In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Chapter 241 Do You Want To?

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Despite Naruto's blatant attempts to brush her off, Sakura didn't seem angry.

"Why do you keep rejecting me?"

"I'm not rejecting you; I never know how to reject." He retorted, saying a famous hypocritical sentence, "I already told you, this is for your own good."

"Relationships are supposed to develop gradually, right? Slowly deepening feelings. There's plenty of time, so why not?"

"You're just brushing me off, aren't you?" Sakura suddenly interrupted him, with a look of resentment in her eyes.

"No." He instinctively denied.

"Of course, you are. Every time you brush me off, you instinctively look away." Sakura's voice grew quieter, "I just want to get closer to you, to blend in with you."

"Don't say something so terrifying! Damn it!" Naruto took half a step back.

Looking at the selfless Sakura, a certain yellow-haired man's back was soaked with cold sweat, ‘Damn it, could she really be turning into a yandere? That would be too terrifying.’ A vision of a certain young man’s peaceful black-and-white funeral photo flashed through his mind, and he shook his head violently. (T/N: School Days. Recommended for scumbag.)

The noble stranger is about to be suppressed by the yandere bloodline with split personality.

"But... I want to leave a mark, a sign that we were together." Sakura pressed further, her eyes fixed intently on Naruto, "Today, right here, under the stars."

Naruto blinked, his thoughts teetering on the edge of a mental 404 error.

"I…" He hesitated, carefully considering how to reject her.

"I don't want this either." Sakura suddenly lowered her head, "I want to take things slowly too. As long as I'm with you, Naruto-kun, it's fine… Even if we're just lifelong companions."

"No matter what my identity is, as long as I can be with you, I don't care. Even if it’s without a real title, even if we can't hold hands openly, it's fine with me."

"But!" Sakura's voice suddenly carried a hint of a sob, "I really can't sleep. The nights have gotten so much longer. No matter how hard I close my eyes, it's still 24 hours."

"Every minute and second, I'm fully awake. At one in the morning, all the noises quiet down."

"At two, the drunkard downstairs always ends up throwing up all over the place near the utility pole. At four, the old man next door gets up, and by five..."

Sakura's voice grew increasingly agitated as she finally grabbed Naruto's wrist.

"I haven't slept for an entire year. I'm not a normal person anymore. I've tried so hard to sleep, but nothing works."

"I don't want to be like this either! But I'm just a replacement, never truly alive. I see this world, but I still have to go back."

"It doesn't matter if you're just brushing me off or not, I just want to ask you one thing… will you be with me?"

Silence fell all around them. Naruto didn't say anything. Sakura's emotions were running high, and anything he said at that moment wouldn't be right. So, the two stood there on that half-collapsed rooftop for a good ten minutes, just in silence.

"Never mind. I'm feeling much better now."

After a long while, Sakura sniffled and let go of Naruto. She took a deep breath, and said, "Let's go somewhere else. I can't sleep."

"Alright." He glanced toward the other side of the dark night, where the more secluded fields of Konoha lay, "Anyway, let's go down from here first."

Actually, Naruto could agree to Sakura’s request, even if it were out of pity.

But Naruto didn't want that. He felt empty inside, living life with a game-like mentality. Even after spending more than a year in Konoha, he still had no sense of belonging.

Daily interactions with girls were fine, but saving someone? No, that was too much. He didn't believe the words he said, and if he wasn't sincere, Sakura would see right through him.

The two walked through a rice field, navigating the narrow paths in the dark. Occasionally, they had to stop and turn back because a swarm of mosquitoes blocked their way.

"Are there any stores still open this late?"

"I'm not sure." Naruto crouched down in an inconspicuous alley along Konoha Street, "I'll go over and take a look. Want to come?"

"Alright."

They noticed someone approaching in the distance, so the two quickly vaulted over a low wall to hide on the other side.

In the darkness, the two exchanged a glance. Naruto's gaze remained calm, just as it had been all night, showing no intention of doing anything more.

Sakura's eyes were bright and her face slowly turned red.

It was pitch black around them, save for the faint starlight overhead. The continuous chirping of insects and the warm night breeze made Sakura sweat lightly, her eyes fluttering slightly.

"Do you want to?"

"Hmm???" Naruto tilted his head and gently pushed her, "What weird stuff are you talking about? Come on, let's go check it out."

"Tch." Sakura turned her head away, slightly annoyed, "Naruto, you're such an idiot."

"Why are you suddenly acting like a tsundere?" Naruto had already stood up. He glanced at her lazily before vaulting back over the wall.

The grass they walked on was soft, and the air was filled with the faint musty scent of earth baked by the sun during the day. Sakura also vaulted over, and the two of them stepped on the grass one after the other, making a rustling sound.

The fluffy texture seemed to amuse Sakura, and she stomped on it several times, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

Naruto didn't urge her, and just stood there and watched. He watched as Sakura entertained herself until she was sweaty. After she was finally satisfied, she stepped away from the grass.

When she caught up, Naruto began to walk ahead, turning his head slightly to ask, "Is it that fun?"

"I don't know. I've never done it before. It was okay.” Sakura replied honestly with straightforward tone.

A little further ahead, a convenience store was still open. The late hour made Naruto glance over for a moment. Seeing the lights, he suddenly felt a bit tired and didn't want Sakura to see him yawn.

"Wait here for a bit. I'll go grab something."

"Alright." Sakura stood there, watching him.

Naruto turned and walked towards the store, stifling a yawn when he was far enough away. As he stepped halfway into the shadow of the convenience store, he glanced back to check on Sakura.

She still stood there, like a slender blade of wild grass.

Satisfied, he stepped fully inside, and began to yawn unrestrainedly while standing in front of the freezer. The store owner also dozed off at the counter. When he heard the wind chimes at the door rang, he opened his eyes a little, took a look at Naruto, and promptly closed his eyes again.

Under the bright store lights, two ice creams landed on the counter.

"How much?" Naruto asked.

"Two hundred ryo." The store owner muttered and yawned heavily.

With a rustling sound, Naruto grabbed the two ice creams and stepped outside, instantly feeling the humid heat wrap around him again. He squinted his eyes and scanned around to make sure Sakura was still standing where he left her.

"Here." Naruto handed one of the ice creams to Sakura.

The two found a bench to sit on, with Naruto leaning back as he licked his ice cream, and Sakura mimicking him, eating her own. Their legs were crossed, and they sat close to each other.