In the afternoon, in a quiet, chilly tavern.
The door curtain was lifted, and blinding sunlight poured in, along with the noisy bustle from outside.
"What is there to look for? Let's just go on with the mission first. It's just acting, right? I can do that too." Naruto grumbled indignantly, while still looked like Koyuki.
"Damn it, what nonsense are you spouting!" Anko exclaimed, "Keep searching seriously! Also, how long are you planning to parade around in that outfit?!"
"Do you have any idea how much attention you're drawing in that form? You nearly got chased by crazed fans just a moment ago."
"So what? They can't catch up with us. Just run a few laps on the rooftops, and those fools will completely lose their way." Naruto said nonchalantly.
"I am your team leader now! You better get that straight!" Anko grumbled, feeling a little depressed.
"Will the team leader come to the tavern to look for people during the day?"
"That's adult experience for you. Alcohol is the best companion for escaping reality." Anko said while still maintaining a serious expression.
"Is that so? I'm going to the bathroom."
"You! Damn it!" Anko suddenly felt like she was punching cotton. She clenched her fists as she watched Naruto walk towards the tavern bathroom.
Sakura remained silent the whole time, watching the two people bickering and playing around. No one knew what she was thinking.
Outside the restroom, Naruto hesitated for a moment in front of the men's and women's restrooms, then turned and entered the men's room. A drunken man, who is busy relieving himself, turned his head and was startled to see a woman enter.
Naruto, unbothered, continued his business, even whistling at the man when he noticed the man staring at him.
The peculiar encounter continued at the bar restroom door when Koyuki stepped out, only to see someone who looked exactly like her.
Realizing something was amiss, Koyuki turned to run, but Naruto calmly called after her.
"If you run away, I'm going to walk down the street and start stripping. Stripping! With! Your! Face!"
"You!" Koyuki, who was experiencing the Shinobi World's AI face-changing technology for the first time, stood there while gritting her teeth.
She wore a khaki-colored women's trench coat with a pink long-sleeve shirt underneath, her long black hair cascading down, exuding a mature woman's charm. Her sharp face held a touch of languid nobility.
The most eye-catching thing is Koyuki's eyes, as when staring at it, it's like watching a flowing story.
"Naruto! What're you up to…" Anko approached, ready to scold Naruto for his usual antics, but stopped short when she saw two Koyuki standing there.
"Hey! We found Princess Fuun!" Anko exclaimed excitedly. Hearing this, Sakura also emerged from the shadows, with hands behind her back and silently casted a glance at Koyuki.
"Tsk!" Koyuki's eyes flashed with disdain as she glanced over the three of them, "I don't know who you are, but I'm leaving now! I suggest you don't follow me."
Naruto didn't say a word and simply took off a piece of clothing.
"You're so annoying! I hate it the most when people threaten me!" Koyuki suddenly snorted and said indifferently, "Do whatever you want. I've had enough of this lousy job!"
"Well…" Anko quickly tried to smooth things over, "We are Konoha's Shinobi. We have been hired by your manager to protect you as you travel to the Land of Snow…"
"I'm not going to that place!" Koyuki suddenly shouted in anger, "Who gave him the right to hire you to protect me? This is coercion!"
"You can't say that, Princess Fuun, actually..." Anko smiled awkwardly.
"Oh, I'm done with Princess Fuun! If anyone wants to act, let them! This fake life…" Koyuki said with a sneer.
"That's not going to work."
"Enough! You guys, can you please just disappear right away!!"
Hearing this, Naruto thought for a moment, then canceled the Transformation Technique with a bang. In a flash, he pulled out a damp cloth and swiftly covered Koyuki's mouth with it.
"Mmph! Mmph!!"
Two seconds later, Koyuki lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
"You…" Anko was stunned by the scene that had just unfolded, while Sakura watched with her usual expression, blinking without comment.
"Ah, I might have overdone it a bit. This is the medicine that Tsunade-sama gave me." Naruto scratched his face, looking troubled. "She'll probably sleep for a whole day."
Turning around, Naruto noticed Anko staring at him and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? We found her. Let's get moving. Her manager is still waiting for us."
"You..." Anko seemed on the verge of saying something, but after a deep breath, she gave up, "Forget it, I'll take Princess Fuun to report back first."
As she said that, Anko hoisted the unconscious Koyuki onto her shoulder and told Naruto and Sakura, "You two go and get ready. We'll meet in the Hokage Tower in two hours."
"Okay." The two responded.
The escaped princess of the Land of Snow was finally apprehended, and Anko let out a long sigh of relief as she quickly escorted the target out of the tavern.
In the now quiet tavern…
After completing the mission, Naruto let out a tired sigh. This was supposed to be something Kakashi would handle, but with an unreliable and inept Jonin as their team leader, he had to step up instead.
'In the face of a mission, hesitation is not an option… What kind of Shinobi hesitates?'
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Sakura had been staring at him. Naruto couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Sakura replied with a smile. She looked around before pulling Naruto into a dim corner of the tavern.
It was just around noon, and the tavern was nearly empty.
The owner was dozing off at the table, with the only light flickering weakly above. The few remaining patrons had left after the earlier commotion, leaving just the three of them.
The soft sound of the owner's snoring continued, and it seemed like he wouldn't wake up anytime soon.
"Sakura you..." Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.
"Don't worry, there's no one here." Sakura leaned close and whispered into his ear, "No one will know. It will only take a moment."
Her cold hand traced his cheek, sliding down to the back of his neck. Naruto didn't understand what Sakura was trying to do, but he could feel the coolness at the back of his neck.
Sakura's fingertips lingered on a specific spot at the center of his nape, sending a strange sensation through him, like having an icy popsicle placed against his chest.
"All done." Sakura slowly stepped back and pulled her hand back with a satisfied smile on her face.
Naruto, still puzzled, asked, "What was that?"
"I just wanted you to remember this feeling. I'm probably the first to do it, right?" Her eyes curved into a smile, but there was something unsettling about it.
The more restrained she was, the more uneasy Naruto felt.
"Where did you learn that?"
"From... a book."
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