章節 220: Chapter 219 The Girl Praised By The Gods
The sound of thunder drowned out all other noises, but Naruto could still see Ino's lips moving. Her expression was different from her usual indifferent or annoyed look. Instead, she wore a gentle smile, one that seemed soft and tender, even with a hint of fondness.
This kind of scene usually only happens between couples deeply in love or at weddings of newlyweds, a pure, unreserved smile that's so sincere it evokes sympathy.
Her slightly flushed cheeks and the dazed look in her eyes were like strands of delicate silk, beautiful and captivating to anyone who saw them.
Naruto saw her last sentence, which was completely imprinted in his mind. The silence was more powerful than the sound, and the sound seemed to explode in his mind.
'Like you.'
Her voice was careful and carried the emotion of a confession, whispered softly in the dimly lit living room. Her eyes were bright, filled with a tenderness that was almost overwhelming.
Naruto was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but held his breath. Ino's expression was so striking that it was impossible for him to remain indifferent, and he felt his heart start to race.
Shakespeare's sonnets flashed through his mind. A summer praised by gods couldn't compare to the gentle and lovely face of the girl before him. Her beauty wouldn't fade in storm or time, and even Death would lift a hand to shield her, immortalized in verse and gaze.
Dark clouds loomed over the balcony, thunder roared, and lightning streaked through the sky like branches. Raindrops clung to the young green tendrils of vines, and the downpour cascaded from above, leaving the streets empty save for stray dogs scurrying through alleys.
The dark blue eyes seemed to be able to see through everything, piercing directly into his empty heart. Waiting for his response, for him to answer Ino's words.
'What to say?'
'Surely, now was the time to say something!' Naruto's fingers, resting on the sofa, twitched slightly as if jolted by electricity. He then opened his mouth.
He had nothing, and he had always been that way. His life's goal was simply to lie down comfortably, without lofty ambitions or clear paths to adulthood. He had a flawed personality and will take revenge for any slight.
He had bottom line, but it was flexible, he had a sense of morality, but it was limited. The system he possessed was just a means to avoid rigorous training and still stay alive.
In the end, he knew he wasn't perfect. He had significant personality flaws, some misguided beliefs, and even a somewhat twisted sense of right and wrong.
Yet, even with all of this, he still yearned for beautiful things. The girl's passionate soul, her innocent, shining expression… he wanted to respond, to reach out and feel her warmth.
"I like you too." His voice was steady, not too loud nor too soft, just enough for Ino, who was sitting a half-sofa away, to hear.
He saw Ino's pale hand release the pillow, nervously dropping onto the sofa, with their fingers about a meter apart.
In the dimly lit living room, Ino maintained that position for a moment, her fingers slowly inching towards him. Naruto glanced up at her, and his hand slowly reached out too.
Thunder rumbled outside the balcony, and faint clattering sounds from the kitchen could be heard.
On the Yamanaka Family's living room sofa, the two pale hands, one on the left and one on the right, moved slowly along the sofa's surface, like trains approaching each other.
Ino suddenly felt a little breathless, her heart pounding wildly. This is the most daring thing she had ever done. Watching their hands get closer, the scene was a little thrilling.
She could feel her cheeks heat up, and she couldn't take her eyes off Naruto's hands. His hand seemed slightly larger than hers, warm like a furnace.
At the moment when their fingertips were about to touch, a sound suddenly came from the kitchen.
"Ino, could you help me get the sugar jar?"
"Okay!" Ino quickly straightened up on the sofa, her back arched, and responded loudly. Her face turned a deep shade of red, and even her neck flushed.
She hurriedly stood up, stealing a quick glance at Naruto before swiftly leaving the room.
Naruto calmly retracted his hand. The sweet scent that Ino left behind still lingered in the air, but it vanished as quickly as it came. He walked to the balcony and found that the rain had subsided.
The potted flowers on the balcony remained strong, and the round holes in the sink were filled with clear rainwater. The sky outside was clear, and the white mist had dissipated.
After finishing his meal, Naruto took his leave.
After all, Ino's mother was at home, and it would be awkward to stay any longer, so he simply decided to leave. Ino seemed a bit uneasy, never making direct eye contact with him.
He could occasionally feel Ino's gaze pass over him, but it never lingered. When he looked back, all he saw was the fading blush on her face.
"Goodbye."
Naruto left the Yamanaka flower shop, holding an umbrella as he walked along Konoha's main street on his way home. Everything was damp, and the afternoon sun emerged, making the golden raindrops dance like flames.
The second day of vacation.
The rain from yesterday had dried up by morning.
Naruto squatted under the eaves of the training ground, watching Lee in his green training outfit doing one-finger push-ups under the blazing sun. He couldn't help but yawn.
"How many now?" Naruto asked, resting his chin on his hand.
"Four hundred and forty-one." Lee was drenched in sweat, and the shadow beneath him was soaked from it. "Still a few more to go."
"Do two more and then stop." Naruto stood up and said.
"Why?"
"Four-four-four is unlucky, and we're about to go on a mission." He stated matter-of-factly, "This is a big mission. All four Genin Teams have to go."
Lee was a straightforward person and couldn't win the argument with Naruto, so he just said 'oh' and did two more push-ups before standing up obediently.
Most of the time, Lee stayed with Team 3, and he would occasionally join Guy for missions. After all, he was Guy's direct disciple, so they had a better synergy working together.
Because of this, Lee's personality mirrored Guy's, unrestrained and innocent.
Hard work in training is commendable, but if Naruto had known, he wouldn't have agreed to train with Lee. Early in the morning, Naruto found himself squatting here, watching Lee warm up.
"Let's get started. But let me make it clear first. I won't use the Biju's Chakra, and you are not allowed to use the Eight Gates." Naruto muttered, "You should also hold back a bit, don't end up killing me."
Naruto's Taijutsu are indeed not good. Without the Kyubi's Chakra, he was a notch below Lee's level.
"Are you wearing your weights?"
"Yes."
"Are they heavy enough? Add more if they're not!" Naruto shamelessly suggested.
Lee checked the weights on his legs, shook his head, and said it was enough. Tightening the bandages on his hands, he took a stance, gesturing for Naruto to come at him.
Naruto sighed and slowly stepped into the training area.
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章節 221: Chapter 222 Sunagakure's Situation
"What's up? Are you sorting out the paperwork again?" Naruto asked, "Do you have all your Ninja Tools ready?"
"Yes, I've got everything." Sakura nodded in response, "It's not that, just a small favor."
"Oh, okay. We'll talk about it later. Shouldn't we take the other route? It's shorter that way, right?" Naruto pointed in another direction. The village was circular, and that path was a straight line.
However, it required jumping over rooftops, which could easily attract the attention of the Anbu.
Usually, no Shinobi other than the Anbu would take shortcuts over rooftops. Genin and Chunin cared about their image and didn't want to be seen hopping around like monkeys in Konoha. And the older they got, the more they feared being the subject of gossip.
Even the students from the Academy were shy about it. Only a few pranksters like Konohamaru still imitated Naruto's old tricks, enjoying their rooftop escapades.
Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't care less. He would go wherever he wanted. Since he had no aspirations of becoming Hokage, he did whatever felt comfortable. His reckless attitude was often a headache for Tsunade, who considered him as unmanageable as mud that wouldn't stick to the wall.
Hearing this, Sakura's expression stiffened, "I'm not doing that!"
There's no reason to run over rooftops, and getting caught would be extremely embarrassing.
"But it's a shorter way…"
Naruto looked puzzled, but he couldn't resist Sakura and was dragged away. By the time they reached the village gates, everyone else had already arrived.
"You guys are so slow." Shikamaru said with a pair of dead fish eyes.
"Aren't we here now?" Naruto responded shamelessly. "We ran into an old lady crossing the street, so..."
"Let's just go!" Shikamaru clearly didn't believe a word he said, but there was nothing he could do about Naruto. He sighed and waved his hand, signaling everyone to move out.
People grow up. Shikamaru, compared to the others present, wasn't just distinguished by the extra green Chunin vest he wore. Now, he bore the weight of everyone's lives on his shoulders.
Even someone as lazy as him had to become serious and responsible when faced with sudden responsibilities. He had started to think and act like an adult.
After leaving Konoha, the group became more solemn. It was, after all, a provisional A-Rank mission. Provisional A-Rank meant that it could escalate to an S-Rank mission.
Among the group, the highest mission level completed by most was A-Rank. The only team with S-Rank mission experience was Team 7, given that they had once pursued Gaara, the Ichibi's Jinchuriki.
The eleven Shinobi moved swiftly. Team 8, which included Shino, Kiba, and Hinata, took the lead due to their proficiency in reconnaissance. Lee, Neji, and Tenten protected the flanks of Team 8, clearing the way through the forest as needed.
Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji from Team 10, which focused on interference, control, and strategy, stayed at the core of the formation. Team 7, being the main offense, took up the rear, with Naruto and Sakura hanging at the very back.
Had Sasuke not defected, Team 7 would have been the true offensive core. But with one member missing, if a fight broke out, Naruto wouldn't be able to cover everyone.
That's why he brought Kurama along.
Currently, the situation was that if a battle did ensue, Kurama wouldn't be able to cover everyone.
With Sasuke gone but Kurama present, they might not be able to use his power lightly, but having him provided an additional layer of security. So, overall, it was still worth it.
"What exactly is going on?" Naruto asked lazily to Shikamaru in front of him.
Shikamaru looked back at him, with a look of tension and a rare seriousness on his face, "Gaara has lost control and has killed dozens of villagers. He's currently on the run."
"You're joking, right?" Naruto was stunned for a moment, looking at Shikamaru in disbelief, "Hasn't Gaara already changed? How could he lose control?"
"We don't know." Shikamaru turned his head forward and continued moving, "That's the report we got from the Anbu. Some of Sunagakure's higher-ups are not happy with Gaara taking up the Kazekage's position."
Naruto is not impressed by the so-called higher-ups. He used to think that Konoha's higher-ups were idiots, but now it seemed that Sunagakure's higher-ups weren't any better.
The Yondaime Kazekage had been isolated and eventually killed by Orochimaru. Sunagakure's higher-ups probably had their own ambitions regarding the Kazekage's position, and they weren't exactly thrilled about Gaara, whom they viewed as a madman, inheriting the title.
"Is there any more detailed information?" Naruto asked.
"This time, we have to cross the border of the Land of Fire to intercept Gaara and his siblings. Sunagakure's higher-ups have already dispatched Shinobi to bring them back. Tsunade-sama's orders are to ensure their safety under Konoha's protection." Shikamaru said.
"Isn't that Sunagakure's internal affairs? What does it have to do with Konoha?" Naruto asked again.
"Normally, it wouldn't concern us. Konoha will never interfere in Sunagakure's internal affairs, but..." Shikamaru cleared his throat and suddenly smirked, as if he had scored a small victory.
"Tsunade-sama said that the Sunagakure has signed an alliance agreement with Konoha. In addition, the eldest princess of the Sunagakure, representing the opinions of the vast majority of the higher-ups, has signed so many agreements with Konoha for joint protection of the Jinchuriki."
"In simple terms, if Gaara's life is threatened, Konoha is authorized to cross the Land of Fire's border and take Gaara under temporary protection."
"Signed so many agreements?"
"Yes, it's a thick stack, probably over a hundred pages." Shikamaru nodded.
This time, it was Naruto's turn to be dumbfounded, 'No wonder Konoha has always been so concerned about the affairs of the Sunagakure. It turned out that after the Konoha Crush, Temari stayed and signed so many agreements with Konoha.'
'Perhaps they had already anticipated that Sunagakure would find someone to take the blame for this stupid action, and if things went wrong, they would transfer their anger to Gaara.'
Gaara's situation was somewhat similar to Naruto's. If he couldn't become the Kazekage, his future would be difficult. As the future Kazekage would inevitably treat the Jinchuriki as a mere weapon, to be manipulated at will.
Like a toy placed on a table, they'd bind him with the ties of friendship, or using with Temari and Kankuro's interests to threaten Gaara, forcing him into various compromises.
Naruto did remember the time when Temari signed those agreements. He originally thought that Temari and Shizune were only signing some unimportant documents, after all, even Tsunade was not present.
But now that he thinks about it again, it doesn't really matter whether Tsunade is present or not, as Shizune was essentially Tsunade's spokesperson. It's nothing more than a matter of representing her and stamping the documents for her.
As for how Sunagakure would react, they'd first have to go through a lengthy dispute over those hundred-plus pages of agreements with Konoha. This would buy enough time to secure Gaara.
By the time the agreements were sorted out, Gaara's crisis would likely be resolved. Naruto knew this preemptive strategy was brilliant and definitely not something a simple-minded person like Temari could have come up with.
"Killing dozens of people must be exhausting." Naruto suddenly said something seemingly random.
"What?" Shikamaru snapped his head around to look at him.
Naruto furrowed his brows and continued, "The Ichibi Shukaku is not very strong. And if he releases the Bijudama, it is impossible for the casualties to be just dozens."
"Whether there's something fishy or not isn't our concern. Our mission is to rendezvous with Gaara and his siblings." Shikamaru said in a low voice. Perhaps he felt that some words were difficult to say, so he opened his mouth and swallowed the words back.
Naruto noticed this, but didn't take it to heart. The Biju's Jinchuriki has no human rights, it was truly tragic.
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