After stepping out of the Hokage's office, Naruto barely had time to stretch when Hinata immediately took his hand and pulled him toward the Hyūga compound. Her steps were fast, almost impatient, with Hanabi trailing behind, hiding a small smile at her sister's uncharacteristic urgency.
As for Sasuke, he had only just stepped outside when a familiar voice cried out.
"Sasuke!"
Sakura rushed toward him, her expression filled with worry. Her hands twitched slightly at her sides, unsure whether to reach for him or not.
Sasuke gave her a simple nod and — in a rare display of tenderness — placed a hand on her head.
"I'm fine," he said.
The gesture was small, but for Sakura it was enough to make her cheeks flush. It was the first time Sasuke had touched her so gently, and warmth blossomed in her chest.
Naruto, noticing her arrival, turned back with his usual wide grin.
"Sakura!"
Sakura smiled back, lifting her hand in greeting.
"Naruto!"
Hinata, however, didn't share in the warmth. She clutched Naruto's hand more tightly, tugging him forward as if afraid he might slip away. Hanabi raised an eyebrow, already sensing where this was headed.
Naruto blinked, caught between Hinata's firm pull and Sakura's friendly wave.
"Hinata, wait—Sakura's here. We should at least say hello properly!"
Hinata let out a sharp snort.
"Say hello? If you like greeting her so much, then why don't you go do it yourself?"
With that, she abruptly released his hand and strode ahead, her long hair swaying behind her.
Hanabi, unable to resist, pointed at Naruto with a mischievous grin.
"Ooh, Brother Naruto, you're in trouble. Big Sis is jealous!"
Naruto froze in place. Hinata… jealous? Since when did she get this scary?
He hurried after her, panic setting in. Great, just great. A girlfriend's anger is tougher than any tailed beast… even Kaguya was easier to deal with!
All the way back toward the Hyūga estate, Naruto trailed behind Hinata, desperately spouting sweet words and apologies. Hinata, however, remained stubbornly silent, only responding with cold little huffs.
By the time they entered the clan's territory, Naruto was sweating more than he had on the battlefield.
"Hinata, come on, I was only being polite! I didn't mean anything by it. Besides, Sakura's with Sasuke now. I was the one who pushed them together — what else could I possibly be thinking?"
Hinata finally stopped and turned, her pale eyes sharp.
"What you think… isn't something I can decide. And it's not something you can decide either."
Her cryptic words left Naruto scratching his head.
"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?"
Hinata ignored him, instead gripping his hand firmly again and pulling him toward the inner courtyard.
Naruto groaned under his breath.
"Oh no… looks like I'm gonna have to pay the 'public food' tax right after coming back…"
He raised his voice, trying to plead.
"Hinata! At least let me rest a little! I just fought on the moon, y'know? I'm exhausted!"
Hinata shot him a sideways glare.
"Exhausted? You didn't look tired when you were smiling at Sakura. Stop complaining, Naruto. You're coming inside with me."
Before he could protest further, Hinata yanked him into her room.
Hanabi stopped at the doorway, sighing as she shook her head.
"Figures… they're going to fight again."
Sure enough, only moments later a loud cry echoed from inside.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!!!"
Naruto's desperate yells followed immediately after. Hanabi stifled a laugh, then turned away, deciding to spend some time in the outer courtyard instead.
Meanwhile, Sakura had witnessed Naruto being dragged away and couldn't help smiling wryly. She turned to Sasuke.
"Looks like Naruto's completely lost his freedom now that he's with Hinata."
Sasuke glanced at Naruto's retreating form and gave a small nod.
Sakura hesitated a moment, then slipped her hand around Sasuke's arm.
"Sasuke… since you just got back, how about I treat you to dinner?"
Sasuke considered it. His stomach rumbled faintly, reminding him he hadn't eaten properly since their return. Sakura's hopeful gaze finally swayed him. He gave her a simple nod.
Her face lit up immediately. She practically bounced as she tugged on his arm, guiding him down the street.
"Great! Let's go to a yakiniku restaurant this time. We've had enough ramen lately."
They walked together through Konoha, the warm glow of lanterns illuminating the busy evening streets. After some time, they arrived at the entrance of the restaurant.
"This is the one Ino recommended!" Sakura said cheerfully. Ino said she and her team often come here with Asuma-sensei and Chōji. She insisted the grilled meat here was the best in the village.
Memories stirred. After Sasuke's return, Sakura and Ino had long since mended their friendship. Ino herself had moved on, happily together with Sai. Despite his blunt manner, Sai's good looks and sincerity were enough to meet Ino's ever-high standards.
Sakura had mentioned her date plans to Ino before, and Ino immediately recommended this place.
Pulling Sasuke inside, Sakura was greeted by the cheerful voice of the owner — a plump auntie with a welcoming smile.
"Two people, right?"
Sakura nodded.
"Yes, two. My friend Ino recommended this place."
The woman chuckled warmly.
"Oh, Asuma's students, huh? Come, sit over here!"
The villagers had long since grown used to strange miracles. With the Uchiha clan resurrected and Naruto restoring lives once thought gone, Asuma's return was no longer a shock. The auntie herself had once kept a bill open for him, believing somehow he'd come back to pay it. And now, unbelievably, he had.
Guiding them to a table, she asked brightly,
"Would you like to try the set meal Asuma and his team always ordered?"
Sakura looked at Sasuke. He gave a quiet nod, and Sakura answered,
"Yes, please. We'll have that."
The auntie scribbled down the order and left them, leaving Sakura to glance around the bustling restaurant. Every table was full, steam rising from grills, the air rich with the mouthwatering scent of sizzling meat.
"Sasuke, isn't this place nice? Ino was right, it's really popular!"
Sasuke scanned the lively scene. His memories of Konoha eateries were faint, rooted in a distant childhood before everything fell apart. Seeing the village so vibrant now stirred something in him. His stomach growled softly, and he admitted,
"It's good."
Relief washed over Sakura. She had worried Sasuke might find the place too noisy or crowded. Seeing him accept it made her heart soar.
She poured them both water, then, while sipping, asked curiously about what had happened on the moon.
At first Sasuke hesitated, but then he began recounting the events — the hidden Ōtsutsuki clan, Toneri's Tenseigan, and the battle that had nearly destroyed the moon itself.
Sakura listened intently, horrified as she imagined the clash. When Sasuke described Naruto enduring Toneri's massive technique that could split the moon in half, her grip on the barbecue tongs tightened until her knuckles turned white.
"Naruto… faced something that terrifying?" she whispered, trembling.
Sasuke nodded solemnly.
"I sensed something was wrong and flew there immediately. Luckily, Naruto had the Six Paths' power and his Truth-Seeking Balls. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived."
Sakura let out a shaky breath, her chest heavy with relief.
"That sounds even worse than when we fought Kaguya-hime…"
Sasuke inclined his head in agreement. Then, sniffing the air, he frowned.
"The meat's burning."
"Ah! I'm sorry!" Sakura quickly flipped the meat, her face flustered. "I was so focused on listening to you that I forgot!"
Sasuke gave a small, rare smile.
"It's fine. I've eaten worse while traveling."
Taking the tongs from her, he placed fresh slices on the grill. His movements were calm, deliberate, almost graceful.
Sakura found herself staring. For years she had thought of Sasuke as cold, unreachable. Yet here he was, cooking meat for her under the warm light of a simple restaurant.
The Sharingan flickered briefly in his eyes as he copied the technique of a nearby waiter, and soon the aroma of perfectly cooked yakiniku filled the air.
He set a portion in her bowl.
"Here. Try this."
Sakura tasted it, her eyes widening in delight.
"Delicious! Sasuke, you're amazing!"
Just as she was about to compliment him further, her gaze shifted toward the entrance — and froze.
A group of familiar figures had just stepped inside.
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