At the Konoha Hospital, footsteps echoed through the empty hallway.
Temari opened her eyes, and the smell of disinfectant filling her nose startled her. She turned her head to see clean white curtains and a pot of blooming yellow flowers on the windowsill.
Sunlight streamed onto the white walls, casting a faint glow.
Before she could fully recall what had happened, the footsteps outside her room stopped, and the door swung open. The person who entered seemed to have no concept of personal space, walking straight up to her bedside before stopping.
"You're awake?"
Naruto's voice was low and his tone was indifferent. With blonde hair and blue eyes, he wore a loose white short-sleeve shirt. His forehead was smooth, and his slightly wavy blonde hair nearly covered his eyebrows.
Temari let out a faint 'Ah' as her head instinctively turned away, her gaze drawn to his hands again.
Naruto was holding a stack of documents, and in his right hand, he gripped a pen. His fingernails were slightly translucent, and his broad knuckles clenched the pen tightly.
After staring at him for a second, Temari felt something was wrong with her body. Her mouth felt dry from the nervous saliva her body produced. Her face warmed as she hurriedly shifted her gaze.
She didn't know where to look now, so she lowered her head, staring at the white cup in front of her. Her pupils dilated, her vision unfocused at the edges, and she could faintly hear Naruto's slightly impatient voice nearby.
"Since you're awake, sign this agreement." Naruto said, frowning at Temari. He hadn't wanted any involvement with her, but Shizune had insisted on dragging him along for this.
Something about how it would be more appropriate if he delivered it, after all, Temari knew him better than most people in Konoha.
Knew him? Not really. Their acquaintance was more like a series of forced interactions rather than anything personal.
Naruto stared at Temari, who was looking down and pretending to ignore him, and felt a sudden surge of irritation.
He didn't understand why, but every time he saw her, his tone unconsciously became harsh. It wasn't that he wanted to be rude, but something about her demeanor just got under his skin,
'This posture, those eyes… what was with her acting so submissive? It was infuriating!'
"Agreement?" Temari's voice was soft, and her expression finally became normal as she looked up at him and said, "What kind of agreement?"
"How would I know? See for yourself." Naruto tossed the agreement onto the bed. With a muffled sound, the thick stack of papers landed on the white blanket, while the pen rolled off, disappearing into the folds of the curtain.
"Oh okay." Temari hesitated for a moment and looked at the pen again.
Naruto didn't pay it any mind. He saw no need to fetch the pen. If Temari had any objections to the agreement, it would be the perfect excuse for him to leave and call Shizune over to explain.
He hadn't read the agreement at all, mainly because he couldn't care less, just like he couldn't care less about the pen that had rolled behind the curtain.
But the scene Naruto expected didn't unfold. Temari didn't agree or refuse, nor did she flip through the agreement. Instead, she carefully peeked at him before quickly turning her gaze towards where the pen had fallen.
"The pen fell." Temari said with some fear.
"If it fell, it fell. Don't worry about it." Naruto said as he stood beside the bed.
"Can I pick it up?" She asked.
Naruto felt a little uncomfortable when asked this, 'It was just a pen. If she wanted to pick it up, she should just do it. Did she really need my permission? Would she not dare to pick it up if I said no?'
"Whatever." He replied impatiently.
'So annoying. Why does this woman act like I was going to eat her alive?'
"Okay." She nodded and hesitated for a moment.
Then, Temari slowly shifted on the bed, not bothering to lift the blanket. Instead, she got on all fours and crawled towards the edge of the bed. One hand propped against the wall, while the other reached towards the space behind the curtain.
Her slender neck was pale, and the loose blue-and-white hospital gown couldn't hide the curves of her body. A gentle breeze swept in, revealing her smooth, fair waist.
Naruto coldly watched the braid of her golden hair swaying, then felt a strange emotion welling up inside him. His mind buzzed with a sudden itch, the kind that made him want to reach out and touch it.
Temari was completely oblivious to her exposed waist as she strained to reach for the pen behind the curtain, her hand that was bracing against the wall trembling slightly.
"Just a little bit more." She muttered through gritted teeth, stretching her fingers to nudge the pen on the floor. However, no matter how much she tried, it was always just out of reach.
Instead of bringing the pen closer, her fingertips ended up pushing it further away. At this point, backing down wasn't an option, so she focused entirely on extending her body further.
Her mind was getting fuzzy, and she felt slightly lightheaded, her face flushed red, though she didn't find it particularly uncomfortable.
Exerting so much effort just to pick up a pen… even Temari herself didn't quite understand why she was doing it. She simply felt an intense urge to retrieve it after seeing it tossed aside.
It was as if that pen held some magical power, entirely occupying Temari's thoughts. Ignoring it and leaving it there felt like an itch she couldn't scratch.
It started as a passing thought… 'Would I be praised if I managed to pick it up?'
This sudden notion in her mind was like gasoline ignited by a lit cigarette, once sparked, it couldn't be extinguished. She stared for a moment before acting on it. By the time she realized, she was already bent over, reaching for the pen.
After a while, Temari finally grabbed the pen, clutching it in her hand before slowly returning under the white blanket.
Naruto had been watching the entire time, and retracted his hand early, not taking the fleeting impulse he felt earlier to heart. He scrutinized Temari once more, unable to fathom why she was so determined to retrieve a mere pen.
The room Temari was in was a small, single-patient room, which is compact and easily visible in one glance. The narrow hallway at the end of the bed was only wide enough for one person to pass through at a time.
Konoha Hospital had been experiencing a shortage of beds recently, and coordinating even this small room for Temari was no small feat. While Kankuro and Gaara are squeezed in another room.
"Read the agreement. If you have any questions, let me know, and I'll find someone to explain it." Naruto reiterated, eager for her to raise any objections so he could escape this situation.
"I picked up the pen." Temari said softly.
"Huh?" Naruto was stunned and looked at her in confusion.
"I picked it up." She clutched the pen tightly, her grip so firm that her hand was trembling.
"And then?" Naruto's gaze shifted downwards, staring at the pen for a moment before looking back at Temari, 'Has she lost her mind?'
'Could it be that she has become stupid due to lack of oxygen? That last statement didn't seem like it came from someone older than three.' He was a little confused, and Naruto's eyes finally settled on Temari's face.
"I picked it up." She repeated.
"Yeah, you picked it up. Alright." Naruto said, feeling a headache coming on. "Now, focus on the agreement. If there's anything you don't understand, let me know so I can get someone to help."
Temari looked at him with a hint of grievance, and Naruto cursed inwardly, 'Damn it! What the hell is wrong with this woman? What's with her expression? Was she expecting me to praise her or something?'
Naruto exhaled deeply, suppressing his annoyance before finally saying, "You picked it up. That's impressive."
"Okay." Temari nodded, then set the pen aside and picked up the agreement from the bed, beginning to read it carefully. Her focused expression showed that she was taking it far more seriously than any three-year-old would.
Naruto watched Temari nervously, half-expecting her to blurt out something ridiculous like, "Is this a drawing?"
Fortunately, Temari quietly read through the entire agreement, but unfortunately, she didn't raise any objections. She only looked up after reading the last word. Naruto, who had been spacing out nearby, noticed her gaze and quickly stood up, "What's wrong? Is there a problem? I'll go find…"
"No problem. I can sign this agreement." Temari nodded and smoothly signed her name and added her fingerprint.