Getting the Phone
Naruto sat slumped at his desk in the Hokage office, rubbing his eyes. It had been a long night—another all-nighter spent reviewing and finalizing mission reports for filing. His exhaustion weighed heavily on him, and the growing stack of papers only worsened his mood. He was behind schedule, and it wasn’t just affecting him. Shikamaru’s workload was piling up too, as Naruto’s delays were now bleeding into his responsibilities.
To be fair, Naruto thought, not all of the delay was his fault. Some of the mission reports had been sent to him incredibly late. Despite the post-war advances in technology, where most ninjas now submitted their reports via fax, email, or even text, many still had a way of missing their deadlines. He sighed, grateful that at least when the reports did come in digitally, it was easier to copy, paste, and fill in the gaps before sending them off to Shikamaru for final review.
Still, there was one exception to the modern convenience that stood out like a sore thumb—Sasuke Uchiha.
While most of the shinobi world had transitioned to more modern methods of communication, Sasuke remained firmly rooted in the past. Every time one of his mission reports came in, it was delivered by either a snake or a crow, carefully wrapped in a scroll. And every time, Shikamaru never failed to voice his annoyance.
"Why don’t we just give him a phone or something?" Shikamaru had grumbled one day, watching the messenger bird swoop in through the window. "I mean, the whole bird thing? It’s so analog."
Naruto laughed, even though he found it a little inconvenient as well. "Come on, Shikamaru. You know Sasuke has no idea how to use one of those things. He can still barely talk to people. Maybe someday we can teach him, but for now…Eh I dunno, I kinda respect his style. It’s just… Sasuke, ya know?”
Shikamaru looked at him deadpan. "Yeah, well, it’s a pain when I have to wait for you to transcribe all of his reports by hand. We could really speed things up around here," Shikamaru had muttered, though he eventually let it drop.
Most days, Shikamaru accepted the inconvenience with his usual stoic patience. Meanwhile, Naruto found himself typing out the lengthy mission reports Sasuke sent from the field. But this time was different.
A few days ago, another crow had flown into the Hokage’s office, delivering yet another scroll with Sasuke’s scrawled report. Normally, Naruto would just grit his teeth and start typing it up into the digital database, but today he was already drowning in overdue reports and couldn’t afford any more delays.
As he unrolled the scroll and began reading Sasuke’s report, Naruto realized there was a critical question he needed to ask—something that couldn’t wait. The only problem was that he had no way to immediately contact Sasuke unless he went into sage mode and tracked him—which seemed extreme even for him. The bird had just arrived, which meant it would take another two or three days for it to make the return trip, and that was assuming Sasuke was even in the same location by then.
Frustration boiled up inside Naruto. If only Sasuke could be reached instantly, like everyone else! A quick message or call, and the problem could be solved within minutes. Instead, here he was, stuck waiting, with no guarantee of when he’d get a response.
Naruto glanced at the scroll again, feeling the weight of the task ahead. Unlike the other shinobi’s reports that were sent digitally, allowing him to easily copy and paste the text into the final documents, Sasuke’s handwritten scrawl required him to painstakingly transcribe every word. (He understood however how difficult it must have been for Sasuke to relearn how to write with only one hand though). Because Sasuke’s missions were highly classified, there was no one else who could do it. Only the Hokage and his top advisor were permitted to see the infamous Uchiha’s reports.
He let out a long sigh. The manual work was tiring, but more than that, the constant waiting for communication had become a burden he could no longer afford. For the first time, Naruto seriously considered what Shikamaru had suggested all along.
Maybe it *was* time to sit Sasuke down and teach him how to use a phone.
The next morning, as Naruto made his way into the office, the decision had solidified in his mind. When Shikamaru arrived, he wasted no time bringing it up.
"You know, Shikamaru, I’ve been thinking. You were right—Sasuke needs a phone," Naruto said, folding his arms across his chest. "I mean, we can’t keep doing things this way. It’s slowing everything down, and honestly, I’m too tired to keep transcribing these reports."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased. "Finally. I was wondering when you’d come around."
Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I’ll talk to him the next time he’s in the village, but I’m going to need your help. Sasuke’s not exactly… tech-savvy."
Shikamaru smirked. "Don’t worry. I’ve already thought about it. If anyone can figure out how to get Sasuke on board, it’s us. We’ll make it happen."
Naruto smiled. It wouldn’t be easy, but they were finally on the same page. The idea of Sasuke actually using a phone was amusing, but necessary. If they could pull it off, it would make their lives a whole lot easier— and not just for Naruto and Shikamaru, but for everyone who was trying to stay connected to Sasuke.
Now, all that was left was to convince the man himself.
———————————————————————
“So what you’re saying is that all Sasuke has to do is input a minimal amount of his chakra into the phone, and it’ll automatically charge?” Naruto asked, leaning forward with a mix of excitement and curiosity.
“Yes, exactly!" Katasuke Tōno, the Hidden Leaf’s chief of science, nodded enthusiastically. "And with some advanced reverse engineering, I was able to ensure that no matter where Sasuke is, he’ll be able to receive service thanks to our top of the line solar technology. As long as the sun’s hitting him, he’ll have reception! I have to say, this might be some of my best work yet.”
Katasuke stood in Naruto’s office, proudly presenting his invention. Both Naruto and Shikamaru were listening intently, intrigued by the scientist’s latest creation. They had been brainstorming ways to get Sasuke to communicate more easily, and this custom phone seemed like the perfect solution.
“Wow, that’s awesome, Katasuke-san. Thanks for your hard work!” Naruto grinned, his enthusiasm almost palpable. "So, as long as there’s sunlight, we can reach Sasuke, no matter where he is?"
“That’s right!” Katasuke replied, clearly enjoying the Hokage’s excitement. “As long as the sun’s shining, he’ll be able to send and receive messages instantly.”
Shikamaru, who had been quietly listening, raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. “But what about at night? We can’t always rely on daylight, especially with Sasuke traveling through different time zones or areas without sunlight.”
Katasuke hesitated, as if expecting this question. “Ah… yes, that was the part I was hoping to avoid. You see, while the solar tech works perfectly during the day, nighttime is a bit more complicated. I’ve added a feature that allows Sasuke to have service using the phone using moonlight—under one condition."
“Moonlight?” Naruto blinked. “What’s the condition?”
“To harness the power of the moon, Sasuke would need to activate his Sharingan,” Katasuke explained, adjusting his glasses. “We couldn’t fully test this feature, though, since we don’t have any other Sharingan users to replicate the conditions. Sasuke’s the only one, aside from his daughter, with the ability.”
Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I see. So, the phone could get reception at night, but only if Sasuke is using his Sharingan. That sounds a little risky for regular use.”
“Exactly. I’d suggest using that feature as a last resort,” Katasuke agreed. “I figured there’s a slim chance you’d need to reach Uchiha-san during the night, given most people are usually asleep. But, the option is there if absolutely necessary.”
Naruto leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Well, it’s better than nothing. And if we can catch him during the day, we should be fine. But yeah, if we ever need to reach him at night… Well, let’s hope he’s in a good mood to use his Sharingan.”
Shikamaru smirked slightly. “Knowing Sasuke, he’ll probably be annoyed at the idea of using the Sharingan just to take a phone call. But still, it’s a good backup plan.”
Katasuke smiled proudly, though he remained a little uncertain about the moonlight feature. “Hopefully, you won’t need it often, as there aren’t too many dead spots left throughout the Shinobi world, but I’m confident it’ll work in a pinch.”
Naruto glanced out the window, feeling optimistic. “Now it’s just a matter of teaching Sasuke how to actually use the phone. That’s probably going to be the hardest part.” He scratched his head, remembering how stubborn Sasuke could be when it came to technology. “Did he tell us when he’d be back in the village?” he asked, turning to Shikamaru.
Shikamaru nodded. “Yeah, he mentioned he’d be in either today or tomorrow. Let’s hope it’s today—this way we can give him the rundown while we’re still on a roll.”
“Great! The sooner we can get him on board, the sooner we’ll stop having messenger birds flying into the Hokage’s office,” Naruto said, grinning. “Not that I don’t appreciate the old-school style, but this phone will make everything way easier.”
Katasuke clapped his hands together. “Once Sasuke-San gets the hang of it, I believe it will streamline communication immensely. No more waiting days for reports or relying on birds and scrolls. And who knows? Maybe this could pave the way for other ninjas in the field to adopt chakra-based technology.”
Shikamaru leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his usual thoughtful look crossing his face. “That might be the trickiest part. Sasuke’s not exactly the type to embrace change… but if anyone can convince him, it’s you, Naruto.”
Naruto laughed. “Yeah, convincing Sasuke to change his ways? I’ll believe it when I see it.” Still, he was hopeful. It was a small step toward bringing Sasuke closer to the village, even if only in spirit.
“Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” Katasuke said, bowing slightly before heading for the door. “I’ll leave the prototype here for you, Hokage-sama. Let me know how it goes.”
“Thanks, Katasuke-san. I’ll let you know as soon as we’ve got him on board!” Naruto waved as the scientist left the room, then turned back to Shikamaru. “So, are you ready for this? We’re about to introduce Sasuke Uchiha to the world of smartphones.”
Shikamaru chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, this is going to be interesting.”
————————————————————————
The day dragged on, and still, there was no sign of Sasuke.
“I guess he’ll be swinging by tomorrow then,” Naruto said with a smile. Even though Sasuke always kept him waiting, Naruto didn’t mind. After all, he’d waited years for him—what was one more day?
“Looks that way,” Shikamaru replied, stretching his arms behind his head. “Well, it’s getting late, and I promised Temari I’d be back at a respectable time tonight.” He shuddered at the thought of her fury if he didn’t keep his word.
Naruto chuckled. “No worries, Nara. I can finish up the rest. I should head out soon too.”
As Shikamaru turned to leave, Naruto called after him. “Oh, before I forget—do you think it’s okay if I tell Boruto about this?”
Shikamaru stopped in his tracks and shot Naruto a disapproving look.
“I know, I know,” Naruto said quickly, “but imagine how excited Boruto would be! And Sarada—she’d be overjoyed at the idea of being able to message her dad whenever she wants! Besides, Sasuke doesn’t *have* to respond right away. He can reply whenever he feels like it.”
Shikamaru just stared at him, clearly unconvinced.
Naruto pressed on, his voice taking on a pleading tone. “Come on, Shika-chan. With a cherry on top? Pleaseee?” He flashed his best attempt at a puppy-dog look, one he’d perfected over the years.
Shikamaru sighed deeply. “What a drag,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. He knew Naruto only ever used that nickname when he really wanted something. “I’ll think about it, okay? It’s risky letting Boruto or Sarada know. We still have to consider Sasuke’s safety, not to mention keeping his whereabouts confidential. But…” Shikamaru paused, rubbing his temples. “Sasuke’s not the type to carelessly give up sensitive information anyway, I suppose.”
Naruto continued staring at him, maintaining his wide-eyed, pleading look.
Shikamaru groaned. “Fine. Tomorrow, okay? After we get Sasuke set up with the phone, I’ll give you an answer. That’s assuming he actually shows up.”
Naruto grinned brightly. “Awesome, thank you Shika-Chan!” he teased, knowing exactly how to push Shikamaru’s buttons.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Shikamaru replied with an eye roll, already heading toward the door. “Just don’t be late tomorrow. And stop calling me that.”
“I won’t!” Naruto called out jokingly to both of Shikamaru’s statements.
With a final wave, Shikamaru left the office, leaving Naruto alone. The silence in the room suddenly felt heavier, a stark contrast to the easy banter they had shared just moments ago. Naruto sighed, glancing at the remaining paperwork scattered across his desk. At least he was almost done.
Quickly, Naruto wrapped up the last of his tasks, filing away the mission reports and making a mental note of the few things he still needed to address in the morning. The office felt strangely empty without Shikamaru’s presence, but he was grateful for the silence.
Once everything was squared away, Naruto grabbed his jacket and headed out into the cool evening air. The village was still bustling, even as the sun dipped below the horizon. He waved at a few villagers as he made his way home, finally arriving just after dinner.
As he stepped through the door, he was greeted by the warmth and familiarity of his family. Though the day had been long, Naruto felt a sense of peace. Tomorrow would be a new day, and maybe—just maybe—Sasuke would finally show up.
He couldn’t help but smile at the thought.