"Senpai, you're laughing, so that means you forgave me, right?" Naruto teased, flashing his usual grin.
Tenten's face reddened slightly at his words, but she quickly composed herself. Crossing her arms, she smirked. "Naruto, you didn't even bother to inform me about this little trip," she said, flipping the situation to her advantage.
Naruto blinked. "Eh? But you weren't even here."
"You could've told me yesterday," she countered.
"But the decision was made on a whim last night! You can ask Karin!" he said, trying to shift the blame.
Karin, however, was having none of it. "Tenten, I have no idea what he's talking about," she said before swiftly making her escape.
Naruto shot her a betrayed look. Karin simply smirked from a safe distance, making little gestures to further annoy him—which worked.
Sighing, Naruto turned back to Tenten. "Senpai, you can even ask Tsunade," he tried again, desperate to defend himself.
Tenten shook her head. "No excuses. Even if it was last-minute, you could've at least come and told me in person."
Naruto knew there was no way out. Admitting defeat, he sighed before bowing slightly. "Alright, I get it. I should've informed you, and I'm sorry, Senpai."
Tenten crossed her arms, satisfied. "Hmph. At least you know now."
Naruto sighed dramatically. "Man, being a guy is tough."
The old man from earlier, who was still getting nagged by his wife, overheard and gave Naruto another knowing nod of sympathy.
Karin, watching the whole exchange, smirked. "Well, nii-san, you've learned an important lesson today."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah… When in doubt, just apologize."
Tenten chuckled, finally letting go of her irritation. "Alright, I forgive you. But next time, don't forget me, got it?"
Naruto grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, senpai."
With that, their training returned to normal.
After training, They decided to play volleyball.
Tenten, Karin, and Naruto formed one team, while Hinata, Ino, and Sakura were on the other. Sasuke, somehow, got dragged in as the referee—not that he had any idea how that happened.
Standing at the sidelines with his arms crossed, he sighed. "I don't even know why I agreed to this."
Meanwhile, as they played, Tenten glanced at Naruto. "Naruto, I'll be graduating in six months. After that… we probably won't see each other as much," she said, her tone carrying a hint of sadness.
Naruto just grinned. "Why worry about the future, Senpai? Just enjoy the present! There's even a saying—'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.'"
The others turned to him, staring as if a saint had just descended.
"Naruto… were you a monk in your past life?" Ino asked, completely baffled.
"I don't know," Naruto replied, tilting his head, genuinely confused as to why she was asking.
Tenten shook her head with a small smile. "I swear, sometimes you sound way too wise for your age."
Naruto grinned. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises."
Karin smirked. "More like full of nonsense."
Ino nudged Tenten playfully. "Anyway, don't worry too much. Even if you graduate, you'll still see him around. Knowing Naruto, he'll probably pop up at your place uninvited."
Tenten laughed. "That does sound like him."
Naruto pouted. "Hey, what's with this 'Naruto does this' and 'Naruto does that' talk? I feel like I'm being ganged up on."
Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can we just get on with the game?"
Karin rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Let's get back to playing before the 'great sage' starts giving more life lessons."
With that, they all refocused on the game, laughter echoing across the field as they played, momentarily forgetting about the future and simply enjoying the present—just as Naruto had said.
Six months passed in the blink of an eye.
Tenten had officially graduated from the Academy and was now a full-fledged genin. Her instructor? None other than Might Guy—the Green Beast of Konoha himself.
Naruto grinned as he spoke to her, "Senpai, your sensei is a Taijutsu specialist. If you held a contest for the strongest in Taijutsu, Guy would be number one. Everyone else—including Tsunade—would come after him."
For Naruto to praise someone this highly, the person had to be truly exceptional.
As the others listened, they imagined what Guy might be like. Meanwhile, Naruto recalled a memory from the future—a moment that had sent chills down his spine. The legendary Ghost of Uchiha, Madara himself, had declared that Guy was the strongest opponent he had ever faced.
Just thinking about that scene was enough to give anyone goosebumps.
The night of Tenten's graduation was a celebration filled with laughter, food, and endless teasing. Since Naruto insisted on hosting it at his home, everyone was invited, and the place was packed with their usual chaotic energy. Tenten had initially suggested having it at her house, but Naruto had stubbornly refused.
The next day.
After hearing Naruto's high praise for Might Guy, Tenten had been more eager than ever to meet her new sensei. She had imagined an awe-inspiring warrior, radiating power and strength, someone who would push her limits beyond anything she had known before.
Reality, however, was pure disappointment.
There, in front of her, was Might Guy—tears streaming down his face as he dramatically hugged his mini-clone, Rock Lee, both sobbing uncontrollably about the "flames of youth."
Tenten twitched. I will get you for this,
Naruto… she swore internally.
Meanwhile, across the village, Naruto—who was either training or playing around—suddenly shuddered. A chill ran down his spine as if something terrible was about to happen.
Almost three years had passed.
Now, it was finally time for Naruto and his classmates to graduate.
As expected, Naruto passed the graduation test effortlessly. In fact, he didn't even attend it himself—he just sent a clone in his place.
Karin had warned him multiple times to show up in person, but he had, of course, ignored her and sneaked out like always.
Over the years, everyone had transformed into true warriors, honing their skills through relentless training.
Naruto, in particular, had undergone a remarkable change. With his unusual height growth, he had matured into a fine young man—his once-boyish features now sharpened with experience and strength. His presence alone was enough to turn heads, and with both his looks and power evolving, it wasn't surprising that many found themselves drawn to him.
But it wasn't just his outer appearance that had changed—his inner strength, his aura, had become something else entirely.
Karin had transformed into a fine young lady.
To the outside world, she carried herself like a boss—sharp, cold, and commanding respect with just a glance. But in front of Naruto, that facade crumbled instantly. No matter how much she changed, she was still his little sister at heart, always looking up to him.
Her body had also developed differently compared to her original self. Gone were the days of a frail frame—years of training and a normal lifestyle had given her a well-toned yet feminine physique. Her once-small assets had grown too, though not excessively—just enough to be considered above average.
Her long, flowing red hair framed her features beautifully, and in many ways, her figure was a perfect mix of both Kushina and her mother, Kana. She carried that Uzumaki pride with elegance, strength, and just a bit of mischief.
Hinata had grown into a noble young lady—graceful, elegant, and radiating an aura of quiet strength. If one had to put it into words, she was nothing less than a kind princess. Her compassion, which had always been her defining trait, hadn't diminished over the years—it had only deepened.
But the timid, shy girl she once was? That part of her had been left in the past. Now, she stood with confidence, no longer hesitant to speak her mind or take action. This was the biggest change Naruto had worked towards for years, and it had been a complete success.
Among all the girls, Hinata undeniably had the most… generous proportions. However, she always covered herself with a hoodie-like outfit, keeping her figure hidden. When the others asked why she did this, she would simply smile and change the topic.
But in truth? Those were only for Naruto to see. Of course, when Naruto himself asked about it, she somehow managed to come up with a convincing excuse every single time.
Sakura remained as confident as ever, but after years of training, that confidence had only grown stronger. However, when she was with her friends, she was still the same easygoing girl—always ready to laugh, tease, and enjoy life.
During these past years, she had become Tsunade's apprentice, choosing to work under her rather than forming a regular team like the others. Of course, there were other reasons for this decision—ones she wouldn't admit out loud.
Let's just say… compared to the rest of the group, her assets weren't exactly on the larger side. That might have been her initial motivation for choosing Tsunade as her mentor, but over time, she genuinely developed a passion for Iryō Ninjutsu. What started as a way to "fix" her insecurities turned into a dedication to healing and iryo ninjutsu, and now she was one of the most promising iryo-nin in training.
Ino, who was always butting heads with Sakura, hadn't changed much in that regard. Their fights still happened—just on a much larger scale now. But behind all the rivalry, their bond had only strengthened over the years.
She had grown into a formidable kunoichi, her mind techniques sharper than ever, and her physical abilities weren't far behind. Even her father was taken aback by her transformation—proud, yet mildly terrified of what his daughter had become.
Ino had also embraced her inner menace, evolving into a full-fledged teasing queen. And, of course, her favorite target? Naruto.
The two had developed a back-and-forth banter where neither backed down, their verbal sparring almost as intense as their training.
When it came to assets, she wasn't quite on Hinata's level, but she definitely had more than the others. And that, more than anything else, was what had pushed Sakura to become Tsunade's apprentice. After all, if there was a medical secret to enhancement, the best place to learn it was under the greatest iryo-nin in the world.
And then there was Sasuke. He had grown into a fine young man—tall, composed, and as cold as ever. His stoic demeanor made most people hesitate to approach him, but Naruto, being Naruto, never had such issues. If anything, he was the only one in their age group who could casually walk up to Sasuke and annoy him without getting incinerated by a Chidori.
In terms of strength, he had already reached Kage level and beyond—without even unlocking his Mangekyō Sharingan. The thought of what he could become after awakening it? No one knew. And frankly, most people preferred not to think about it.