Team 7's Awkward Gathering

Hospital, ward.

"Shikamaru, you!"

At this moment, Naruto Uzumaki stared wide-eyed at the crimson stain on the bed, his face turning green, and he almost collapsed on the spot.

"Naruto! You bastard!"

At this moment, Shikamaru Nara spoke weakly and angrily, painfully pulling up his pants. Now, when he walked, his legs were spread apart, and he trembled uncontrollably.

The messy room is proof enough.

Just then, the ward door was suddenly pushed open, and before anyone could enter Sasuke Uchiha's proud voice rang out.

"Naruto, Kakashi-sensei has announced that Team 7 will have a gathering tonight..."

Suddenly, Uchiha Yoru Sasuke's throat seemed to be squeezed, and his usual aloofness completely broke down. He stared at the scene in stunned disbelief.

Naruto's acorn was still stained with blood, and the ward was filled with traces of blood from the battle. At that moment, Shikamaru Nara was trembling, pulling up his pants and sitting on the bed leg.

There was also a smell in the air that was like feces.

Instantly, Sasuke Uchiha's usual aloofness vanished, his face turning bright red, and he began to stammer.

"Um... I... I have something to do, sorry to bother you, I didn't see anything, nothing..."

As if he had witnessed something horrifying, Sasuke Uchiha panicked and ran out, leaving the patients and medical staff in the corridor looking puzzled.

Just then, a female medical worker came by and glanced at the scene out of curiosity, when a piercing scream echoed throughout the entire hospital.

"Ah!"

Seeing this, Naruto Uzumaki jumped out of the window and fled in a disheveled state, further confirming his guilty conscience.

Abandoned, Shikamaru Nara cried out in frustration, "Naruto, don't leave me all alone!"

He's so frustrated! If you're going to run away, at least take him with you! What kind of behavior is this? It's outrageous!

"Naruto!"

Shikamaru screamed as he watched Naruto escape through the broken window, his eyes bloodshot and filled with resentment.

That same day, a rumor circulated in the hospital that the young patriarch of the Nara Clan was a homosexual.

Some people suddenly realized why the young clan leader wasn't bothered by losing just two ounces of meat; it turned out he had been disliking it for a long time.

Meanwhile, in this distorted Shinobi World, ninjas have been carrying out killing missions for many years, and some of their psychological darkness has become twisted. When they heard this news, many people secretly or unintentionally came into contact with this young man.

After all, there are quite a few people who develop this kind of hobby due to their dark and twisted psychology.

However, this kind of psychological distortion is not acknowledged or recognized, and can only develop in secret.

Shikamaru Nara had no idea that this incident would later bring him a lot of disgusting trouble, with people constantly getting close to him in secret, including a bearded man, which infuriated him even more.

At this moment, Shikamaru Nara lay on the operating table, his eyes lifeless and dim.

After treating the wounds, Kabuto Yakushi shook his head and said, "Be more careful next time. Don't be so hasty. You've torn both sides open. And that person was too barbaric; everything is red and swollen."

"However, the wound has been stitched up. Just pay attention to disinfection in the future, and avoid spicy food and alcohol for now."

As the Medical Ninja continued his incessant admonitions, a single tear of utter despair rolled down Shikamaru Nara's cheek.

"Oh, right, someone saw a little red-haired girl covering her face and running away outside the door, as if she was saying something."

At this moment, Kabuto Yakushi, who seemed to be reminiscing, suddenly remembered something and exclaimed in realization, "That's right, this little girl is a liar! They're all big liars!"

"Hey, you young people."

Kabuto Yakushi seemed understanding, but he still shook his head and sighed.

This is solid proof; you two messed around and deceived the young girl's feelings.

At this moment Shikamaru Nara was filled with frustration. He really didn't expect Naruto to be so impatient. But thinking about it, it made sense. Naruto had been Sexy Jutsu since he was a child, and he was definitely gifted in this area.

Unfortunately, his calculations went awry, and he got himself into trouble. When Sakura discovered this, she was undoubtedly shocked and furious.

They believed he had deceived the other party.

"I!"

Shikamaru tried to explain in a hoarse voice, but Kabuto Yakushi beside him, chuckled and adjusted his glasses. "No need to explain, I understand. Don't worry, I won't discriminate against you."

"Besides, we doctors have encountered many people like you, so you can rest assured."

Kabuto Yakushi, the culprit behind all this, smiled broadly and slowly took out a bottle of medicine, handing it to Shikamaru.

"This is medicine to speed up your recovery."

At this moment, Shikamaru Nara felt as if he were only a real person in front of the Medical Ninja, Kabuto Yakushi, and his heart was filled with a mixture of emotions.

He might feel a little regretful about losing two ounces of meat, but once the matter got out, he finally felt the pressure of public opinion.

"Um, will this have any impact on my future?"

Seeing Shikamaru Nara's question, Kabuto Yakushi calmly replied, "Because of the lack of... pills, male hormones decrease, and since you are in your developmental stage, it may have some impact."

"But don't worry, it won't have much of an impact on ninjas. The biggest changes will be that their voices will become a bit higher and sharper, and they won't grow beards."

"These are all physical, but the most important thing is psychological!"

"Psychologically?" Shikamaru Nara looked surprised, as if asking what that meant.

Yakushi Kabuto Yakushi nodded and chuckled, "That's right, it's psychological. Let's put it this way: people generally only have one first time and countless times."

"In your situation, if you only had these desires and thoughts before taking any action, it's fine. But if you've tried it the first time..."

"I! I was forced!" Shikamaru Nara hurriedly explained, while Kabuto Yakushi nodded with a smile.

"I know that whether people are forced into it or not, they are born with curiosity. After trying it the first time, many people fall into this trap due to their curiosity."

"Of course, there are also those with strong willpower, so it depends on the individual. After all, this is also a way to vent emotions, especially for ninjas who are on missions all year round, the pressure they feel is unimaginable."

Kabuto Yakushi's unbiased approach, analyzing the situation from the perspective of a pure Medical Ninja, immediately filled Shikamaru Nara with gratitude.

"Thank you. So, if I want to change it, is there any way I can do so?"

Although Shikamaru Nara was grateful, he still did not want to sink into such a state. He had heard about such things within his clan, but he absolutely did not want to do them in secret himself.

"Way?"

Kabuto Yakushi his head and pondered for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "I've heard that some people, in order to reverse their psychological changes, will use their strong willpower to seek out geisha..."

Thank you!

Shikamaru Nara thanked him respectfully and left the hospital that same night. After all, he already felt ashamed, as he was already reluctant to deal with such a troublesome situation.

That night, at Q BBQ Restaurant.

Hatake Kakashi scratched his head, noticing that something was off about the atmosphere.

"Well, Naruto's going to train with Lord Jiraiya in a couple of days, Sasuke's going to train with Lord Orochimaru, and even Sakura's going to train in Medical Ninjutsu with Yakushi Nonō. The three of you are all going your separate ways. So, what are you doing at our Team 7 reunion tonight...?"

Kakashi looked on in confusion, only to see Sakura awkwardly lowering her head, her toes clenched tightly; if there were a crack in the ground, she would have wanted to disappear into it.

She truly hadn't expected that two men in the hospital room could get together; it seemed that senior Kabuto Yakushi had even kindly given her a heads-up.

Sasuke Uchiha was equally embarrassed, but his embarrassment was more of a desire to stay away from Naruto Uzumaki, as if he would taint him. His behavior was one of disdain, but his eyes showed more embarrassment than anything else.

After all, as a ninja, it's already good enough that he doesn't discriminate against this kind of people; how could he possibly treat Naruto the same way he used to?

Sasuke Uchiha came tonight purely out of necessity, and it was incredibly awkward.

A hint of sadness and sorrow welled up in Naruto Uzumaki's eyes; his first time had been given to Shikamaru, and it was in such a wild and unrestrained way.

Even though he's usually oblivious, Naruto Uzumaki can still get hurt.

"Sasuke, believe me, you've misunderstood me."

In the awkward atmosphere, Naruto looked at Sasuke to explain, but Sasuke Uchiha quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, I believe you. I misunderstood you."

Suddenly, Sasuke Uchiha changed the subject, looking at Kakashi and asking, "Kakashi-sensei, when is Gaara coming?"

Just then, the curtain was lifted, and Gaara, with the character for "love" tattooed on his forehead, arrived. He first bowed respectfully to Kakashi and said, "Kakashi Jōnin."

Looking at Gaara, Kakashi smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Everyone's here, please sit down."

"Let me explain first, our Team 7 has not disbanded. It's just that your talents would be wasted if you were to spend too much time on missions, so we've arranged for you to train."

"However, Naruto is unable to participate in Team 7's mission for the time being because he is following Lord Jiraiya, and Lord Jiraiya is traveling throughout the Shinobi World."

"Therefore, Gaara will join you to train with Sasuke under Lord Orochimaru. We will also be issuing missions to you every year. I look forward to working together on missions again after our three-year training period ends."

Kakashi had a goal, so he was naturally very motivated, and even his eloquence improved a lot.

Fueled by Kakashi's lively atmosphere, Team 7 raised their glasses in unison and shouted, "Cheers!"

But it's clear that Naruto Uzumaki felt resentful and repulsed as he looked at Gaara, who had taken his place—which is only natural.

Even in the original story, when Sai joined Team 7 and replaced Sasuke, Naruto was very resistant.

Now that he has been replaced, Gaara.

In the original story, the two were close friends who shared similar experiences, but in this life, Naruto finds himself filled with aversion towards Gaara.

Sakura and Sasuke were initially a little unaccustomed to Naruto officially joining Team 7, although they hid it well. Naruto, on the other hand, had gotten used to it, especially since they had worked together on so many missions before.

This time, however, Sasuke and Sakura secretly breathed a sigh of relief, especially Sasuke, who looked at Gaara with gratitude.

It was as if he finally felt safe.

"Sasuke!"

At the dinner table, Naruto Uzumaki stared intently at his best friend Sasuke, whose scalp tingled from that gaze, and Sasuke Uchiha gave an awkward smile.

"Naruto."

The once proud Sasuke Uchiha, even when facing the Sannin, was filled with unwavering determination, vowing to surpass them. But this time, seeing Naruto's eyes, he was actually intimidated.

"What do you want?"

Sasuke Uchiha to speak awkwardly. The once dismissive and fiery gaze he once held now sent chills down his spine every time he saw Naruto's eyes.

The oblivious Naruto Uzumaki didn't notice Sasuke's unusual behavior. Instead, he noticed that Sasuke, who had previously been at odds with him, had softened, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Sasuke still cared about him after all; at the moment of parting, even his previous constant opposition softened.

Naruto Uzumaki grinned, revealing a determined smile, and gave Sasuke a thumbs-up, laughing loudly, "Sasuke, I'll definitely surprise you in three years! I, Naruto Uzumaki, will definitely defeat you then!"

"Loser... Dead Last, stop talking big." The usually cool Sasuke stammered this time, showing how much the scene on the hospital bed had affected the young Sasuke.

"Alright, you two, stop fooling around, the meat's almost burnt."

Kakashi could tell what had happened between the two, but he didn't pursue it. After all, everyone has to experience everything in life. He smiled at everyone with one eye that was showing, which curved into a crescent moon.

"I'm starting!"

Inside the bustling barbecue restaurant, Team 7 was happily enjoying their meal together, but the experience was anything but pleasant.

The two who ate the best were Kakashi and Gaara.

Kakashi was overjoyed, after all, his students were about to graduate and their futures were bright, so he didn't have much to worry about.

This was the most satisfactory situation for him.

Gaara seemed to sense something different this time, especially when Sakura and Sasuke released signals that they were accepting him, which gave him a rare feeling of camaraderie.

This night was destined to be sleepless.

Inside the dimly lit room of the Nara Clan.

Shikaku Nara rubbed his temples wearily; the aftereffects of his condition were quite severe.

"Father, this is the current situation of the family."

After Shikamaru respectfully finished his report, Nara Shikaku sighed wearily, "As expected, the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans has indeed split apart."

He had long considered the possibility of the three major families splitting up. After all, even a single family can have disagreements, let alone three major families. The previous relationship between the Ino-Shika-Cho, and Butterfly families was purely based on mutual interests.

It's normal that interests are now divided.

"Shikamaru, the clan's future depends entirely on you. You can't be as lazy as you used to be."

"I know, Father!" At this moment, Shikamaru Nara realized the importance of power earlier than in the original story, which may be a good thing for him.

I traded a mere two ounces of meat for the chance to quickly understand the fundamental principle of the Shinobi World: power above all else.

Thanks to: Brother '0 Dark Night Streamer 0' for the support of 1700 points.