Though Her Heart Held an Ocean, Her Words Were Still Gentle as a Breeze

He returned home and saw Nine-Tails- Tailed Fox lying listlessly on the sofa, looking dejected. He ignored it and went to the kitchen to get some water.

The one-month ban on alcohol means that Naruto's side will no longer provide Nine-Tails with any alcohol, but it does not restrict Kurama from finding its own way to drink.

But in any case, the wine they got was only enough to satisfy their cravings.

The next day.

When Naruto woke up and was washing up, he passed through the living room and saw Nine-Tails fidgeting nervously. It kept glancing at him, then quickly retreating when it noticed him.

"You bastard, you're in heat!" Naruto cursed.

"You're the one in heat!" The Nine-Tails Fox, completely abandoning its haughty demeanor, pointed at him with its claws and said, "I have a suggestion: a one-month ban on alcohol. Are you interested in hearing it?"

"Not interested." Naruto raised an eyebrow and touched his still-damp hair. "Do I look like the kind of person who has no principles? There's nothing to say."

"I plan to arrange for you to meet that dull-witted owner. I have a way to make it happen for you." Nine-Tails paused for a moment, then, "Alright, if that's the case, then forget it."

"Wait a minute, I think principles can be flexible. Rules are something we should be strict with ourselves and lenient with others." Naruto coughed.

At noon, the sun rises three poles high.

"So, do you understand now?" Naruto was explaining the pros and cons of various Evil God Altar to Yakumo Kurama, and there was nothing to hide.

Yakumo Kurama nodded and hummed in agreement.

This was her own choice, and she didn't care about the little bit of physical pain Naruto mentioned. She wanted to become a ninja no matter what.

This is the meaning of her life, and the greatest motivation that keeps her going.

"Since you understand, I won't waste any more words." Naruto reached out and grabbed the teacup, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, making Yakumo Kurama's eyelids twitch.

This guy is ruthless in everything he does; even Yakumo Kurama is afraid of Naruto.

"Let's begin." He said, directly taking Yakumo Kurama into the Sealing Space and then throwing him into the Evil God Altar.

The target for the Evil God follower has been reduced from ten to eight. Mission three is one-fifth complete; with a little more effort, it should be a bit faster.

Without the action options, he could have easily filled in a bunch of irrelevant characters. But discovering the action options made him excited, and the reward for Mission 3 suddenly seemed much more prestigious.

He could easily use the Evil God's name to create Uzumaki Ten Maidens swordsmen, which would then complete mission two for him. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are nothing compared to that.

When I have the time, I will definitely take all their Ninja Blade for myself.

Of course, it was just a wicked thought; he never actually intended to recruit the Uzumaki Ten Maidens. It was just a natural idea that came to mind since the first three were all women.

If he doesn't have time in the future, he'll probably be recruited as an assistant when a suitable opportunity arises. Then he won't need to travel around anymore; he can sit at home like Nagato, while his subordinates roam freely.

As long as he can lie down peacefully in the future, without having to be a savior, and without trouble affecting him, that's enough. At that time, he can leisurely lie down and enjoy life.

As Naruto was thinking, he suddenly froze. "Holy crap, did I not go in?"

Has Yakumo Kurama been driven to a mental breakdown?

He hurriedly sank his consciousness into the Sealing Space, ignoring the Yugito Nii in the cage, and went directly into the Evil God Altar shrouded in gray mist.

"Ah!!! Stop hitting me!"

Are you crazy?!

The scene of Yakumo Kurama being beaten, which I had expected, did not appear. Instead, I saw Hydrangea and Ido fighting back and forth, with tears always hanging in their eyes.

Although he was begging for mercy, his body instinctively threw him into the fight.

Yakumo Kurama stood to one side, watching the scene, slightly stunned. He seemed completely lost, unsure of what to do.

Naruto sighed, casually picked up a wisp of Haku's ashes, and used the Impure World Reincarnation Haku.

Alright, 2v2, let's start fighting.

As for whether Yakumo Kurama will face Ido or Haku, that's a question he needs to consider. Anyway, there won't be any deaths at the Evil God Altar, so everyone can fight freely.

The more Naruto thought about it, the more he felt a strange sense of dread about raising a venomous insect. Fortunately, the strength of the Impure World Reincarnation beings was predetermined; in other words, they were merely whetstones for Yakumo Kurama and Hydrangea.

After withdrawing his consciousness from the Sealing Space, he silently slipped away from the utterly silent Satomi Hill Villa.

In the afternoon, he and Choji met for tea alone. It was mainly Naruto invited Choji. The chubby guy seemed a little nervous, and his whole body exuded a sense of anxiety.

"Choji, if you need to pee, you can go to the toilet. If you really can't, you can use the bottle." Naruto put down his teacup. "We're all men, so it's understandable that we need to pee frequently."

Choji was an honest man, and he stammered in protest, "I'm not."

"Naruto, Shikamaru is getting married soon."

"Yeah, I know," he replied. "What's wrong?"

"Do you remember? Shikamaru used to..."

"Choji, stop beating around the bush. If you don't get to the point, I'm leaving," Naruto muttered. "I'm really busy right now. I have to see Hinata tonight."

Even though his friends are probably aware of the complicated relationship between him, Ino, and Hinata, there are some things he can say to Choji but not to Shikamaru.

Perhaps it was because Choji was tight-lipped, and also because the two were closer. Choji was a kind-hearted chubby guy who couldn't bear to Ino sad, nor did he want to hurt his best friend.

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate, Naruto? What if Ino finds out?"

"If you don't want to say anything, then it's fine. Only heaven, earth, you, and I know," Naruto said. "Alright, just tell me what's going on. Hurry up and stop dawdling."

"Um... you know my situation is similar to Shikamaru's, we're getting married soon too," Choji said somewhat awkwardly, "So..."

"Oh, marriage is good," Naruto replied absentmindedly, clearly lacking sincerity.

"So, what difficulties have you encountered?" he asked tentatively.

"More or less. Actually, I'm a little panicked," Choji said. "I'm suddenly getting married, but my relationship with her is still just... nothing."

His eyelids twitched as he stared at Choji, gradually discerning something. This young man was itching to act, yet also hesitant and uncertain.

"Hold hands?" he asked.

"That's not the case, we already did." Choji shook his head.

"Physical contact?"

Does a hug count?

"Oh~" Naruto suddenly realized, and seeing that no one was around, he lowered his voice and made a gesture that all men would understand to Choji immediately blushed.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Choji, somewhat embarrassed.

"Just tell me, do you have it or not?"

"No." Choji reverted to his usual demeanor, head down, stammering and changing the subject.

"Choji, that's going too far. We all agreed to communicate openly and without reservation, but you're hiding here." Naruto pretended to be angry.

"If you keep doing this, don't ask me next time you have a problem, ask Shikamaru instead."

"No, no, no!!" Choji chickened out. "How could I dare ask Shikamaru? He definitely didn't do anything like that, and he's been so busy lately."

"Wait a minute, how can you be so sure I have experience?" Naruto was puzzled and scratched his head. "You didn't even ask me."

"You're so reserved, why would you need to ask?" Choji muttered.

"Choji, that's going too far," Naruto said, looking displeased. "What do you mean by 'I'm such a repressed pervert'? What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry." Choji thought he was really angry.

"You know me, I'm not bored at all."

Choji: "."

After going around in circles, Choji finally laid out the truth, stating that there was only one problem: his partner seemed somewhat resistant to intimate contact like kissing.

"Naruto, do you think she's actually dissatisfied?" Choji asked, troubled.

"That's unlikely," Naruto waved his hand and said. "You're getting married soon, even if the other person isn't satisfied, they wouldn't refuse to even kiss you."

"It's probably a technical issue, so don't worry too much. The fact that they're willing to accept you means they won't deliberately hold you back in this way."

Marriages within prominent families are typically backed by the family's credit.

The scenes of runaway brides in TV dramas never happen in real life. If you don't want to get married, say so early, humble yourself, apologize in person, and give the other person face.

It's impossible for someone to remain silent before the wedding and then act like an idiot at the ceremony, ruining their parents' and family's lives. If that were to happen, it would be impossible for those two families not to become mortal enemies.

It doesn't matter if we live in a small, humble place; we can always move to another city.

Large families have been established for decades or even centuries. If a younger generation were to pull off such a stunt that they were utterly humiliated, they would be so angry that they might even break the younger generation's legs.

"Actually, it wasn't really a kiss," Choji said somewhat shyly. "I'm just a tiny bit ahead of Shikamaru in progress, that's all."

Upon hearing this, Naruto's expression changed drastically, and he immediately stood up.

"You bastard! You're trying to trick me!"

"Wait, Naruto, calm down." Choji waved his chubby hand, forcibly calming Naruto down, and said with his small eyes blinking, "I was just worried you'd tell everyone, okay? I apologize, alright?"

"A side story? Am I that kind of person?" Naruto pounded his chest loudly.

"So it's you," Choji said, pausing for a moment. "Last time you..."

"Ahem, that's all ancient history." Naruto waved his hand awkwardly and said seriously, "We've grown up now, we're not like we were back then."

A moment later.

"Hahahaha!!!!" Naruto laughed unrestrainedly, glanced at Choji, and continued laughing.

"Is it that funny?" Choji, somewhat annoyed and starting to regret sharing it with his friend. He shifted uncomfortably. "Stop laughing!"

"It's really not my fault, I was just too nervous."

Despite the laughter, Naruto later offered many serious suggestions and also taught Choji some obscure facts, adding fuel to the Will of Fire.

Afternoon.

After the two parted ways, Naruto was left alone as he wandered home. When he reached a secluded spot, he suddenly stopped, his brow furrowed, and muttered to himself.

"Oh no, is it because I'm exceptionally gifted, or is Tayuya's body just too sensitive?"

Those few days were almost devoid of any real experience; Tayuya happened so fast. At the time, he was somewhat focused on completing the task and didn't take it too seriously, but now that he thinks about it, it seems strange.

But such things cannot be verified immediately, and after muttering to himself for a while, he put the chaotic thoughts to the back of his mind.

He wasn't that desperate, and he wouldn't do it unless absolutely necessary. At that time Tayuya waiting for his answer, and she gave her own.

Thousands of miles apart, when we meet again, we will never part again.

After wandering around for a bit, Naruto bought some food and two bottles of good wine before heading to the agreed-upon alley. Nine-Tails, who had been waiting for a long time, had its eyes shining; it truly hadn't forgotten its original intention.

"Ahem, I just remembered you haven't had dinner yet, so I brought you some." Naruto handed it to Nine-Tails without batting an eye.

Even though he had just recently issued a righteous and stern warning to Nine-Tails Fox, imposing a one-month alcohol ban, he can now shamelessly break his promise. This is the true nature of a rogue.

"Okay." Nine-Tails rubbed its paws together and accepted the food and wine. "So, is the one-month abstinence from alcohol acceptable?"

"What do you mean by 'no alcohol'?" Naruto looked completely bewildered.

Nine-Tails: "."

Although it was also very happy, it still mentally gave the utterly shameless Naruto the middle finger. What a bastard, so fickle! So realistic!!

But then I thought, if this bastard had any moral compass, I wouldn't have been tricked by him.

Both the man and the dog had their own ulterior motives, but in the end, they both got the results they wanted.

Nine-Tails, carrying a gift, successfully lured Hinata out with a romantic gesture. He saw Hinata standing awkwardly in the night breeze, head bowed, and Naruto with a beaming smile.

It curled its lip in disdain, cursed the foolish humans in its heart, and then left without a trace, concealing its merit and fame.

With the annoying dog light bulb gone, Naruto's lips curled into a smile.

"Let's go for a walk," he said.

"Okay." Hinata spoke softly, her gentle demeanor as tender as water, and her eyes were full of tenderness as she looked at Naruto.

As the moonlight fell, the two walked side by side in the darkness. The rustling sound under their feet was particularly jarring in the silent night.

Hinata grew older, she became increasingly silent.

The two held hands, the road ahead somewhat dim. A few streetlights shone sparsely, barely outlining the road's contours.

"How's your preparation for the Jonin?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"It's almost done. It was a bit tough at the beginning," Hinata said gently, her words detailed, as if she wanted to share all the days he had been away.

Naruto knew very well that Hinata was introverted, not that she didn't want to talk.

When some people are facing someone they like, even if they have towering mountains and waterfalls in their hearts before they speak, what comes out of their mouths is still gentle breeze and fine rain, and the mundane details of daily life.

She explained everything in great detail, and Naruto was very patient, deliberately slowing his pace. He knew exactly what Hinata needed—the companionship—and was therefore quite shameless.

The moment Hinata looked up, she saw his slightly aloof profile, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat. A warm current spread from her palms throughout her body.