Love in Confusion

The next day, just as dawn began to break, the morning light filtered through the thin clouds and gently spilled across the earth.

Nara Luling opened her eyes early, rolled out of bed, and quickly dressed before heading to the washbasin to splash her face with cold water, forcing herself to fully wake up.

Once she was ready, Nara Luling couldn't wait to dash toward Kakashi's house.

Along the way, she moved with rapid strides, as if she had something of great importance waiting to be accomplished.

Before long, Nara Luling arrived at Kakashi's doorstep. She stood before the entrance, taking a moment to steady her somewhat hurried breathing.

Nara Luling hesitated for a brief moment, but ultimately gathered her courage, raised her hand, and gave the closed door a gentle knock.

As her fingers struck the wood, the sound of the knocking rang out with particular crispness and clarity in the quiet morning.

Under the force of her slightly urgent tapping, the door to Kakashi's house trembled, emitting a series of dull, resonant echoes.

Nara Luling stood silently behind the door, her heart filled with trepidation.

She did not know if Kakashi was awake yet, nor was she sure if he would be annoyed by her visiting so early.

Just as Nara Luling was lost in her own thoughts, she finally heard the faint, indistinct sound of footsteps from within.

The footsteps moved from afar to near, growing increasingly clear. Then, with a soft creak, the door to Kakashi's house slowly swung open.

The first thing to meet Nara Luling's eyes was Kakashi's face, which looked slightly weary yet remained as striking as ever.

"Oh? So it's Luling. Why are you here to see me so early? Is there something urgent?"

Kakashi's voice held a hint of surprise and confusion; it was clear that Nara Luling's sudden visit was completely unexpected.

Nara Luling took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if doing so could suppress the surging emotions within her.

However, her slightly trembling hands and tightly bitten lips betrayed her true state of mind—the turmoil deep within her heart was like a violent hurricane stirring up massive waves, churning incessantly and refusing to settle.

"Um... Kakashi, I have some things regarding Lord Shi Xiu that I would like to ask you about. I wonder if you have a moment?"

After gathering the courage to say these words, Nara Luling lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.

Kakashi was slightly taken aback by this, and his eyes fell upon her visibly nervous expression.

Relying on his years of keen insight and his ability to observe the subtle shifts in others' emotions, he almost instantly guessed what Nara Luling was going to ask.

After a moment of hesitation, Kakashi stepped aside and gestured for her to enter.

"Come in, Luling. If you have questions, we can sit down and talk about them slowly." With that, Kakashi turned and walked into the house.

Once inside, Nara Luling followed closely behind him, feeling as though she were walking on cotton with every step, lacking any sense of reality.

Her heart, which had already been pounding in her throat, began to beat even more violently.

Inside, the warm, soft sunlight poured in through the half-drawn curtains, casting dappled, scattered shadows across the wooden floor.

These shadows swayed gently with the breeze, resembling a flowing painting.

Nara Luling stopped in front of a window and, feeling somewhat uneasy, found a seat nearby.

Her gaze drifted toward the window from time to time, but her eyes were vacant, as if the vibrant scene before her could not stir the slightest interest in her.

In reality, all of Nara Luling's attention was focused on the conversation about to unfold.

Seeing this, Kakashi walked silently to the side table, picked up a teapot, and poured a cup of steaming, fragrant tea for her.

He then placed the teacup gently in front of Nara Luling before returning to the comfortable sofa opposite her to sit down at his leisure.

Kakashi crossed his arms loosely over his chest, watching her quietly with a relaxed yet focused posture, patiently waiting for her to break the silence.

"Actually..." Nara Luling's voice was as faint as the buzzing of a mosquito, barely audible.

Still, she bit her lip, trying her best to make her words sound more forceful.

"I think I've fallen for Lord Shi Xiu, but I'm worried that his heart already belongs to someone else. Yesterday, when Lord Shi Xiu went to the border for his mission, he took you with him, so I wanted to ask about Lord Shi Xiu and Reina..."

Kakashi nodded, a look of "as I thought" appearing on his face.

Although Kakashi had always been a bit slow when it came to matters of romance, that did not mean he was completely oblivious.

Now, Kakashi gazed into Nara Luling's bright, expressive eyes and asked softly, "So, you're afraid that Lord Shi Xiu and that girl Reina from the Border Guard might develop a romantic relationship?"

Upon hearing this, Nara Luling's delicate frame leaned forward involuntarily, as if she wanted to get closer to Kakashi.

Her fair, small hands were tightly gripping her trousers from the tension, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.

At the same time, her long, straight legs were pressed tightly together, as if this could bring her a sense of comfort.

Kakashi took in all these subtle reactions, his mind turning over the situation.

After a moment, Kakashi spoke slowly: "Well... Miss Reina is indeed fond of Lord Shi Xiu. Just yesterday, after the mission was completed, the captain of the Border Guard, Heimu Wu, specifically relayed Reina's feelings to Shi Xiu."

When Nara Luling heard these words, her already pale face lost all its color, turning as white as a sheet of paper.

Her cherry lips parted slightly, but for a long time, she could not utter a single word; she seemed frozen in place, unable to move.

Nara Luling's body suddenly trembled as if struck by an invisible force.

Her eyes, clear and beautiful like autumn water, were now shimmering with tears, resembling bright stars in the night sky, yet filled with endless sorrow and misery.

Her lips moved slightly, as if she had a thousand words she wanted to pour out, but in the end, those unspoken words dissipated into the air like mist, turning into nothing more than a soft sigh.

Following that, Nara Luling gave a silent, slight nod, signaling that she understood everything.

"Thank you, Kakashi. I understand." Accompanied by this soft, slightly bitter voice, Nara Luling slowly stood up, preparing to turn and leave.

Kakashi was slightly taken aback at the sight; he hadn't even said that Lord Shi Xiu had agreed, had he?

Although Kakashi didn't understand what was going on, he still stood up and said, "Wait a moment. Lord Shi Xiu did not agree to Reina; I was hiding in a tree nearby and heard it at the time."

That was right; Kakashi hadn't left at the time, but had hidden in a spot where Shi Xiu couldn't see him to eavesdrop. Although Lord Shi Xiu likely knew, he hadn't mentioned it, so Kakashi had naturally pretended to be unaware.

Upon learning that Shi Xiu had not agreed, Nara Luling immediately came back to life. Although the hope was slim, at least there was still hope.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Shi Xiu found Obito to inquire about the Three-Tails Jinchuriki—the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.