It Was Just a Mission (Combined Chapter)

Temari paused for a moment, her eyes welling up with tears again.

Naruto felt he needed to guide the conversation appropriately to ensure a quieter night. He looked at Temari, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"Temari, if you want my help, you have to show the sincerity you deserve."

"I'm very busy, doing a lot of meaningless things every day. But these meaningless things are more important than you, do you understand?"

His intention was to tell Temari behave herself and, incidentally, to warn her to keep her distance. But as soon as he said it, Naruto felt a little strange.

"I-I understand, what do you want?" Temari sat up straight, her bottom almost touching the edge of the sofa, clearly overly nervous.

"I don't want anything," Naruto said coldly, leaning back on the sofa. "The point isn't what I want, but what you have."

"I can give everything I have," Temari, somewhat excitedly.

"But I don't need it," he said.

Naruto's deep blue pupils reflected Temari's blurry figure, but his expression remained calm, his heart undisturbed.

"Your condition is only temporary. Once you leave Konohagakure and return to Sand tomorrow, it will naturally improve."

"That's not how it is!" Temari stood up abruptly, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"Sit down."

"Okay." Temari touched the edge of the sofa and sat down again.

Naruto reached for the teacup on the table and Temari through the rising steam. His judgment was correct; her symptoms were only temporary.

There are a few strange attributes, but not many. It's starting to show signs of returning to normal and it's starting to know how to refute.

In short, ignore Temari. She's just having a few days of illness; she'll be fine in a few days.

After making up his mind, Naruto stopped talking and continued to sit on the sofa to kill time.

"Please wait a moment." Temari suddenly stood up again, but froze when she met Naruto's gaze.

However, this time Naruto didn't make her sit down; he just stared at her for a few seconds before speaking.

"Do not leave this room before dawn."

"Good."

Temari nodded, then began rummaging through drawers and closets, pulling out pieces of her personal clothing which scattered on the floor. Naruto, true to his nature of observation, kept his eyes fixed on Temari, who was crouching beside the wardrobe.

With her lustrous blonde hair and skin as white as fresh snow, isn't the Land of Wind known as the land of deserts?

Perhaps influenced by the Nikko and the terrain, the girls of Sunagakure all seem to have grown up to be exceptionally beautiful. Chiyo? Saying Chiyo is going too far; they should all be taken away.

Temari and feet, and her figure is perfectly rounded, as if blessed by heaven. If you keep looking at her like this, it is quite pleasing to the eye.

But the moment Temari pulled out the fishnet stockings, Naruto instantly lost his composure.

What are you going to do?

Temari turned around with a startled "Ah!" and awkwardly hid her fishnet stockings behind her back. Her face flushed crimson, and she hesitated before speaking.

"This is my sincerity."

"No." He was about to say he didn't need it, but then he thought better of it and swallowed it back. "Okay."

Temari's symptoms will only last a few days at most; she'll probably be back to normal after a good night's sleep. Therefore, Naruto had no intention of taking advantage of her; he just wanted to complete a mission.

But admiring fishnet stockings during a long night isn't so bad; at least it's better than sitting around wasting time.

So, the young Temari happily entered the bathroom with her sincerity.

This time it was Naruto's turn to be restless. He frankly admitted that the visual impact of the fishing net was a bit too strong.

To avoid losing his composure, he gripped the water glass, ready to tactically drink at any crucial moment.

"That."

The bathroom door opened, but Temari didn't come out for a long time. Naruto was sitting on the sofa on the side of the room, so he naturally couldn't see what was going on in the bathroom next to the door.

"Can you turn off the lights?"

Temari's voice came through, carrying a strange sense of taboo. Like discovering a new world online for the first time, even Naruto's usually calm heart began to stir.

"Why turn off the lights?" Naruto to himself, what's the point of looking at the fishing net or the glowing watch if the lights are off?

"I... I'm a little embarrassed," Temari said. "I only brought one sock in, I... but, if you want to see, I can still."

"No need, we don't need to be that sincere!" Naruto tactically took a sip of water. "Get dressed before you come out, damn it!"

"Okay." The voice coming from the bathroom sounded slightly forlorn.

Naruto coughed awkwardly and shook his head to clear the images from his mind. Temari's question was clearly beyond the scope of the curriculum, and she had even provided the answer herself.

They only brought one pair of socks and asked the lights to be turned off.

The light was still on. Temari timidly emerged from the bathroom, thankfully fully dressed, and everything was harmonious except for the fact that she wasn't wearing shoes. The only difference was that she had changed into fishnet stockings.

Naruto assumed that Temari was simply having an attack these past few days, and there was no point in taking advantage of her vulnerability, but he could legally admire the fishing net.

Even if she returns to normal in a few days, there's nothing else to say except for a few curses.

Even so, the first impression is still one of strong visual impact from the fishing net. Temari's legs are not unusually slender, but rather fair and plump.

Like a washed autumn lotus root, it is white, smooth, and has a hint of the firmness of a ninja's long-term training.

Ordinary people's legs cannot stand straight; even if they try to support themselves, they can hardly stand upright, and their legs appear crooked and sloppy. Even if the calves are slender, it is difficult to exude that kind of elegance; they always seem to be covered in dust and lacking something.

But Temari's legs, encased in fishnet stockings, were completely upright at that moment, her short skirt accentuated her curves, and her eyes held a hint of inexplicable danger.

"This is my sincerity." Temari sat down carefully on the sofa, lowering her eyes.

"I can feel your sincerity." Naruto glanced at the leg covered by the fishing net. "If that's the case, I can consider helping you."

Temari blushed and suddenly fell silent.

He wasn't in a hurry, silently observing Temari as he waited patiently.

To him, Temari was a patient, and if he hadn't run into her tonight, it wouldn't have been his problem. But now that he had accepted the mission and set conditions, he naturally had to be patient.

Naruto may not be a truly good person, but he is definitely a person with principles and integrity.

"After that incident, I realized something was wrong with me." Temari's face showed a hint of unease as she stammered, twisting her hands. "I often have nightmares and I get easily distracted."

Upon hearing this, Naruto withdrew his gaze and his expression became serious.

"Nightmare? What did I dream about? Me?"

"No." Temari shook her head, a hint of sadness beyond her years appearing on her slightly immature face. "It was my father, the Fourth Kazekage."

Oh, housework.

Naruto took a tactical sip of water, glancing at Temari, signaling her to continue.

"My father wanted to kill Gaara. Countless times I read hatred and fear in his eyes when he looked at Gaara." Temari pinched her thigh. "My father wasn't a heartless person; he was a competent Kage, except for Gaara."

"Gaara wasn't always like that. He used to call me 'sister' when he was little." Temari's voice gradually became tinged with tears. "Later, he became irritable because of his father, Kankuro was afraid of Gaara."

Seeing that Temari was about to cry again, Naruto interrupted her, tapping the side of his cup.

"I can't do anything about it. I'm also Jinchuriki, and I want to kill people all the time. I even fantasize about turning the high-ranking people into dogs and keeping them on my balcony."

"In terms of the severity of my illness, I am no worse Gaara."

"Uh," Temari paused for a moment, but quickly waved her hand and said, "No, no, no! That's not what I meant."

"Gaara has recovered! He he he!! We made up after the Chunin Ninja Exams."

"Really?" Naruto said somewhat awkwardly, stroking his chin. "I think I just revealed a huge secret. You heard it all, didn't you?"

"Huh?"

"You've got it in mind, haven't you?"

"This..." Temari didn't know how to say it, and managed to squeeze out, "Summa, I'll try to forget it."

"No need, I can also choose to silence them."

Temari pursed her lips, then suddenly stood up and walked towards Naruto, boldly sitting down next to him.

The sofa isn't actually very big; it's more than enough for one person. However, it would be a bit cramped for two people, and there's even a possibility of an accident if they were squeezed together.

Naruto didn't refuse; it wasn't his request, and Temari was practically glued to him.

There are limits, but not many.

Temari murmured, "After waking from the nightmare, I wanted to find you. I don't even know why you're all I can think about. Even though you hate me, I still want to get close to you."

"I wasn't like this before."

"But the closer I get to you, the more at ease I feel. I can't stand the suffocating feeling of panic anymore. I think I might be beyond help."

Naruto didn't say anything, assuming she was having a relapse.

It's a pity we didn't have a voice recorder. If we could have recorded this, we could have taken it to Temari when she recovered.

The clock on the wall already showed past 12:30.

Click, the light suddenly went out.

He clearly felt something warm embrace him, and a pair of watery eyes stood out especially in the darkness. Temari leaned on his shoulder, holding him tightly.

Naruto was somewhat bored and didn't buy into it.

Just as he was about to Temari away, he suddenly heard her speak softly, "Just this once, just let me hug you this once, you can do whatever you want."

Naruto sighed, silently telling himself not to stoop to the level of a patient. Fortunately, Temari didn't do anything further; she just hugged him and then burst into tears.

She talked about her two younger brothers intermittently, but hardly mentioned anything about herself.

"My mother's heart was entirely devoted to Gaara, and she passed away not long after," Temari murmured, nestled in Naruto's arms. "Now that my father has also passed away, Gaara must become the Kazekage."

Sunagakure is not a monolithic entity; some members harbor deep hatred and fear towards Gaara.

Even though Gaara is the son of the previous Kazekage and the Jinchuriki of Shukaku, rising to power is not as easy as one might imagine.

It wasn't exactly a bloodbath, but some people definitely had to be purged.

Gaara's transformation has won the support of the vast majority of the elders, who are almost certain to Gaara into a qualified Kage.

As the eldest princess, Temari had no way out. The pressure in her heart and the burden on her shoulders felt like a ton of bricks the moment she learned of Kazekage's death.

Naruto had a terrible headache all night, listening to Temari's intermittent ramblings. Sometimes she would start crying while talking, and then she would start fidgeting.

Fortunately, no matter how angry Naruto was, he didn't throw himself off the sofa. He managed to suppress his anger and get through the night.

The next day, early morning.

A mechanical synthesized "ding" startled Naruto awake, and he abruptly opened his eyes.

[The Evil God's Hound (an object of Hidan's faith, capable of containing and suppressing all consciousness, subject to the limitations of the caster) has been successfully released.]

Sensing the movement, Temari groggily opened her eyes; the skirt was no longer of much use. Naruto glanced at her, then silently looked away.

Good.

Temari's eyes were still closed when she crawled up Naruto like a cat, her lips already close, her half-open eyes glistening with tears. Her collar was wide open, and she seemed to be protected by a holy aura.

Naruto silently repeated "I won't take advantage of a fool" a hundred times in his mind, then forcefully Temari across the face, pushing her directly to the ground.

"I should go," he said.

The same recipe, the same taste, only the location has changed.

This time, however, Temari didn't panic. She simply sat on the ground, looked up at Naruto had gotten up, and asked, "Can I stay a little longer?"

"No." He refused decisively. "I'm not here for you; there's another reason."

Temari shook her head and smiled gently, "I don't mind. Will I be able to see you again in the future? I want to stay by your side."

Naruto was standing by the window, ready to run away, but when he heard Temari's words, he turned back and spoke.

"If you're always going to be this vulnerable, then my answer is no."

"Whether it's helping Gaara ascend to the throne or you cultivating yourself, if you can't be of value to me, it's best if we don't meet again."

"We were just getting what we needed, we owe each other nothing, and nothing really happened. You'd better forget about me as soon as you've sobered up, because I'll dump you just as quickly, understand?"

After saying that, Naruto jumped down from the windowsill, his figure disappearing silently into the thick fog of dawn.

Temari remained seated on the floor, silently watching the room's windows wide open.

The cold morning wind rushed in, Temari shivered violently.

She blushed instantly, gasped, and covered her face tightly with her hands, breathing heavily. Her eyes Qingming Festival instantly, no longer unfocused.

"How could I!!! How could I!"

The last trace of unease in her heart had been dispelled last night, as if all the emotions that had been accumulating in her heart for many years had been poured out. Temari's heart was as calm as if she had entered Sage Mode.

All the shameful memories came flooding back. She covered her mouth tightly, tears streaming down her face from shame.