Coldness, Persuasion, and a Cow [1]

Just as Sakura was preparing to sleep, she was dumbfounded to find Yamanaka Rai standing at her door in the middle of the night.

"So... instead of finding the old man, you're here to look for me?"

Rai, dressed in full ANBU gear, looked at the young girl before him with a hint of helplessness and said,

"This is the Third Hokage's order."

"He said he's old and doesn't want to deal with things in the middle of the night, so he asked you to come and take Naruto away."

Tsk...

That old geezer...

Are you the Hokage, or am I?

Sakura inwardly complained about Sarutobi Hiruzen but still responded aloud,

"Fine, I'll go."

Seeing Sakura agree, Rai sighed in relief.

Without wasting any time, Sakura slipped on her shoes and rushed out with Rai, still in her pajamas.

When they arrived at the scene, they saw Naruto and Yamato glaring at each other like stubborn opponents.

This guy…

"NARUTO!"

Sakura's voice echoed sharply.

The shout not only caught the attention of Naruto and Yamato but also made Yugito, who was watching from the second-floor window, glance over.

Yugito was no stranger to Haruno Sakura, the person who had defeated and captured her personally.

Because of this, her curiosity about Naruto's identity only deepened.

Who is this guy?

He even warranted Haruno Sakura coming in person to take him away.

As the Hokage's disciple and leader of Konoha's new generation, Sakura's name was well-known to the intelligence departments of all the shinobi villages.

Her status was on par with Kakashi.

After the Frost Country battle, Kumo even issued a bounty for her in the black market—thirty-five million ryō, equivalent to that of "Old Ma."

She's finally here.

Yamato sighed in relief at the sight of Sakura's pink-haired figure.

"S-Sakura…"

Naruto nervously looked at Sakura, who was glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"It's the middle of the night! Why aren't you sleeping? What are you running around for?"

Sakura frowned at the boy before her.

Before Naruto could explain, Sakura's gaze shifted to Yugito, who was still watching from the second-floor window. Without hesitation, she glanced at Yamato and said bluntly,

"Get someone to close that window."

"Are you all just going to let her watch you like you're monkeys in a zoo?"

Yamato's lips twitched at her words.

Come on, my lady, you've already been kicked out of the ANBU by the Hokage; isn't it a bit much to speak so directly?

Despite his inner complaints, Yamato still waved his hand, and an ANBU operative swiftly appeared, ignoring Yugito's displeasure as they shut the window with a loud clap.

"S-Sakura…"

Naruto pressed his lips together, still bewildered by Sakura's dominating presence.

"Apologize to Yamato and then leave with me."

Naruto had always listened to Sakura, both as a child and now.

He obediently bowed to Yamato and said sincerely,

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Yamato, who had spent over ten years in ANBU and wasn't good at handling such situations, stammered awkwardly,

"N-No problem."

Sakura glanced at both Yamato and Naruto before speaking to Yamato,

"Thanks for your trouble tonight. This won't happen again."

Then she grabbed Naruto and walked away without further delay.

--

On the streets of Konoha, Naruto followed behind Sakura, looking dejected.

His usual brilliant blond hair seemed dull in the dim streetlight.

Sakura walked in front, her expression calm, though she was discreetly observing Naruto.

Under the streetlights, Naruto's shadow stretched long beneath the faint yellow glow.

He lifted his head and looked at the pink-haired girl ahead.

She stood just outside the light, shrouded in shadow, making it difficult for Naruto to see her face clearly.

Naruto suddenly felt as if they were from two different worlds.

He didn't like that feeling.

Sakura should be standing in the light, visible to everyone with that beautiful pink hair that made his heart race.

"Naruto."

"Who led you to that woman?"

The pink-haired girl asked him directly.

Though she asked, Sakura had a pretty good idea—it was likely the Nine-Tails inside Naruto.

Uzumaki Kushina had been the second Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, and the place where Yugito was being held had once been Kushina's residence.

That's why Tsunade had said it was "a lucky break for her."

Of course, before Yugito moved in, all the valuable materials had already been taken away.

After all, as a sealing expert, Uzumaki Kushina's notes were invaluable.

"It was... the Nine-Tails."

As expected, it was that fox causing trouble.

Sakura's expression softened as she looked at the boy in front of her.

That dejected and hesitant expression—she hadn't seen that look on Naruto for a long time.

"So, was there something so important that you were willing to ask the Nine-Tails but not me, Asuma, or the old man?"

Sakura sat down on a bench by the roadside and patted the seat next to her, signaling Naruto to sit as well.

Naruto hesitated for a moment before following her lead and sitting down.

He really wanted to ask—if he had asked, would Sakura, Asuma, or the Hokage have told him the truth?

"..."

Naruto fell into silence, unwilling to speak.

"By the way, do you know who that woman was?"

Sakura suddenly changed the topic, bringing up Yugito.

Hearing this, Naruto perked up slightly.

He wasn't being perverted or anything; he just felt that Yugito was a bit like Gaara.

"I haven't seen that big sister around the village before."

Naruto shook his head.

Sakura smiled knowingly.

Come on, we're both human—why are you pretending?

Yugito was undeniably beautiful, with her cascading golden hair and serene, ethereal demeanor. Even Sakura couldn't deny her charm.

You've already called her "big sister"; why are you even explaining?

Naruto, that little rascal, was definitely a natural flirt.

He'd mastered the Sexy Jutsu without a teacher, and in the original story, he'd even claimed that Haku looked better than Sakura.

Later on, he'd even developed an advanced version of the jutsu...

Sakura's strange smile made Naruto bewildered—he felt like she'd misunderstood something.

"Ahem."

"Before I tell you who she is, can you share your thoughts on Sunagakure?"

Sakura's sudden topic shift puzzled Naruto, but he still gave it some thought.

Sunagakure had recently joined Orochimaru in a sudden attack on Konoha.

"I don't like them. They attacked Konoha and killed many people."

Hearing Naruto's words, Sakura immediately countered,

"What about Gaara?"

Naruto frowned, hesitating before answering,

"Gaara is the same. He's one of Sunagakure's accomplices."

But Sakura corrected him,

"Gaara isn't an 'accomplice.' He's the son of the Fourth Kazekage and a crucial part of their plan."

Naruto was confused and uncertain.

"If Gaara were standing right in front of you, would you kill him?"

Sakura's words stunned Naruto. His blue eyes wavered with reluctance.

After all, Gaara was someone just like him.

Would he have to kill him?

Seeing Naruto's hesitation, Sakura sighed and stood up.

"I don't feel like talking anymore…"

"If it's for you, Sakura—"

Naruto's words interrupted her, but his answer didn't satisfy either Sakura or Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was secretly observing from the shadows.

"If I weren't there, and Gaara killed Sasuke or other Konoha comrades, what would you do?"

Naruto looked up at the girl standing before him. Because she was standing, the streetlight only illuminated the lower half of her face.

In that moment, her once warm green eyes seemed unfamiliar to him.

Seeing Naruto's expression, Sakura sighed.

"Sasuke's been in the hospital. Go visit him tomorrow."

Maybe Naruto wasn't suited to be a ninja who dealt with bloodshed.

What had he thought that night in the Forest of Death when he first saw blood?

Sakura suddenly remembered.

Back then, under pressure from her and Sasuke, Naruto had killed for the first time.

She had been too focused on Orochimaru's impending threat to notice Naruto's psychological state.

Maybe that was when he started to hate bloodshed.

"Sasuke's in the hospital?!"

"Is he hurt?!"

Hearing that Sasuke was hospitalized, Naruto couldn't help but become agitated.

"Yeah."

"He almost died."

"Don't disturb him now. Go see him tomorrow during the day."

Sakura's calm voice grew fainter as she walked away.

Naruto instinctively reached out to grab her, but as he took a step forward, his hand froze in mid-air.

Sakura's expression had been so cold—so unfamiliar.

Was she really the Sakura he'd known since childhood?

The one who stood up for him against bullies, taught him how to cook, and told him not to eat expired ramen…

That outstretched hand never reached the darkness beyond the streetlight's glow.

Under the dim yellow light, Naruto stood in silence, hesitation clouding his once indomitable courage.

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