"That bastard… Uzu—ma—ki—Naruto!!"
"A-Achoo!"
Just as a certain poor imposter in the village, sold out by his own student, let out a stifled and tragic cry, Naruto, the true culprit who had already sneakily brought Sasuke back to the Uchiha Clan compound, suddenly sneezed loudly as if in response.
"Hmm? Naruto, are you okay? That was a huge sneeze… Don't tell me you caught a cold?"
"Ah, nah, I'm fine, I'm fine… Probably someone talking about me."
Waving his hand to reassure the Little Fan beside him, Naruto wiped the bit of snot that had leaked from sneezing too hard, then perked up his ears to listen to the chorus of shouting and cursing still echoing from afar. With a smile in his eyes, he turned to Sasuke and teased:
"Yare yare, isn't the atmosphere way livelier now? Looks like Pervy Sage is working really hard to keep the party going~"
"True, thanks to Pervy Sage, the village is a lot more energetic now…"
Hearing that, Sasuke subconsciously nodded. After a slight pause, he frowned a little and turned his head toward the noise behind them, muttering softly:
"But… Naruto, wasn't this a bit too much? I mean, if the story about peeping on the women's bath spreads, Pervy Sage's image might really take a hit."
"Come on, relax. With his skills, there's no way these hot-headed villagers could catch him. Besides, I didn't lie—just stated the facts…"
As he spoke, Naruto's grin widened into a clearly mischievous smirk. He reached out and hooked an arm around the Little Fan who was spouting concerns while grinning just as wickedly, and said with mock seriousness:
"And besides, don't you want to see what it looks like when Pervy Sage is 'popularly received' by the whole village? Bet there'll be no shortage of pretty young ladies in the crowd too… Didn't he complain during our training that there weren't any around? We're seriously giving him a golden opportunity for a fated encounter right now~"
"Mhm, exactly! With the number of girls here today, he might just make up for a whole year of training. Who knows, he might even come back and thank us for our help~ Hahahahaha!"
"That's the spirit, dattebayo! Hahahahaha!"
As they talked, Naruto and Sasuke met each other's eyes, and seeing the twisted expressions caused by their suppressed laughter, they couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.
Having trained alongside Naruto and been exposed to his personality for so long, the once pure and sweet Little Fan had gradually picked up some of his mischievousness. On the surface, he still looked like the obedient kid he always was, but beneath that exterior was a growing trace of cunning. The way the two laughed in sync made them look like a pair of little horned devils wagging their tails and whispering secrets, while poor Pervy Sage, who was hiding and dodging pitifully around the village, was unknowingly painted as someone having the time of his life. Talk about suffering in silence...
"Ahh… so all this sudden chaos in the village really was your doing, huh?"
Just as Naruto and Sasuke skillfully navigated through the alleys and stepped into the main courtyard of the Uchiha Clan leader's residence, their gleeful laughter echoing behind them, a deep male voice rang out—tinged with helplessness, affection, and joy. The two boys instantly stopped laughing and glanced at each other before turning to look at the source of the voice.
Standing at the entrance, arms crossed and waiting patiently, was the warm and imposing figure of none other than Uchiha Fugaku.
"I could hear your laughter from a mile away… So? What's so funny? Want to let your old man in on the joke so the three of us can share the joy?"
"Dad!!"
"Uncle Fugaku!!"
Overjoyed, both Naruto and Sasuke shouted at the same time. Little Fan couldn't hold back the longing he had buried deep inside for a whole year. The mischievous grin vanished from his face, replaced by a childlike yearning for his parents. Pouting, he opened his arms and ran toward his father's long-missed warm embrace.
"Uwaaah—Dad!"
"Whoa whoa, slow down! Don't trip… After a whole year of training with Lord Jiraiya, how are you still acting like a little kid who just wants cuddles from his dad? Haven't grown up at all, have you?"
As Sasuke pounced, Fugaku hurried forward to catch him, wrapping him tightly in his arms. Though he still put on a stern front, his trembling arms and the irrepressible smile on his face showed just how overjoyed he was to see his beloved son again.
"Hehe, don't care!"
Still clinging to his father, Sasuke replied with a grin, rubbing his face affectionately against Fugaku's neck.
"I am a kid, and kids are supposed to cuddle with their parents~"
"Haha, Sasuke, Sasuke… You might not have matured much, but that little mouth of yours has certainly gotten slicker."
Though his son had clearly grown physically, his clinginess hadn't changed a bit, and that brought Fugaku a deep sense of comfort. Once his emotions had calmed a little, he gently lowered Sasuke to the ground and stood up. Noticing Naruto quietly standing off to the side with a smile, trying to give them space, Fugaku reached out and pulled him into a warm hug.
"—W-Wha?! U-Uncle Fugaku?"
Naruto had stepped back on purpose to avoid intruding on the reunion, but unexpectedly found himself pulled into a strong embrace. His body froze for a moment, stunned, but quickly softened. Wrapped in the warmth and care of someone who treated him no differently than a real son, Naruto instinctively responded to the hug, basking in the sense of security and comfort it brought. In that moment, the worries and anxiety that had built up in his heart finally began to ease.
"You must be hungry, coming back so late, huh? As soon as Mikoto heard you two would return tonight, she started preparing your favorite dishes in the kitchen… It's been so long since you had a home-cooked meal. You must be really looking forward to it, right?"
Fugaku didn't miss the subtle change in Naruto's expression. His smile deepened, and a hint of sadness flickered in his eyes as he thought of how Naruto always seemed too mature for his age. After a pause, he looked down and said warmly:
"And also… Welcome home, Sasuke. Welcome home, Naruto."
"Mhm! Dad! We're back!"
If there was ever a moment Naruto felt most grateful for changing the fate of the Uchiha Clan—this was it.
And it was in this very moment… that Naruto truly began to see Fugaku's family as his own. After so many years of cold stares and discrimination, this was the first time he felt the warmth and belonging of a real home, right here in the Hidden Leaf Village.
"...Yeah! We're back, Uncle Fugaku!"