The summer heat settled over Konoha long before noon.
Even the workshop seemed quieter than usual.
The old carpenter had both doors open, hoping the breeze would wander inside.
It refused.
Kamui stood over a workbench, carefully fitting two pieces of cedar together.
“They’re not lining up.”
“They are.”
“No, they’re definitely not.”
The old carpenter walked over, glanced once at the wood, then lightly pushed one end with his thumb.
The joint slid perfectly into place.
Kamui stared.
“…I was outsmarted by two millimeters.”
“You were outsmarted by impatience.”
Daichi laughed without looking up from his own work.
“You’ll get used to hearing that.”
“I was hoping I wouldn’t.”
The afternoon drifted by in the steady rhythm of chisels and hammers.
Then footsteps echoed outside.
Nobody looked up.
Visitors came often.
A familiar voice called from the doorway.
“I’m here.”
Naruto.
He didn’t ask permission anymore.
He simply leaned his Academy bag against the wall and sat on the same wooden crate he always chose.
Kamui looked over for only a moment.
“Long day?”
Naruto nodded.
“Math.”
“…My condolences.”
Naruto gave him a tired thumbs-up.
The conversation ended there.
Kamui returned to his work.
Naruto watched.
Neither seemed bothered by the silence.
About half an hour later another shadow appeared outside.
This one didn’t step inside.
Shikamaru stood beneath the eaves, hands in his pockets.
He wasn’t looking for Kamui.
He was looking for Naruto.
“There you are.”
Naruto turned.
“Oh.”
“My bad.”
“I forgot.”
“You were supposed to meet me.”
“I know.”
Shikamaru sighed.
“…Troublesome.”
Naruto scratched his head sheepishly.
“I got distracted.”
Shikamaru followed his gaze toward the workshop.
He watched Kamui carefully shaving thin curls of cedar from a board.
The old carpenter adjusted a cabinet door nearby.
Daichi was sanding a tabletop.
Nobody was talking.
Only the quiet sound of work filled the room.
Shikamaru frowned slightly.
“…You come here to watch people work?”
Naruto shrugged.
“I guess.”
“…Why?”
Naruto opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
After a few seconds he frowned.
“I don’t know.”
The answer surprised even him.
Shikamaru stepped inside.
Not because he was interested.
Mostly because standing in the sun was annoying.
He leaned against a support beam and watched for a while.
The silence stretched.
It wasn’t uncomfortable.
Just…
Quiet.
Finally Kamui put down his plane.
He looked at the two boys.
“Which one of you is Shikamaru?”
Shikamaru blinked.
“…Me.”
“I’ve heard about you.”
Naruto looked confused.
“You have?”
Kamui nodded.
“The old man says there’s a kid who keeps borrowing books from the library about board games.”
Shikamaru looked genuinely surprised.
“…He knows that?”
“The librarian talks.”
“…Of course she does.”
Kamui smiled.
“I was expecting someone older.”
“I get that a lot.”
The old carpenter carried over a small wooden box.
Inside were dozens of oddly shaped offcuts.
Different sizes.
Different woods.
He placed the box on the floor.
“Sort them.”
Naruto looked inside.
“…Why?”
“So I don’t have to.”
Naruto immediately protested.
“I’m not working here!”
“No.”
The old carpenter nodded.
“You’re helping.”
“That’s the same thing!”
“It isn’t.”
Daichi hid another laugh.
Kamui wisely returned to sanding before he became the next target.
Shikamaru crouched beside the box.
Instead of complaining…
He began arranging the pieces by shape.
Naruto simply tossed similar-looking blocks into random piles.
After a minute Shikamaru stopped.
“…That’s inefficient.”
“It works.”
“It doesn’t.”
“It does.”
“It really doesn’t.”
Naruto folded his arms.
“Then you do it.”
“…Fine.”
Five minutes later…
The floor held neat rows of cedar, pine, oak and maple.
Large pieces together.
Small ones together.
Even the oddly shaped scraps had their own pile.
Naruto stared.
“…You actually enjoy this?”
“No.”
Shikamaru replied.
“I just dislike messy things more.”
The old carpenter walked over.
He studied the piles.
Then looked at Shikamaru.
“Hm.”
That was all.
He carried the box away.
Naruto frowned.
“…That’s it?”
“What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know.”
“‘Good job,’ maybe?”
Daichi spoke without lifting his head.
“If Father says ‘Hm,’…”
“…that’s basically a standing ovation.”
Kamui nodded seriously.
“I’ve been chasing two ‘Hm’s in a row for weeks.”
The old carpenter didn’t even turn around.
“Keep chasing.”
The sun was beginning to set when the boys finally left.
Naruto waved as usual.
“See you tomorrow!”
Kamui looked up from the cabinet he was assembling.
“Probably.”
Naruto grinned.
“That means yes.”
“It usually does.”
The two boys started down the road.
After a while Shikamaru glanced back.
“…I think I understand.”
Naruto looked at him.
“Understand what?”
“Why you come here.”
“You do?”
Shikamaru nodded.
“…Nothing happens.”
Naruto waited.
“…And somehow that’s nice.”
For once…
Naruto didn’t have an answer.
He simply smiled.
“…Yeah.”
“It is.”
The two boys continued home as the workshop disappeared behind them.
Inside, the steady rhythm of hammer and chisel continued into the evening.
Just as it always had.