Ino kissed Sai gently on the forehead. For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
Sai blinked in shock, staring blankly at her as though the world had suddenly stopped.
Ino's cheeks turned scarlet. She avoided his gaze, stammering with a guilty look. "D-Don't get the wrong idea, I just…"
Before she could finish her sentence, Sai leaned forward suddenly, closing the distance and pressing his lips directly against hers.
"Mm!" Ino gasped, her eyes widening in shock as Sai pushed her down onto the tatami mat floor.
Her hands instinctively tried to push him away, but Sai's grip was firm. He held her hands tightly, his desperation radiating through his touch. Ino squirmed at first, but as the seconds passed, her resistance weakened. Slowly, her body relaxed, her trembling eyes fluttering shut as she allowed herself to sink into the kiss.
Outside the door, Naruto tilted his head. The sudden silence inside made him suspicious. Out of curiosity, he crept closer and peered through the slight crack.
What he saw made his eyes widen.
Sai was lying on the floor, holding Ino beneath him, kissing her deeply, his hand gripping hers.
Naruto froze for a few seconds. Then, with a sly grin, he raised his thumb in approval.
"Awesome," he muttered under his breath.
Satisfied, Naruto stepped back quietly. Guess Sai finally took that step. Good for him.
Naruto decided it was better not to interfere further. What would happen next between the two was private—and definitely not something that needed to be written down.
Leaving the Yamanaka household behind, Naruto strolled through the streets of Konoha, feeling oddly light-hearted. For the first time, he truly understood Sai's struggles and his longing.
Now that Sai has fallen for Ino, he'll finally experience the most beautiful feelings in the world. And when he does, he'll be able to capture the essence Jiraiya-sensei always talked about—the soul in his art.
Naruto smiled faintly as he turned his steps toward the Hyūga compound. His and Hinata's wedding was fast approaching, and there were still matters to confirm with her family.
When he arrived, Hinata was already waiting. Without a word, she grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs, her face glowing with shy determination.
"H-Hinata? What are you doing?" Naruto asked nervously, his legs suddenly feeling weak.
Hinata's lips curved in a small, mischievous smile. "Once a day… come on, Naruto-kun. Follow me into the room."
Naruto's heart raced. Crap… maybe I should've gone home instead of coming here… But it was too late—Hinata tugged him forward insistently, her gentle strength impossible to resist.
"Rotation!"
Next door, Hanabi cocked her head at the muffled noise. She frowned, staring at her sister's door.
Is Onee-chan sparring with Naruto again? Really, those two… they could just talk things out instead of always fighting like this.
Hanabi sighed, shaking her head.
Inside, Naruto and Hinata's "training session" continued.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Konoha, Sasuke found himself in a completely different situation.
The day before, he had sought Sakura out on his own. Today, however, it was Sakura who came looking for him.
When she knocked on the Uchiha residence door, it wasn't Sasuke who answered—it was Uchiha Mikoto.
"Oh? Who are you?" Mikoto asked, surprised to see the pink-haired girl standing there.
Sakura, who had dressed carefully that morning, smiled politely. "Hello, auntie. I'm Sakura. I came to see Sasuke-kun."
Mikoto tilted her head, recalling. She vaguely remembered Sakura as the same girl who had come before. And wasn't there another one—Karin? Her son certainly seemed popular with girls. Mikoto chuckled to herself.
"Come in, come in. Sit down. I'll call Sasuke."
Sakura entered, bowing respectfully. Uchiha Fugaku was seated in the main room, his stern expression softening slightly as he nodded in greeting.
Ever since his resurrection, Fugaku had devoted himself to stabilizing the Uchiha clan under Naruto's guidance. With Itachi and Shisui serving as captains in the Alliance training corps, and Kakashi beginning to step back, Fugaku had become the clan's anchor. Sasuke, of course, was also a central figure—perhaps the most important in ensuring the clan's cooperation with the village.
"Sasuke! Come down quickly—a girl is here to see you!" Mikoto called upstairs.
Up in his room, Sasuke lay beneath his quilt, lost in thought. His brows furrowed at his mother's words. A girl? Who could it be…?
A moment later, realization struck. It can only be Sakura.
He sighed, rising slowly. After washing up, he descended to the main hall—and indeed, there she was.
"Sakura?" he muttered.
Sakura immediately stood and beamed. "Sasuke-kun!"
Without hesitation, she walked straight up to him and clutched his arm—right in front of Mikoto and Fugaku. Sasuke stiffened, visibly uncomfortable. Affection wasn't something he easily showed, especially in front of his parents.
Mikoto and Fugaku, however, exchanged amused smiles. To them, the meaning behind Sakura's bold action was obvious.
Sakura turned to them with a sweet smile. "Auntie, uncle, I came to spend some time with Sasuke-kun today."
Mikoto nodded warmly. "Good, good. Young people should go out more. Sasuke, make sure you accompany her."
"Mom, I haven't eaten yet," Sasuke protested quietly.
Fugaku chuckled. "Sakura came all the way here for you, and you're worried about food? Go out and eat with her. That's what matters."
Mikoto chimed in, "Exactly. Eating with her will be far more meaningful than eating at home."
With that, Sasuke found himself practically pushed out the door by his enthusiastic parents.
Walking side by side, Sakura clung to Sasuke's arm, her smile never fading. "What's wrong? You don't want to come out with me?"
Sasuke gave a small, resigned smile but didn't answer.
"Let's go," Sakura said cheerfully. "Aren't you hungry? I'll treat you!"
She pulled him along through the streets until they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.
Sasuke stared at the familiar red curtains, a strange expression crossing his face. "Ramen again?"
Sakura looked worried. "D-Don't you… don't like ramen?"
Yesterday, Sasuke had smiled while eating ramen. Sakura had assumed it was his favorite, not realizing that his smile came from remembering Naruto's boundless enthusiasm for the dish.
Sasuke shook his head. "It's fine. Let's eat."
They took their seats, and Sasuke ordered two bowls.
Business at Ichiraku had been booming lately. With peace between the villages, merchants and travelers flooded Konoha daily, and Uncle Teuchi had even hired apprentices to help him. His dream was to one day spread Ichiraku Ramen beyond Konoha itself.
"Ah, Sasuke! Here again, I see!" Teuchi greeted warmly.
Sasuke nodded politely. His lips curved slightly, recalling how Naruto would always return that same greeting with overflowing energy. In the past, Sasuke had found such warmth suffocating. But now, after all he'd been through, it felt… oddly comforting.
Five minutes later, their steaming bowls arrived. Sasuke passed the chopsticks to Sakura. She smiled gratefully, her heart fluttering at the small gesture.
They ate quietly, side by side. Sasuke even finished the soup. When the meal ended, Sakura insisted on paying.
As they stepped outside, Sakura was about to suggest a walk when three familiar figures appeared before them.
"Yo, Sasuke!" Suigetsu waved casually, his arm slung around Jugo's shoulder.
Jugo nodded respectfully. "Sasuke-kun."
Behind them, Karin adjusted her glasses, her crimson eyes narrowing dangerously.
She glared at Sakura, who was still holding onto Sasuke's arm. "Sasuke-kun! Why is this woman with you?!"
Her voice rang sharp with jealousy, making the tension on the street rise instantly.
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