The air smelled the same.

  Naruto hadn't expected that.

  He caught it before he even saw the vilge. The unmistakable mix of grilled meat, fresh bread, and old wood, the faint salt of sweat, the distant st of damp fabrig out to dry. Someone nearby was cooking ramen, the thick, savory broth curling through the air, tangled with the sharper, oilier st of fried tempura.

  Then came the sounds.

  The rhythmig of a bcksmith's hammer. The chatter of merts haggling etables and spices. The distant ughter of children, shrill and urained, slippiween the gaps in versation like wind through an open window. Somewhere, someone was arguing loud, drunken, and pletely unbothered by the growi of the afternoon.

  Naruto exhaled slowly, flexing his fingers before adjusting the katana strapped across his back. His grip lingered on the hilt for a moment lohan necessary, before he let his hand fall away.

  His pace didn't ge, but he let himself take it in.

  Three years.

  Three years since he'd walked these streets. Since he'd stood beh this sky. Since he'd called this pe.

  The sun hung high, burning down against his skin, ing him in familiar heat. But the warmth he felt had nothing to do with the weather.

  Somewhere beh his ribs, in the pce he had trained himself to ignore.

  He rolled his shoulders, pushing the feeling down before it could settle.

  Jiraiya was humming something under his breath, something zy and off-key, pletely at ease as they approached the gates.

  The same wood. The same stoh leading in. The same metal reinfort bolted into the structure.

  A..

  It didn't look the same.

  Or maybe he was the one who wasn't.

  The sed they stepped past the gate, Naruto caught movement in his peripheral vision.

  "Stht there!"

  Naruto stilled.

  Izumo and Kotetsu had already moved, stepping forward, hands instinctively h heir ons. Their stance wasn't hostile just sharp, professional.

  Then they saw Jiraiya.

  Their expressions shifted in an instant. Surprise, reition, uanding.

  "Jiraiya-sama?"

  The tension bled out of their shoulders.

  And then their eyes nded ba Naruto.

  One sed.

  Two.

  Their faces said everything.

  "Huh?! Naruto?"

  Naruto's grin was easy. He nodded politely.

  "Hey."

  Izumo blinked. His mouth opehen closed.

  Kotetsu just stared.

  "Alright… you go." Izumo managed, voice a little deyed.

  Naruto didn't linger. He walked past them without another word, Jiraiya at his side.

  They didn't speak right away.

  Naruto's footsteps were too light. That was the first thing. The kind of movement that didn't belong to some loudmouthed idiot who used to stomp through these gates like he owhe pce.

  Kotetsu's fiwitched near his kunai pouot a rea, just a habit. A quiet, instinctual thing. His body didn't like what it couldn't track.

  Izumo noticed.

  "You feel that?" he muttered under his breath.

  Kotetsu exhaled. "Yeah."

  They weren't idiots. They knew what a dangerous shinobi felt like.

  And Naruto.. Naruto felt dangerous.

  Izumo's eyes flicked after him, watg the way his shoulders barely shifted when he moved.

  "What the hell did Jiraiya do to him?" Izumo murmured.

  Kotetsu let out a slow breath. "Not sure. "

  Izumo hummed, thoughtful. Then, just to test a theory, he shifted his weight, mirr the way Naruto had stood just moments ago.

  And weirdly enough… it did something.

  His breathing slowed a little, his muscles settled, but not in a rexed way.

  More like… ready.

  It wasn't a fighting stanot exactly. But it was… closed off. Guarded. Like his body had decided something wasn't safe before his brain even caught up.

  He frowned.

  That was weird.

  Kotetsu g him. "What?"

  Izumo rolled his shoulders, f himself to shake off the tension. "Nothing."

  Jiraiya cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, kid. Let's go. We o meet up with the Hokage."

  Naruto gave a short nod. "Yeah."

  They moved.

  Jiraiya pushed open the office door without knog. Typical.

  Naruto stepped in right after him, his eyes sweeping over the room.

  Tsu at her desk, arms folded, golden eyes locked onto him the sed he entered. She hadn't ged much, maybe a little more tired, but still anding the room without trying.

  And standing beside her was Shizune.

  Naruto barely hesitated, but yeah. She was something.

  She'd always been attractive, but now? Curves in all the right pces, a tight yukata that dipped just enough at the chest, hinting at those big, soft tits. He caught the way her eyes dragged over him, just for a sed, before flig away.

  Noted.

  Tsunade leaned back, unimpressed. "Took you long enough, brat."

  Naruto smirked. "Miss me, Baa-?"

  Her brow twitched. "You're not too old for me to knock through that wall."

  Jiraiya snorted, kig the door shut behind them. "Yep. Same as ever."

  Shizuepped forward, arms crossed. "Three years. You're not even trying to hide it, huh?"

  Naruto tilted his head slightly. "What's the point?"

  Tsuudied him.

  "You look different," she finally said.

  Naruted. "Feel different too."

  She exhaled through her nose, something unreadable passing through her expression.

  Jiraiya flopped onto the cou the er, stretg out like he had nowhere better to be. "Alright, let's get to it. The brat's back, the training was a success, and now he's your problem again."

  Tsunade ignored him. Her focus stayed on Naruto.

  "Report."

  She waited. Expected him to speak.

  He didn't.

  After a moment, he exhaled, scratg the back of his neck. "…Kinda hard to expin."

  Tsunade raised a brow. "Try."

  Naruto frowned slightly, thinking, then shrugged. "I got better."

  Shizune blinked. "That's it?"

  Jiraiya snorted from the couch. "Oh, e on. He's never bee with words." He sat up, stretg befiving Tsunade a zy grin. "Here's the real answer; he's fast, he's precise, and he knows how to finish a fight. He fight alongside most jonin now."

  Tsunade's fiapped against the desk. "That so?"

  Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah. He still cks experience, but raw skill? He's there."

  Before Tsunade could respond, the office door swung open.

  "Tsunade-shishou, I.."

  Sakura stepped in mid-sentehen froze.

  She blinked. Owice.

  "…Naruto?"

  He smirked. "Yo."

  Sakura stared. Mouth slightly open.

  Then just like that her whole face lit up.

  "Naruto!"

  She closed the distanstantly, hitting him,not hard, just a quick, exasperated smack against his arm.

  "You idiot, you're back?! Why didn't you tell me you were ing today?!"

  Naruted. "Didn't know myself."

  She huffed, but her eyes were still bright with excitement.

  Her gaze flicked over him, really looking at him now.

  "You…" Her expression shifted, voice quieter. "You really ged."

  Naruto tilted his head slightly. "That a bad thing?"

  Sakura shook her head, a small smile creeping in. "No. Not at all."

  Jiraiya chuckled from the couch. "Told ya. He gets that a lot."

  Sakura rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't fade.

  Tsunade, watg the whole thing with mild amusement, finally cut in.

  "Since you're here, Sakura," she said, leaning forward, "you'll be seeily how much he's ged. Tomorrow."

  Sakura's brows furrowed. "Tomorrow?"

  Tsunade smirked.

  "Kakashi's testing both of you."

  Naruto's smirk faded slightly.

  "…Wait. What?"

  "You and Sakura vs. Kakashi," Tsunade crified.

  Sakura blinked. "A real spar?"

  Tsunade nodded. "sider it a test. I want to see how far you two have e."

  Naruto exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders. A small, slow gri up.

  "Huh."

  Sakura shot him a look. "What's with that face?"

  Naruto tilted his head. "Just thinking."

  Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Thinking what?"

  His smirk widened slightly.

  "…That this might be fun."

  Shizuepped closer to Sakura, toug her arm lightly.

  "e on," she said softly. "Let's talk for a sed."

  Sakura looked at Naruto for a moment before nodding and stepping away with her.

  Naruto turned back to Jiraiya.

  For a sed, her of them said anything.

  Finally Naruto exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Thanks."

  Jiraiya raised a brow. "For?"

  Naruto gave a small shrug. "Everything."

  Jiraiya studied him for a sed, then smirked.

  "Tch. Don't get all seal on me, brat."

  Naruto chuckled.

  Naruto was about to turn back when he caught something.

  Shizune, just a few feet away, murmuring to Sakura.

  "He is so hot…"

  Naruto tilted his head slightly.

  She was turned slightly away, talking with Sakura, he had the perfegle to check out her ass.

  And damn. The slight sway of her hips as she shifted her weight, the way the fabric g yeah, she was stacked in all the right pces.

  He didn't even bother hiding it.

  Which was why, wheurned and caught him staring—

  Naruto just smirked.

  Shizune's eyes widened slightly. A soft pink dusted her cheeks.

  Then,he winked.

  Shizune's lips parted, like she wasn't sure if she should scold him or say something else, but before she could, Naruto was already moving.

  "Wan a drink ter?"

  Shizune blinked. Her mouth opehen closed. Her face turned red.

  But she swallowed, clearihroat quickly.

  "I—uh—" She g Sakura, atg with wide eyes, then back at Naruto.

  Her lips pressed together.

  "…Yeah. Sure."

  Naruto exhaled slowly, his grip tightening in her dark hair.

  Shizune was on her knees in front of him, naked. Her lips were stretched around his cock, her cheeks hollowing as she bobbed her head, taking him as deep as she could. Wet. Messy. Enthusiastic.

  Naruto's jaw tensed as he looked down, watg the way she worked him over her tongue dragging, her throat flexing, spit dripping down her .

  Fuck, she was good at this.

  His fingers flexed against her scalp, and she moaned around him, her eyes flig up to meet his. Half-lidded. Fucked-out. Like she wanted nothing more than to stay between his legs.

  Naruto smirked. "Didn't peg you for a slut, Shizune."

  She let out a muffled whimper, her thighs pressing together as she sucked harder.

  Naruto chuckled, tilting his head. "That turn you on?"

  She just took him deeper, her fingers digging into his thighs as if daring him to break first.

  His stomach ched. Damn.

  He wasn't expeg her to be like this, so eager, so fug filthy about it.

  "Tsunade know you do shit like this?"

  "Mmm…Slurp..Mmmm…."

  Naruto exhaled sharply, gripping Shizune's hair tighter as he picked up the pace.

  Wet, filthy sounds filled the small kit, the rhythmic sp of his hips against her flushed face, his balls tapping against her with every thrust. The wooden ets rattled slightly behihe faint k of sake cups left fotten on the ter.

  Shizune was a fug mess. Spit dripping down her , strands of dark hair ging to her flushed cheeks, her big tits swaying with every movement.

  Damn.

  He hadn't expected it to be this easy.

  All it took was a little fidence.

  Shizune moaned around him, her nails dragging against his thighs, needy, desperate, like she didn't want it to end.

  Naruto grinned, breath hitg. "Gonna swallow it all, yeah?"

  She whimpered in response, and that was all it took.

  He groaned, burying himself deep, lettiake every drop.

  The room was quiet except for their slow, steady breathing.

  Shizune y sprawled out oon, naked, flushed, utterly exhausted. Her dark hair was a mess against the sheets, her body still humming from everything they'd just done.

  Naruto leaned on one elbow beside her, grinning as he traced zy circles over her bare stomach.

  She barely had the strength to move, but when he squeezed one of her soft, heavy tits, she let out a small, breathy moan, more whimper than protest.

  Naruto chuckled. "You good?"

  Shizune cracked open one eye, smiling sleepily. "I 't feel my legs."

  Naruto smirked. "I'll take that as a pliment."

  She huffed a soft ugh, her hand reag for his, threading their fiogether for a moment.

  Naruto gnced down at it, then squeezed back before leaning in and kissing her.

  Then he pulled away. "I should get back."

  Shizune hummed, stretg out like a satisfied cat. "Mmm… do you have to?"

  Naruto swung his legs over the side of the bed, grabbing his pants. "I'd stick around, but I need sleep if I don't wan my ass kicked tomorrow."

  Shizune propped herself up on her elbow, watg him as he stood. The way her eyes flicked down his body wasly subtle.

  "… we do this again?"

  Naruto gnced back at her. She was still flushed, still glowing, but there was something else in her expression now. A little hesitant. A little shy.

  She swallowed, then tried again, softer. "I mean… if you ever o be… pleased…"

  Naruto's smirk widened.

  He stepped back to the bed, tilted her up, and kissed her again, deeper this time.

  His thumb brushed against her bottom lip. "Sure, Shizune-san."

  She shivered.

  Naruto smirked, then turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him without a sed gnce.

  The door clicked shut behind him.

  Naruto didn't bother with the lights.

  The apartment was quiet dusty, untouched, frozen in time. He could still remember it the way he left it, but now it felt… fn. A space that once beloo someone else.

  It didn't matter.

  He wasn't here to sleep.

  Naruted off his cloak, letting it pool on the floor, then moved to the ter of the room. His boots pressed lightly against the worn wooden boards as he sank down, crossing his legs.

  His back straightened. His breathing slowed.

  And the go.

  Darkness swallowed him whole.

  The world around him faded, peeling away yer by yer—the walls, the floor, the weight of his body, the cept of time itself.

  And then nothing.

  Naruto opened his eyes.

  He was inside his own mind now. Ay room.

  No walls. No ceiling. No horizon.

  Just bess, stretg endlessly in every dire.

  There was no sound here. No chakra. .

  Just the void.

  Naruto exhaled. His breath didn't echo. Nothied here but him.

  This was his rest.

  Not sleep. Not dreams.

  Just this.

  An endless dest into nothingness.

  And so—he let himself sink.

  Deeper.

  And deeper.

  Until he no longer existed at all.

  Chapters 3, 4 and 5 are already posted on my Patreon, you also find illustrations with Shizune.. really hot ones.