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Naruto felt that he must have stayed up too late and didn't sleep well before, so now he was hallucinating. Or was he dreaming?
After all, he has always been the one who coerced others, not the one getting threatened.
“What was all this nonsense?”
"If she knows, then she knows. It doesn't matter." Naruto shrugged nonchalantly, "If it makes you happy, just say whatever you want."
"Foul play! That's a textbook scumbag response, and you're way too skilled at it!" Sakura crossed her arms in an exaggerated 'X' motion but kept smiling happily.
But soon, her tone shifted slightly.
"But it's fine. I won't ruin things between you and Ino, and I don't even mind Hinata. I'm fine with being in third place. I don't need the whole Naruto-kun."
"Why?" Naruto picked up the teacup and blew on it, only half paying attention.
Fortunately, Sakura didn't think of anything else. Her eyes twinkled, and she replied, "Because I’m only half of a person, so I only need half of you."
Naruto didn’t mention Temari or Tayuya either, and he certainly didn’t take her ranking comment seriously. He knew that treating this seriously would just lead to losing. As for the future, he hadn’t given it much thought.
In Konoha, he is alone and free from all worries, and even now that he has become an adult, he doesn't need to worry about so many things.
Of course, he had his limits. Sakura might have been making bold statements, but Naruto knew if things got serious, she would immediately back off. So, most of what she said? He just let it slide.
"Then third place, could you stay quietly in the living room for a while? I want to go back to my room and catch up on some sleep." Naruto said, standing up and pulling out his chair.
"Sure." Sakura flashed an obedient smile.
"And remember to make lunch, thanks." He turned and walked off decisively, heading back to his room for a nap.
Naruto slept until noon, and when he woke up, he found there’s someone lying beside him. Looking at Sakura, who was bundled with blanket and sound asleep, a helpless look flashed across Naruto’s face.
‘She really fell asleep?’
He thought about waking her but decided against it. Instead, he quietly got up and tiptoed out of the room. However, Sakura woke up soon after and quickly followed him.
"Why didn't you react?" She asked, looking a little puzzled.
"What reaction are you expecting?" Naruto rolled his eyes, ‘You were bundled up from head to toe. I was more concerned you'd die peacefully in your sleep.’
"Enough of your games. If you don't need anything else, just return that building. It’s not worth the price."
"I didn't buy it." Sakura thought for a moment and admitted, "That place is an abandoned building. It's creepy. I actually saw you in the Hokage Tower yesterday, which is how I knew you were back."
"That's good." He said with a nod.
"Shall I cook something?" She had already skillfully taken out her apron and put it on, looking at Naruto with innocent eyes.
"Forget it. Let's eat out." He waved his hand dismissively, "I'm too lazy to cook, I'll treat you."
Sakura had no objections. Naruto had been away for a while, and the fridge was completely empty anyway. She had only put on the apron to tease him. The tight sweater she wore accentuated her figure perfectly.
"So, what should we eat? I remember there's a good place near the hospital…" She began, walking past Naruto. But she suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
"Why do you have another woman’s…"
Before she could finish her words, Naruto pulled her over and pushed her onto the couch. With a look of exasperation, he gave her a deadpan stare, "Can you stop trying to bait me? Isn't this getting a bit boring?"
"I was just worried." Sakura muttered, her face flushing as she turned her head away, "Now, let go of me, and let’s go eat."
Naruto released her without taking advantage of the situation.
The two wandered around Konoha’s Main Street and eventually found a place to have lunch. After finishing the meal, Sakura didn’t linger. In fact, she had only snuck away from her duties for a short while.
A few days later, Naruto had finally rested enough and felt fully recharged. His fatigue was completely swept away.
He made some inquiries and found the Intelligence Department where Ino was working and greeted her. Her father had reassigned her to the Intelligence Department, but forbade her from mentioning the communications device project again.
After all, the old guys in Konoha didn’t trust the new communication devices. Inoichi didn't want Ino to be targeted by those old guys too early. He figured it was better to wait until those old fools stepped down.
Since then, Ino had been working steadily at the Intelligence Department. Knowing that pushing the communication device project would cause trouble for her father, she decided to drop the topic publicly. However, she continued working on it privately, and they were already up to version to 5.0.
She remembered something Naruto had said to her, ‘If the road ahead is blocked, find a way to fly. Don’t let a path trap you. It doesn’t matter how high you fly, I’ll be with you.’
Ino felt that liking someone wasn’t just a feeling, it was something tangible, something that gave her hope in moments of defeat.
She and Naruto had been secretly testing the communication devices, keeping the project hidden from everyone.
That day, after Naruto said those words, Ino nearly had the impulse to marry him on the spot. But she quickly came to her senses because the communication devices was not yet completed.
"When did you come back?" Ino asked, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Yesterday." Naruto lied smoothly, his face showing no sign of guilt. He glanced around and noticed quite a few people were watching them.
Inwardly, he chuckled at how popular Ino was, but outwardly, he pulled her aside, thinking of ways to fend off the interest of these animals.
"Why is everyone staring this way?" He asked casually
"What?" Ino was obviously used to it. After a brief pause, she glanced over her shoulder, noticing the eyes on them, and then said, "Just ignore them."
"Oh~." Naruto drew out the word teasingly.
Ino blushed and playfully punched him. She glanced behind them again, hesitated for a moment, then tiptoed up and whispered in his ear.
"Sit here for a bit and wait until I’m off work. There are some issues with the communication device, and I’d like to discuss the details with you."
"Okay." Naruto agreed, suppressing a smile.
In truth, he knew absolutely nothing about the technical side of the project, the communication device was way over his head. Ino was just using this as an excuse to spend time with him, though he didn’t mind, as it was true that only the two of them knew about the project.
After saying that, Ino hurried back to her post.
Naruto didn’t wait there the entire time. He went out to buy a drink and then returned. The hallway was bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, as if vast swathes of golden evening light were falling from the sky.
A cold breeze occasionally swept in, and Naruto sat quietly, sipping his drink as he waited.
About half an hour later, even though it wasn’t yet time for her shift to end, Ino snuck out. From a distance, Naruto spotted her and was about to call out, but she quickly waved her hands to stop him from making any noise.
‘Ah, sneaking out of work. Skipping a shift isn’t very admirable, Ino.’
"Don't shout!" Ino reached him and slipped her hand inside his warm jacket, giving him a little pinch, "Do want me to get caught? What are you spacing out for? Let’s go."