Kankuro and Temari

A wicked grin curled at the corner of Konohamaru's mouth, his eyes glinting with a sly light as he leaned in close to Naruto and whispered, "Who's this big sister? Could she be big bro's... hehe, you know what I mean!"

Standing nearby, Sakura's cheeks flushed faintly, her gaze tinged with a hint of anticipation. She stared intently at Naruto, as if eager to see how he would respond to Konohamaru's teasing. A subtle tension and expectation hung in the air.

But Naruto just gave a light laugh, patting Konohamaru on the shoulder and saying casually, "Don't jump to conclusions. Sakura's just a friend of mine."

Hearing Naruto's reply, a flicker of disappointment passed through Sakura's eyes. She lowered her head slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting together, as if trying to hide the turmoil within. Still, she forced herself to keep a smile.

Ripples stirred in Sakura's heart. She was startled to realize that standing before Naruto, she had become so restrained—every tiny movement, every word about to leave her lips seemed carefully weighed. She understood that her concern for Naruto's opinion had grown beyond the ordinary.

Looking back on the past, Sakura couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Back then, she never hesitated with Naruto, often expressing her dissatisfaction or rebuttal in the most direct way—a fist to his face.

"How did I end up like this?" Sakura silently asked herself.

Strength was always the first factor determining how others treated you. It was Naruto's current strength that made Sakura dare not treat him as before, even making her care about his attitude and slowly drawing her to him.

Sunlight spilled across the street as Naruto led Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, and Sakura through the bustling crowd, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon were like colts breaking free, excitedly chasing and roughhousing ahead.

Sakura stayed close to Naruto's side, occasionally glancing at him, her eyes seeming to hold unspoken words.

Just as Sakura mustered the courage to speak to Naruto, a sudden commotion shattered the peace.

In the midst of chasing, Konohamaru lost his balance, stumbled, and crashed straight into a stranger passing by.

"Ouch!" Konohamaru's cry of pain mingled with the stranger's exclamation, drawing everyone's attention.

Naruto and Sakura hurried over to find Konohamaru rubbing his head, standing there awkwardly, while the person he'd collided with was none other than Kankuro of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind.

Kankuro wore a black ninja outfit, a mummy-like weapon slung across his back. With him was Temari, a female ninja also from Sunagakure.

Temari stood beside Kankuro, clad in a purple mesh ninja suit, her face flushed as she looked at Naruto. After his makeover, Naruto's handsomeness easily made him the center of attention.

"This blond hottie... he's really handsome..." Temari muttered inwardly, her face growing hot. She knew her thoughts were strange, but at that moment, she was deeply captivated by Naruto's charm, unable to tear herself away.

"Temari, what's wrong? Why is your face so red?" Kankuro tilted his head and asked, breaking her train of thought. She quickly shook her head, denying it. "Nothing, just a bit hot." She fanned herself with her hand, trying to cover her embarrassment.

Kankuro was clearly unmoved by Konohamaru's apology. His eyes sharpened, and he suddenly reached out, grabbing Konohamaru by the collar and lifting him with one hand. Konohamaru's feet dangled off the ground, his eyes wide with panic as he felt a powerful force from Kankuro's grip.

"That hurt, kid!" Kankuro said angrily.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't notice..." Konohamaru quickly apologized, his eyes full of remorse.

Seeing this, Temari frowned. "Stop it, Kankuro. If the village elders see you, you'll get scolded again." She couldn't help but glance at Naruto as she reminded him softly.

Sakura, watching with a racing heart, stepped forward to help. "Sorry, Konohamaru really didn't mean it."

But Kankuro remained aloof, ignoring both Konohamaru's and Sakura's apologies, still gripping Konohamaru's collar tightly. Konohamaru's feet hung in the air, his face pale, his eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

Just then, Naruto acted.

His movement was as fast as lightning, like a teleport. The crowd only saw a blur, and Kankuro, still holding his hand up, was stunned to find it empty.

Konohamaru was now standing steadily beside Naruto, while Naruto looked as if he hadn't moved at all.

"This is my little brother. If you kept holding him, I'd lose face," Naruto said with a smile.

Kankuro froze, barely registering when Naruto had made his move.