Walking Ten Thousand Miles, Yet You Were the Scenery, So I Loved It

The living room was dimly lit, and there was a rustling sound outside the window, which soon fell silent again.

"Can I stay here instead of leaving?"

Two bodies lay embracing on the sofa. The girl was as delicate as a pink lotus flower battered by rain, her dewdrops glistening hot. She cursed herself inwardly, for she had already made her decision.

She looked at him with a pleading expression, tears welling up in her eyes.

Of the five Sound Ninja, only she remained. Orochimaru was also dead, and by then she had no home left. She didn't like staying in Tanzaku Town either; she wanted to travel to bigger places.

She knew Naruto wasn't a good person; he'd been lying to her from the very beginning, lying again and again. But she didn't care; she'd already decided to leave.

But when I heard that "I like you," my defenses crumbled instantly.

Upon hearing this, Naruto didn't seem as happy as expected. Of course, it was good if the girl was obedient. No one dislikes possessing a girl, but...

He didn't expect Tayuya to compromise so quickly, after all, he hadn't seemed to do anything special for Tayuya all along.

The "I like you" comment was just a casual remark; he simply wanted to leave himself an escape route. After all, Tsunade had just taken power, and he wasn't sure if he could continue staying in Konohagakure.

At that time, Tayuya had Tayuya to go and didn't understand many things. So he played the emotional card and tricked Tayuya into settling down in Tanzaku Town.

Over the years, he hasn't come back to maintain it Tayuya is often away, probably doing black market ninja missions for the Exchange Place in private.

Over time, he himself couldn't tell whether it was liking or possessing. But it didn't matter; he didn't bother thinking about those pointless philosophical questions at all.

After all, ninjas are different from ordinary people; very few of them can successfully reach the shore and die peacefully in their old age. The values of ordinary people do not apply to ninjas who live on the edge of death.

Moreover, pure love needs no explanation.

His only concern was Tayuya's feelings; he hadn't expected Tayuya to compromise with him and beg him so humbly. He wasn't so happy; instead, he felt a pang of heartache.

"You're really not leaving?"

Tayuya's expression was somewhat conflicted, and she gritted her teeth as she spoke.

"I wanted to leave, but you said you liked me. I'm thinking about it, and I think I can stay. It's a bit boring here, but I can stay."

"You believe everything I say? Aren't you afraid I'll lie to you?" Naruto gripped her shoulders, pushed her a little distance away, and asked, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"I'm scared, but I don't even know why."

Tayuya opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but when she looked down at her body and saw its completely clean appearance, she immediately stopped talking.

"I just don't understand many things, but I'm not stupid. I know you're lying to me, so please don't bully me."

Naruto pulled her close and hugged her, his hands roaming over her burning skin. Looking at her flushed face, he felt a burning sensation, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of scalding hot soup.

He gently traced lines back and forth on Tayuya's back, his gaze somewhat unfocused, as if he were pondering something.

Tayuya remained silent, trying her best to remain patient and quietly waiting for his reply. She felt a little uneasy; her heart pounded in the darkness.

A sour taste lingered in his mouth, and his slender body tensed slightly. A mix of emotions slowly rose from the depths of his heart, as if a mountain of grievances had piled up inside him.

Back in Konohagakure, my first undercover mission was driven by curiosity. Having never experienced normal life, I ended up becoming one of the village's homeless orphans after just a few days undercover.

Suddenly, a wild, blond-haired Nine-Tails Jinchuriki appeared before them. At that time, Lord Orochimaru's plan did not include the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

In her and the rest of the Sound Four's eyes, that blond guy was nothing more than a free sucker. After a few encounters, their feelings changed again without them realizing it.

After many twists and turns, and countless other things happened, I don't know how many seasons I went through. It's all my fault for lying to him in the first place; later, I was lied to by him again and again, and in the end, I still ended up back here.

However, Naruto's methods of deceiving Tayuya weren't particularly sophisticated; some were even just made-up lies. He never put much effort into lying, yet it was quite effective.

"You've been here for six years, there's no need to stay here." He said carefully, as the temperature in the living room slowly dropped, reaching the coldest time of day.

He pulled the blanket covering them tighter and moved his hand down a little. Tayuya stiffened, blinked rapidly, and bit her lower lip.

"Actually, I didn't stay for six years. I was usually out on missions."

"Really? Then you shouldn't be here even more." Naruto said without changing his expression, his other arm around her waist, the two of them pressed close together on the sofa.

"This place doesn't appeal to you, and you probably don't like staying in the peaceful Land of Fire. Where do you prefer to be active? To be honest, I'm just asking casually."

Tayuya's mind was in a mess at that moment, and she didn't have the mind to think even if she wanted to lie. Just understanding what Naruto was saying was difficult enough.

She could only answer truthfully, "Small countries have more tasks and responsibilities, and are more interesting and freer."

"Then they still don't want to stay here."

"No, no." Tayuya felt like she was going crazy. Her body went limp, and she hugged Naruto tightly, whispering in his ear, "If you want, I'll stay here."

Silence reigned both inside and outside the window, broken only by the soft, mechanical ticking of the clock. The scorching breath on her ear made her seem particularly tired; even her voice was hoarse.

Do you want me to stay here?

"I don't know yet." He withdrew his hand and casually fiddled with the girl in his arms. "It's too sudden. I need to think about it carefully. I've been staying here for the past few days."

Upon hearing this, Tayuya blushed, buried her head in his arms, and softly hummed in agreement.

Her slender fingers were completely dry as she grasped Tayuya's hand, their fingers expertly intertwined.

"Give me some time," he said.

"Okay." Tayuya hugged him tightly.

Heavy snow blanketed Tanzaku Town, and the New Year Festival passed in a lively atmosphere. Unlike Konohagakure, which was fully armed, the festive atmosphere was much stronger in Tanzaku Town.

Perhaps because this is a market town, it's a bustling commercial hub, teeming with eager businesspeople. Men and women from the surrounding villages stream in, their wallets bulging.

Even with light snow falling, the crowds continued to arrive in waves. Long queues formed in front of all sorts of food stalls, creating an unprecedentedly bustling scene.

Naruto and Tayuya were trapped in the crowd, unable to move forward or backward. The two were wrapped in thick scarves and hats, with only their eyes showing as they grinned foolishly at each other.

He hadn't planned to go back to Konohagakure for the New Year; the festive atmosphere there wasn't particularly strong. His friends all had things to do, and now that they were adults, they probably had even more to do.

It's impossible for the second generation to be carefree like before; the only one who hasn't forgotten his original aspirations is Naruto, the blond-haired kid.

Naruto knew that if he went back before the New Year Festival, his house would probably not be too deserted. But it wouldn't be lively either; Ino would probably only be able to squeeze out a few moments to sit for a while amidst her busy schedule.

He didn't want to bother them during the New Year Festival, as he was bound to be busy and they wouldn't have time either, and he would inevitably make them feel guilty.

After thinking about it, we decided to just stay in Tanzaku Town for the New Year; that way, everyone would feel at ease.

Besides, he didn't care about any New Year Festival; in his eyes, it was just an ordinary holiday. Just like before he transmigrated, all the holidays on Blue Star except for New Year's were Cannon Festivals.

Even the Qingming Festival can become a day for those damned couples to have sex.

Fortunately, he was an honest man, and in this world, all holidays were treated equally. Even their birthdays—at first, he would pay attention to Ino's birthday.

Later, he discovered that she was also incredibly busy on her birthday, so every year he simply sent her a slightly more expensive gift. He didn't attend Hinata's birthday celebrations either.

Those damned nobles, they practically turned their daughter's birthday into a cocktail party. A bunch of old Dengos were there bragging and drinking, or making some kind of deal.

Sakura's birthday celebrations were much simpler, mostly family gatherings, so she usually just gave a gift as a token of appreciation. Although he wasn't short of money, he still had his own way of choosing gifts.

The gifts I give are always just right and exactly what they want, gifts they can't refuse. But I won't give them gifts that are beyond their means or that would put pressure on them.

In contrast, gifts between boys are much simpler.

They can send gifts whenever they want, cheap or expensive, since those rich kids aren't short of money anyway. If you send them something expensive, they'll really treat you like a godfather for a long time.

It was just a joke, and nobody took it to heart. They knew Naruto still had money even without taking on a mission, so they were relieved and didn't need to go around helping him out.

This was also one of Naruto's purposes. Although it's said that one shouldn't flaunt wealth, once you have a certain amount, there's no need to. Besides, he simply didn't want people to worry about his finances, lest he cause a misunderstanding.

Fortunately Tayuya never thinks about such questions, and she's had a smile on her face these past two days. She's smiling when she changes her shoes in the entryway before leaving the house, and she's smiling when she comes back.

Snowflakes were falling Tanzaku Town.

He patted the snowflakes Tayuya's shoulder and asked with a hint of helplessness.

"What's so funny?"

Since that day, he hasn't gone any further, stopping at that point every night. It's like a little secret between the two of them, Tayuya seems naively happy about it.

It wasn't that he had any strange quirks; it was just that he habitually thought of filling her heart before filling her body.

The six-year gap, during which I lied to her several times, can be considered retribution.

Some words are too distant to recall clearly, but fragmented memories remain. Those long-lasting emotions, trapped in memories, gradually seep into the heart of this naive girl before me.

Like the light stretching across the sky, it gently seeped into her heart. For the first time, she felt a concrete sense of beauty, an indescribable joy.

Over the course of six years, she traveled to many places: the misty Land of Water, the giant waterfall of the Land of Grass, the vast geothermal hot springs of the Land of Hot Water, and the endless sea of sand of the Land of Wind.

But all the magnificent scenery she had traveled seemed to pale in comparison at this moment.

"I don't know, I just feel very happy." Tayuya and smiled, her fiery red hair fluttering in the cold wind. "I like you too."

Besides