In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Chapter 304 Thank You, Temari

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The door was pulled open, revealing Temari standing outside with her hands behind her back, looking a bit uneasy, almost like she was having an affair.

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked, his voice a little cold.

He was dressed in a form-fitting black long-sleeved shirt that highlighted his muscular frame. His tense jawline was slightly raised as he looked Temari up and down at a leisurely pace.

Hearing his question, Temari instinctively lifted her head and met his gaze. His hair was still damp, likely from a recent bath, which added to the slightly wet look in his eyes as well.

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask if you’ve been doing well since... last time." Temari’s mind was muddled, and she wasn’t even sure what she was saying. She really wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Naruto looked back into the room and then glanced at the room next door. He guessed that Tsunade was still in the bath, given how exhausting the meeting had been, so she probably wouldn't eat dinner so soon.

It was convenient for him since there was something he wanted to ask Temari as well. The fact that Sunagakure and Konoha had a deep cooperation because of him was also thanks to Temari. To be fair, she had helped him quite a bit.

With that in mind, Naruto casually grabbed a jacket from the door, lowered his gaze to look at her, and said, "Wanna take a walk?"

"Sure." Temari swallowed nervously, her mind going blank again, and she could only let Naruto lead her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Just as they were about to head out, it seemed Naruto remembered something. He turned back to his room, grabbed another coat, and tossed it to Temari without asking if she wanted it. He simply started walking out on his own.

In another part of the inn, Kurotsuchi lifted her leg from the bathtub, her toes touching the absorbent mat. Humming to herself, she bent down and wrapped her body in a soft, white bathrobe.

The inn’s first floor allocated to Iwagakure was spacious, with six rooms in total. She had one room to herself, while Onoki, due to his age and needing care, shared a room with Akatsuchi.

"The weather in the Land of Iron is truly harsh. It snows for a third of the year." Kurotsuchi muttered as she stood by the window, stretching lazily as she stared out at the falling snow, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the climate.

After taking a casual look outside, her gaze suddenly froze and she narrowed her eyes.

"Aren't they from Konoha and Sunagakure? Why are they walking together? Just because they’re allies, does that mean they have to be this close?"

Out in the snow.

The two stood under the roof of a pentagonal pavilion, wearing matching black coats, surrounded by a vast expanse of white. Temari was wrapped in the coat Naruto had given her, catching a faint whiff of a refreshing scent from the fabric.

Suddenly, she recalled the glance Naruto had given her earlier, and her heart once again started pounding uncontrollably. She didn’t know why, but just that one look from him seemed to undo her entirely.

Temari had met many people growing up, and she’d endured many hardships. When they were children, she had always been the one to mediate between Kankuro and Gaara, especially since Kankuro was terrified of Gaara.

Later, when she realized their father seemed intent on eliminating Gaara, Temari began to understand that there were some things she couldn’t change. Still, she tried to do what little she could: caring for her family and training hard.

In Sunagakure, many people her age had tried to pursue her. Some were good-looking, and some were powerful, but she looked down on them all. She thought they were too immature, like puppies wagging their tails everywhere they went.

Temari had always been used to taking care of others, and her brothers relied on her. But with two brothers already, did she really need another immature one as a boyfriend? The thought was ridiculous, something she had no time for.

In the cold wind, she stared down at her chest, unsure of what to say despite thinking about it for a long time.

Fortunately, Naruto spoke first. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and lacked any coldness. His eyes were fixed on her as he said, "I heard about the deepening of the alliance between Sunagakure and Konoha. At that time, it was indeed surprising that Sunagakure would make such a decision."

Temari listened intently, but quickly realized that throughout his entire sentence, he hadn’t mentioned her specifically. While her expression remained unchanged, she felt a fleeting sense of disappointment. After all, she hadn’t done all of it just for Konoha.

After saying that, Naruto visibly relaxed, as if he had just completed some sort of task.

"Well, Sunagakure was just making a decision that was in our best interest. After all, we’re allies, and with situations like that Konoha, we really should stand united."

Temari said with a forced smile, her smile almost faltering.

At this time, the snow fell more heavily, and Naruto, with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat. Looking at Temari's increasingly strained expression, a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.

Dusk fell earlier than usual due to the snow, darkening the sky.

"Come here." Naruto said with commanding tone.

Temari had no ability to resist and slowly shuffled closer with flushed face. But she was afraid of standing too close and being rejected, so she cautiously stopped about three or four steps away from him.

Naruto found it amusing and stared at her with a smirk, "You didn’t seem to keep your distance the other day, so why are you like this now?"

"That… that’s because…" Temari faltered, feeling defeated. She muttered something under her breath before giving up entirely, "Anyway, whatever you say is what it is."

"Still, thank you." Naruto said straightforwardly, "Although what you did may not be entirely for me, it did help me a lot. So, thank you, Temari."

The wind and snow whistled around them as Temari stood still, her heart skipping a beat when Naruto called her by name. It was just a simple expression of gratitude, but she felt an overwhelming urge to jump and cheer loudly.

Before she came out, she had mentally prepared herself, knowing that his attitude might remain as indifferent and cold as ever. But she had never thought that things would develop like this.

‘So... unexpected.’

"It's no big deal." Temari narrowed her eyes and smiled, but it still felt a little unnatural.

"I was a bit rough with you before, not exactly friendly. That won't happen again." Naruto said, "I was just a little angry at that time, and I didn't expect you to be scared."

Hearing this, Temari felt a sense of panic, as if something was wrong about the situation.

"That... I've forgotten everything that happened before. You don't have to take it to heart." She stammered nervously, her voice shaky, "I was pretty rude myself back then, so I deserved it."

Her voice trailed off as she looked up at Naruto speaking, "You don’t need to go out of your way to help me anymore. I can handle most things myself, and they are not that difficult." Naruto stood there casually, his expression indifferent, keeping a distant demeanor.

Temari's body turned a little stiff, her head was buzzing, and she didn’t hear anything else Naruto said after that.

She didn't even notice Naruto left until the end, and she just stood there in a daze.

‘The discussions had fallen apart again.’

Looking at the increasingly tense atmosphere at the Five Kage Summit, Naruto sighed. It was even more boring than he had imagined. The people from Kumogakure were being completely unreasonable.

Onoki is just an old rogue. He is always provoking everyone, and unconcerned about whether Iwagakure had someone to take over after him.

If Kumogakure is like a mafia group, then Iwagakure is basically a feudal monarchy.

In the future, the local emperor, Onoki, will pass Tsuchikage’s position to his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi. Just as she was now attending the Five Kage Summit to build up her experience.

Except for Sunagakure and Konoha, those standing here now are basically the successors of the Five Kage.