I found one possible translated/original name:
Al — kept as original character name because it does not refer to a Naruto canon character.
On the first day of my vacation, I slept until I woke naturally.
No alarm.
No urgent knocking.
No messenger hawk from my editor perched outside the window, glaring at me like I owed it three chapters and a blood sacrifice.
Sunlight had already filled half the room by the time I rolled over in bed. Birds chirped beyond the window, the air was clear, and for the first time in far too long, I did not wake up with the terrifying thought of an unfinished manuscript crushing my soul.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
This was the kind of life a human being was meant to live.
I climbed out of bed slowly, walked to the calendar, and crossed out yesterday's date. Then I stared at the red circle marking the beginning of my vacation for three full seconds before drawing a cheerful little smiley face beside it.
Six months.
A full six months.
For the next 182 days, I did not need to touch a pen, design emotional misunderstandings, arrange dramatic cliff falls, or sit before a blank page at midnight wondering why I had ever chosen the path of literature.
Just thinking about it made the air taste sweet.
Then, in the middle of that beautiful sweetness, I suddenly thought of Naruto.
Last week, when I had been buried under the most painful stage of my deadline, Naruto had come knocking on my door.
At the time, I was trapped at the turning point of the second-to-last chapter. I had pulled out several strands of hair, my eyes had dark circles even a Transformation Jutsu probably could not hide, and my entire soul felt as if it had been kneaded flat by deadlines.
When I opened the door, Naruto stood outside holding a small paper bag carefully in both hands.
"Big sister, are you busy?"
His voice had been bright, but softer than usual.
I looked down at the bag.
It contained a new vanilla pudding from the convenience store.
He had brought it over because he wanted me to try it.
"...Yeah," I had answered, exhausted. "I'm rushing a manuscript."
Naruto blinked once.
Then he gave a quick "Oh," pushed the paper bag into my hands, and immediately stepped back.
"Then I'll come back next week! Good luck, big sister!"
He ran off after saying that.
Halfway down the corridor, he turned back and waved at me with his usual bright smile.
But I saw it.
The moment he turned away, his shoulders drooped slightly.
That was Naruto's habit.
Whenever he pretended not to care but was actually disappointed, his shoulders would fall just a little.
At that time, I closed the door while holding the paper bag that still carried the warmth of his palms. I stood in the entryway for a long while, silently staring at it.
So today, on the first day of my vacation, there was only one correct thing to do.
I was going to feed that kid properly.
I changed into comfortable clothes, searched through the fridge, and packed the pudding I had bought a few days earlier into a small bag.
Strawberry flavor.
Naruto had said that one was better than the original.
Since he had said it with the seriousness of a battlefield commander, I naturally had to respect his expert judgment.
After grabbing my wallet, I headed toward Naruto's apartment.
When I knocked twice, a loud clattering sound came from inside, as if someone had leapt off a chair and knocked something over in the process. A second later, hurried footsteps rushed toward the door.
The door opened only a crack at first.
One blue eye peeked out.
The moment that eye recognized me, the door flew open completely.
"Big sister!"
Naruto's face lit up.
"You've come out of seclusion!"
"...Who taught you the word 'seclusion'?"
"Uncle Ichiraku!" Naruto answered proudly. "He said you hadn't left your house in so long that you must be in deep cultivation!"
I was silent for a moment.
"...Well, I suppose that's not entirely wrong."
Naruto looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
His blond hair was messier than last week, and his shirt buttons had been done up in a way that suggested he had fought them and lost.
But he did not seem to notice.
He was only staring at me as if confirming that I was truly standing there.
"So, big sister, now that your seclusion is over, does that mean you've become a super writer?"
"...Something like that."
I reached out and ruffled his hair.
"Go wash your face and change your clothes. I'm taking you out to eat."
Naruto froze.
"Eh?"
Then his mouth slowly opened.
"Eat out?"
"Yep."
I smiled.
"We're having barbecue."
For one second, he did not move.
Then his eyes widened.
His mouth formed a perfect circle before stretching into a grin so bright it looked like his face might split.
"Barbecue?! Really?!"
"Really."
"That super expensive meat that sizzles when it gets grilled?!"
"Yes, yes. That exact sizzling meat."
"Whoa!"
He spun around and dashed back inside.
After two steps, he suddenly stopped and ran back, almost crashing into me.
"Wash face! Change clothes! I'll be ready in a second!"
Then he darted into the bathroom.
A moment later, half his head poked back out, damp bangs sticking to his forehead.
"...Big sister."
His voice became a little smaller.
"You'll really wait for me, right?"
My heart softened.
I smiled, helpless and indulgent.
"Of course I will."
Only then did he relax.
His head vanished back into the bathroom.
A short while later, Naruto came out wearing a clean T-shirt. His hair was still damp, and one button was misaligned.
I reached out and fixed it for him.
He obediently tilted his chin up, looking exactly like a little golden retriever waiting for praise.
"Alright."
I tapped his forehead lightly.
"Let's go."
"Yeah!"
Naruto skipped ahead, ran back to wait for me, then dashed forward again. He repeated this all the way down the street, his mouth moving without pause.
He talked about Uncle Ichiraku's new limited-edition ramen flavor.
He talked about the one-legged frog he had found in the park last week.
He talked about how he had tried to train it, only for the frog to jump into a puddle and disappear like a true ninja.
I walked behind him, listening and answering every now and then.
Late autumn wind brushed past us with a faint chill, but the sun was warm today. It fell across the street in golden patches, making even Konoha's busy roads feel softer than usual.
The barbecue restaurant was located on the busiest commercial street in the village. A smiling cow was painted on the signboard, and smoke drifted lazily from the chimney, carrying the rich smell of grilled meat.
Naruto stopped at the entrance.
He took a deep breath.
Then he turned to look at me.
His eyes clearly asked, Are we really going inside?
I solemnly took out my wallet.
"Order whatever you want."
I lifted my chin with exaggerated confidence.
"Today's my treat."
Naruto cheered and pushed open the door.
Then we both froze.
The restaurant was packed.
Every table was full.
The heat from the charcoal stoves mixed with the fragrance of sizzling meat. Waiters moved swiftly between tables, carrying plates piled high with fresh cuts. The sound of grilling meat rose constantly, sharp and tempting.
Naruto's shoulders drooped half an inch.
"So many people..."
But he quickly straightened again and looked up at me.
"Big sister, do we have to wait? I can wait! Waiting while smelling the barbecue is also part of the barbecue experience!"
"...Where did you learn that theory?"
"I thought of it myself!"
I scanned the restaurant, trying to see whether any table was almost finished.
That was when I noticed a few familiar figures at a large table against the wall.
Akimichi Choza's broad frame was squeezed into a chair while he studied the menu seriously. Across from him sat Nara Shikaku, one elbow on the table, his posture relaxed and lazy.
Beside the aisle, Shikamaru and Choji sat side by side.
Shikamaru rested his chin on one hand, his face already showing the world's deepest boredom.
Choji, meanwhile, leaned over the table with sparkling eyes, staring at the menu as if it contained the secrets of life itself.
My gaze met Shikaku's.
He raised an eyebrow slightly.
Then nodded.
Naruto noticed them almost at the same time.
"Big sister, it's Shikamaru and Choji!"
Just as he finished speaking, Shikaku waved us over.
"Al."
His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly through the noisy restaurant.
"No seats left?"
"Yeah," I said, walking over. "I didn't expect it to be this crowded."
I nodded to the two children, then politely greeted the adults.
"Uncle Shikaku. Uncle Choza."
Choza smiled warmly and put down the menu.
He looked at me, then at Naruto, who was peeking from behind my side, and patted the edge of the table with his broad hand.
"This place is always busy. We waited quite a while ourselves. At this hour, getting a table won't be easy."
"It's alright," I said. "The waiter said there might be an empty table in about thirty minutes."
Shikaku and Choza exchanged a glance.
Then Shikaku shifted to the side and casually made room on the aisle.
"Share our table."
His tone was lazy, but somehow left no room for refusal.
"It's big enough. We just need two more chairs."
"Yeah!" Choji immediately looked up from the menu, his round face blooming into a big smile. "Naruto, sit next to me! We ordered a lot of meat!"
Naruto did not rush forward.
Instead, he looked up at me first and asked quietly,
"Big sister, is it okay?"
That small question made my chest tighten.
He wanted to go.
Anyone could see that.
His eyes had already drifted toward the plates of meat on the table several times.
But he still asked me first.
Not because he was polite.
Because he was afraid.
Afraid of being unwanted.
Afraid of sitting down somewhere he should not.
Afraid that the warmth in front of him might disappear if he reached for it too quickly.
I gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay."
Only then did Naruto's face brighten.
Choji enthusiastically dragged over a chair for him while Choza asked a waiter to bring one more for me.
Naruto sat beside Choji, his back straight and his hands placed neatly on his knees, looking unusually well-behaved.
Shikamaru glanced at him.
"You're sitting too stiffly."
Naruto immediately relaxed.
Then stiffened again.
Shikamaru sighed.
"What a drag."
Choji pushed a small plate toward Naruto.
"Here, try this first. This cut is really good."
Naruto stared at the piece of grilled meat on the plate.
It was still sizzling, coated with shining sauce, steam curling upward.
His throat moved.
He carefully picked it up with chopsticks and blew on it several times before placing it into his mouth.
The next second, his eyes widened completely.
The expression on his face changed from shock to disbelief, then from disbelief to pure happiness.
"It's so good!"
The words came out muffled because he had not finished chewing.
Choza laughed heartily.
"Eat more, then. Meat tastes best when it's hot."
That single sentence seemed to open some invisible gate.
Naruto finally relaxed.
He ate carefully at first.
Then faster.
Then with the speed of someone who had discovered a completely new world.
Choji was delighted to have a companion who appreciated food with the same sincerity. The two boys soon began discussing which cut of meat was better, which sauce was stronger, and whether rice should be eaten before meat or after meat.
Shikamaru sat beside them, looking completely uninterested.
But whenever the meat on Naruto's side was about to burn, he quietly flipped it over with his chopsticks.
Naruto noticed the third time.
"Shikamaru, you're pretty good at barbecue!"
Shikamaru looked away.
"My dad said burnt meat is troublesome."
Shikaku chuckled.
Choza added more meat to the grill.
The sizzling sound grew louder.
Smoke rose between us, fragrant and warm.
For a moment, Naruto stared at the grill without speaking.
The dancing firelight reflected in his blue eyes.
Then he looked around the table.
At Choji, who was happily eating beside him.
At Shikamaru, who looked lazy but kept moving the meat away from the hottest part of the grill.
At Choza, who smiled whenever Naruto reached for another piece.
At Shikaku, whose casual gaze quietly took in everything without making Naruto uncomfortable.
Finally, Naruto looked at me.
His smile was smaller than usual.
But softer.
"Big sister."
"Hm?"
"Barbecue is really amazing."
I smiled.
"Because the meat is good?"
"That too."
He lowered his eyes to the plate in front of him.
"But also because..."
He paused, as if trying to find the right words.
"...because eating together feels warm."
For a second, no one spoke.
Even Shikamaru stopped moving his chopsticks.
Choza's smile softened.
Shikaku lowered his eyes slightly, his expression becoming difficult to read.
I reached over and placed another piece of meat into Naruto's bowl.
"Then eat more while it's hot."
Naruto nodded hard.
"Yeah!"
The quiet moment passed.
Laughter returned.
The grill continued to sizzle.
The sun outside slowly shifted lower, painting the windows in warm orange light.
By the time we finished eating, Naruto was full enough to lean back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.
Choji looked equally content.
Shikamaru muttered that eating so much was troublesome, though he had not eaten little himself.
Choza paid for his side with practiced ease.
When I reached for my wallet, Shikaku glanced at me.
"Keep it."
I blinked.
"Uncle Shikaku?"
He scratched his cheek.
"Consider it a celebration for finishing your book."
Choza nodded.
"That's right. Writers work hard too."
Naruto immediately looked at me with shining eyes.
"Big sister, you're being celebrated!"
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
In the end, I could only smile helplessly.
"Then... thank you."
After leaving the restaurant, the evening wind was cooler than before, but Naruto walked beside me with light steps.
He held the strawberry pudding bag in one hand and kept glancing back at the barbecue restaurant as if afraid it might vanish.
"Big sister."
"What is it?"
"Can we come again someday?"
"Of course."
His eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Really."
He hugged the pudding bag closer to his chest.
"Then next time, I'll save money too. I'll treat you."
I looked at him.
His face was serious.
Very serious.
As if this promise mattered more than anything.
So I did not laugh.
I only nodded.
"Then I'll look forward to it."
Naruto grinned.
The last light of sunset fell across his hair, making it shine like gold.
For a brief moment, he looked less like the lonely boy everyone avoided and more like what he should have always been.
A child walking home after a warm meal.
A child with someone beside him.
A child who believed tomorrow might be better than today.
And as we continued down the road, I suddenly felt that my six-month vacation had started in the best possible way.
But neither Naruto nor I noticed the quiet gaze watching us from the far end of the street.
Someone stood beneath the shadow of a rooftop, hidden where the sunset could not reach.
Silent.
Still.
Watching.
And then, just as Naruto turned around with a smile and called for me to hurry up, that figure vanished without a sound.