CHAPTER 2 : The Lone Uzumaki

A/N : And here is the second chapter~😁 Thank you all those who have come back here to read my story. Thank you all for taking out time to read this book.(*⌒３⌒*)

Uzumaki Naruto, the son of the current Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was all set for the upcoming week and his new job as the assistant to the Physical Education teacher at Konoha High. He had been searching for a new part-time job for a while now because he wanted to be self-dependent. He had already bought a small apartment for himself last Wednesday, which was a 10-minute walk from his home and half an hour away from Konoha High, the school from which he graduated.

After sorting out all other things, he rang up his grandmother, Senju Tsunade, during school hours in the morning, three days prior to this Monday. She was the Principal of Konoha High during his high school years and still held that position.

FLASHBACK

"O baachan!" Naruto excitedly yelled over the phone.

"Oh! Naruto! What's the special occasion?" Tsunade sounded surprised. Naruto had never called her during school hours, especially not on the school's landline.

"Well...I was just wondering if you could, maybe, you know, hire me for a job, dattebayo."

"Why so suddenly? Plus, you just turned 19 some time ago...what job can I offer to a 19-year-old at the school? You wanna be a janitor, you brat!"

"Absolutely! Do you need a janitor?! I'll happily be the janitor for ya, dattebayo!"

"Hmm...well, I can't have a knucklehead looking after the building of my precious school. God knows what you will end up doing to it," Tsunade answered in a mocking tone after she had taken a moment to think. However, Naruto understood why she had been reluctant to give him the job. She already knew that Naruto was preparing for his government exams, and making him a janitor would be too much work for him. It especially wouldn't help him one bit with the exams. Naruto chuckled sheepishly over the phone and sighed before there was complete silence.

'Please, o baachan, I know you will have something I can do'

Naruto's mind was begging for Tsunade to give him some kind of work. None of them spoke for a while before Tsunade broke the anxious silence between them.

"Well, I do have a job that you can do, and it'll help you in more than one way," Tsunade said.

"What is the job?" Naruto asked nervously. He had sensed the slight mischief in Tsunade's voice.

"I want you to help Gai-sensei conduct P.E. classes. Become an assistant coach for the students here. That way, you can earn money and even train yourself for the physical test with the kids here. Then, when you go home, you can study and do whatever. Also, I'll pay you fairly. What do you think?" Tsunade concluded with a smirk Naruto could hear from the other side of the call. He thought about it for a moment and found that it was a particularly good offer, and he had no reason to deny it.

"OK! I am up for the job, dattebayo! Thanks, o baachan!" Naruto said while grinning, gratitude dripping from every word he had spoken. Tsunade asked Naruto to start from the coming Monday. Naruto was now done with everything. Only shifting his stuff from his home to his new apartment was left, which he thought could be done later.

END OF FLASHBACK

Naruto went to the shoe rack and put on his black and orange Air Jordans, which completely matched his outfit of the day. He had worn an orange puffer jacket over a black cotton turtleneck and black cargo pants. He had also put on an authentic forehead protector made of navy blue cloth and a metal plate, over which the symbol of the city of Konoha was carved. Having a parent working in the government did have quite an effect on him. He had slowly started loving Konoha since the day his father became the Hokage. However, that hadn't always been the case for Naruto. There was a time when the younger Naruto had become determined to prove that everyone in the city was wrong.

After getting fully dressed for his new job at his old school, Naruto looked at the photo frame that he had hung near the door on the wooden wall. He let his gaze linger over the picture of a beautiful man with pale skin, short black hair, and ebony eyes. He carefully took in the details of his feminine figure in the picture, who stood beside Naruto, wearing a black crop top and smiling ever so slightly.

'Sai...'

Naruto thought, a sad sigh escaping his lips. A lonely smile crept across his face as he gently placed his long fingers over the picture of Sai, as if the frame would break with any more pressure. He then kissed the fingers that had just touched Sai.

There has never been a single day when he has not missed Sai, his ex-boyfriend. It has been almost two years since his accident. Sai's death had a profound impact on Naruto; he was completely devastated. Sai was his most amazing love, his only guide, and the only one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He had dated Sai since he was 15 years old. Sai and Naruto had a lot planned for their lives as adults. They wanted to travel the world together, start a family, adopt a child, and whatnot. But now, Naruto was left alone in this huge world, and he planned to stay that way. He believed that what happened with Sai was all his fault. He had completely drowned himself in self-blame and regret, so much so that he had decided never to give a chance to love again.

'Sai will be my only one for the rest of my life...I dont need anyone else.'

Such were his thoughts, because of whom, Naruto had become completely lonely. He had always refused to admit it, though, whenever his godfather, Umino Iruka, or any of his other friends would try to talk him out of his guilt.

'Oh shoot I am going to be late'

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts when his alarm rang indicating that it was already eight and he was late.

"I'll be back by the evening,"

Naruto muttered in his low, raspy voice, never averting his gaze from Sai's picture. Naruto grabbed the keys to his bike from the shoe rack and rode his way to Konoha High.

Upon reaching the school, he greeted all his senseis with a wide grin, showing all his teeth. He walked up to the principal's office and, after notifying Tsunade's personal assistant, Shizune, of his visit, he walked up to the door and knocked on it twice.

"Come in."

Naruto entered the room with a bright smile on his face, greeted Tsunade, and took a seat in front of her despite her not offering him one.

"Naruto...you were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago,"

Tsunade informed him with a sigh as she closed the file she was reading and pulled out her glasses. She then looked Naruto in the eye. Naruto knew that she was waiting for an explanation. Although she was Naruto's granny, she had always been very particular about everything. Naruto chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head before answering.

"Well, the tires of my bike started rolling while I was on my way."

"Oh...wait! You brat! You think I'm joking!"

Tsunade had lost her calm demeanor. She grabbed the file she had been going through earlier and hit Naruto on the head multiple times with it. Naruto was laughing and enjoying the whole thing, but to be honest, Tsunade's hits hurt, even if she was joking. After calming down again, Tsunade continued.

"Well, since you're here now, go to Gai sensei. I've already informed him of your new tasks. You can start your work right away. Your pay will be less than that of a full-time teacher, but not by much. Now you may proceed with your day, Naruto."

She gave him a mature smile, which Naruto gladly returned. He pushed back his chair and got up to leave. He stood there for a while and asked something that surprised even Tsunade, despite her being his grandmother.

"Say, O Baachan, it's not a burden for you to pay me, right?"

Naruto didn't want favors from her. He wanted her to need him there at school. Tsunade widened her eyes at the question for a moment but soon returned her face back to normal.

"You know me, Naruto. I swear upon my gambling skills that I won't jeopardize the standards of Konoha High in any way. I believe in you. You are young and promising, extremely talented in your field. In Gai sensei's terms, we need youthful people like you."

Tsunade answered in a serious and reassuring tone. Hearing her say that, all of Naruto's doubts withered away. He flashed a smile at Tsunade once again and headed for the staff room to find Gai sensei.

Tsunade watched him as he left and closed the door behind him.

'You've grown up well, Naruto, my boy. I hope you find happiness again.'

A/N : If you are reading this, then thank you all so much for continuing this book and reading another chapter🥹 I love you all and am very very grateful. I hope you all keep supporting me! Also, please decide on a name for me to address you all...you seems very vague. Of course if you all want a name that is. I am not very good with these things so please help me out (*'-')See you all in next chapter!!Author sound out~✌🏻