Chapter 7:A Place to Stay
The air inside Iruka's home was still warm with the lingering scent of dinner. Plates had been cleared, and the relaxed conversation had faded into a comfortable silence. Standing by the door, Kurenai and Hinata prepared to leave, the evening having stretched longer than expected.
Naruto, rubbing his belly from eating way too much, let out a satisfied sigh and started heading toward the door.
Just as he was about to step outside, Iruka's voice cut through the air.
"You know, I have an extra room. You can stay here if you want."
The words froze Naruto in place.
His entire body stiffened, as if Iruka had just told him he was the new Hokage.
"W-what…?" His voice cracked slightly as he slowly turned around, eyes wide in disbelief.
Iruka shrugged, playing it off as if it wasn't a big deal. "You heard me. No need to go back to that empty apartment if you don't want to."
Naruto's lips parted slightly, his fists clenching at his sides. "No one's ever… done something like this for me before."
His voice trembled. His breathing hitched.
The next second—
BAM!
Naruto lunged forward, slamming into Iruka with a hug so tight it nearly knocked the older shinobi off his feet.
"Oof—!"
Naruto buried his face into Iruka's vest, his shoulders shaking. "Thank you…"
Iruka stiffened for a moment, completely caught off guard. He hesitated before awkwardly raising a hand and patting Naruto's back.
"Alright, alright, enough waterworks. You're getting my shirt all wet."
From the doorway, Hinata lowered her gaze, clutching her sleeves. Seeing Naruto like this… it made her heart ache.
Kurenai, standing beside her, let out a soft sigh. Her red eyes studied Iruka, an unreadable expression on her face.
"He's… different. Not many people would do this for him."
After a few moments, Naruto finally pulled back, rubbing his nose.
"Heh… sorry about that, Sensei."
Iruka smirked. "Just don't make a habit of crying on me."
Naruto grinned, his usual energy returning. "No promises!"
With that settled, Naruto rushed off to check out his new room, his excited voice echoing down the hall.
Hinata glanced after him with a small, happy smile, her pale eyes filled with quiet warmth.
Kurenai turned to Iruka, hesitating for just a second before speaking.
"You're taking a big step, Iruka," she said softly. "Not many people would invite Naruto into their home."
Iruka scratched the back of his head. "It just… felt right. The kid deserves better."
Kurenai studied him for a long moment. Then, almost imperceptibly, a small smile tugged at her lips.
"You know… that kind of kindness isn't common in this village."
Iruka shrugged, his tone light. "Maybe more people should try it."
Kurenai's smile deepened slightly. "Maybe they should."
She turned to leave but then paused mid-step, glancing at him again.
"I might stop by again."
Iruka raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
Kurenai, ever composed, answered smoothly, "I'm a Jonin. I can help with training."
Then, as she turned away, she mumbled under her breath,
"…And the food wasn't bad."
Iruka caught that. His smirk widened. "Right."
Kurenai didn't look back, but the way her stride quickened slightly made it clear she knew he'd heard.
Behind her, Hinata gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, agreeing with her sensei's words. But as she left, she stole one last glance at Naruto's new home, hesitating for just a moment before following Kurenai into the night.
The Next Morning
The first rays of dawn peeked through the window as Iruka groggily sat up, stretching his shoulders with a yawn. His body still felt sore from yesterday's training, but at the same time… he felt good.
Before he could even process his thoughts, his system window popped up.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[Good morning, User. It is recommended that you check your status and allocate your available points.]
'Right… the system.'
Iruka sighed, rubbing his temples. 'Alright, show me my status.'
A screen flashed into existence before his eyes.
-----------------------------
[STATUS WINDOW]
[Iruka Umino]
Level: 12
Title: NoneClass: ChuninHP: 2,400/2,400Chakra: 3,500/3,500
Stats:
Strength: 14 → 17
Dexterity: 16 → 18
Endurance: 18 → 21
Chakra Control: 18 → 19
Intelligence: 15 → 16
Haki: Locked
Available Stat Points: 10 → 0
[Skills:]
Ninjutsu Proficiency (B-Rank)
Shurikenjutsu (B-Rank)
Barrier Ninjutsu (C-Rank)
Body Flicker (B-Rank)
Sensor Ability (B-Rank)
Fire Release (C-Rank)
Water Release (C-Rank)
Yin Release (C-Rank)
Intermediate-Swordsmanship (B-Rank)
--------------------------
Iruka frowned at one particular stat. 'Why the hell do I have a Haki stat? And why is it locked?'
[The Haki stat is currently inaccessible. Requirements must be met before unlocking it.]
'And what are those requirements?'
[Error: Requirements not met. Access denied.]
Iruka sighed. 'Figures. Guess I'll have to find out on my own.'
[It is advised that the user focus on existing strengths. Would you like assistance in stat allocation?]
'Let's see how much stronger I feel—'
A warm sensation spread through his body. His muscles tensed, then settled into a new equilibrium. His chakra felt smoother, his stamina deeper.
'That's... weirdly satisfying.'
[Training is advised to fully adapt to changes.]
'Yeah, yeah, I get it. Let's get to work.'
Operation: Wake Naruto Up
Iruka stretched before heading toward Naruto's room.
Inside, Naruto was sprawled out on the futon, snoring like a wild animal. His limbs were splayed everywhere, mouth wide open, drooling onto the pillow.
Iruka smirked.
Then, he took a deep breath—
"NARUTO! WAKE UP!"
"GAH—!"
Naruto shot up like he had been electrocuted, flailing wildly before rolling off the futon and face-planting onto the floor with a loud thud.
"W-what?! Are we under attack?!" he shouted, eyes still half-closed.
Iruka stood at the doorway, arms crossed, unimpressed. "No, but you will be if you don't get moving."
Naruto groaned, rubbing his head. "Man, Sensei, you almost gave me a heart attack…"
Iruka rolled his eyes. "Freshen up first. Then we eat. After that, we train."
At the word eat, Naruto's stomach let out a monstrous growl.
"…Breakfast first," he corrected with a sheepish grin.
Iruka chuckled, shaking his head as he walked toward the kitchen.
'This is going to be an interesting month.'