After they all sat down, Naruto immediately leaned toward Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei, what did the old man Third keep you two behind for?"
Sasuke and Sakura also looked over.
They wanted to know just as much.
Yoruha sat beside Kakashi, saying nothing.
Kakashi, of course, couldn't repeat everything the Hokage had said. He kept his tone light.
"He just asked about the details of the mission. And since Yoruha performed exceptionally, starting today, he's been promoted to chūnin."
Ayame, who had been preparing their ramen, froze mid-motion.
She turned, eyes wide.
"Really? Yoruha, you really became a chūnin?"
Yoruha smiled.
"Mm. Guess I got lucky."
Teuchi also brightened.
"I knew it. I said from the beginning that a kid as talented as you would go far."
"To celebrate your promotion, all your meals today are on the house."
Yoruha hurriedly waved his hands.
"Teuchi-uncle, there's no need for that."
But Teuchi shook his head firmly.
"Of course there is. This is something worth celebrating."
Seeing how genuinely happy the man was, Yoruha couldn't bring himself to argue anymore and simply accepted.
He'd been coming here often, and over time, had grown quite close with Teuchi and Ayame.
Meanwhile, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were all stunned.
They stared at Yoruha as if seeing him for the first time.
"Yoruha, you really became a chūnin?" Sakura asked, unable to believe it.
Yoruha nodded.
"Apparently. The Third Hokage said so, at least."
Naruto's expression twisted.
"Why is it only Yoruha who gets promoted to chūnin? I did great too! Why just him?"
"The old man Third is really getting senile!"
It wasn't jealousy—exactly.
Deep down, he felt Yoruha deserved it.
But he still couldn't help feeling envious.
Sasuke frowned as well. He wasn't obsessed with rank, but seeing Yoruha become chūnin still stirred a sharp thread of jealousy.
They had been classmates.
They had completed the same mission.
And yet Yoruha had been personally promoted by the Third Hokage.
That kind of treatment was hard not to envy.
Kakashi stepped in.
"Naruto, if you want to become a chūnin, you'll have to work harder—and push yourself even more to surpass Yoruha."
Naruto stared straight at Yoruha, still confused.
Sure, Yoruha was strong.
But becoming a chūnin wasn't only about strength.
Wasn't the number of missions also important?
By that metric, Yoruha was behind him.
Yoruha had only done two D-ranks and one C-rank.
Naruto had already done three D-ranks and one C-rank.
Even though the Third verbally called the Land of Waves mission B-rank, their files still marked it C-rank.
On paper, they were still equal.
Sasuke glanced at Naruto. Even if he was jealous, he had no doubt about Yoruha's qualifications.
"Idiot. Don't forget who pulled your ass out of the fire back there."
Even jealous, Sasuke still stepped in to shield Yoruha.
Sakura chimed in immediately.
"Yeah. Do you really think Yoruha doesn't deserve it?"
Naruto pouted.
"When did I say he didn't deserve it? It's just—he's only done a few missions. Why did the old man Third pick him as chūnin now?"
He was still unconvinced.
Kakashi patted him on the shoulder.
"If you're jealous, then work to surpass him. Stop goofing off all the time."
"Or do you think your talent is worse than Yoruha's?"
Kakashi himself privately thought yes—
but this was not the moment for honesty.
Naruto took the bait instantly.
He clenched a fist and pointed it at Yoruha.
"Yoruha! It won't be long before I become a chūnin too! You might have beaten me to it this time, but I'll definitely become a jōnin before you do!"
"Don't get lazy—I'm going to surpass you soon!"
Yoruha had no intention of refuting him. He just smiled.
"I'll be waiting."
Hearing that, Naruto puffed up with pride and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! That day will come soon!"
Off to the side, Sasuke and Sakura stared at him, speechless.
They could tell perfectly well Kakashi and Yoruha were just humoring him.
Neither of them believed Naruto could surpass Yoruha.
Even someone as prideful as Sasuke, after seeing Yoruha's strength up close these past weeks, no longer had the slightest confidence in surpassing him.
Catching up would already be a miracle.
In fact, Sasuke believed that once he caught up to Yoruha, he'd be strong enough to defeat Itachi.
In his mind, Itachi wasn't necessarily stronger than Yoruha.
No—given what he'd seen, Sasuke was starting to think Yoruha might already be stronger than his brother.
Still, watching Naruto grin with absolute confidence, neither he nor Sakura had the heart to say anything.
They both chose silence.
After a while, everyone finished eating.
Just as they were about to leave, Sasuke suddenly spoke up.
"Yoruha. Train with me at my house today."
Yoruha, who had been planning to head home, paused.
So did Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura.
Sasuke, who was usually cold and distant, had invited someone to his house?
Even Yoruha hadn't expected that.
Kakashi was stunned too—then smiled faintly.
He was genuinely pleased.
He'd always hoped his students would bond with Yoruha.
Both Naruto and Sasuke had complicated backgrounds.
If Yoruha could form strong ties with them, it would benefit him greatly in the future.
One was the Fourth Hokage's son.
The other the last surviving Uchiha—the boy the Third had gone out of his way to protect.
If all three formed bonds with Yoruha, his future in Konoha would be significantly easier.
Especially now that the Third had openly shown his support…
As long as Yoruha didn't seek out trouble, he would be very safe.
Yoruha looked at Sasuke's slightly tense expression and almost laughed.
He hadn't expected Sasuke to be this awkward about asking.
Of course, he had no intention of refusing.
Going to train at Sasuke's house meant Yoruha would be helping Sasuke train.
Sasuke couldn't teach him much yet—but Yoruha was very interested in the Uchiha compound.
He hadn't dared wander there without reason.
Now that Sasuke had invited him, he could go openly.
So after thinking for a moment, Yoruha nodded.
"Sure."
At once, Naruto jumped in.
"I'm coming too!"
"You guys planning to sneak off and train behind my back? No way—I'm going!"
Sasuke clearly didn't want to bring Naruto along.
But if he refused, Yoruha might not come either.
So he could only grit his teeth and mutter:
"…Do what you want."
Sakura hesitated, then raised her hand.
"Um… can I come too?"
Sasuke nodded.
If Naruto was going, there was no reason to exclude Sakura.
Kakashi was very happy with how things had turned out.
But he had no intention of tagging along.
He said lazily,
"Ahh… I should go with you, but I have to hurry and buy a book, so I won't be joining."
Yoruha smirked.
"Kakashi-sensei, take it easy. Don't overdo it. Your body might not be able to handle it."
The corner of Kakashi's visible eye twitched.
He knew Yoruha had definitely read Jiraiya's books.
"…It's not like that," he coughed. "Anyway, you all train well. I'll be going first."
With that, he vanished.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were left blinking, confused.
They had no idea what Yoruha's comment had meant.
But they all felt like it was something they wouldn't understand for a few more years.
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