He's Manipulating You!

Naruto sighed inwardly, wishing he hadn't spoken carelessly.

It seemed like he hadn't seen Temari since the Five Kage Summit. Memories pulled him back to the Pentagon Pavilion in the Land of Iron, where snow was falling heavily under the eaves that year.

The two stood under the eaves, wrapped in their coats, watching the snow. The silent snow was like salt, and drifting down were Temari's increasingly cautious tentative steps, and that sentence...

"Do you still want me?"

Time has changed many things, Temari has grown into a more mature woman, with a unique charm in every gesture. Yet, in his presence, she seems to be a completely different person.

"Stop crying." Naruto forcibly pulled her up, offering no words of comfort, his face expressionless.

But Temari actually falls for this. Even though his attitude was lukewarm, he could still stop her crying immediately. Her shoulders were still trembling a little, and she was sobbing softly.

Naruto looked Temari up and down. Her three casually tied braids were now down, hanging down like pruned willow branches.

She wore light makeup, including eyeliner, highlighting her bright eyes, white teeth, delicate nose, and slightly curved red lips. She wore a pear-blossom white dress, revealing her swan-like neck.

Because she had just cried, tear stains were still faintly visible on her face, and her makeup was a little smudged.

Temari clearly realized this as well, and involuntarily lowered her head when faced with Naruto's gaze. When she looked up again and saw that he was still staring at her, she immediately stopped crying.

"Am I annoying?" she asked softly.

"Yes." Naruto glanced at her with his eyes downcast and said without any mercy.

Temari was clearly getting impatient, yet she was the one who asked the question. Naruto, who had seen it all, didn't tolerate her little quirks. He knew what she was thinking just by looking at Temari.

The other party seemed to enjoy this lukewarm attitude, and Naruto was happy to be at ease.

There's no need to pretend in front of Temari; she knows she has many connections anyway. Whether she falls in love with every one she meets, or something else entirely, it's all fine.

Anyway Temari might feel bad, but she definitely won't hate it. One day, Naruto, with deep affection, will gaze intently into Temari's eyes and say this with heartfelt emotion.

"From now on, I will only love you and will never have anything to do with anyone else."

He was certain that Temari would lose interest in him within a few days, and once she lost interest, she wouldn't like him anymore. Those who have something always feel restless, while those who are loved are always fearless.

Temari has been strong since childhood, with a stubborn streak in her bones. Her parents died early, and as the eldest princess of Sand, she worried endlessly about her two younger brothers.

Ultimately, this feeling exhausted her; deep down, she longed for someone stronger than her to appear. But such a person never came into her life, and her only father was killed by Orochimaru.

She yearns for it, yet at the same time doesn't want it. This contradictory personality stems from her Temari disbelief that such a person exists.

She would silently obey when Naruto was forceful.

Even when Naruto sends her a seemingly insignificant signal, she becomes anxious and insecure. Sometimes, he might even unintentionally hurt her feelings with his words.

He can be bad to Temari, or even ignore her, or he can be good to Temari, taking great care of her. But Naruto cannot revolve around Temari, nor can he give up everything for Temari.

It sounds outrageous, but it's true.

As the saying goes, what you can't have always stirs your heart, while those who are loved take it for granted. Temari wants is someone who is connected to her, but someone she won't completely possess.

Naruto can be good to her, he can be a jerk to her, he can even ignore her. The only one thing, and the most important one, is absolutely, absolutely!!!

It cannot be obtained.

He figured out this pattern, so his interactions with Temari were surprisingly easy. As long as he maintained the right balance, having the Sand Village's eldest princess by his side was indeed a very pleasant experience.

"I... I just miss you a little. We haven't seen each other for a long time." Temari's tone was a little aggrieved. "You've never thought of me or come to see me."

How do you know I haven't contacted you?

"Huh? When did you...?" Temari, somewhat surprised, blinking as she looked at Naruto.

He put down his teacup, stood up, and looked down slightly at Temari, narrowing his eyes. Temari felt a little uneasy at his Temari; he seemed angry.

Do I need to tell you everything?

Naruto can spout lies effortlessly; his acting is completely natural. There are no born actors, only true skills honed through countless trials in practice.

"No... I'm not like that. I just... I just wanted to know when you came. Why didn't you tell me?" Temari stood up and explained in a flustered manner.

"No need to explain, I don't want to hear it." Naruto turned his head away and said calmly, "You get plenty of flowers every day, isn't it a bit redundant for me to come to you?"

"Huh? I didn't accept any! I... I avoided them too," Temari her best to explain. "I really didn't, I haven't accepted any flowers from anyone. If I really did accept any, I..."

"Alright, that's not important anymore." Naruto interrupted Temari's oath directly. He had just guessed anyway; it wasn't about sending flowers at all.

When I first arrived, I saw a ninja offer flowers to Temari, only to be rejected. Remembering that, I quickly came up with an excuse, and even a ridiculous attempt to argue worked.

It felt like he was using a cheat code; the situation was completely under Naruto's control. And he didn't feel ashamed at all.

Why should I be embarrassed if I'm living off someone because of my own abilities?

"No, I really..." Temari's face turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes, like a dam about to burst into tears at the slightest command.

"It's okay, I don't blame you." Naruto's tone suddenly softened, and while she was still in a daze, Temari was suddenly pulled over and gently hugged by Naruto.

This is the highest-floor hotel in Sand, its unassuming exterior concealing top-notch interior design. At this moment, Naruto and Temari are embracing each other at a private afternoon tea table in the rooftop garden.

Temari's temples throbbed, and a torrent of emotions surged through her mind. Naruto's sudden change in attitude had left her momentarily stunned.

"It's not your fault that someone sends you flowers; it just shows you're charming. It's all my fault; I wasn't calm enough. I shouldn't blame you."

Upon hearing this, Temari's nose tingled, and she felt a surge of grievances welling up inside her.

"I was wrong too."

What's wrong with that? It's in the CPU, girl!

Even though Naruto's reason was utterly absurd and ridiculous, Temari, as if possessed, seemed to have stopped thinking and began to reflect.

"Hmm." Naruto listened to Temari's reflections absentmindedly, his eyes always looking elsewhere in a daze, occasionally responding with an "hmm" as if that was his response.

He was wondering if there were any suitable consumables in Sunagakure. As long as he completed this one and only main quest, he would not only get a reward but also refresh the main quest.

He currently possesses a considerable number of skills, but they are still insufficient to deal with the Otsutsuki. Izanagi, Flying Thunder God Technique, and the Blood-colored Nine-Tails are all viable techniques, but the veiled form presents some challenges.

He doesn't like to procrastinate; if he's going to do something, he wants to eliminate it completely and prevent future troubles. To achieve all this, strength is definitely the first priority, followed by influence.

No matter how strong he is, he is still just one person. The era of relying on brute force is over; technology is equally important.

So what if you're good at fighting? In this world, it's all about power and connections. What good is fighting if you have connections? Like an insect that lives only a lifetime, enemies are like leeks—kill one crop, and another grows.

Instead of wasting time on such things, he should cultivate his own power base and leave those troublesome matters to them. He only needs to maintain balance, and then he can rest easy.

After all, Naruto's ambitions lay elsewhere. Once the Otsutsuki was defeated, the matter was over. From then on, he would live a shameless life, detached from worldly affairs.

"Okay, don't blame yourself, I understand." Naruto gently patted Temari's back, comforting her while thinking about how to get Temari to help him find supplies.

The Evil God follower couldn't just be any random passerby; that would be too much of a waste. After all, every Evil God follower of his followers played a vital role.

Aside from the Hydrangea, she's a completely useless summoner. She was only chosen as a temporary solution; her main purpose now is to entertain Naruto.

He looks like a corporate slave, but his face clearly says, "I don't want to go to work."

Naruto insisted on making her run around, and seeing her look so broken and helpless was really... satisfying.

"Yeah, you're so nice!" Temari up and smiled foolishly.

Time passed slowly. Naruto chatted for a few minutes, then leaned against the table listlessly. His left hand propped up his chin, and his fingers tapped unconsciously on the table.

Temari sat to one side, her eyes unfocused. But her gaze remained fixed on Naruto; she loved staring at Naruto, her eyes following him.

Even though she's having some headaches right now, it seems that Sand is facing a talent shortage, with fewer and fewer new generation talents emerging.

"Come here." He casually beckoned Temari with his Temari.

Temari crawled over, straddled him, and pursed her lips as if trying to calm herself. As if she had received a long-awaited toy, she tilted her head slightly, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

A few seconds later, Naruto broke free and looked at her with some boredom.

"That's not how you kiss. Let me teach you."

As he spoke, he cupped Temari, causing her heart to pound uncontrollably. Watching Naruto's face gradually loom larger, she closed her eyes.

"Wait... to see Gaara?" Her voice was a little hoarse; the kiss had gone too far.

"Okay, that works too." Naruto had achieved his goal.

He leaned in again, kissed her for a while, and then gently bit her lower lip. He vaguely remembered that Temari seemed to really like this gesture, and her body would tremble every time.

I remember, but only vaguely.

But for Temari, this small gesture was enough to move her.

Click, click. In the Hokage's Office, Kakashi stared blankly at the desk, the pen in his hand spinning unconsciously, falling and picking up again and again.

Since that day, Rin Nohara has ignored him for three days. Naruto's terrible idea really worked immediately; at least it made things clear.

But I always feel like something is missing. Is this what I want?

Kakashi's mind was in turmoil; he shouldn't be thinking about these things. He clearly didn't want Rin Nohara to become dependent on him, yet he simply took advantage of her vulnerability. It sounded a bit convoluted, but that was truly how he felt.

He didn't have those kinds of feelings for Rin Nohara, or rather, he didn't have the energy to think about them in the current situation.

For him, Rin Nohara was the salvation from a nightmare. The regret that he had been unable to forget for twenty years was suddenly resolved, and the feeling was quite strange.

At least for Kakashi, all he wants to do right now is protect Rin and not let her get hurt in the slightest.

But to others, his attentiveness to Rin was excessive, and it's no wonder people might misunderstand. As someone directly involved, Rin Nohara couldn't possibly be oblivious to it.

When people are extremely helpless, they will desperately grasp at any straw to save them.

Rin Nohara was no exception, but when she looked around in a panic, she found that Kakashi her not a lifeline but a space elevator.

Hmm... who could withstand that?

Having slept for twenty years and been resurrected, Rin Nohara thought she would start out isolated, helpless, and pitiful. Her companions, family, and enemies were all lost in the past, leaving her only with twenty blank years and a bleak future.

But who could have imagined that her former academic star friend would become Hokage and openly give her preferential treatment? Not only did she provide all sorts of protection, but she even considered details like her clothes and socks.

Let alone Rin Nohara, who is currently insecure, even a grown man would be confused if he came.

The key point is that Kakashi knew this, but didn't want to remain silent just to avoid suspicion. He wanted to explain things clearly, or as Naruto would say, tell the truth.

But why explain?

Kakashi's excuse was that he hadn't thought it through, didn't have those thoughts, and didn't want Rin Nohara to misunderstand or get hurt. But Kakashi clearly knew that Rin Nohara had a very open and generous personality.

If she realizes she misunderstood Kakashi, she'll smile brightly and apologize.

Shikamaru looked up, glancing suspiciously at Kakashi out of the corner of his eye. Kakashi had been somewhat distracted for the past three days. It had already been three days, and the documents on his desk were piling up like a mountain.

Kakashi was still in a daze, even wondering if Naruto was setting him up. What kind of killer move was sincerity? How come he got this reaction after telling the truth?

He pondered for a while longer, then couldn't help but sigh softly.

Forget it, I won't think about it anymore.

Anyway, Rin Nohara isn't seeing him now, so it'll be good to have a couple of quiet days. Maybe he'll figure things out in a couple of days. Thinking this, Kakashi picked up a document.

He glanced at the text several times, but couldn't absorb a single word.

Damn it!

He threw the file on the table, ran his fingers through his hair, irritably ran them around a few times, and then took a deep breath. Shikamaru, standing next to him, was so startled that he almost dropped the file.

Suddenly, Kakashi glanced at a document and his gaze never left it.

The note read, "Opinions on the handling of Rin Nohara."