looks away, trying to hide his gaze, embarrassed and ashamed that he was at fault.Naruto says to Sasuke, "Now say who's the one at fault!"
Sakura looks at Sasuke surprisingly and says, "Gaah! Sasuke-kun, it was your fault?" She can't believe that Sasuke, who never usually messes up, made a mistake this time.
Yamato, thinking his matter is more important, interrupts, "Erm, you guys..."
Naruto looks at Sakura and says, "Sakura-chan, now why are you not saying anything to Sasuke?"Sakura looks at him angrily and says, "Cause it's your fault!"
Naruto looks disappointed that he got scolded while Sasuke didn't, but it makes sense: Sasuke rarely makes mistakes, and Sakura, as Sasuke's wife, can't easily scold her husband.
Sasuke says, "Geez, stop it... let's listen to what he's got to say." Naruto becomes serious and asks, "So you guys are saying that it's a bad sign that his flesh got stolen?" Sasuke confirms, "Yeah... cause that means the Hashirama Cells are stolen."
Naruto tries to reassure Yamato, saying, "What can a mere animal even do with the Hashirama Cells?So there's nothing to.."But Yamato interrupts, looking serious, "But, Nanadaime-sama... I have a problem."
The room falls silent, with Naruto and Yamato engaging in an intense stare-down. Sasuke breaks the silence, "I don't understand... how could an animal harm the Shinobi world with the Hashirama Cells?" Yamato reveals, "The problem is... it was not an animal. It was a human." Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke are all shocked, their eyes fixed on Yamato.
Naruto's face twists in anger, "When did all of this happen? Why was I not informed sooner?" Yamato explains, "All of this happened today in the afternoon."
Sakura adds, "And he came to the village in the evening. He regained his consciousness half an hour ago."She continues, "I didn't ask him anything because it would have put a strain on his head. That's why I asked someone to call Sasuke-kun, so that both of you could come and ask the details yourselves."
Naruto's expression softens slightly as he understands, "I see."
Sasuke instructs Yamato, "Now, then, show us your scar."
Yamato reveals his scar on his right shoulder, and they're met with a huge gash. The wound was so severe that it was clear a human couldn't have inflicted it.But actually a human only did it as stated by Yamato
Sasuke and Naruto are both shocked by the severity of the wound, but Sakura sighs, having already seen it when she was healing him. The wound is so extensive that even the slug's healing abilities are taking time to close it.Sasuke starts to ask, "How did this..."
But before he can finish, Naruto's loud voice interrupts, "Yamato Taichou, where were you of all places?"
---
*Quiz Question:*
What significant item was stolen from Yamato, prompting concern among Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura?
A) Hashirama's Sword
B) Hashirama Cells
C) Forbidden Scroll
D) Konoha's Secret Document
Share your answer in the comments below!