Sasuke buried his face in Naruto's chest, sobbing loudly. Naruto gently comforted him with the kind of tender affection that didn't quite match their age. The two little boys hugged each other tightly—a strange and slightly awkward scene that finally came to an end after about ten minutes, once Sasuke's crying gradually died down and was replaced by intense shivering that grew more and more obvious.
It might've been early spring already, but the cold wind still stung the skin like needles. Sasuke had already worked up a sweat during intense training earlier, and now after crying so hard, his body had lost even more water and heat. To make things worse, he had taken off his thick cotton coat for better movement during practice. The combination of cold wind and fatigue sent his body temperature plummeting. It didn't take long before the usual defiant kid was now trembling pitifully like a leaf in winter, shivering so badly it tugged at the heart.
'Well, I guess that's enough for today. Let's call it here. Time for a break and something to eat, Sasuke.'
In this state, forget about continuing training—if they didn't warm up soon, the little guy would definitely end up bedridden with a fever for days. Besides, after the surprise Sasuke gave him today, Naruto didn't feel like sticking stubbornly to the training schedule. Since arriving in the world of the Hokage, this was the first time he decided to start lunch break early.
'Looks like no bears hibernating here… Don't wear that yet—you'll just get colder.'
After spending so much time at Training Ground Three, Naruto knew the terrain like the back of his hand. He quickly found a wind-shielded cave nearby and led Sasuke inside. He glanced around to make sure no other creatures had made it their home, then picked out a smooth rock to sit on and helped Sasuke settle down. Seeing the younger boy fumbling with his ice-cold cotton coat, Naruto waved a hand to stop him and instead shrugged off his own jacket, draping it over Sasuke's shoulders.
"Just sit here for a bit. You'll warm up soon… Oh, right. Are you hungry?"
"...A little." Seeing Naruto's natural, unthinking kindness, Sasuke—who had been freezing and trembling moments ago—suddenly felt a warmth spread through his chest. He lowered his head and obediently pulled Naruto's still-warm jacket tighter around himself. The shivering eased, his limbs stretching out from their instinctive curl.
"But… if you gave me your jacket… aren't you cold, Naruto?"
It seemed like a casual, ordinary question, but Sasuke wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Was it just him, or did Naruto look like he was holding back laughter after hearing that? Like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world?
'The hermit has his ways~'
Even though Naruto knew Sasuke was asking out of genuine concern, he still almost burst into laughter. He winked with mock mystery and grinned as he teased, "This little bit of cold isn't a big deal for me. Don't worry, Sasuke."
Sasuke had no idea about the trump card Naruto was hiding—at the very moment he took off his jacket, the tsundere Kurama inside him had already begun circulating warm chakra throughout his body like a living heat pack. Honestly, even if Naruto rolled around shirtless in the snow, as long as Kurama was in the mood, he'd feel warmer than basking in the summer sun. So Sasuke's worried question was about as absurd to Naruto as asking if Itachi was afraid of genjutsu, if Gaara was scared of sand, or if Might Guy feared a taijutsu contest.
But what really made Naruto want to laugh wasn't the unintentional joke from Sasuke…
It was the simple warmth of knowing—deep in his bones—that someone in this world cared about him. That rare, sincere feeling was what nearly made him smile in relief.
...
While chatting idly with Sasuke, Naruto quietly instructed his Shadow Clones, who were still training around Training Ground Three, to start gathering firewood and kindling. Once they had a decent pile, he used his well-practiced chakra control to dial down the output of his Fireball Jutsu until he could spit out a flame no bigger than his palm. In no time, a warm bonfire crackled to life.
"Phew, there we go. Come closer, Sasuke. Warm up a bit so you don't catch a cold… Oh, and remember to dry your clothes too." Naruto stood up and clapped his hands with satisfaction once the fire caught.
'Hmm… what should we eat… Sushi? Nah, it's all cold. Wouldn't feel right in the stomach. And I still can't get used to raw fish… A hot pot would be perfect right now, especially with a bowl of sesame oil dipping sauce… Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. Nothing beats a steaming hot meal like that during this chilly New Year season. Maybe some sticky rice cakes, dumplings, steamed pork, spring rolls...'
Even though Naruto had long gotten used to eating whatever was available, the foodie in him—once part of the country with the most foodies in the world—couldn't help being picky when given a choice. As he whispered nostalgic thoughts of home-cooked dishes from his previous life, he scooted aside to give Sasuke space near the fire, then deftly opened the bento box Mikoto had packed full of food for both of them. He laid everything out, picked Sasuke's favorite rice ball and set it near the flames to warm up. Then, after a bit of thought, he plucked the fish off the sushi, skewered it with a stick, and, using the soy sauce and wasabi from the bento, began roasting it over the fire like a proper BBQ.
By the time Sasuke had stopped crying and no longer shivered—in fact, he was even starting to sweat a little—the warm rice balls and glistening skewers of grilled fish were steaming atop the picnic cloth.
"This should be enough for both of us... Hey, Sasuke, lunch's ready!"
"O-okay! ...Ahh, Naruto, not again… If Mom finds out you grilled the sashimi she prepared so carefully, she's gonna be really mad, you know?"
Naruto's dislike of raw fish wasn't news to Sasuke. As he walked over in response to Naruto's call, he caught sight of the sad little clumps of sushi rice left behind, now stripped of their pretty sashimi tops. He instantly guessed where the grilled skewers came from and pulled a straight face, pretending to scold Naruto—but his hands didn't hesitate one bit. He grabbed a skewer in one hand and a rice ball in the other, chomping down happily with alternating bites. His cheeks puffed out with greasy joy.
"Tch, you always say that, but you end up eating more than me every time."
"You said it yourself—no sense wasting food once it's cooked!"
"Heh? Look at you, parroting my lines now? There's still sashimi left that hasn't been grilled. If you don't like it, just eat that."
"I never said I didn't like it!!"
Naruto couldn't help smiling at Sasuke. If a satisfied customer is the best compliment to a chef, then Sasuke's ravenous, messy enjoyment was the ultimate reward. Watching his little buddy devour everything with gusto filled Naruto with a surge of pride and satisfaction.
"Hey! Slow down, you glutton! Save some for me! Eat everything yourself and you'll turn into a chubby piglet!"
Judging from the vanishing food, Naruto guessed Sasuke was already 70% full. As he grumbled and teased, he rolled up his sleeves and lunged at the picnic cloth to join the food war, turning lunchtime into a playful tug-of-war of bites, laughter, and shared warmth.