Naruto : a hero's journey

Satoru left the arena with a sigh of relief, grateful the day's matches were finally over. His body was sore, but his mind was focused on one thing: his hair.

The lingering smell of burnt strands had become unbearable, and even though his burns needed treatment, they were nothing compared to the disaster that was his hair.

Keiko caught up with him, noticing the singed patches. "Satoru, you should really go to the doctor first. Those burns need to be treated!" she insisted, concern evident in her voice.

Satoru waved her off, "It's just some light burns. I'll be fine." He pointed to his head, "But this... this needs immediate attention."

Keiko crossed her arms, sighing in exasperation as Satoru made a beeline for the nearest barber. She muttered under her breath, "Boys and their priorities..."

At the barber shop, the barber took one look at Satoru's hair and shook his head. "Kid, there's not much I can do here. Only one option if you want to look decent again."

Satoru sat down with a resigned nod. "Go ahead. Just... make it quick."

A few minutes later, Satoru walked out with a fresh buzz cut. His reflection in a nearby window showed a clean, short style that wasn't half bad.

At least it didn't smell like burnt hair anymore. 'Not my first choice, but better than looking like I stuck my head in a fire pit,' he thought, touching the newly shaved parts.

With his hair problem out of the way, Satoru headed straight to Mitsuki-sensei's house. He needed to clear his mind and focus on what came next, and there was no better person to help him with that than her.

When he arrived, he knocked lightly on the door, wondering what sort of training or wisdom Mitsuki had in store for him this time.

Satoru entered Mitsuki-sensei's house, his body aching from the burns and bruises, but a satisfied grin on his face. He set the box of dangos down on the table before sinking into the couch. Mitsuki soon entered the room, noticing his singed clothes and the faint marks on his skin.

"Looks like someone's had a rough day," she said, plopping down next to him. Without missing a beat, she grabbed one of the dangos from the box and took a bite. "So, what happened to you?"

Satoru chuckled, stretching his arms. "Well, I won my fight against Chosuke. He was tough, but I managed to trick him into eating a poison soldier pill. Took him out cold." He let out a small sigh of relief, leaning back on the couch as Mitsuki reached over and started healing the burns on his arms.

As her hands glowed with a soft green light, they chatted about various things, letting the atmosphere ease from the earlier tension of the battle.

"So, when are you going to ask Keiko out?" Mitsuki asked, her tone teasing but curious. Satoru's face went red immediately.

"Well… I don't know. I mean, I've been thinking about it, but with everything going on, it's hard to find the right moment," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his newly buzzed head. "I don't want to rush things, you know? But it's not like I'm not interested or anything."

Mitsuki raised an eyebrow. "You're overthinking it. Just ask her when you feel ready. She's been around you long enough to know you, Satoru. And besides, the longer you wait, the harder it gets."

Satoru nodded, feeling a little more confident. "Maybe after this tournament, then. Once things calm down a bit."

The conversation shifted naturally after that. " Speaking of the tournament, after this you'll become a genin. What about your future as a shinobi? You've been working hard, but where do you see yourself going?" Mitsuki asked, finishing up healing the last of his burns.

Satoru pondered for a moment. "I guess I'm still figuring that out. There's a lot I want to achieve, but honestly, it's tough to keep up with everyone else. I'm making progress in my training, but I still have a long way to go before I can compete with guys like Sakumo and Tatsuo."

Mitsuki gave him a reassuring smile. "You're doing just fine. Everyone progresses at their own pace. The important thing is that you don't lose sight of your own path. Besides, you've made great strides in chakra control, and your strategies in battle show that you're clever. You'll catch up."

"Yeah, maybe." Satoru smirked, feeling a bit more motivated.

"And what are your friends doing?" "Dai's always so full of energy, but Tatsuo's been getting stronger too. He's going to be tough to beat if I end up facing him in the tournament."

Mitsuki chuckled, "Tatsuo's always been a hard worker, but you've got what it takes to give him a run for his money. Just don't let up on your training."

Satoru nodded, letting the warmth of Mitsuki's healing chakra soothe his body and mind. "Thanks, Mitsuki-sensei. I needed this."

"Anytime, Satoru. Now, rest up. Tomorrow's another day."

As Mitsuki finished healing the last of Satoru's burns, she stood up and stretched her arms, letting out a small yawn. "By the way, Satoru, I'll be there to watch your next matches. Can't miss out on seeing my student in action," she said with a grin.

Satoru's face lit up. "Really? You'll come? That's awesome!" The thought of Mitsuki cheering for him gave him an extra boost of confidence. Her support meant a lot, especially considering all the training they had done together.

Mitsuki gave a light nod. "Of course. I'm curious to see how you'll handle the rest of the tournament. Plus, it'll be fun to watch the others squirm."

After a few moments of silence, she glanced at him and added, "You look tired. Why don't you take a nap here? I've already healed you, so you'll feel better after some rest."

Satoru, still feeling the weight of the day, smiled, "Thanks, Mitsuki-sensei. I could use a bit of sleep."

She grabbed a spare blanket and pillow from a nearby closet, handing them to him as he settled down on the couch. "Make yourself comfortable," she said, turning off a few lights and closing the curtains.

Satoru wrapped himself in the blanket, resting his head on the pillow. "You're the best, Mitsuki-sensei," he mumbled as his eyes grew heavier.

"Get some rest, kid. Tomorrow's another big day," she replied softly before walking out of the room, leaving him to his well-earned nap. As the quiet settled in, Satoru quickly drifted off, feeling safe and at peace.

The next day, Satoru found himself back in the stadium, watching as more people filed into the audience stands. He sat next to Hiten, who casually handed him some snacks.

"Here, take these. You'll need some energy for today's match," Hiten said with a grin.

Satoru, grateful for the gesture, was about to take a bite when, out of nowhere, Chosuke swooped in, snatching the snack from his hand and eating it whole.

"Hey!" Satoru exclaimed, wide-eyed. 'How did he sneak up on me like that? Was he holding back during our fight?' The thought troubled him. He had won against Chosuke, but now, seeing him move so quietly, Satoru wondered if the Akimichi had more tricks up his sleeve.

Hiten, on the other hand, simply sighed and brought his hand to his face in exasperation.

Satoru, confused, turned to him. "Why are you facepalming?"

Hiten smirked, trying to hold back his laughter. "Well... there's a bet between me and Hajime that you'd lose your match yesterday."

Satoru raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Hiten continued, still chuckling. "Hajime thought you'd win, so to make it interesting, I added a little something to the snacks I gave you."

Satoru's stomach dropped. "What... kind of something?"

Hiten couldn't contain himself any longer and burst into laughter. "A harmless little poison that makes you fart non-stop for hours."

Satoru stared in horror at the snack in Chosuke's hand. "Wait… so Chosuke just ate that?!"

Chosuke, meanwhile, was happily munching on the last of the snack. "Man, that was delicious—what was that, by the way?"

Satoru's instincts kicked in, and he bolted from the scene, yelling, "I'm out!"

Chosuke, now realizing the situation, paused mid-chew. "Wait… what did you say was in this?!"

Hiten, barely able to breathe from laughter, waved him off. "Just a little gas-inducing poison. No big deal."

Deeply offended, Chosuke glared at the now-empty snack bag in his hand. "You mean to tell me the best-tasting food I've had all week was poisoned?!" His outrage only fueled Satoru's sprint as he ran for his life, not wanting to witness the consequences of his friend's prank.

Satoru finally stopped running and glanced back. From a safe distance, he could see Hiten apologizing profusely to Chosuke, who clearly wasn't in the mood to accept any apologies. Chosuke, in his frustration, decided on a unique form of payback—he sat on Hiten with all his Akimichi might.

Satoru winced as he heard a faint cracking sound from across the stadium. 'Did... Did something break?' he wondered in horror. Hiten's eyes widened, and even from far away, Satoru could see the look of utter betrayal on his face.

Things took a sharp turn when Chosuke, still sitting on Hiten, stood up and... pulled his pants down.

Satoru froze. 'This is not happening.' But it was happening. The entire stadium began to clear out as people rushed for the exits, some barely holding back their gag reflexes. The sheer force of Chosuke's gas attack had sent a wave of terror throughout the area.

Satoru's face was a mixture of disgust and disbelief as he whispered, "He defiled him..."

Before he could process what had just happened, he saw medics rushing in, some of them wearing masks to avoid the noxious fumes. A few unlucky spectators had to be escorted to the hospital, barely able to walk. And Hiten? Hiten lay there motionless, defeated in every possible way.

His brother, who had shown up to take him to the hospital, was doubled over in laughter, completely unbothered by his sibling's suffering.

"Man, I knew you were bad at pranks, but this takes the cake!" he laughed, barely able to stand.

As Hiten was carried off, Satoru shook his head. "I'm... I'm never eating snacks from Hiten again."

As the chaos in the stadium finally settled and the smell of Chosuke's unfortunate "attack" dissipated, the audience slowly made their way back to their seats.

Sakumo Hatake and Tatsuo stepped onto the ring, both competitors exuding a quiet confidence.

Satoru, sitting from the sidelines, leaned forward. He had already seen Sakumo in action. Tatsuo, always one to rise to a challenge, seemed unshaken, his usual calm demeanor in place as he prepared to face his opponent.

The referee signaled the start of the match,