The workshop was unusually quiet that morning.
Not because there wasn’t any work.
Because there wasn’t any urgent work.
The old carpenter walked through the yard with his hands behind his back, inspecting a freshly finished cabinet.
He stopped.
Ran one rough finger across its surface.
Nodded.
“It’ll do.”
Daichi let out the breath he’d been holding.
“I thought you’d find something wrong.”
“I did.”
Daichi stiffened.
“The left door squeaks.”
“…I can fix that.”
“You will.”
Kamui leaned against a stack of lumber, trying not to laugh.
The old carpenter glanced at him.
“What are you smiling at?”
“You.”
“Why?”
“I’ve figured it out.”
“Figured out what?”
“You aren’t difficult.”
The old man raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“You’re just physically incapable of giving a compliment.”
Daichi immediately turned away, covering his mouth.
The old carpenter stared at Kamui for several seconds.
Then…
“Hmph.”
He walked off.
Kamui pointed triumphantly.
“There!”
Daichi laughed.
“What?”
“That ‘hmph’ was basically ‘excellent work.'”
“It was not.”
“It absolutely was.”
By noon, the day’s work was finished.
The old carpenter untied his work apron.
“Go.”
Kamui blinked.
“…Go where?”
“I don’t care.”
“I thought you enjoyed my company.”
“I enjoy the silence after you leave.”
Kamui sighed dramatically.
“You’ve broken my heart.”
“It’ll recover.”
Daichi shook his head.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Kamui waved as he left the workshop.
“Try not to miss me too much.”
Neither of them answered.
He took that as a victory.
The afternoon sun warmed the village.
Children ran through the streets carrying wooden swords.
Two elderly women argued over whose pickled vegetables were better.
A dog slept peacefully beneath the shade of a cart.
Kamui wandered without purpose.
He liked walking.
A village revealed itself differently when you weren’t rushing somewhere.
You noticed little things.
The flower shop that always placed fresh bouquets outside.
The old man who fed stray cats at the same time every afternoon.
The tiny bridge where children gathered to skip stones.
It wasn’t the Konoha from battles.
It was the Konoha worth protecting.
“…Not bad.”
He smiled to himself.
A loud yell shattered the peaceful afternoon.
“YOU MISSED!”
“I DID NOT!”
“You totally did!”
Kamui turned toward the commotion.
A group of children had gathered near an empty training field.
In the center stood Naruto.
His face was streaked with dirt.
A bucket lay overturned nearby.
Water soaked the ground.
Across from him, three older academy students were laughing so hard they could barely stand.
“You call that a prank?”
One of them wiped tears from his eyes.
“My grandmother throws better traps!”
Naruto clenched his fists.
“It would’ve worked if you hadn’t moved!”
“You tied the rope to the wrong tree!”
More laughter.
Naruto’s ears turned red.
“Tch…”
Without another word, he marched toward the nearest tree.
The other children continued laughing behind him.
Kamui leaned casually against the fence surrounding the field.
“…Interesting.”
Naruto spent the next several minutes examining branches.
Measuring distances with his hands.
Muttering to himself.
Then…
He climbed.
Higher.
Higher.
Kamui folded his arms.
“Ambitious.”
Naruto balanced on a branch, carefully tying one end of a rope.
“So far…”
“So good.”
He climbed farther out.
The branch bent.
A little too much.
Kamui winced.
“…That’s optimistic.”
Naruto reached just a little farther—
Crack.
“Oh no.”
The branch snapped.
Naruto dropped.
The rope wrapped around his ankle.
Instead of falling to the ground…
He ended up hanging upside down.
Silence.
The children burst into laughter.
Naruto flailed wildly.
“STOP LAUGHING!”
One boy pointed.
“You’re the prank now!”
That only made everyone laugh harder.
Naruto groaned.
“This is the worst day ever…”
A slow clap echoed across the field.
Everyone turned.
Kamui applauded with complete sincerity.
“That…”
Clap.
“…was…”
Clap.
“…an impressive failure.”
Naruto stared.
“…What?”
“I’ve never seen someone accidentally prank themselves.”
“I DIDN’T DO IT ON PURPOSE!”
“I know.”
Kamui nodded seriously.
“That’s what makes it memorable.”
Even a few of the other children chuckled.
Naruto pointed accusingly.
“You’re making fun of me!”
“I absolutely am.”
Naruto let out an indignant noise.
“I thought you were on my side!”
Kamui tilted his head.
“Who said I had to choose sides?”
He walked over beneath the tree.
Looking up, he examined the knot around Naruto’s ankle.
“Hm.”
Naruto crossed his arms—or tried to.
It was difficult upside down.
“…Well?”
“What?”
“Help me!”
Kamui looked thoughtful.
“I could.”
Naruto brightened.
“…But.”
Naruto’s smile disappeared immediately.
“…There’s a ‘but?'”
Kamui pointed toward the knot.
“How long did it take you to tie that?”
Naruto blinked.
“…Five minutes?”
“That’s a pretty solid knot.”
“I practiced.”
“It shows.”
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
“Are you complimenting my knot while I’m hanging upside down?”
“Yes.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
Kamui laughed.
“I’ve been told.”
Finally, he reached up and loosened the rope.
Naruto dropped the last foot to the ground, landing awkwardly on both feet.
He rubbed his ankle.
“…Thanks.”
Kamui nodded.
“You’re welcome.”
Naruto dusted himself off before glaring at the other children.
“They’re still laughing.”
Kamui looked over.
“They probably will for a while.”
Naruto groaned.
“My reputation’s ruined.”
Kamui looked genuinely confused.
“You had a reputation?”
Naruto froze.
The other children laughed even harder.
Even Naruto couldn’t stop himself.
“…You’re awful.”
“I’ve had worse reviews.”
Later that afternoon, the training field had emptied.
Only Kamui and Naruto remained.
Naruto skipped a stone across a small pond.
It bounced once.
Then sank.
“…Lame.”
Kamui tried.
His skipped four times.
Naruto looked offended.
“How’d you do that?”
“I grew up throwing stones.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You shouldn’t.”
Naruto blinked.
“…Wait.”
Kamui grinned.
“I actually did.”
Naruto threw another stone.
This one bounced twice.
“…Ha!”
“Improvement.”
Naruto looked at him sideways.
“You always talk like that?”
“Like what?”
“‘Improvement.'”
Kamui picked up another pebble.
“I think people notice failure too easily.”
He tossed the pebble.
Five skips.
“So I like noticing improvement instead.”
Naruto stared at the ripples spreading across the pond.
He didn’t answer.
Not because he disagreed.
Because nobody had ever said something like that to him before.
Kamui stood.
“Well…”
“I should get back before the old man thinks I’ve run away.”
Naruto snorted.
“He’d probably be happy.”
“You’ve met him?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know?”
Naruto grinned.
“I know your type.”
“My type?”
“The annoying kind.”
Kamui laughed so loudly that birds scattered from a nearby tree.
“Fair enough.”
He started walking.
After a few steps, Naruto called out.
“Hey!”
Kamui looked back.
Naruto hesitated.
Then scratched the back of his head.
“…Tomorrow…”
“You working again?”
“Probably.”
Naruto nodded.
“…Okay.”
He didn’t know why he’d asked.
Kamui didn’t ask either.
He simply smiled.
“See you around, Naruto.”
This time…
Naruto answered without thinking.
“Yeah.”
“…See you.”
As Kamui disappeared down the road, Naruto sat back beside the pond.
He picked up another stone.
This one skipped three times.
Naruto grinned.
“…Improvement.”
He liked the sound of that word.
Even if he’d never admit where he’d heard it.