Chương 214: Chapter 213 A Story Always Starts With a Half-Bottle of Soda

"You…" Naruto sighed, feeling helpless around her. "Let's not talk about this."

"Don't want it? Like being someone's personal belonging or something?" Sakura said, with her hands behind her back, "I don't mind. It's not like I have anyone I like."

"No, I don't want that." He refused firmly.

"Is that so? What a shame." She smiled softly. "I just wanted to share my feelings with you. You know, even when you're sick, medicine can be administered through the mucous membranes, right?"

"What kind of weird mood is this?"

"A mood like April, quite humid." Sakura showed a mischievous expression, her pink hair disheveled by the wind. She was already slender, and her hair color made her skin look even more delicate and fair.

The clouds began to gather densely. Naruto glanced at the thin booklets scattered far away by the wind, his voice tired, "That's enough."

The atmosphere suddenly became silent. The two stood quietly on the rooftop. Sakura stared at Naruto for a few seconds before suddenly breaking into a smile.

"Okay." She said, "If you're ever unhappy, you can come to me. I'll comfort you."

Naruto said nothing and just nodded.

"Then, I'll go back first." Sakura waved her hand and left the rooftop first.

Two months passed in a flash.

Most of the time, Konoha's Genin were busy on missions, and the different teams rarely had the chance to meet each other. The reorganization of Team 7 was still a distant prospect.

After her recovery, Sakura was reassigned to Tsunade's office.

Naruto once again took on the role of a temp, freely regrouping, spending most of his time with Team 3. His relationship with Tenten, Lee, and Neji also grew even stronger.

Tenten was quite wealthy, Naruto didn't lack money either, and Neji was aloof and didn't need money.

As a result, Naruto naturally became the heart and soul of Team 3's bonding activities. He would often organize get-togethers after missions, sometimes even bringing along Guy.

Team 3 had graduated early and differed from the other two Genin Teams, as they had a more mature attitude towards their missions. To them, a mission was just that, a mission, and everything was mission-centric.

Even if unexpected situations arose, they wouldn't let themselves be swayed by sympathy.

When it came to being ruthless, Naruto was even more so than Lee and Neji. Not slapping the client around was already considered decent behavior on his part.

His approach to missions was swift and thorough, executing them with a 'one-stop shop' mentality.

With Naruto's presence as a mission ace, Team 3's success rate in completing missions independently skyrocketed. Even when the four of them took on higher-difficulty missions, their completion rate remained unaffected.

As a result, Naruto became an unofficial member of Team 3.

Early Summer.

"Cheers!"

"To a successful mission!"

"And finally getting a break!" Naruto added.

Four cups of juice clinked together in the yakiniku restaurant. The windows were wide open, and the warm evening breeze filled the room. The charcoal burned slowly, like breathing, while moths fluttered under the lamp.

With a sizzling sound, the meat cooked on the grill, filling the air with the aroma of roasted meat.

The four sat around the table. Tenten was happily grilling meat, Neji quietly sipping his juice. Lee and Naruto were playing rock-paper-scissors, with the loser eating the grilled meat.

The sound of insects chirped softly as the juice glasses sat on the table.

"We only get seven days off." Tenten grumbled, her twin buns bouncing slightly, "It would be better if we could have a half-month vacation."

"Training during vacation isn't a bad idea either." Lee said, raising a finger, "Train one day, and if I don't achieve my goal, train another day."

"How's that different from doing missions?" Naruto stuffed a piece of grilled meat into his mouth, speaking unclearly with a full mouth, "We finally got a break, let's not overdo it."

"Exactly, Lee. Do something fun once in a while." Tenten propped her chin on her hand, smiling helplessly.

"Guy-sensei said that summer is the season for training!" Lee suddenly stood up and exclaimed.

"Alright, alright." Naruto pulled him back into his seat, "Just don't drag me into your training. I want to go home and sleep. Last month, you sleepwalked to my house and dragged me out to train in the middle of the night."

"Eh? Is there such a thing?" Tenten asked curiously.

"I can't remember clearly." Lee scratched his head, "I just remembered that when I woke up in the training ground, Naruto was there."

"Lee, doesn't your conscience hurt?" Naruto said with a complicated expression, "It's one thing to drag me to the training ground, but using the Eight Gates? That's a bit too much!"

"Damn it! If you say there's no grudge between us, I definitely won't believe it!"

"Sorry," Lee said with a guilty look on his face, "Maybe I just wanted to spar with you too badly."

"Forget it, just don't disturb my sleep again this time." Naruto tossed another piece of grilled meat onto Lee's plate, "I thought staying home meant I wouldn't be bothered."

"Next time, I'll find a new place to sleep anywhere I can!"

Neji put down his chopsticks and said, "The situation in Sunagakure hasn't been good. I can't guarantee that we can take a full vacation this time. We could be called for an emergency mission at any time."

"What a hassle." The moment Naruto raised the cup, Temari's figure appeared in his mind.

'She seemed to have returned to normal, but she probably still had some lingering memories. It would be best not to run into her, otherwise, things would be awkward.'

'No! It would be more than awkward… those unpleasant memories might strain the relationship between the two villages.'

"There's nothing we can do about it. After all, Sunagakure and Konoha are allied now." Tenten said, "And now it's not just Team 3, even Shikamaru and Shino's teams have halted their missions. They're probably on standby too."

"The Konoha-Sunagakure alliance, huh." Naruto looked down at the grilled meat, the light from the overhead lamp casting shadows in his eyes, "Guess there's no avoiding some interactions."

"Yeah." Tenten agreed.

"Gaara is quite strong." Lee frowned and interrupted, "If I could fight him again, maybe..."

"Lee, Sunagakure is in chaos now, he might not have the time to spar with you." Neji said, gripping his glass tightly.

"Don't just rush into a fight. Remember, we're allies now, so be mindful of the implications."

"I know." Lee said, looking disappointed.

Hearing this, Naruto burst into laughter and patted Lee on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Gaara's a Jinchuriki. He won't die that easily. As long as you don't kill him outright, he'll survive."

Neji looked exasperated but didn't say anything.

At night, under the dappled light of the streetlamps, Naruto stood at the intersection, bidding farewell to the trio. The early summer breeze tousled his messy blonde hair.

Holding a half-drunk soda, he lingered at the corner for a moment, sighing about how great it felt to be young. Lazily, he turned and headed back, his sandals scuffing the pavement.

Konoha Street was still brightly lit, the crooked lights stretching all the way to the horizon.

He walked slowly, warm air swirling around him. He planned to stay home tomorrow, and the day after that too, 'Maybe I'd go out on the third day… Well, this was what vacations were for.'

"What are you thinking about?" A girl's voice suddenly sounded in his ear.