The Unforeseeable Truth, a Hair Ornament Beneath the Streetlamp

"Okay, put it there." He stood up, ending the negotiation with the Nine-Tails.

He'd truly gotten something for nothing; Nine-Tails firmly believed he still had ten bottles of the Hyuga Clan's finest sake. Like Patrick teasing bait, he frantically probed the hook.

He looked exactly like a cunning person who wanted to take the bait but didn't want to pay the price.

But Naruto wasn't about to let it have its way. No matter what Nine-Tails said, it wouldn't budge. He was just waiting for Kurama to ask him what trouble it was in, and then he'd pull it onto the ship of annihilation against Pain.

The negotiations broke down, and Nine-Tails, looking disappointed, slunk back to his room.

Naruto caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye, and sneered inwardly. Foolish pink thing, how could it possibly escape his clutches?

Sakura had already cleared the table. As Naruto sat down, he reached for his chopsticks but touched something warm. Their fingertips pressed together, and Naruto, without reacting, gripped the chopsticks.

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

He showed no emotion, glancing at her indifferently before casually looking away. He was completely immune to Sakura's tricks, and his heart remained unmoved.

Sakura, on the other hand, reacted unexpectedly strongly. She quickly pulled her hand back and even put it under the table. Her face turned red, but she still tried to remain calm.

He used to be quite wary of Sakura, but the incident where Black Sakura almost died had a profound impact on Naruto and made him see his own heart more clearly.

His so-called impartial observation was just an excuse; when the time came, he still preferred the obedient Black Sakura. Having figured it out, he was too lazy to hide anymore.

"Are you free this afternoon?" he asked.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Sakura felt a little guilty, her flirting backfired and she even blushed, which made her uneasy.

"How much of Lord Tsunade have you learned?"

"Why are you asking this?" Sakura paused for a moment, then looked Naruto up and down. "Do you have a hidden ailment?"

"Cough cough!! You're the one with a hidden ailment!" Naruto almost choked on Sakura's shocking tone. "Can't you speak properly?"

"Then why are you asking this? It can't be..." Sakura glanced at him, then pulled out a chair, stood up, walked to his side, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, breathing warm air.

"It's okay, the nurse will give you a thorough check-up today."

Naruto, with a cold expression, reached out and pushed her face away. "Can't you be normal for once? I'm talking to you about serious matters."

"Uh-huh, what's the important matter?" She waved her hand frantically, but when she realized she couldn't get any closer, she had to give up.

"Akamaru is seriously injured and is still in danger." Naruto pinched her cheek and pushed her away slightly. "Kiba asked me to ask Lord Tsunade."

"But Lord Tsunade is very busy, and the Inuzuka Clan hasn't made a fuss about it, which is suspicious. I mentioned it to Lord Tsunade, and she agreed with me, so she asked you to go and take a look first."

"But I'm not a veterinarian, how can this be explained?" Sakura stood to the side, frowning.

"So, I'm asking for your opinion." Naruto put down his chopsticks. "This isn't a mission, and Kiba was also hesitant about it."

"Medical Ninjutsu and veterinary medicine are not necessarily related. If you don't want to, you don't need to worry so much. I can help you refuse."

"How can I refuse? We have a relationship after all, and I'm on leave anyway, so I have to go and see him." Sakura sighed and said, "It's just that I might not be able to help."

"Friendship is friendship, but one thing is another," Naruto said. "I'll go with you to take a look, and we'll come back right away. Don't feel guilty."

"I'll give it a try, but now that you mention it, things do seem a bit strange." Sakura sat back down. "Why does this involve Lord Tsunade?"

Naruto felt that this matter might be related to Danzo, but he couldn't be completely sure at the moment. Kiba Inuzuka looked strange, but he didn't seem to be lying.

After quickly finishing lunch, Sakura was about to leave when Naruto stopped her.

"You should rest for a bit, and then go over later."

"Um."

Sakura originally wanted to ask a few more questions, such as whether Akamaru was still in danger. But after meeting Naruto's deep, calm eyes, she swallowed the words that were on her throat.

Whatever, I'll just listen to him.

Around 2 p. m., the two went out together. Even at this time of day when the temperature was highest, the early summer sun was not hot, but rather warm and pleasant.

Naruto, tall and imposing, led the way. Bathed in the Nikko streaming into the stairwell, he sluggishly lifted his eyelids, looking as if he hadn't fully woken up.

Sakura felt as if this person possessed a special kind of magic; no matter where they stood, the Nikko would follow them closely. Looking up, she felt a warm glow all over her body.

She followed behind Naruto, about two or three steps behind, stepping on his shadow with each step. With her hands behind her back, she stepped on his shadow, a smile playing on her lips, and soon reached the end of the corridor.

After circling around for a few minutes, the two went downstairs and wandered around the streets for a while before figuring out their direction.

Konohagakure Street.

"Don't speak or move when you get there. Stand behind me and only move when I tell you to," he said casually. "Come back after you're done watching. Don't force yourself."

"Hmm." Sakura didn't ask anything.

Along the way, she kept glancing at Naruto beside her out of the corner of her eye. Nikko filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The boy's clean profile was reflected in her heart, both bright and dark.

Upon entering the Inuzuka compound, amidst the well-arranged houses, one finds a tall building resembling a pet hospital. It has a red glazed tile roof and is five stories high.

Ninja Hound hold a high status within the Inuzuka Clan, serving as companions to its Inuzuka Clan. Every household raises and trains Ninja Hound Ninja Hound, and the Ninja Hound and clan members practically grow up together from a young age.

That's why the Ninja Hound's hospital is almost half the size of Konoha Hospital. After entering and stating their purpose, they easily met Akamaru and Kiba Inuzuka, who was standing guard nearby.

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

Kiba Inuzuka's eyes were red as he stood up to greet the two and said in a muffled voice.

"Naruto, Sakura, you're here?"

"Yes, Lord Tsunade is busy, so let Sakura come and take a look first," Naruto said, reaching back to grab Sakura's wrist, signaling her not to speak.

Upon hearing this, Kiba Inuzuka's eyes dimmed for a moment before regaining their luster.

Thank you.

"It's nothing." Naruto nodded, glancing around the room out of the corner of his eye, but didn't notice anything amiss. "Please step aside for a moment, let Sakura examine Akamaru."

"Oh, okay, sorry." Kiba Inuzuka took a step back.

"Step back a little further, you're blocking the light, and we can't see Akamaru's condition," he said.

"Okay, sorry." Kiba Inuzuka backed away again.

Naruto held onto Sakura's wrist tightly, even though he said he wanted Sakura to examine Akamaru.

Sakura's wrists are slender and smooth, and one hand is enough to grip them tightly.

As he gave up his seat, he lowered his head, a gesture that appeared somewhat intimate to outsiders. But Naruto seemed oblivious, whispering something in Sakura's ear like a lover whispering.

"Do not release your Chakra."

"You two have such a good relationship," Kiba Inuzuka said.

"Well, she's a comrade after all." Naruto didn't argue, and took the opportunity to release Sakura's wrist as he gave up his place.

Sakura frowned, not quite understanding Naruto's intentions—after all, how could one examine injuries without Chakra? But in the end, she chose to trust him, quickly glanced at the document, and left.

"Akamaru's injuries are quite serious; I need to go back and check the records," she said.

"Sakura, can't we treat her directly with Medical Ninjutsu?" Kiba Inuzuka asked anxiously.

"Feel sorry."

It was two hours later when they left the Inuzuka compound. Sakura couldn't help but ask when they got close to the Hokage Building.

"What on earth happened?"

"It's alright. Let's not go near the Inuzuka Clan's territory for now. Let's go see Lord Tsunade first," Naruto said. "There's something strange about the Inuzuka Clan, and Kiba is too."

"Strange? He seems perfectly normal to me, but Akamaru looks pretty badly injured," Sakura muttered to herself.

"That guy is so arrogant, when have I ever seen him so polite?" He glanced at Sakura and said, "Besides, Akamaru was so badly injured, he should have been dead long ago."

"Impersonation?"

"I don't know, it's none of our business, Lord Tsunade will handle it." Naruto pulled her back, almost causing her to stumble, but Naruto steadied her.

"Go and tell Lord Tsunade, she will understand."

"And you?" Sakura asked, her face bathed in the orange glow of the sunset, as if she had touched up her makeup.

Behind them stretched lush green trees, the village, and the Konohagakure Street that seemed to stretch endlessly. An endless sunset hung above the Hokage Rock in the distance, bathing the entire village in its glow.

Standing amidst the vast sunset, the girl's eyes held a hint of bewilderment, yet her overall features possessed an unusual gentleness. Her facial lines were clean and defined, and her short pink hair was bathed in orange light, making her resemble an obedient girl next door.

"I have an appointment, so I don't have time," he said crisply, in a casual tone that made it seem almost like a matter of course.

Sakura's face turned red, probably because she couldn't find a single word to criticize him.

Yeah, he just let you freeload a meal and used you as free labor. But it wasn't a date. What's wrong with him dating another girl?

The fact that he was so honest with her only hurt her more. Couldn't he have kept it from her? If he had, she could have made up an excuse to cause trouble.

But they are so upright and honest, you can't even find a single word of complaint.

"With Ino?" she asked sourly.

"No."

"Huh?" Sakura looked shocked. "Hinata?"

"Okay." He nodded, patted her on the head, turned around and said, "Remember to inform Lord Tsunade later. I'm leaving now."

Sakura: "."

After a long while, until the figure disappeared, Sakura finally sighed. As she walked towards the Hokage Building, she muttered to herself with her head down.

"At least tell a lie, you bastard."

After Sakura left, Naruto had walked far away, used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the original spot. He made sure that nothing was following Sakura before leaving again.

He doesn't need to worry about the Inuzuka Clan's affairs; as I said, he's not the Hokage. Tsunade will notify him if needed.

Hyuga compound.

As dusk settled, Naruto arrived at the agreed-upon location, beneath a dark wall. A dim streetlamp in the distance barely illuminated the wall and the street.

Hinata was also on vacation. From afar, she appeared to be wearing a long dress, her arms wrapped in white gauze sleeves. She looked graceful and elegant, and the way she lowered her head and blushed added to her adorable charm.

As Naruto got closer, he noticed that Hinata seemed to be carrying a cute bag. It was the kind of light blue bag that little girls would like, with a ribbon tied around the outside.

Under the streetlights, Hinata looked away, as if she were throwing a tantrum. But Naruto knew she was just shy and didn't want to look at him.

"Naruto, I'm sorry I'm late," she apologized softly. "Have you been here long?"

"It's okay, I just got here too." Naruto turned around and naturally took her hand, and the two walked towards Konohagakure Street. "Don't worry about that kind of thing."

"Um, that... that."

With a whoosh, Hinata, as if having made up her mind, shoved the paper bag forward. She handed it to him, her face flushed, and said...

"This is for you, please accept it."

"Okay, then I'll take it." Naruto didn't hesitate and took the blue paper bag, noticing the card tucked inside.

The card had a sentence written on it, in neat handwriting. "Thank you for your long-term care, Naruto."

What's inside?

"Huh?" Hinata panicked for a moment.

He had already opened the paper bag; it contained what appeared to be handmade chocolates. This was typical of the kind of gift Hinata would give—the chocolates had a rather simple appearance.

He picked up a piece and took a bite. Inside was a filling, probably a fruit jam or something similar. He doesn't usually like sweets, but he still finished them all.

The streetlights were dim, Hinata felt a little uneasy as she walked along the Konohagakure Street. She was afraid that Naruto wouldn't like her gift, since he hadn't mentioned it before.

Giving him a gift out of the blue might offend him, or the gift might not suit his taste, especially if it's something he finds offensive.

But then, out of the corner of her eye Hinata saw that Naruto didn't say anything, but just kept putting all the chocolates in the bag into his mouth, and her face immediately turned red.

For her, this was more pleasing than any praise.

"Delicious." He finished all the chocolates cleanly and neatly. They were so sweet they were almost cloying, but he didn't want to take them home to eat again, since he would probably forget about them again.

"Mmm-hmm." Hinata's white eyes were clear, and her face flushed, so she had to turn her head away.

"I also have a gift for you," he said.

"Huh?" Hinata paused for a moment, then turned to look at Naruto.

"It's just a small gift, don't worry about it," Naruto said. "I should have given it to you a long time ago, but you were probably too busy during the New Year Festival."

As he spoke, Naruto took out a gift he had kept in his Sealing Space for almost several months. He should have given it to him a long time ago, but since he hadn't had the chance then, he simply didn't send it.

With the intention of postponing it to a more suitable time as a return gift, I cleverly remembered it this time and took it out casually.

It was a small, exquisitely designed box. Hinata hesitated for a long time before taking it; Naruto had to open it for her himself. Inside was a plain-colored hair ornament, delicately crafted.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it wasn't an expensive gift.

". Thanks."

Besides