Naruto didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the deed and key—it was his by right.
With this done, Kakashi finally felt a burden lift from his heart.
"Naruto… I'm sorry…"
Kakashi looked at him, guilt written all over his face.
"All these years, I've been trapped in my own shadow, shutting everyone out.
I should have…"
Moved by the memories, his voice was heartfelt.
But Naruto raised a hand and cut him off.
"Spare me the useless drama."
Kakashi sighed and turned to look at the photo frame on the entryway shelf—
A group picture of five people.
His eyes swept over each familiar face:
The kind-eyed teacher… the smiling Kushina… gentle Rin… the foolish Obito…
Finally, his gaze landed on his own reluctant expression.
He found himself envying the young man in the photo.
Back then, he had thought it was just a normal picture, and he hadn't even liked taking it.
But now, looking back…
"That was a truly happy day."
"If you like it, take it."
Naruto spoke casually.
Kakashi blinked.
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's an eyesore."
That was Naruto being honest—Obito's face was annoying to look at in his house.
Kakashi gently picked up the photo and carefully stashed it away.
Once he was gone, Naruto settled on the living room couch.
Compared to the worn old one at his previous place, this sofa was far more comfortable.
Across from him, inside the wardrobe, something caught his eye.
A white cloak—
He lifted his hand, and it flew into his grasp.
The words Fourth Hokage were boldly stitched across the back, with flames embroidered along the hem.
Naruto stood, threw it over his shoulders, and walked to the full-length mirror.
Perfect fit.
Stylish, too.
Even though he had no interest in the Hokage title, the cloak itself was undeniably cool.
"Even if I walked around in this, Hiruzen probably wouldn't say a word…
If anything, the old man would want me to wear it."
—
That night, Naruto lay in one of the bedrooms.
He didn't turn on the light.
In the dark, his blue-white eyes glowed faintly.
"Should I revive them later…?"
With his growing strength, bringing people back to life was no longer out of reach.
"Eh, I'll just ask if they want to when the time comes."
He set another barrier for security, then slowly drifted to sleep.
—
The next morning, Ino went looking for Naruto at his old apartment.
She knocked for quite a while, but no one answered.
After asking around, she finally found out from Kakashi that Naruto had moved.
So she made her way to his new home.
Stepping inside, she removed her shoes, revealing a pair of pale, delicate feet.
Looking around at the luxury of Naruto's new house, she smiled warmly.
"Naruto, congratulations!
This kind of place suits you perfectly."
Naruto poured her a glass of water.
"You came to find me on your own. What's up?"
Ino accepted the water, nodded, and spoke up.
"There's still the third round of the Chūnin Exams in a month—the 1v1 matches.
I was wondering if… you'd be willing to train me a bit?"
After speaking, she looked at him anxiously.
"Sure," Naruto said without hesitation.
He had free time anyway, and he did have a soft spot for Ino.
"Yay! Naruto, you're the best!"
Seeing him agree, Ino cheered with joy.
"Don't celebrate too soon," Naruto warned.
"If you really want to improve in a month, it's going to be rough."
Ino's expression turned serious.
"I'm ready for it, Naruto! I won't back down!"
"Alright. Let me think about how to help you."
Seeing Naruto thoughtfully planning out a training regimen just for her made Ino's heart feel full.
"Even if it's tough—it's totally worth it!"
While Naruto sat deep in thought on the couch, Ino quietly sat beside him, resting her chin on one hand, eyes glued to his side profile.
"He's so handsome when he's focused…"
Just being alone like this with him already made this visit worthwhile.
After a short while, Naruto came up with a plan.
"Ino, your clan's jutsu is based on Yin Release, targeting the mind and spirit.
Since you've been practicing the Yamanaka techniques since childhood, your mental strength should be above average.
So we'll build from that."
Ino was staring at him dreamily, not even processing what he was saying.
She just nodded repeatedly, like she was under a spell.
If Naruto told her to take off her to throw herself, she might've done it without hesitation.
"Your main technique is Mind Body Switch Jutsu, but it relies heavily on teamwork.
In a solo match, you'll be at a big disadvantage."
"But if you can evolve your technique into direct mental attacks, your combat effectiveness would go way up."
"That requires immense mental strength.
So next, we're going to boost your spiritual resilience.
It might hurt a bit—you think you can handle it?"
Naruto explained everything clearly and calmly.
"Ah—okay! Naruto, I'm not afraid of pain. I'll do whatever you say!"
She was clearly distracted, her ears turning red as she agreed.
"Alright. I'm going to begin. If it gets too much, just tell me."
Naruto activated his eye power.
His Eye released its power, enveloping Ino.
She suddenly felt lightheaded—
When she came back to her senses, she was somewhere else entirely.
"Naruto? What is this place?"
Everything around her looked like a mirage—unreal and dreamlike.
But with Naruto by her side, she wasn't scared.
This was the first time Naruto had used this kind of illusion.
By harnessing the power of Kotoamatsukami, he pulled the target into a fabricated space.
It didn't cause the cooldown associated with typical use of the technique,
but it functioned like Tsukuyomi—creating an artificial realm with its own time flow.
Even Shisui, the original wielder of Kotoamatsukami, had never used it this way.
But with the Tenseigan's power behind it, Naruto had succeeded.
And the use wasn't just for combat—it could also be used for training.
Inside this illusion, time could be compressed.
What felt like hours here might be just a second outside.
But the mental strain was constant.
Someone with a weak mind—like Orochimaru, whose soul was unstable—
might not survive being pulled into this space at all.
Naruto gave Ino a reassuring smile and spoke gently.
"You're inside a Genjutsu now.
Here, you'll train your mental strength—and grow much faster."
Ino nodded seriously, no hesitation at all.
From the moment she entered, she'd felt short of breath, lightheaded, and on the verge of fainting.
"Ino, sit down."
"Focus your mind. Channel your Yin-based chakra.
The longer you last, the greater your gains."
Naruto's voice echoed softly in her ear.
Ino sat down obediently.