I'm Inside Naruto Manga

Sumika's words were firm and resolute as she stared at Logan with a dignified expression.

Logan blinked, his mind momentarily blank.

The room fell silent. A few seconds passed as the candles crackled softly, the faint sounds of maids walking about drifting up from below. Sumika felt the quiet was almost too much, but she maintained her composure, pursing her lips and slightly lifting her chin.

Under the intensity of her red agate gaze, the air grew tense. Logan hesitated before finally managing to speak, "What?"

Sumika clenched her fists, her large, watery eyes flashing with a hint of embarrassment. Perhaps she felt annoyed that he hadn't immediately understood her pointed demeanor.

Logan, for his part, was genuinely trying to decipher her meaning, but the pause wasn't long enough for him to figure it out.

"You lied." Sumika said again, "Didn't you?"

'Can I even say no to that right now?' Logan thought wryly. His mind raced, 'The two of us had indeed made a promise before, but I had no intention of breaking it. Besides, we hadn't seen each other since our last encounter.'

He briefly considered whether his status as a Missing-nin might have played a part in her reaction, but dismissed it, 'Surely it couldn't be that significant.'

"I… I'm not quite sure what you mean..." Logan said slowly, watching her expression closely. Seeing no immediate change, he cautiously added, "Maybe… you could explain a bit more?"

Sumika studied his face, her intensity faltering slightly as she realized his confusion seemed genuine. The sharp edge in the atmosphere softened as she lowered her head, her stern demeanor retreating. She walked over to the table and picked up the tea set.

"Then... have a seat first."

Seeing this, Logan let out a quiet sigh of relief. While Sumika's attempt at sternness wasn't overly intimidating, it had still weighed on him.

As he sat down, the sharp clink of something being placed on the table drew his attention. He glanced over and froze slightly, 'The dagger she had been holding earlier was still in her hand…'

Sumika, ​​who was pouring tea, noticed that Logan frequently glanced in one direction secretly. Following his line of sight in confusion, her cheeks flushed as she quickly tucked the dagger into its sheath, hiding it. Pressing a hand to her chest, she exhaled and returned to preparing the tea.

"The dagger... is pretty good." Logan blurted, scrambling for a topic. His comment earned him a sharp glare from Sumika.

When the tea was finally ready, they sat across from each other, each holding a delicate, intricately crafted cup. Logan hesitated, deciding to let Sumika initiate the conversation.

'The scene felt familiar.' Sumika couldn't help but think back to the last time they had met, which is a similar situation involving climbing up to her room, sharing tea, and talking. She cast a complex look at Logan before lowering her gaze to the swirling steam rising from her cup.

"You really never plan to use the front door, do you?"

Sumika avoided the more serious topic for now, her tone softening slightly. Logan glanced at her, noting that Sumika seemed to have temporarily set aside whatever had been weighing on her mind. Her usual serene demeanor was returning.

'Well… this kind of communication is a good thing, at least it's better than holding a dagger.'

Logan said, "Haha, that's probably rude, right? Next time I climb in, I'll be sure to give you a heads-up first."

The joke wasn't particularly clever, but it earned a faint smile from Sumika.

Logan had expected her to return to the earlier accusation of him being a 'liar', but instead, she looked at him with a gentle hesitance and asked, "How have you been?"

Seeing the conversation shifted to something more normal, Logan sipped his tea and replied, "Not bad… just the usual."

He glanced at Sumika, noting the same shy demeanor she had always carried. Her earlier sternness now seemed like a fleeting impulse. However, he also caught a hint of shadow in her gaze, as if she were hiding unspoken concerns.

Rather than press her directly, Logan asked, "And you? How have you been? Any rituals or festivals lately?"

Sumika's response was much more detailed. She shared a story about an autumn harvest ceremony, which opened up a steady flow of conversation.

She also spoke of scholars interpreting the constellations from a few nights prior, as well as policy changes in the Capital that had stirred noticeable effects.

Logan listened intently, his familiarity with Sumika allowing him to catch the subtle, heartfelt nuances in her expressions as she shared her thoughts.

He nodded at the right moments, responding thoughtfully, and the warm lamplight accentuated the grace of the young woman before him. His mind grew at ease, allowing lingering doubts to drift away for the moment.

As their conversation deepened, the topics and emotions broadened. Sumika alternated between lighthearted complaints and moments of excitement, recounting her trip to a neighboring country with court officials.

She spoke of the landscapes she saw, the lively spirit of the locals, the dull palace debates between ministers and their ruler, and the mischievous antics of Hanazawa, the troublesome successor.

Logan, who had never been in a romantic relationship, found himself reflecting. His life experience provided him with enough insight to understand the dynamics of different relationships.

Back on Earth, amid the dazzling allure of modern life, many people seemed to thrive, yet few achieved true happiness. Here, in this new world, he hadn't lived up to the escapist fantasies of harems described in countless novels.

Instead, he found himself constrained by the societal norms of this world… so unlike Earth's, where his choices didn't follow the carefree script of other transmigrators.

Even so, some part of him still yearned for something pure and genuinely beautiful, something untouched by cynicism.

And now, that beauty sat right in front of him.

"Several months ago… there was an invasion in Konoha Village..."

Sumika's voice broke into his thoughts.

Logan realized how much time had passed unnoticed. Their conversation had meandered and finally circled back to a topic tied to him.

Logan nodded, unsure how to respond.

"Konoha Village is where you stay, so after the news came out, I asked someone to inquire about it." Sumika said, her casual tone from earlier giving way to something more subdued, "Konoha Village was attacked by other Ninja Villages The invasion caused a lot of turmoil, even here in the Capital. Many were affected..."

Sumika's current demeanor reminded Logan of her initial seriousness when they met earlier, though now it felt less fueled by anger and more by a lingering melancholy.

And when he heard Sumika mentioned sending people to Konoha to inquire about him, Logan stiffened slightly.

Sumika went on, "After the invaders were driven back, it took a while for transportation and communication to resume. I figured things would still be chaotic, so it might be hard to get information about a specific Ninja. But since I was sending someone from the Capital, and you're a Jonin, it wasn't impossible. And eventually… I found out..."

When reaching this part, Sumika paused and looked up at him, "You've become a Missing-nin."

"..." Logan didn't know what to say.

"The people I sent didn't even need to use their identity to find out about you. Just mentioning your name was enough to get an answer… because you're on the highest level of the wanted list..."

Logan finally understood the source of Sumika earlier discontent and the shadow in her gaze. The confidence he could muster when facing powerful figures in his world now failed him entirely.

Missing-nin. The term didn't sit well with Logan, though he wasn't overly bound by the label. With his dual-life experience, he saw this world's events from a broader perspective, almost like a narrative observer. He knew the Konoha Village didn't have to be his only home if he didn't want it to be.

But he had overlooked one critical detail: Sumika was a citizen of the Land of Fire, a government official, no less. Her worldview wasn't shaped by his unique circumstances or detached understanding. To her, his actions carried serious weight.

"It's true." Logan admitted, his words awkward and stiff.

The room fell silent, the stillness almost deafening. Yu Logan searched for the right words to reassure her, to let her know he wouldn't abandon their promise.

"Hattori-kun." Sumika spoke first, with a soft voice, "I'm getting engaged."