After the New Year Festival, the Price of Growing Up

"Just apply a little stimulation, and the Main Personality will briefly awaken." Sakura looked around and whispered, covering her eyes with her hand.

Naruto was speechless. Did you think that lowering your voice and wrapping your hand around your ear would make it harder for others to hear you? The problem is, isn't that posture more suspicious?

He reached across the table and pulled her hand away. "Stop talking nonsense. Do you want me to be kicked out of Konohagakure by Lord Tsunade and become a rogue ninja like Sasuke?"

"How is that possible?"

"You have absolutely no self-awareness!" Naruto sighed. "The Lord Hokage's disciple has been raped, so just wait and see if I get punched to death by Lord Tsunade."

"Oh." Sakura stuck out her tongue. "I should be spared, right?"

"Stop gloating." He reached out to tap Sakura on the head, his bent hand outstretched, but Sakura dodged it the next second.

"Anyway, I'll think of other ways. I really can't bring up your suggestion again."

What are you doing?

Before he could retract his hand, Sakura suddenly stood up and bit two of his fingers, swallowing them whole. She glanced up at him cautiously.

She left in a second, as if she had successfully taken revenge, and looked at him with a smug look on her face.

"Punishment," Sakura said.

"You're sick." Naruto withdrew his hand, glanced at her with dead fish eyes, and pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands.

The issue of his Dual Personality needs to be resolved sooner or later. It would be great if he could bring up Sakura's Main Personality to talk to her. But even though he knows this, he won't bring it up.

If the Main Personality is awakened, how should this Sakura in front of her then conduct herself?

He already had a plan, he just didn't say anything. For now, stalling is the best approach. He'll wait until there's absolutely no other way before revealing it.

"So, you asked me out just for dinner?" Naruto asked after putting down his chopsticks.

"Is it not allowed?"

"Of course, I'm very happy that you invited me to dinner."

"Really? I don't see anything happy about it." Sakura glanced at him and said resentfully, "If you're really happy to see me, why don't you come looking for me?"

"I'm busy, and the schedules don't match up." Naruto, looking down as he ate.

The two ate while chatting about meaningless topics. Although the topics weren't particularly interesting, it was a typical day for them.

"You must have a lot of free time."

Aren't you free too?

Sakura has become more and more casual in her speech, and she no longer calls him "Naruto -Naruto" Tenten. But this makes him feel more at ease, otherwise he always feels that she has some ulterior motive.

"Okay! You'd better try to eat three bowls today too!"

"What are you saying! Who eats three bowls!" Sakura instantly broke down, her cheeks burning red amidst the billowing white mist. "How can you be so annoying?"

"It's normal for female ninjas to eat more, after all, training also consumes physical strength," he said, spreading his hands.

"Oh, stop talking!"

Before leaving, Naruto gave Sakura a gift he had prepared beforehand: a not-so-expensive bracelet, which he casually handed to her in a gift box.

"New Year's gift".

The day after Sakura invited her to dinner, Ino rushed over to Naruto's house. Mainly to return the favor, she also explained why she hadn't had time to reciprocate in the past few days.

"What a hassle! My mother suddenly took me to meet and have dinner with my uncles and aunts from the main family," Ino complained as she sat on the sofa.

"Perhaps it's because you're of age. We're preparing to let you familiarize yourself with the clan's affairs." He poured himself a glass of water, leaned against the doorframe, and said, "This is a good thing. Don't you always say your father is busy?"

"You'll be able to help in the future, so Lord Yamanaka won't have to work so hard."

"Yes." Ino thought he made sense, but then she thought, wouldn't that mean she would have even less time for herself in the future?

She was wearing a thick, close-fitting sweater that perfectly showcased her exceptionally curvaceous figure, but she couldn't feel happy at all.

Suddenly, I realized that growing up isn't so fun after all. Time slips away like sand, unnoticed. Even though our relationship is getting closer, the time we spend together is getting shorter and shorter.

Thinking about it this way, it wasn't as good as the previous years, when we had endless time and so much to talk about. Although nothing dramatic happened, there were never summers that were so long again.

The incessant chirping of cicadas could not block the blazing sun.

You can lie in the shade of a tree, sit on the balcony, or in the green trees, chatting and eating with someone you like in a tacit understanding. You can share an ice pop, and your fair little feet swing back and forth.

For three consecutive days after Ino left, Sakura asked Naruto to have dinner with her. Three days later, she returned to the Hokage Building with a dejected look on her face.

After the New Year Festival ended, everything returned to normal.

They only gave out two of the prepared gifts, and then thought it was unnecessary to give them any more, since the New Year Festival seemed to be a heavy burden for them.

Besides, the time has passed, so sending it now would just be a disaster.

He hadn't actively sought out Hinata during this time; he could tell what the Hyuga Clan doing at their New Year Festival just by looking around. High-ranking families and such are just a hassle.

After spending half a month in the village, Naruto, bored out of his mind, would always walk around the Hokage Building when he went for a stroll. It was as if something ominous lived inside, and he was afraid of being captured and forced into hard labor.

In February, Naruto lost a bet to Nine-Tails and had to go out to buy Takoyaki for Nine-Tails.

Unfortunately, I was having a run of bad luck and was bothered by three children at my stall.

"Naruto- nii-san!!" Konohamaru rushed over, missing a tooth and looking rather dim-witted.

Two children followed behind: the temperamental Moegi and the snotty-nosed Udon. However, they seemed to have grown up a bit and didn't look so childish anymore.

"Don't bother me." Naruto, with a deadpan expression, slapped Konohamaru on the head, then turned around to continue waiting for his Takoyaki.

"What? Naruto- nii, it's been so long, don't be so cold!" Konohamaru tugged at Naruto's clothes, only to receive a flick on the forehead.

"Annoying brat, what's up?" He had already grabbed the Takoyaki and was heading home to feed the dog.

An hour ago, he made a bet with Nine-Tails) on how many seconds it would take it to show off a bottle of liquor, and Naruto lost, which is why he was forced to run the errand. He was in a really bad mood right now, especially with Konohamaru being so noisy.

Even if he wanted to remain calm, he couldn't do so at all right now.

"Big brother Naruto, please teach me some really powerful Ninjutsu! I want to become Hokage!!" Konohagakure said, flitting around Naruto like a moth.

"Yeah! I want to learn too!" Moegi said enthusiastically, grabbing Naruto's clothes as well.

The sky darkened; the weather was unpredictable, and it seemed like it was about to rain.

Hearing this, Naruto was slightly taken aback and turned to look at the three children who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Although he was indeed bored, it seemed that he didn't have any Ninjutsu to teach.

For some reason, the evil technique of Impure World Reincarnation suddenly appeared in his mind, instantly bringing him to his senses.

"Come on, I'm not your teacher." He forced himself to take a step forward, but the two children still wouldn't let go.

"No!" Moegi tugged at his clothes, starting to act unreasonably.

Naruto glanced at her, and she flinched again in fear. After that summer camp mission, Naruto still retained some of his teacher's authority in Moegi's mind.

"Brother Naruto, it was... it was the Lord Hokage who sent us to find you," Udon awkwardly added.

"Huh?" He turned to look at Udon. "Don't you have Jonin instructors?"

"Ebisu- sensei went on a mission, so... the Lord Hokage sent us to find you. She said... she said as long as you agree," Udon said hesitantly.

"Damn it." Naruto's eyelids twitched. This was definitely Tsunade's style; it sounded like something that woman would say.

But

From the fact that everyone in the Hokage Building was working overtime during the New Year Festival, to the fact that even elite teachers like Ebisu need to do missions now, something extraordinary must have happened in Konohagakure.

After thinking for a while, Naruto gave up. The fact that Tsunade was still in the mood to push the task of teaching children onto him meant that things hadn't reached that critical point yet.

Besides, what does it have to do with him what's important for the village?

"Brother Naruto."

"Alright, alright, go wait for me at the training ground." Naruto said, then disappeared.

"Yay!!" Konohamaru cheered.

"Konohamaru." Moegi tugged at Konohamaru's clothes.

"What's wrong?"

"Naruto didn't say which training ground it was!"

"Ugh!! That's so shameless! Damn it!"

Meanwhile, Naruto returned home without a trace of guilt. He didn't want to waste time playing house with a few kids, and he didn't have any Ninjutsu to teach anyway.

Ebisu must have already taught them the Three Jutsu; he acquired the rest of the Ninjutsu through the system. He wouldn't teach them what he could use because he himself had never learned them.

Aside from the Rasengan, it can't be taught in a day.

More than teaching, he wanted to ask Tsunade about the situation. He should have gone to see her during the New Year Festival; she was with Shizune anyway.

Standing in front of the apartment door, he pulled out his key, inserted it into the lock, and opened the door in one swift motion. Nine-Tails was sprawled on the sofa, looking like a drunkard, with his eyes half-open.

"Takoyaki, here you go!" The food wrapped in a brown paper bag flew towards Nine-Tails.

The door slammed shut again, and Naruto went out once more.

Instead of heading straight to the Hokage Building, he went to the nearest training ground first and saw Moegi waiting there.

"Where are they?" he asked.

"Naruto didn't say which training ground it was, so we each guarded one." Moegi said, looking up. "I can teach them once I've learned it."

"No need, go and call them over." He patted Moegi's head.

"Okay!" Moegi obediently ran away.

He stood there for a while, then left without looking back, heading straight for the Hokage Building.

With a sharp crack, rain began to fall from the gloomy sky. The soil on the ground became soft, Naruto, not wanting to get his shoes dirty, simply jumped onto the rooftop and started walking.

After taking a shortcut for more than ten minutes, without any foreplay, Naruto pushed open the door to the Hokage's Office.

Besides