Kapitel 101: Who Isn’t a Princess?
The quiet village of Konoha was shrouded in a peculiar stillness. Staring blankly at the pristine, almost luminous white ceiling, Naruto Uzumaki sighed deeply after reflecting on the recent events involving Sasuke Uchiha.
The night of the Uchiha massacre had been dry—no rain to wash away the blood of an entire clan, annihilated by their own kin and Obito Uchiha. Not a single tear could be shed for them.
Sasuke, one of the few normal members of the Uchiha clan, had been twisted and molded into his current state by the extreme actions of Itachi Uchiha. Truly, Itachi's ruthlessness knew no bounds.
This also meant that Itachi likely planned for Sasuke to inherit his eyes all along.
"Things just keep getting more complicated..." Naruto muttered.
Sitting up in bed, he cast a wary glance toward the door, feeling an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
"Damn Itachi Uchiha," he cursed under his breath.
Dragging his feet, Naruto shuffled toward the bathroom to freshen up.
Tsunade had reminded him the previous day that he needed to report back on their recent mission. Every one of the six team members was required to submit a report—after all, it concerned the defection of Konoha's sole remaining Uchiha.
...
The Hokage's office was eerily empty. Sunlight streamed through delicate, flower-patterned curtains, slightly swaying in the breeze.
Thud!
Naruto threw his pen onto the desk.
"Ugh, I really don't feel like writing this," he groaned, slumping lazily in the plush office chair.
"What did you just say, brat?"
The sharp clack of high heels echoed rhythmically in the hall. Tsunade burst through the door, her assistant Shizune trailing close behind. Tossing a stack of documents onto the desk with a bang, Tsunade grabbed Naruto by the collar, effortlessly lifting him off the chair.
"I... I said Lady Tsunade looks beautiful today!" Naruto choked out, his face turning red from lack of oxygen.
"Enough!"
Tsunade tossed him back into the chair, leaving him gasping for air.
"You've spent half a day on this report, and the first sentence was written by me! Do you have a death wish?" she scolded, her voice full of frustration.
Recalling how Tsunade had given him the Grasscutter Sword for protection a few days ago, Naruto quickly straightened up and apologized.
"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade. I'll get it done right away."
Tsunade sighed, collapsing into a nearby chair. Shizune prepared some tea and approached Naruto, but Tsunade waved her off.
"Let him get it himself," she ordered.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shizune responded, stepping aside with a polite nod.
Naruto hesitated for a moment, unsure of the mood, before cautiously pouring himself a cup of tea.
"Why are you acting so timid? I'm not going to eat you," Tsunade snapped.
"It's not that... I'm just a little injured," Naruto admitted sheepishly. "But you seem a bit more... intense than usual, Lady Tsunade. Did something happen?"
Tsunade shot him a glare. "Why did you take her fan?"
"Her fan?" Naruto blinked, confused.
Tsunade rubbed her temples in exasperation, gesturing toward Shizune.
Stepping forward, Shizune explained, "Shortly after your departure, Lady Tsunade requested assistance from the Sand Village. While their leaders agreed, Kankuro's puppets were damaged by Sasuke and are still being repaired. Additionally..."
Shizune paused, locking eyes with Naruto.
"The Sand Village claims you stole Temari's fan. Without it, she's nearly defenseless in battle. They're concerned about Gaara supporting Konoha alone and fear..."
"Fear what?" Naruto interrupted, raising an eyebrow as he sipped his tea.
"They worry that if their next Kazekage is further humiliated by Konoha's shinobi, the situation may escalate. In extreme cases, it could trigger the emergency protocol agreement signed by the Second Kazekage and Konoha."
Naruto spat out his tea in shock. "Konoha and the Sand have something like that?"
"Yes, and it's set to expire in three years," Shizune replied.
"This is absurd," Naruto muttered. "We're shinobi! What's wrong with sparring with Gaara?"
"Don't underestimate past Kages, you fool!" Tsunade snapped. "If those warmongers were still alive, Konoha would've been obliterated long ago."
Naruto sulked, muttering under his breath about Tsunade's own apparent disregard for the past Kages.
"And you!" Tsunade leaned forward, slamming her hands on the desk. "As a man, you only took one fan? Do you even care about Konoha's reputation?"
"Huh?" Naruto blinked, utterly lost.
"Stealing just one fan makes us look bad!" Tsunade exclaimed. "In such situations, you should've taken whatever you wanted! Sand couldn't have said anything afterward—it's the way of shinobi battles!"
Naruto was left speechless, his mind spinning at Tsunade's brazen suggestion.
"Never mind," Tsunade sighed, her anger simmering. "Just return the fan and put an end to this."
"Where should I return it?" Naruto asked hesitantly.
...
Standing outside a hotel adorned with garish pink neon signs, Naruto glanced around nervously.
"Isn't this a bit too... private?"
Spotting Anbu on the rooftops and Sand shinobi stationed at the hotel entrance, Naruto realized he'd come to the right place.
"Seriously, Tsunade..." he muttered, shaking his head at her antics.
As Naruto approached the entrance, a Sand shinobi blocked his path.
"Stop," the shinobi ordered coldly.
Naruto braced himself, expecting hostility.
"Please change into these shoes before entering," the shinobi added, gesturing toward a pair of disposable slippers.
"...Such hospitality," Naruto muttered, rolling his eyes as he complied.
Led by a hotel staff member, Naruto eventually arrived at a room on the third floor.
Knocking on the door, he waited.
After a moment, footsteps echoed from within. The door opened to reveal Temari, standing with her arms crossed. Her piercing gaze swept over him with thinly veiled disgust.
"Pervert," she muttered.
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