A huge thanks to Howellsy, Copinsa, david lagos, Jack M, Haralds Martinsons, Surge1301, Jose Newcomb, Kal Odinson, Darth Bane, Luck George, Jesper Taus and acce Pederson for supporting me on Patreon.
Check out my patreon to read 45+ advance chapters and sexy female characters illustrations.
Patreon: patreon.com/NovelReader440
----------
At this moment, as Team 7 gathered, Sasuke listened to Kakashi's explanation and understood his predicament.
Sasuke also wanted to live a somewhat normal life.
"Fine, as long as I catch this wild cat quickly, I'll rest for the afternoon." Sasuke said and caressed Sakura back.
Sakura corrected him, blushing, "It's not a wild cat, it's a domesticated one. Otherwise, they wouldn't have entrusted us with retrieving it."
Naruto, by now, wasn't too bothered by Sasuke's advances on Sakura.
It didn't matter anymore.
Naruto no longer thought about relationships.
He had gradually become numb to it all.
This was normal for a man.
Even though Naruto once loved Sakura with all his heart, when he realized he had no chance, she ceased to be that important to him.
She was just another pretty girl, and had nothing to do with him anymore, so he didn't particularly care.
While Naruto no longer had special feelings for Sakura, he was still focused on improving his strength.
Ninja work was his career.
So Naruto said, "Sasuke, I may not be as strong as you, but I have more experience than you when it comes to catching cats and dogs."
"It's not certain who will catch it first."Naruto had clearly matured.
This was more like the Naruto from the later part of the original Shippuden series.
However, Sasuke smiled and said, "Naruto, even if this is my first time catching a cat, my reputation as a genius isn't just for show."
Sasuke had a strong desire to win.
There were also many interesting sights in the wild.
Clear streams, towering trees, and lush green grass. Sasuke had already picked out a few good spots.
He planned to take the beautiful Sakura there to enjoy some adult fun.
**[Byakugan]**
Sasuke quietly activated his Byakugan. When it came to finding kittens and puppies, the Byakugan was more practical than the Sharingan.
It allowed for perspective and long-distance detection.
"Found it!"
Sasuke looked at the photo of the missing cat. It was a perfect match.
"So soon?"
Naruto was stunned.
He looked at Kakashi in surprise and asked, "Did Sasuke cheat?"
Kakashi was helpless and could only respond, "Perhaps Sasuke found a wild cat, not the one the client wanted."
That made sense. There were many wild cats in the forest.
Accurately identifying the correct cat required skill.
But Sasuke was no ordinary ninja.
He moved quickly.
The cat, a known escape artist, was crafty. When it saw Sasuke charging towards it, its fur stood on end, and it bolted.
Unfortunately for the cat, Sasuke was terrifyingly fast.
He swiftly caught the cat.
The frightened feline tried to fight back.
If Naruto had been the one catching it, he would've ended up scratched all over.
But Sasuke was different.
Just opening his Sharingan would have been enough to calm the cat down.
However, he didn't need to use the Sharingan. Instead, he took out a rope and tied the cat's legs, preventing it from moving.
When Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura arrived, they were greeted by the sight.
All of them were speechless.
"…"
Kakashi sighed, "Impressive, Sasuke. You caught it so quickly."
Normally, Naruto and Sakura would have taken half a day to catch it.
Sasuke had done it in less than half an hour.
"You really are something, Sasuke!" Although Naruto was still a little unconvinced, he had to admit that Sasuke was indeed powerful.
Sakura also picked up the cat and looked at Sasuke with some reproach.
"Sasuke-kun, you're being too rough. How can you just tie up the cat's four legs? It looks so pitiful."
Sasuke retorted, "This cat is not a gentle one. If I don't tie it up, it will scratch me."
"Alright, Kakashi, mission accomplished for today. Next, I'm going on vacation with Sakura."
Sakura blushed immediately, "Sasuke-kun, who said I want to go on vacation with you?"
Kakashi sighed, "Alright, alright. But, you young people should practice some moderation. There might be a big mission tomorrow, and you can't afford to be weak."
Sakura blushed even more, to the point where she could hardly lift her head.
Sasuke smiled and said, "Don't worry, I can handle it. As for Sakura, I'll take good care of her."
As he said this, he was about to pull Sakura to do something inappropriate for their age.
Kakashi glanced at Naruto, concerned that he might not be able to handle seeing Sasuke and Sakura so close.
However, Naruto had an indifferent expression. It was as if he was thinking, *No matter how rich you are or how beautiful your wife is, what does it have to do with me?*
Most immature people create trouble for themselves. The mature Naruto had learned to let go of things that didn't concern him.
"Naruto, we have another mission to find a dog. Let's get to it." Kakashi said.
Naruto responded with interest, "Okay!"
Now, in Naruto's mind, how Sasuke was going to spend time with Sakura was far less interesting than the mission of finding a dog.
In the original series, Naruto was obsessed with Sakura because he hadn't experienced true despair. He thought he still had a chance with her, which kept him chasing after her.
But now, with Sasuke openly showing affection toward Sakura, Naruto had long since given up. Despair had brought clarity, and he had moved on.
Anyway, Sakura wasn't his family or anything, so it didn't matter if she was with Sasuke.
In fact, Sasuke indirectly helped Naruto grow. Like a real man, Naruto learned to refuse being a bootlicker.
However, just when Sasuke was about to take things too far with Sakura, a surprising figure approached.
"Hinata-?"
Sasuke was genuinely surprised to see Hinata. Had she come to see him?
It felt like an awkward situation because Sasuke was still holding onto Sakura. And Sakura, confused, stared between Hinata and Sasuke.
Sakura hadn't anticipated that even Hinata would become involved with Sasuke.
"Kakashi-sensei, let's go." Naruto urged.
Kakashi had wanted to observe Sasuke's love triangle, but Naruto seemed completely indifferent. He just wanted to get on with the mission.
"Naruto-kun..." Hinata's heart ached when she saw him, but she held back her feelings. She knew that, like Naruto, she too had experienced despair.
She had given up hope on ever being with Naruto. Now, Hinata was Sasuke's woman, and her priorities had changed.
Hinata watched Naruto and Kakashi leave without even glancing back.
This made Sasuke fall into deep thought, 'Naruto has changed. He's no longer that lovesick fool. And Hinata... She's different too. She came to me instead of blushing over Naruto.'
Sasuke couldn't help but feel that things in this world were getting more interesting.
"Hinata?" Sakura spoke, slightly annoyed. They hadn't spoken much before, due to being in different circles.
"What are you doing here?"
Though Sakura instinctively guessed why Hinata had come, she still wanted confirmation. At the same time, she shot Sasuke a sharp glare, as if to say: *Look at the mess you've made!*
An ordinary guy would have probably folded under that look. But Sasuke wasn't just any guy. He was used to doing whatever he wanted, and nothing could rattle him.
"I'm here to see Sasuke." Hinata replied, her voice soft but steady, "I just wanted to ask him something."
Sakura's eyes narrowed even more. She could sense what was going on, but hearing it out loud was a different story.
If it weren't for Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan, Sakura would have never accepted sharing him with someone like Ino, let alone Hinata.
But Sasuke didn't seem to care, "Sakura, Hinata and I have some things to discuss. Just relax and listen quietly."
His authoritative tone was enough to make Sakura grumble, but she eventually gave in.
"Alright..." She muttered reluctantly, though she made no move to leave.
She stood aside, trying not to make a scene, but it was clear she wouldn't miss a word of what they were about to talk about.
Sasuke, of course, didn't mind. To him, both Sakura and Hinata were his women. It was only natural that they'd get used to each other over time.
Hinata, on the other hand, didn't show the same kind of jealousy. If Ino had been in her place, things might have been different. But Hinata had accepted her fate.
Even though Hinata no longer had feelings for Naruto, that didn't mean she loved Sasuke. Her relationship with him was complicated, and if anything, she resented him a bit.
However, growing up in the strict Hyuga clan, Hinata had been taught to accept her fate from a young age. So, when Sasuke came into her life, she felt it was just another part of that fate.
"My little Hinata, what brings you to your husband?" Sasuke asked, his voice teasing as he got closer to her.
Hinata instinctively stepped back, but Sasuke grabbed her hand, his grip firm.
"You—" Sakura's temper flared again, and she looked like she was about to explode. But she held back, stomping her foot in frustration.
Sakura felt conflicted. While she had been jealous of Ino, seeing Hinata tremble in front of Sasuke made her feel a strange sense of sympathy. Hinata was different from her or Ino.
As the noble Hyuga heiress, Hinata had never shown any interest in Sasuke before. Now, she seemed scared of him, forced into a situation she hadn't chosen.
'This damn Sasuke!' Sakura thought, seething internally.
"Hinata, don't worry. Sakura isn't an outsider. You're both my precious wives, beautiful girls I adore." Sasuke declared shamelessly.
Sakura's mood shifted at his words, but Hinata remained calm. She had already resigned herself to this fate.