NARUTO: In the Shadow of the Clans

Daylight filtered through the curtains of Naruto's room, gently illuminating the space. He lay sprawled on his bed, one arm draped across his face. His steady breathing indicated he was deep in slumber, his mind still lost in dreams. The previous day had been long. After spending much of the evening with Ino, he'd had to carry her home when she fell asleep on his shoulder. Exhausted, he returned late and collapsed onto his bed without bothering to change or eat.

A loud noise abruptly pulled him from his sleep.

Knock knock knock.

Naruto groaned, ignoring the knocks at his door. He hoped the person would give up, but the knocking resumed, more insistent this time.

Knock knock knock.

He cracked open his eyes, his vision still blurry. "Who dares... this early in the morning…?" he mumbled.

Resigned, he got up with an exasperated sigh. His messy hair and sleepy expression made him look as if he'd spent the night awake. Dragging his feet, he trudged to the door and opened it slowly.

Sakura stood before him, arms crossed and visibly annoyed.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, her voice betraying her irritation. "You decided to open up? I've been knocking forever!"

Naruto stared at her for a moment, his eyelids heavy. He rubbed his eyes before replying in a dry tone, "Seriously, Sakura, don't you have anything better to do than bother people at this hour?"

Surprised by his tone and attitude, Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but Naruto, clearly not in the mood for conversation, turned away to close the door.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, holding the door. "Tsunade-sama has summoned us. It's important."

Naruto nodded but closed the door without another word, leaving Sakura gritting her teeth in frustration on the other side.

She clenched her fists, staring at the closed door. "He's really changed..." she murmured. The old Naruto would have jumped with excitement at being summoned by the Hokage, especially if Sakura had woken him up.

---

Naruto, meanwhile, shuffled to his bathroom. He quickly undressed, stepped under cold water to shake off the last traces of sleep, and emerged a few minutes later feeling slightly more awake. He put on his usual clothes, taking the time to tie his long hair into a neat ponytail.

He glanced at his kitchen, but his stomach only gave a faint protest. He didn't have time for a proper meal. Grabbing a stale piece of bread from the table, he chewed on it absentmindedly as he left his home.

---

The path to Tsunade's office was peaceful, the village just beginning to stir. Naruto passed a few familiar faces but wasn't in the mood to chat. Upon reaching the main building, he climbed the steps and entered the hall.

He immediately noticed Kakashi waiting near Tsunade's office entrance, a book in hand.

"Morning, Naruto," Kakashi greeted casually, not lifting his eyes from his book.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, noting the familiar orange cover of the novel. He smirked slightly, despite his fatigue. "Still reading Jiraiya-sensei's books, huh?"

Kakashi flipped a page before replying, "It's a classic. And you? How've you been? You've been back for a while, but we haven't crossed paths much."

Naruto shrugged. "Busy with missions and my research."

Kakashi closed his book with a snap and tucked it into his pocket. "I heard about your interest in fuinjutsu. Jiraiya would've been proud of you."

Naruto looked away slightly, a shadow crossing his face. "Yeah…" he murmured.

Sensing the shift in tone, Kakashi added more seriously, "You know, he talked about you a lot. He truly believed in your potential."

Naruto took a deep breath and regained his neutral expression. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. That means a lot."

Before their conversation could continue, Tsunade's office door abruptly opened, and Shizune appeared, holding a stack of files.

"Hokage-sama is ready to see you," she said with a polite smile.

Naruto and Kakashi entered the office, where Tsunade greeted them with a nod.

---

"Naruto, Kakashi," she began, crossing her arms. "I have an important mission for you. But first, Naruto, I want to have a quick chat with you."

Kakashi nodded and stepped back slightly to give them space.

Tsunade fixed Naruto with a piercing gaze. "I've heard you've been spending a lot of time in the archives. Any progress?"

Naruto replied with a slight smirk. "Maybe. But you know, Hokage-sama, fuinjutsu isn't exactly an easy science."

Tsunade let out a soft laugh. "You've become so serious—it's almost scary. But I'm glad to see you're giving it your all."

Naruto shrugged. "Gotta make up for lost time."

They talked for a while, alternating between serious topics and light banter. Tsunade appreciated Naruto's playful side, which reminded her of Jiraiya in many ways.

As the meeting wrapped up, Naruto straightened. "One last thing, Tsunade-sama. Any news about Jiraiya-sensei?"

Tsunade's face grew somber. "Not yet. He's still on a reconnaissance mission. But I'm sure he's fine."

Naruto nodded, though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry. After all, his sensei was a legendary Sannin—what could possibly happen to him?

As he left the office to call the others, he encountered Sakura waiting in the hallway. She looked at him.

"Tell Kakashi and the others to come," he said, closing the door without waiting for a response.