In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

"Alright, just leave it there." Naruto said as he got up, ending his negotiation with Kurama.

At this point, Naruto was truly trying to pull off the impossible. Kurama was convinced that he still had ten bottles of Hyuga Clan's good sake.

Kurama was behaving like Patrick teasing bait near a fishhook, testing it eagerly but without wanting to pay the price.

Kurama's sneaky behavior, wanting the bait but not wanting to commit, was all too clear to Naruto.

But how could Naruto let him do what he wanted? No matter what Kurama said, Naruto wouldn't budge. He was waiting for Kurama to ask about the trouble he was facing, so he could rope him into helping with the mission to eliminate Pain.

The negotiations were interrupted, leaving Kurama disappointed as he sulked back to his room.

Naruto caught the whole scene from the corner of his eye and sneered internally, 'How could this foolish fox think he can escape from my clutches?'

Sakura had already tidied up the dining table. When Naruto sat down and reached for the chopsticks, his fingers brushed against something warm. Their fingertips pressed together, but Naruto didn't react much, and simply grabbed the chopsticks.

"Huh?" Sakura was stunned for a moment and abruptly pulled her hand back.

Naruto showed no emotion. He glanced at her calmly, then took his eyes away leisurely. Sakura's little tricks had no effect on him anymore, and he was completely immune to it.

On the contrary, Sakura's reaction was unexpectedly strong. Not only did she quickly pull her hand back, she even hid it under the table. Her face turned red as she tried to act nonchalant.

In the past, Naruto had been somewhat wary of Sakura, but the incident when Dark Sakura almost died had a profound impact on Naruto, making him realize his true feelings.

His so-called impartial attitude was merely an excuse. When push came to shove, he found he preferred the obedient Dark Sakura. Now that he had clarity, he didn't feel the need to avoid her anymore.

"Do you have time this afternoon?" He asked.

"Yes, what's up?" Sakura responded, a little nervous. Her failed attempt at teasing Naruto left her feeling uneasy.

"How much of Tsunade-sama's medical skills have you learned?"

"Why are you asking that?" Sakura was stunned for a moment and looked at Naruto, "Do you have some kind of hidden illness?"

"Cough! You're the one with hidden illness!" Naruto was almost choked to death by Sakura's bold remark, "Can you please speak properly?"

"Then why are you asking this? Unless..." Sakura glanced at him, then pulled out her chair, stood up and walked to his side. Leaning down close to his ear, she whispered teasingly, "It's okay. This little nurse will give you a thorough check-up today."

Naruto looked indifferent and reached out to push her face away, "Can you be serious? I'm talking about something important."

"Fine, fine. What's the important thing?" She waved her hands desperately, but found that she couldn't get closer, so she could only give up.

"Akamaru was seriously injured and is still in critical condition." Naruto explained as he pinched her face and pushed her a little further away, "Kiba asked me to ask for Tsunade-sama's help."

"But Tsunade-sama is really busy, and the Inuzuka Clan hasn't made a fuss about this. Something feels off about the whole situation. I mentioned it to Tsunade-sama, and she suggested you go check it out first."

"But I'm not a veterinarian. Is there even a connection?" Sakura stood aside and frowned.

"Which is why I'm asking for your opinion." Naruto said, pausing as he set his chopsticks down. "This is not an official mission, and Kiba wasn't exactly clear about everything either."

"Medical Ninjutsu and veterinary skills don't necessarily overlap. If you don't want to, you don't have to worry. I can help you turn it down."

"How can I refuse? After all, we are friends. Besides, I'm on leave anyway, so I might as well go take a look." Sakura sighed and said, "Though I might not be much help."

"Friendship is one thing, but let's keep things professional." Naruto said, "I'll go with you to check it out. We'll just take a quick look and leave, no pressure."

"I'll try, but now that you put it like that, it does seem like something is really odd." Sakura sat back down and said, "Why is Tsunade-sama involved in this?"

Naruto suspected this might have something to do with Danzo, but he couldn't be completely sure at the moment. Kiba's behavior seemed strange, but it didn't feel like he was lying.

After a quick lunch, Sakura was about to leave but was stopped by Naruto.

"Take a break first. We can go later."

"Alright."

Originally, Sakura wanted to ask a few more questions, such as whether Akamaru was still in danger or not. But after looking into Naruto's deep eyes, she immediately swallowed the words in her throat.

'Never mind, I'll just follow his lead.'

At about two o'clock in the afternoon, the two of them set out together. Even though it was the hottest time of the day, the early summer sun was pleasantly warm, not scorching.

The tall and broad Naruto walked ahead. Bathed in the hallway's sunlight, he seemed almost drowsy, as if he hadn't fully woken up.

Sakura felt as if Naruto had a special kind of magic. No matter where he stood, the sunlight seemed to follow him closely. When she looked up at him, she felt a warm, cozy sensation throughout her body.

She walked a few steps behind Naruto, trailing his shadow with her own. As she playfully stepped on his shadow, a smile crept onto her face, and before she knew it, they had reached the end of the hallway.

After a few turns, they went down the stairs and briefly wandered through the streets before finding their direction.

Konoha's Main Street.

"When we get there, don't speak or move unless I tell you to. Stay behind me, and only move when I say so." Naruto instructed casually, "Once we've seen what we need to, we'll leave. Don't force yourself."

"Okay." Sakura agreed without asking questions.

Along the way, she kept glancing at Naruto from the corner of her eye. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Naruto's clean-cut profile was illuminated, imprinting itself deeply in her heart.

They entered the Inuzuka Clan's compound, where they soon found a large building resembling a veterinary hospital. Its red-tiled roof stood five stories high.

In the Inuzuka Clan, Ninken held a special status as the partners of clan members. Every household raised and trained Ninken, growing up alongside them.

Because of this, the Ninken Hospital was almost as large as Konoha's Hospital. After explaining their purpose, they were swiftly led to where Akamaru was, with Kiba standing by his side.

Akamaru lay on a small pet bed, looking pained, with an IV drip hanging nearby.

Kiba, with reddened eyes, got up to greet Naruto and Sakura, speaking in a muffled tone, "Naruto, Sakura, you guys are here?"

"Yeah, Tsunade-sama is busy, so she asked Sakura to come over and take a look first." Naruto replied, reaching back to grab Sakura's wrist, signaling her not to speak.

Upon hearing this, Kiba's eyes dimmed momentarily, but then quickly regained their brightness.

"Thank you, both of you."

"No problem." Naruto nodded, and then glanced around the ward. But he didn't find anything unusual.

"Please step aside for a bit and let Sakura examine Akamaru."

"Oh, right. Sorry." Kiba stepped back a bit.

"A little further back. You're blocking the light, so we can't see Akamaru's condition clearly." He added.

"Okay, sorry." Kiba stepped back again.