CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 148: I’M WAITING

Chapter 148: I’m Waiting

It was almost like fate.

Rain always seemed to accompany sorrow—as if the skies themselves mourned along with the people below.

A steady drizzle fell over Konoha Village, soaking the rooftops, muffling the noise, and washing away the lingering heat of summer. But instead of bringing relief, it cast a blanket of gray across the land.

Umbrellas bloomed across the streets, mostly black. Villagers in dark robes stepped out of their homes, each holding white flowers, walking slowly and silently toward the memorial.

There were no ranks today.

No clan pride, no elite status.

Just grief.

Even the usually lively food stalls, the bustling stores, and the chatter of children were gone. Only hospitals and essential services remained open. Everywhere else in the village had come to a respectful halt.

No one raised their voice. Whispers, if they existed, were hushed and reverent.

Even Hyuga Hiashi, known for his pride and distance, led the Hyuga clan in a public procession. Whatever people thought of Sarutobi Hiruzen—his mistakes, his decisions, his secrets—none of it mattered right now.

Because until his final breath, the Third Hokage had fought to protect the new generation.

He had inherited the Will of Fire from the Second Hokage and died trying to pass it on.

That alone was worthy of respect.

---

At the memorial site, one by one, the villagers placed white bouquets before the black stone. They bowed deeply, then stepped aside to make room for others.

As the direct descendants of the Sarutobi clan, Asuma and Konohamaru stood beside the grave, bowing respectfully to each mourner in turn.

It was the highest form of funeral in Konoha—one attended by the entire village.

Though Hiruzen had acknowledged his failings in the end, to the people of Konoha, he would always be their Third Hokage.

In stark contrast... no one mentioned Shimura Danzo.

He had vanished without a trace.

Despite days of searching, the only clue to his fate was a battlefield just outside the village. Nothing more.

Some leaders speculated that Hiruzen had left secret orders, perhaps instructing someone to eliminate Danzo before he could interfere with Naruto. His public warning during the final battle—to keep Danzo away from the boy—was proof enough of his distrust.

But with no evidence, the matter was kept quiet.

Truthfully, most didn’t care. Few knew Danzo well. Fewer still remembered him at all.

That was the price of hiding in the dark.

---

"...It’s him."

"..."

"He came..."

The hushed murmurs barely reached above the sound of falling rain.

All eyes shifted for a moment—then quickly dropped.

A subtle stir ran through the gathered crowd before dying out just as fast.

Uzumaki Naruto had arrived.

Wearing a black funeral robe like the rest, he moved quietly through the people. But unlike years past, no one scowled. No one whispered cruel things.

No one dared to look him in the eye.

The same boy they once avoided, feared, and hated now walked among them in silence—and all they could do was step aside.

The whisker marks on his cheeks, once seen as symbols of the demon fox, were still there. But they no longer felt demonic.

They felt human.

So human, it frightened them.

No one tried to meet his gaze. They simply moved away, pretending their avoidance erased what they’d done to him in the past.

Naruto said nothing.

His expression didn’t change. He stepped forward, bouquet in hand, and walked the narrow path opened up before him.

He stopped at the front, in front of the Third Hokage’s gravestone.

He nodded politely to Asuma and the Sarutobi family, then slowly placed his white flowers among the growing pile. Without a word, he bowed deeply.

There were no tears.

No loud wails.

Just a quiet moment of respect.

And then... he stood there, unmoving, for a long time.

No one dared to disturb him.

People began to wonder what he might be thinking. After all, it was no secret he had suffered because of the Third Hokage.

Even so, Naruto stood in silence.

Eventually, he straightened, gave the Sarutobi family another quiet nod, and turned around.

Still not speaking.

Still not crying.

He walked back the way he came.

No one tried to stop him.

And no one spoke.

Not until he was gone.

Then, slowly, the color returned to the memorial.

But no one mentioned Naruto.

Not because they forgot.

But because they didn’t know how to face him.

Not yet.

---

Naruto left the village center behind.

The further he walked, the fewer people he saw. The rain thinned, but the chill remained.

He kept walking.

The life he had grown so used to—the glares, the whispers, the rejection—had vanished overnight.

No one looked at him the way they used to.

And somehow... that made everything feel even stranger.

This "normal" life was unfamiliar.

He felt like an outsider in his own peace.

So, he distanced himself again. Left the crowd. Left the streets.

Unknowingly, he found himself back in the wilderness.

And from there, he climbed the familiar slope—up to the Hokage Rock.

Umbrella in hand, Naruto stood at the top and looked down at Konoha.

His village.

His memories.

This was where he had first met the Third Hokage—so many years ago.

The old man who bought him fish.

The one who gave him his first taste of kindness.

The one who had taught him his first jutsu.

He wasn’t just the Hokage.

He was... the closest thing Naruto had to a parent.

Even if their bond wasn’t official—even if he had secrets—Naruto had never truly hated him.

And now...

He was gone.

A gust of wind stirred the rain.

Naruto’s grip on the umbrella tightened.

"...I knew you’d come."

A voice spoke from behind him.

Warm. Familiar.

Naruto’s confused eyes flickered with recognition.

He turned around and forced a smile. "Thank you for helping me that night, Ryosuke."

The one waiting on Hokage Rock was, of course, Ryosuke. He dropped from the tree branch above, landing lightly. Though the rain continued to fall, he held no umbrella, yet his clothes remained untouched by the damp.

"Looks like things are going well for you," Ryosuke said, scanning him. "With the strength you’ve shown, I’m surprised they’re not watching you."

He had expected Naruto to be under surveillance. With his rapid growth, it was hard to imagine the higher-ups simply turning a blind eye. Originally, Ryosuke assumed that after Hiruzen revealed Naruto’s lineage, they’d increase security—perhaps even use it to manipulate him.

But no one was watching.

"I told them it was my father," Naruto replied, his voice low and unreadable. "Said I saw his silhouette before I fainted. When I woke up, I was beside the Third."

He paused, then continued. "I guess because they reinforced the seal on me, they believed it. Or maybe it’s because everyone knows who I am now. They told me not to take any missions yet... until my father’s teacher returns with the new Hokage."

Naruto chuckled dryly. "Life’s been... easier, I guess. People smile at me. I don’t pay for food. Every meal, someone knocks and leaves hot lunch boxes at my door. They never show their faces. It’s like they’re trying to apologize without speaking."

He sounded like he was describing someone else’s life.

"The world’s fickle," he said. "I can’t say I’m used to it, but I don’t care much anymore."

He looked out at the misty village below.

"What’s stuck in my head... are the last words Grandpa said to me."

"What did he say?" Ryosuke asked.

Naruto gave a faint laugh. "Just... the usual inspirational stuff. ’The Will of Fire’... but I still don’t get why people keep sacrificing themselves for this village. Grandpa third. My father. So many others. Are they all crazy?"

There was no mockery in his tone—just quiet confusion.

Ryosuke slipped his hands into his pockets, his gaze also drifting toward the horizon.

"Maybe it’s just the weight of love," he said. "My love is small. It only has room for the people close to me."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Then mine must be even smaller. Maybe... it only fits you right now."

A long pause.

"...But I have Hinata."

Ryosuke instinctively took a step back.

Naruto blinked, realizing what he just said. "Wait—I didn’t mean it like that."

"I know," Ryosuke said with a smirk, but he still edged away a bit more.

The heavy mood cracked slightly with laughter. Naruto relaxed.

"I’m serious, though. I don’t know who to trust anymore... except you," he admitted, scratching his head.

"Maybe you’re right. Maybe I still lack judgment. I’ve gone through so much recently, I just... overthink things now."

He exhaled deeply.

"If I look at it positively, maybe grandpa wanted to help me—make me his successor by revealing my identity. But if I think the other way... maybe he was binding me with his death. Leaving behind his final words so I’d feel obligated to carry on his will and serve this village."

Ryosuke tilted his head, amused. "So which side do you choose to believe?"

"Didn’t you once tell me that good and bad, right and wrong, aren’t absolute?"

Naruto smiled faintly. "I’ll let time decide. Eventually, I’ll figure it out."

He turned, rain dripping from his umbrella.

"Right now, I’m not interested in being Hokage. Or protecting the village. I just... want to leave. See the world."

Ryosuke raised an eyebrow. "You’re still the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki. You can’t just walk out of the village. Not unless someone trusted by Konoha goes with you."

"You mean... my father’s teacher?" Naruto guessed.

He fell silent.

"They’re sending him to find the Fifth, so they clearly trust him. But... I’m not sure he’ll be kind to me."

"Why do you say that?"

Naruto looked puzzled. "Isn’t it obvious? He’s my father’s master—my so-called grandmaster—but he’s never visited. Not once. Not even when I was a kid. You’re telling me he didn’t know who I was?"

His voice hardened.

"And he used to travel with Orochimaru. What kind of person gets along with someone like that?"

Ryosuke mentally imagined a noble figure... which then quickly morphed into a sleazy old man. Jiraiya’s reputation had layers, to say the least.

From Naruto’s point of view, Ryosuke had to admit—he had a point.

"Let’s talk more after you meet him."

Naruto nodded. Then, unexpectedly, he turned to leave.

This time, he didn’t linger.

"I’d rather fight Sasuke than sit around in this gloomy village. Need to clear my head."

He looked back over his shoulder with a sly grin. "And don’t get too comfortable. Being controlled by you made me realize how many weaknesses I still have. I’m going to catch up. Fast."

Ryosuke chuckled. "I’ll be waiting."

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