Black Silk Under the Table, Leisure After Completing the Mission

Naruto glanced at Sasori but didn't linger. He didn't care how Sasori died. In short, Sasori's absence was important to him.

His figure vanished once more. He switched places with the Invisible Flying Thunder God Technique, arriving in front of the white coffin in a single step. As he ended the Kurotsuchi Raiga's Funeral, he unleashed a powerful kick, the sound of wind breaking like the resounding beat of a drum.

With a stomp of blood-red Chakra, he brought down a thunderous force without the slightest hesitation. Deidara, already injured by the explosion, was unable to move easily, but he did not appear to have lost his mobility.

In the instant Deidara dodged, he used his injured right hand to throw out a mixture of various Explosive Clay, and ugly white monsters swarmed towards him.

"Die, you bastard!" Deidara roared as he controlled the white clay monsters to attack, then retreated rapidly with a maniacal laugh, detonating all of them with a deafening boom.

The anticipated scene of flesh exploding did not occur. Naruto, relying on the Flying Thunder God Techniques planted all over the ground, appeared behind Deidara without anyone noticing.

A powerful kick landed on Deidara's back, the crimson Chakra flashing like blood-red lightning, slicing through the air with a sharp, piercing sound. The air vibrated violently, as if it had been compressed and expelled by the kick.

With a loud bang, a heavy kick exploded in Deidara's back, causing his ribs to cave in. His entire back collapsed instantly, and Deidara was stomped heavily into the rocky ground like a ball.

His crimson robes were torn, and half of Deidara's body collapsed, leaving him completely immobile. He struggled, gritting his teeth, and used his remaining hand to tear his clothes, revealing his mouth, which had been sealed to his chest.

He quickly ripped open the stitches, a blood-red tongue protruded, and a packet of clay was stuffed into the mouth in his chest. Deidara laughed maniacally, struggling to his feet and glaring at Naruto.

"Damn it. You actually pushed me to this point. Well then, let me show you my ultimate art!! A self-destruction with a radius of ten kilometers!"

The extraction of the Tailed Beast failed, Sasori was on the verge of death, and Deidara was about to self-destruct. Pain, simply disappeared, his phantom vanishing, and the remaining members also coldly passed away.

Naruto, on the other hand, remained calm, watching as Deidara's body cracked and vanished. At the moment of the explosion, Naruto calmly put his hands in his pockets.

[The Kurotsuchi Raiga's Funeral]

A white coffin rose from the ground, trapping Deidara inside as he was about to self-destruct. In the final second before the explosion, Deidara's pupils dilated violently, and he roared!

"You bastard!!!"

A muffled thud came from the coffin, Raiga Kurosuki reappeared, supporting the coffin.

Naruto sneered, "One move that can defeat any opponent, I'll be your nemesis."

"Pakkun? Why did you stop?" Kakashi landed on a tree trunk and asked, looking at Pakkun who had suddenly stopped ahead.

"Kakashi, I don't know how to say this." Pakkun turned his dog's head and said seriously, "Gaara's aura has completely disappeared."

"Um?"

Kakashi was also stunned for a moment. "Take us to where it started to disappear from."

Things went surprisingly smoothly after that.

Naruto and Gaara returned to Sand first, which certainly strengthened their personal relationship. Kakashi's Konohagakure team had not yet returned, so he could only stay in Sand and wait.

Upon receiving the news, Temari returned from the front lines and saw Gaara temporarily asleep in front of the ward. The moment she felt relieved, her legs went weak and she sat down on the ground.

The worries of the past few days turned into flying sand and disappeared without a trace in this land covered by yellow sand.

Everything has settled down.

Upon returning to Konohagakure, Kakashi embarked on a new mission. The future Sixth Hokage has a long road ahead; lacking experience, he compensates with missions, ultimately becoming a ruthless mission machine.

Ino was so angry that she didn't speak to him for several days. Her inexplicable disappearance had already caused a lot of resentment among her friends. Even though the mission was successfully completed in the end, they were still very unhappy.

Naruto, in a rather shameless manner, claimed that he was no longer suited for group missions. So much so that the disappearance of one person caused tension for the entire team. In short, Tsunade bears at least half the blame.

The sky is clear.

The Team 3 finally got a long-awaited vacation, so they decided to have a barbecue and get together outdoors.

An open area in the woods.

When Tenten arrived there with drinks and food, Neji had already set up the grill, Rock Lee was lighting the coals to help start the fire.

"Teacher Kai isn't here?" Rock Lee asked, looking up.

"Yeah, he said he wanted to catch up with Kakashi-sensei." Tenten sighed, put down what she was holding, and said, "He said those things again, like a lifelong rival."

"They've been good friends since they were little, right?" Neji sorted the ingredients. Tenten had already prepared all the ingredients before he came, so he just had to skewer them by hand.

The clinking of jars and bottles of spices filled the air, and the leaves rustled in the breeze.

"Yes, very good friends, just like us." Tenten smiled, took the iron skewer from Rock Lee's hand without even looking at him, and skillfully skewered a piece of meat.

"Tenten is amazing!" Rock Lee exclaimed involuntarily, watching Tenten's dazzling skill in drawing lots.

"I'm not that great. When it comes to eating, it has to be that guy." Tenten suddenly got angry halfway through her sentence, "I don't know what Naruto is doing lying at home. I asked him to come over, but Tenten didn't respond."

"I don't know." Neji continued working, but unusually, he went on to say a few more words from his heart, "Back when I was in the Ninja Academy, the pressure was unimaginable when it came to graduation exams."

"Of each graduating class, only a handful receive instruction from Jonin and become true ninjas. Looking up in the exam hall, it's a sea of black faces."

"When I graduated first in my class, I was actually a little arrogant. I thought I was a genius, and that I got all of this through hard work."

The charcoal fire burned silently, its flames flickering.

Tenten, he and Rock Lee kept their heads down and did their own thing, not knowing what was wrong with Neji, and didn't say anything to interrupt him.

"I used to think that so-called geniuses were like Sasuke Uchiha, people who carried a heavy past. Only with enough motivation would they want to become stronger."

Neji paused, picked up the sauce bottle and started mixing, then continued speaking with his head down.

"But later, I accidentally learned about Naruto's background from the clan leader, Lord Hiashi, and I actually found it hard to believe. How could he be so cheerful and carefree all the time while carrying such a past?"

"I believe that fate cannot be changed; it is predetermined from the moment one is born. If one is burdened with the name of a genius, one must keep striving. The Main Family is the Main Family, and the Branch Family will always be the Branch Family."

"Neji." Tenten was very happy that Neji could open up to her and Rock Lee, which meant that Neji truly regarded them as his most trusted partners.

But Neji opening his heart like this is tantamount to tearing his own heart apart. Even his simple words are heartbreaking to hear.

"I'm fine," Neji said.

"Later, after a mission, I had to submit a mission report. I saw Naruto arguing with Lord Tsunade in the Hokage's Office."

"Naruto really didn't seem to care about Lord Tsunade at all; their relationship was so good that it was enviable. It was then that I realized that there really are people who don't care about the past at all."

"That guy was sitting in the corner of the desk, arguing with Lord Tsunade the whole time, and just laughing. He looked completely indifferent, as if nothing in the world mattered to him."

"That atmosphere was really sunny and enviable. Just standing there made you feel relaxed. It turns out that a person can choose to live a less stressful life."

"Neji," Rock Lee looked at him with some concern, "You've always been a genius."

"Yes, I am a genius." He smiled, relieved. "I always have been. So I think I can't change my fate, but I have the right to choose, the right not to make myself so tired."

"You can disregard the past you carry, disregard the Main Family, and choose to die."

"Neji!!" Tenten dropped the string of pearls in her hand to the ground.

"Neji!" Rock Lee rushed over, his thick eyebrows almost touching his face.

"I was just saying," Neji, a little embarrassed. "Who would choose to die? I'm a genius. What I mean is that I can live a more comfortable life from now on."

Konoha Street 404.

Naruto came downstairs wearing a loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt, yawning and looking like he hadn't woken up properly. He vaguely remembered forgetting something, but couldn't recall it at the moment.

I was hungry, so I had to find something to eat.

I wandered around the streets for ages, then hesitated for ages in front of a shop, unsure of what to eat. Just then, someone gently tapped my shoulder.

A faint fragrance wafted by, carrying a hint of disinfectant.

What are you doing standing here?

He turned around and saw Sakura standing there brightly, her smile unchanged. Her fair arms hung down behind her back, her waist slender, her figure exquisite, and she wore black stockings.

For some reason, Black Sakura always gave him a serious air of deception. Her smile was a mix of genuine and feigned; she was the kind of person who would earnestly deceive you even when she was impatient.

Therefore, she is really popular at Konoha Hospital, so popular that if she just stands there, half the patients in the building will come out to see what's going on.

Naruto remembered that once when he went to the Konoha Hospital to visit the injured Choji, the man in the next bed kept pestering Sakura with a small wound, asking if she was alright.

Sakura patiently brushed him off, but her tone and expression were quite serious. Something like:

"Am I alright?"

"If you don't tear the wound or soak it in water, it's fine. You can consult other departments, or if you don't want to waste time, you can ask the archives."

What is the archives room?

"It contains records of many dangerous cases, which can also serve as a reference for your recovery. In case it worsens, you'll be prepared."

"Really? Will I be in trouble?"

"Um"

He witnessed a man who had intended to strike up a conversation with the woman end up going back for a follow-up appointment in a state of panic, only to find out nothing was wrong.

Sometimes she likes to only say half of what she means, which can really pique people's interest. But if someone asks her again with an anxious look, she'll just shake her head innocently.

But this trick is only used on Naruto, and sometimes Naruto will cooperate with her when he's in a good mood. He remains completely unmoved by the forbidden words that occasionally pop out of her mouth.

The older Naruto gets, the less burden he carries, while Black Sakura often blushes with embarrassment at her own crude remarks. Most of the time, Naruto has the upper hand in their confrontations.

However, occasionally, Sakura also tries to turn the tables and gain the upper hand.

"Huh? What are you spacing out for? Didn't you want to eat?" Sakura waved her hand in front of his eyes and asked with a smile.

"Are you eating too?" he asked.

"Are you asking me out?" she asked with a grin.

"Eat it or not, it's up to you." Naruto turned and went into a shop. While looking for a table, he saw Sakura follow him in.

Most of Konohagakure's restaurants are concentrated in the central area, including Ichiraku Ramen Shop. Further out, the food options are fewer, but the quality is surprisingly high.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked.

Sakura stared at him, giving him a menacing look. Naruto, unfazed, reached out and ruffled her hair, then leaned back in his chair and leisurely looked at the menu.

In the end, he casually ordered two dishes and handed the menu over.

"Naruto," she called out.

"Um?"

"How are things between you and Ino?" Sakura asked.

"What do you mean, 'what'?" Naruto said. "He hasn't spoken to me since we came back from the last mission. What else could it be?"

"Aren't you going to try and comfort her?"

"We'll see. I'll never even get to see the young lady." Naruto said casually, fiddling with his chopsticks. "I probably won't be doing group missions with them for a while."

"Are you angry?" she asked.

"No, it's just not suitable," Naruto said. "Lord Tsunade also agreed. Normally, you should team Jonin, unless your teammates have strong self-defense capabilities."

"Then what should I do?" Sakura was taken aback.

"You're medical-nin, so you're an exception." Naruto glanced at her and said, half-jokingly, "If there's any danger, I'll need you to keep me alive."

"I don't believe you," Sakura smiled. "Unless you also have sex with me."

"Cough cough!!" Naruto was drinking water and choked on it, his voice becoming hoarse. He looked up and asked, "What did you just say?"

"Before the mission, you and Ino did something strange, right? I want some too." Sakura tilted her head.

The dishes were served, Naruto handed the chopsticks to Sakura.

"Do you think this is about dividing up toys? You want one too? What do you want? Are you misunderstanding something?"

"Impossible! The red mark on Ino's neck is from you, isn't it? I don't care, I want it too, anyway, no one else will know." Sakura picked up some food, only to be bitten by a spicy bite.

He hurriedly fanned himself with his hand, then took a big gulp of water, swallowing it whole, leaving water stains at the corners of his mouth.

"Do whatever you want, I'm fine with anything, as long as it's you." Sakura said, making a thumping sound under the table. A few seconds later, Naruto suddenly felt something reaching out from under the table.

He looked down and saw a jade-like foot wrapped in black stockings rubbing against his leg.

"Are you crazy?" He was startled and almost stood up in fright.

Damn, this is a public area. If anyone walks a little from the aisle, they can see that provocative leg under the table.