With that, they entered the hospital, and as promised, Naruto put on his coat.
Soon, the duties began.
Naruto, being Naruto, attempted multiple escape plans—each one failing spectacularly.
"Nii-san, just accept your fate. You can't escape from her grasp," Karin smirked, glancing at Sakura like she was a living nightmare.
That girl was using them to finish all her duties while she lazily dozed off in between.
"No! I'll never give up! That's my ninja way!" Naruto declared, eyes burning with determination.
Karin clapped dramatically. "Ahh, Nii-san, you're so inspiring! I'm totally cheering for you… from a safe distance."
Their voices, however, had the unintended side effect of waking up Sakura.
"Hey, you two—less talking, more working!" she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
Naruto pouted. "Oi, oi, why are we doing all the work while you're just napping like a princess?"
Sakura smirked, stretching lazily. "Because I worked hard to become Tsunade-sama's apprentice. With great power comes great privilege."
Karin scoffed. "More like with great laziness comes great exploitation."
Naruto groaned as he finished stacking medical supplies. "Tch, I swear, the next time we make a bet, I'm making sure the loser does something way worse than this."
Sakura yawned. "Yeah, yeah, now get back to work, my dear assistants."
Karin leaned over and whispered, "Nii-san, she's gone mad with power."
Naruto nodded solemnly. "We need to overthrow the tyrant."
Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I can hear you."
Both immediately went back to work, whistling innocently.
By the time they finished their work, they could barely walk.
Naruto, despite being more skilled in healing than Sakura, had spent most of his energy treating patients. Karin had been assisting him while also cleaning the rooms, ensuring everything was in order.
Completely exhausted, the two finally collapsed onto a hospital bed, sleep taking them away in an instant.
Sakura watched them, a soft, almost playful smile appearing on her lips. She stepped closer to Naruto, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Leaning in gently, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
Naruto, still deep in sleep, groaned. "Who the hell is licking me? I'm not food…" He drowsily wiped the spot where she kissed him and immediately drifted back to sleep.
Sakura covered her mouth, giggling at his reaction. So cute, she thought, enjoying the moment before she, too, settled into her chair with a content smile.
Karin, half-asleep, muttered, "Oi, Nii-san, stop dreaming about food… we just finished working ourselves to death."
Sakura quickly straightened up, trying to act innocent, but Karin was too tired to even question what had just happened.
Naruto, still half in dreamland, mumbled, "Mmm, ramen… so warm… Ichiraku-san, stop hugging me…"
Sakura stifled a laugh while Karin just groaned. "I swear, food is all that runs through your brain."
Sakura shook her head fondly and whispered, "Sleep well, you two."
Then, with a final glance at Naruto's peaceful face, she quietly left the room, feeling oddly lighthearted.
By the time evening rolled around, both were still fast asleep. Tsunade and Shizune, on their way out, decided to pick up Sakura since there was a big party planned for Naruto's graduation.
When they entered the room where Sakura was stationed, they found a brother-sister pair sleeping peacefully. Their distinct hair colors immediately caught Tsunade's attention.
"Naruto and Karin? What are they doing here? I thought today was their graduation," Tsunade muttered, frowning slightly as she turned to Shizune for an explanation.
Shizune, equally puzzled, shook her head. "I have no idea, Tsunade-sama."
Sakura, standing beside them, chuckled nervously. "Uhh… well, technically, this is my fault."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do explain before I decide whether to scold you or not."
Sakura rubbed the back of her head. "We made a bet… and, well, Naruto lost, so he had to help at the hospital all day. Karin got dragged into it too."
Tsunade crossed her arms, staring at the two sleeping figures. "Hah! So the brat actually worked himself to exhaustion? That's a first."
Shizune sighed. "Lady Tsunade, you should at least wake them gently…"
Tsunade smirked. "Who said anything about waking them gently?"
Sakura took a step back. "Tsunade-sama, please don't—"
Too late.
With a mischievous grin, Tsunade cracked her knuckles and raised her foot before stomping the ground, shaking the entire room.
"WAKE UP, YOU BRATS!"
Naruto and Karin shot up in terror, their hair a mess, eyes wide in panic.
"EARTHQUAKE?!" Naruto yelled.
Karin grabbed onto him. "Nii-san, save me!"
Tsunade smirked. "Nah, just me. Now get up, it's party time."
Naruto groaned, rubbing his temples. "Tsunade, was that really necessary?"
Tsunade shrugged. "Of course. Now hurry up, everyone's waiting!"
Sakura and Shizune just shook their heads, watching as Naruto and Karin, still half-asleep, stumbled to their feet.
Still half-asleep, Naruto and Karin leaned on each other for support, occasionally dozing off even as they walked.
Somehow, they managed to reach home.
The moment they stepped inside, neither of them uttered a single word—they simply collapsed onto the sofa and passed out.
An hour later, both of them stirred awake, stretching groggily—only to freeze instantly.
A shiver ran down their spines as they took in the sight before them.
From Kushina to Kurenai, a whole lineup of people invited to the party were sitting there, staring at them intently—like they had committed some kind of unspeakable crime.
Naruto blinked, still groggy. "Uh… did we miss something?"
Karin rubbed her eyes, looking at the crowd in front of them. Kushina, Kana, Tsunade, Shizune, Kurenai, Yugao, Sasuke, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and even Anko were all standing there, arms crossed, staring them down like they had committed a major crime.
"What… what's going on?" Karin whispered to Naruto.
"I dunno… but I feel like we're about to get scolded," Naruto muttered back.
Kushina stepped forward first, hands on her hips. "So, you mean to tell me you two spent your entire graduation day working at the hospital, passed out from exhaustion, and THEN slept through your own party?"
Naruto gulped. "Uh… technically, yeah?"
"Unbelievable," Tsunade sighed. "Brat, this was supposed to be your big day! We planned this entire party, and you two just—"
"—slept through it like logs," Kurenai finished with a sigh.
Yugao crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "You do realize this party was not just for fun, right? It was to honor your achievement, Naruto."
Anko smirked, leaning closer. "You know, we could punish them for this…"
Naruto's face paled. "O-oi, no need for that!"
Kurenai chuckled. "Anko, don't scare them too much. But really, Naruto, Karin, you both should take better care of yourselves."
Karin groaned, leaning against Naruto. "Nii-san, I think we should just accept our fate."
Naruto sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright! We messed up! But we're awake now, so let's just enjoy the party, yeah?"
Kushina huffed. "Hmph. You better!"
With that, the tension broke, and everyone finally got back to celebrating. But Naruto and Karin knew one thing—falling asleep in the wrong place at the wrong time was a dangerous mistake.
The party continued without any more interruptions.
Naruto was back in full form—dancing, eating, cracking jokes, playing around, and even attempting to sing (much to everyone's amusement).
During dinner, the biggest surprise came when Hinata outmatched Naruto in appetite. Despite his best efforts to reclaim the top spot, he fell short.
"This… this is the only place I've ever been beaten," Naruto muttered dramatically, watching Hinata finish her plate with ease.
After the party wrapped up, it was time to head home. But when asked, the girls revealed they had already gotten permission from their parents to stay over.
Even Kurenai, Anko, and Yugao decided to stay the night.
With everyone settled, the only problem left was sleeping arrangements. The house was packed, and all the available rooms were already full.
The only space left was Naruto and Karin's room, but sharing it wasn't an easy decision.
Kushina hesitated before speaking. "Hinata, Sakura, Ino… the only room left is Naruto and Karin's. Are you okay with sharing it?" she asked, knowing it wasn't exactly ideal for girls to sleep in the same room as a boy.
To her surprise, the answer came almost immediately.
"Okay, Oba-san! We'll take that room," Sakura said casually, while Hinata and Ino nodded in agreement.
Kushina blinked. "Wait, what?"
She expected at least some hesitation—especially from Hinata, who used to faint just from being near Naruto. But nope. The girls had already agreed, and from the way Ino smirked, she definitely had an ulterior motive.
Naruto, on the other hand, nearly fell over. "EH?! Hold on, hold on, you're all okay with this?!"
Sakura shrugged. "It's just for one night, Naruto. Don't tell me you're scared?"
"Scared? Me?!" Naruto scoffed, crossing his arms. "Pfft, as if! I just—uh…" He turned to Karin, hoping she'd back him up.
Karin yawned and stretched. "Not my problem, Nii-san. I already sleep in your room anyway."
"EXACTLY!" Naruto pointed at her. "See? It's already cramped in there with the two of us! How can we fit three more?!"
Kushina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Naruto, it's a big room. And we don't have any other choice."
Hinata nodded, surprisingly composed. "We'll… just sleep, Naruto-kun. Nothing inappropriate."
Ino grinned. "Unless you had something else in mind, Naruto?"
Naruto sputtered. "Wha—NO! NOTHING LIKE THAT!"
Kushina looked at Kurenai, Anko, and Yugao for backup, but they weren't helping.
Kurenai just chuckled. "It's harmless, Kushina. Let them be."
Anko grinned. "Besides, this is way more fun to watch."
Yugao simply nodded. "As long as they're comfortable, there's no issue."
Kushina groaned. "Why do I feel like this is a bad idea…?"
Naruto, meanwhile, was still struggling to process everything. Karin leaned in and smirked.
"Oi, Nii-san, you're blushing~"
"I AM NOT!" Naruto yelled, face completely red.