Anko, the Foolish Woman: Though I Don't Understand, See You at Midnight

Sakura looked puzzled. "You really thought that way?"

"I didn't," he retorted without hesitation. "Those are all your own guesses, don't talk nonsense."

Sakura: "."

"I did say something similar before, but," she said with a conflicted expression, "That was just to tease you. If I really did that, I would be jealous."

"Ahem." Naruto stood up. "You pack your things. I have something to do. I'll come find you after you get off work this afternoon."

"Huh?"

Naruto calmly got up and left, frowning slightly as he turned around. Actually, he wasn't entirely sure what he had just said; he had only said it to reassure Sakura.

I don't want to see her looking like she's giving up and waiting to die, so I should at least try one more time.

Nine-Tails accidentally saved Black Sakura, which gave Naruto a hint. However, he couldn't possibly experiment on Sakura; that would be too risky.

But he himself didn't know much either, so as the saying goes, professionals should do professional things. Diagnosing unconventional cases is still best left to Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin Orochimaru.

To find Orochimaru, the host, one must first meet Sasuke. Or perhaps... Anko?

After much thought, he decided that Anko was far less dangerous than the crazed Uchiha Sasuke. Teasing Anko was much safer than fighting that brother-obsessed Uchiha Sasuke. Hmm, it's you I've decided on.

Thinking of this, he sighed softly. His thoughts were becoming clearer, but things were becoming increasingly complicated. He had known for a long time that Black Sakura was a problem, but five or six years had passed, and it would be a lie to say that he was uninvolved.

He never thought of being a savior, nor did he ever think of destroying the world. He just wanted to be an ordinary person, well-fed and clothed, a brick in a peaceful and prosperous world.

The problem is with the people around her. Although Black Sakura is cunning, talkative, and flirtatious, she is actually a coward. But at heart, she is still a good Sakura.

So he couldn't just sit idly by. Even though it would be a bit troublesome, he still had to give it a try.

As for the final outcome, if things go well, they'll coexist peacefully; if things go even worse, they'll just continue to squeeze each other out. In short, just being alive is good enough.

At noon, the Bright Spring Days.

Under the Great Green Tree at the Muddy Alley, Naruto waited patiently. Then, a clumsy-looking girl came running up from afar, panting, and carefully took out something that looked like a jade bottle from her bosom and handed it to him.

"Is one bottle all you need?" Hinata asked timidly.

"This is for that stupid dog to drink. It's finally been useful lately." Naruto took the bottle and casually tossed it into the Sealing Space, then suddenly remembered that there were two people still locked up Sealing Space.

I've been so busy lately, it feels like all the troubles have come crashing down at once. My original plans have been indefinitely postponed; I'll have to deal with them later.

He had been planning to return to the Land of Whirlpools, but he didn't want to go alone, nor did he want the villagers to know. The place might be dangerous, and he didn't want to take Tayuya him.

When he made his move in Kumogakure, he had already planned how to deal with the captured cannon fodder. The Two-Tails and the Hydrangea were both suitable to lead the charge in the Land of Whirlpools.

Even though he hasn't figured out how to persuade or control them yet, he's not in a hurry; there's always a way to solve even the most difficult problems.

Besides, Naruto doesn't necessarily have to rush to the Land of Whirlpools. He can wait a year, two years, or even ten or twenty years. It's enough for him to go there once before he dies and get the answer.

"Is it okay for you to take out alcohol? What if we get caught?" He stared at Hinata and asked hesitantly.

"No." Hinata lowered her head.

"It's okay if you can, don't force yourself, I have other ways."

He reached out and tidied Hinata's hair, pinching off a wisp of hair that had fallen from the tree crown, and gave her some instructions.

"Naruto, have you been very busy lately?" Hinata hesitated for a long time before finally raising her head and mustering up the courage to ask.

Her white eyes stared blankly at him, her plain trench coat fluttering for a moment. That stunning beauty, whose head was lowered so much that his toes were invisible, slightly startled Naruto, making his thoughts slow down.

"I'm not very busy, what's wrong?" he changed his tune.

Hinata hesitated. After being assigned to a class and doing a few missions with Naruto, she could count the number of times she could meet him on two hands each year.

It's not that we only see each other a few times a year, but I just feel like this can't go on. Plus, we've hardly heard from Naruto in the last few years; he's not in the village most of the time.

"I... I want to become Jonin," Hinata said, blushing.

"???" Naruto was a little confused. He sniffed and said somewhat awkwardly, "Hinata, I understand how you feel, but..."

"I'm just a Chunin, I have no experience in becoming Jonin."

"No!" Hinata's face turned even redder, and she was completely flustered. She had just meant to say that she wanted to try dating Naruto, but she changed her mind at the last minute.

"Me, me."

Naruto scratched his head. He really couldn't guess Hinata's thoughts. No matter how wild his imagination was, he could never have known that a girl with such a timid personality would be so direct in what she was about to say.

"Jonin? Actually, it's not that hard. Even someone as weak as Anko can Jonin." He thought for a moment and said, "I have something to do tomorrow, can I spar with you the day after tomorrow?"

"With actual combat training, one can improve significantly in about six months."

Hinata was too nervous to say anything but "okay."

However, after thinking about it, if she could train with Naruto for six months, it seemed like saying those words or not wouldn't matter. Besides, she also...

Shaking his head, he looked again, but Naruto had already left in a hurry.

Afternoon.

With a thud, Naruto cornered Anko against the office wall. Anko looked terrified at Naruto.

"What flavor of Red bean dumplings do you eat? How did you grow so tall?"

He was somewhat speechless. "Didn't I tell you to eat less sweets?"

"I've been eating less, mostly vegetables these past few years," Anko said, touching her breasts through her clothes, on the verge of tears.

"But who would have thought that losing weight would start with emptying your bra cups!"

Naruto had come with serious business, but Anko's interruption caught him off guard. Their conversations often veered off-topic, remaining as engaging as ever despite the long separation.

Are there many empty spaces?

"Not by much, but it's a little loose." Anko sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'm wondering if I should try to gain weight to fill in the empty cup size."

Upon hearing this, Naruto gasped.

"No, please don't!"

Alright, we finally have a clue about the Anko's Bucket Case, one of the top ten unsolved mysteries of Hokage. Those who love to draw are furious online—is it really that hard to draw a plain-color fan art piece?

"Why?" Anko is almost thirty and still single, which is probably related to her overly neurotic nature.

She always says nonsensical things; she's in her twenties but still acts like a teenage girl. She's clearly getting older, while everyone around her is doing incredibly well.

Kakashi's face is already half on the Hokage Rock, Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma are married and their child is about to be born. But Anko is still half asleep, looking like her life is a mess.

After all, Kurenai Yuhi would never press an empty cup in front of a grown boy, and Anko is quite an explosive presence in the relatively conservative Konohagakure.

Stupid old woman.

"If you're not afraid of turning into a giant water bucket, then keep eating," Naruto said meaningfully.

"Heh, with such a thin waist, do you think I'd believe you?" Anko pushed up her non-existent glasses with a wise expression and sneered.

"If you don't believe me, touch my waist!" Without any hesitation, she reached out and pulled Naruto's hand onto her waist.

The loose clothes quickly tightened, revealing an incredibly thin waistline. This shocked Naruto, who looked on incredulously.

"It's really fine!"

"See! I told you so." Anko looked smug, with an expression that said, "I knew it."

The two chatted earnestly for a while longer, until the people in the office couldn't stand it anymore. They simply pushed the two oddballs out, and the chat had to be moved again.

She moved from a quiet office with only a few people on the second floor of the Hokage Building to an empty corridor. Anko lit a cigarette, the Kakkō flickering dimly.

"Speak, what do you want?" Her expression turned serious again.

If it were someone else who didn't know her background, they might think that Anko wasn't actually that dramatic, but Naruto knew that Anko was just having a fit of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).

He reached out and snatched Anko's cigarette, extinguished it, and threw it away.

"Stop with this nonsense and let me see the Cursed Seal on your neck."

"Is this a new type of seduction technique?" Anko asked in astonishment. "Although I can understand the impulse of an eighteen-year-old boy, this method is too low-level, and I cannot agree to it."

"What are you talking about to yourself? But I can think about it." Naruto pondered for a moment. "So what's your answer?"

"Didn't you just say you needed to talk to me?" Anko asked, looking at him.

"Oh, right." Naruto perked up again. "Then I'll just get straight to the point. Please pull down your clothes and let me see the Cursed Seal."

"The Cursed Seal left by Orochimaru. You should know that Orochimaru is dead, right? We haven't heard from him lately. Hmm, he must be dead."

"Dead? I didn't know." Anko looked completely bewildered.

Naruto was speechless. What was this old woman thinking Tenten? He could only watch helplessly as Anko shakily pulled out a cigarette, but couldn't light it no matter what she tried.

"Okay, I don't smoke at all." Anko dejectedly handed the cigarettes and lighter to Naruto. "How did Orochimaru die?"

"Sasuke Uchiha killed her." Naruto didn't waste any words and directly pulled open Anko's collar. "Sorry for the offense. Oh, there was a seal after all."

He released his grip in three seconds and stared at Anko as he spoke.

"Things are a bit complicated, and I can't explain them clearly in a short time. I'll come to your house tonight."

After thinking it over, Anko realized she wouldn't lose out no matter what, so she snapped her fingers.

"Although I don't quite understand, but..."

"See you there."

"See you there," he said.