After Naruto finished speaking, Temari still didn't move, nor did she let go, though her sobbing had stopped.
The room was silent, the only sound coming from the wind howling through the forest outside.
"Let go." Naruto said in his usual cold tone.
He could feel Temari's body tense up before she slowly released him, her face deeply buried in his chest, flushed and hot.
"Here's your fan." Naruto said, and a huge fan landed on the ground with a thud. Just as he was about to leave, Temari suddenly grabbed him again, "What is it?"
"I'm sorry…"
"Got it." Naruto replied without lingering and left immediately.
When he returned to the Hokage Tower, the mission report was already written. Judging from the handwriting, it should be written by Shizune. Tsunade was asleep at her desk, surrounded by stacks of documents, while Shizune was smiling awkwardly beside her.
After whispering a 'thank you', Naruto quietly left.
Walking out of the Hokage Tower, the bright sunlight cast sharp shadows on the ground, making him frown. Since he hadn't brought Sasuke back, Naruto decided it was best to avoid Sakura for now.
'She needed time to calm down and gradually accept that Sasuke had chosen to leave and forge his own path.'
If one wanted to get stronger in Konoha, besides having a godlike bloodline, only Taijutsu geniuses like Guy can achieve that. Sasuke had chosen a larger stage to hone his skills and pursue his own goals.
That was his choice, and Naruto had no reason to convince him to give up his hatred and continue to stay in Konoha playing Shinobi games, being raised as the last bloodline of the Uchiha Clan.
As Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha, he pondered how to comfort Sakura next time, 'Life was like a long train ride, some people get off earlier, and perhaps it's best to be grateful for the time spent together?'
Lost in thought, when Naruto looked up, he noticed a familiar small figure heading towards the Hyuga Clan's compound.
"Hinata."
"Ah!"
The sudden voice startled Hinata, but she relaxed when she realized it was Naruto.
The two walked side by side down the street, keeping a small distance between their shoulders.
"Naruto-kun, have you finished your mission?"
Hinata asked while fidgeting with her fingers. But then, as if she remembered something, she quickly stopped and put her hands down, looking uneasy.
"It's okay." Naruto noticed Hinata's little movement, "I was just joking last time, you don't have to worry about it, Hinata-chan."
"Okay…" Hinata obediently clasped her hands behind her back, her gaze unsure of where to settle. She smiled nervously, then her face turned bright red again.
"What about you? Have you been busy lately?"
"Ah, not really." Hinata replied softly. Worried that Naruto might think she was being too perfunctory, she quickly added, "Team 8 is mainly responsible for tracking and reconnaissance, so I haven't had many missions lately."
"Most of the time, Shino was assigned to a mission alone, so I've been focusing on training recently."
The Aburame Clan is indeed very strong, and their abilities in both reconnaissance and combat are outstanding. Moreover, Team 8 is a reconnaissance team specially formed by Sandaime, so Hinata's teammates often got pulled away for various special missions.
"Hinata-chan, you're working really hard."
"No, not really." Hinata quickly lowered her head, "I don't have much talent, so I have to spend more time training. I don't want to hold my companions back."
"Companions are supposed to help each other. There's no need to push yourself too hard." Naruto was in a state of relaxation after the mission. He spoke whatever came to mind, his whole body warm and at ease.
"You can't make everyone happy, so don't belittle yourself. I know you've been working hard to prove yourself, Hinata-chan, but sometimes, it's okay to take a break."
Hinata, as the member of the Hyuga Clan's main family, is not suitable for participating in certain high-risk missions. It's also because the Hyuga Clan's main family's Byakugan is so powerful that it can be plugged in and used at any time like a USB drive.
It would be fine if Hinata was exceptionally talented, but not everyone is a genius.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I feel much better now." Hinata said softly, her lips curling into a small smile.
"That's good." Naruto replied with a smile.
He knew that no matter what words of encouragement he offered, Hinata would feel better. Those who are favored always have a bit of confidence.
To be honest, before Sandaime's funeral, because of his status as a Jinchuriki, Naruto didn't dare to have much contact with Hinata, a member of Hyuga Clan's main family, so as not to bring trouble to Hinata.
After Sandaime's death, before he could even catch his breath, Itachi came to capture him. Then came the matter with Tsunade and then Sasuke's defection. It was one thing after another.
"Are you heading home now?" Naruto asked casually.
He had nothing to do at the moment, and if Hinata wasn't going home, they could stroll around together. After all, going home would just mean lying down, so he might as well take a walk with this sweet girl.
"Me? Yes, I'm going home." Hinata replied shyly, "Father sent someone to find me. It seems that he has something to tell me."
"No worries." Naruto said, touching his face and smiling, "I was thinking of walking with you for a bit, but if your father is looking for you, I'd better not. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."
The Hyuga Clan's compound was just ahead, and there was no point in him going further. Plus, walking together in broad daylight might cause Hinata to get scolded when she got home.
"That won't happen, really." Hinata was a little flustered.
She lowered her gaze and then cautiously looked up, stealing glances at him, clearly nervous. Perhaps she didn't realize it, but this expression was incredibly cute.
Naruto had to resist the urge to pat Hinata's head. After all, in moments like this, randomly patting someone on the head just because they're too cute is almost the same as being a creep.
"Huh?"
"What?" Naruto asked, feeling a bit nervous, thinking he might have been seen through.
"Is it... really not okay?" Hinata stammered, mustering up her courage to ask.
Naruto didn't refuse and took a detour to send Hinata back. Although Hinata didn't say much along the way, she seemed genuinely happy. It wasn't until he watched her disappear into the gates of her home that Naruto finally turned and left.
After returning home, Naruto lay on the couch for a while, his thoughts drifting to the upcoming high-level meeting. After a moment of frustration and restlessness, he slowly closed his eyes.
The wind chimes from the old house that he had brought over still hung in their usual spot on the balcony, ringing softly in the breeze.
The window frame rattled in the summer wind, and the living room was so quiet that he could hear his own steady breathing.
Ding!
A sudden synthetic voice echoed in his mind, jolting Naruto awake. He sat up straight on the couch, and fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.
[Kyubi's approval: 27%]
'The progress increased?'
Naruto, still groggy and confused, hadn't expected the progress to go up. He had been taking things as they came, not actively trying to increase the percentage. While he was happy about the increase... the walk had happened hours ago.
'Why did it only show up now?'
'Was the system malfunctioning?'
Naruto tapped his head a few times but received no response. The wind chimes on the balcony continued to ring, and after thinking it over with no clear answer, he shrugged it off and clutched the blanket, returning to sleep.