Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

"What are you doing?"

Sakura stood frozen at the doorway, her eyes fixed on Naruto and Temari. The Sand girl was leaning against him in a way that was undeniably intimate.

Sakura might still be young, but she wasn't naïve.

This kind of closeness—it was too much.

A strange emotion rose in her chest, sharp and aching like a thorn stuck in her throat. Her nose tingled, her chest tightened, and an overwhelming feeling of sadness clouded her thoughts.

There were no words to describe it.

Some part of her told her she should turn around and leave.

But her legs wouldn't move. They felt like they were made of stone.

Temari, meanwhile, was casually toying with Naruto's hair. She glanced lazily at Sakura with eyes that glinted like a cat sizing up a threat. Then, with a calm and icy expression, she leaned in and rubbed her face against Naruto's shoulder—like a subtle declaration of ownership.

Ugh. So annoying.

Last time it had been Yuugao, now it was some pink-haired girl barging in unannounced.

Temari vaguely remembered this girl. She was there the first time Naruto had beaten her in a sparring match.

Hmph. Scumbag.

How does Naruto know so many girls?

Temari narrowed her eyes and asked sharply, "Honey, who is she?"

That one word—"honey"—was like a hammer shattering the last fragile pieces of Sakura's heart.

Her breath caught. Her hands trembled.

That term... it wasn't something casual friends said. It was something couples called each other.

"I—I'm sorry," Sakura said, voice cracking. "I must've come at the wrong time…"

The box of glutinous rice cakes slipped from her hands, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Without another word, she turned and ran, cheeks flushed with shame, her vision blurred by tears.

Naruto sighed, raising a hand and lightly squishing Temari's face. He was somewhere between frustrated and amused.

"Why are you like this?"

Temari looked up innocently. "What? I didn't say anything wrong. I was just politely asking who she was."

She even used Naruto's own brand of shameless logic—completely ignoring the emotional chaos she'd caused.

Naruto didn't press the issue. After all, it wasn't technically her fault. If anything, Temari had just said what Naruto had been too lazy to say himself.

He never planned on hiding how he felt.

"So," Temari said, nibbling his ear with a playful smirk, "Are you gonna chase after her?"

"Don't bother," Naruto muttered.

"Why not? That girl looked like she's into you," she teased.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Chasing her now? What am I supposed to say in this situation?!"

Then he smacked Temari's butt with a loud "smack!"

One hour later…

The bedroom was dimly lit, and the air had grown warmer.

Naruto slipped on his sandals and headed toward the door.

Temari lay sprawled on the bed, lazily wiping sweat from her flushed face. When she heard movement, she tilted her head and asked, "Going after her now?"

"Yeah."

Naruto nodded, crouching by the door to pick up the rice cake box Sakura had dropped.

The packaging was high-quality, so thankfully nothing inside had spilled.

Sakura had done a lot for him lately—helping with chores, cleaning, running errands. It felt wrong to just let her run off in tears.

It wasn't about love. It was just… decency.

He wanted to clear the air.

Temari pouted slightly, her long lashes fluttering. "So you don't care about me anymore?"

Mist lingered on her lips, and her voice had a soft, coquettish tone.

Naruto set the rice cakes beside the bed and flicked her forehead lightly.

"Stop being dramatic. Don't make me come back and deal with you."

"I'll be good," Temari said quickly, shrinking back under the blanket.

She could tell Naruto wasn't kidding. His tone might've been calm, but his patience had limits. She'd pushed it enough today.

Naruto ran his hand through his hair, then turned toward the door.

"Remember to wash the dishes later."

"Okay~!" she sang back sweetly.

As Naruto stepped outside, he took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air.

Temari was right—this place was too small. The stairs were old, iron, and rusted, which was rare in a village as prosperous as Konoha.

"Maybe I should just build a bigger house," he muttered.

Not buy—that would cost money. Better to make one himself, big enough to fit whatever life he wanted.

As he turned the corner of the building, he unexpectedly found a familiar figure crouching in the alley.

Sakura.

She was still there—curled up, hugging her knees. Her pale legs were slightly red from poor circulation after squatting for so long.

She must've been there almost an hour.

Naruto approached slowly. "Why didn't you go home?"

Sakura didn't answer. Her head remained buried in her arms, her body gently trembling.

She was crying.

Naruto didn't press. He looked up at the reddening sky and the low-flying geese overhead.

"Hey, Sakura… you might want to move."

"Otherwise one of those geese might crap on your head."

His tone was so calm, so matter-of-fact—it cut through her sorrow like a knife through fog.

Even in grief, nobody wanted bird poop on their head.

Sure enough, Sakura jolted up, panicking. But her legs had gone numb from sitting so long, and when she stood, she staggered—and fell straight toward Naruto.

Cue romantic accident, right?

Wrong.

Because Naruto, afraid of getting pooped on himself, used Body Flicker to dodge with a blur of motion.

Sakura barely caught herself on the wall, avoiding a faceplant.

Instead of tears, she erupted in a furious yell.

"NARUTO! How could you abandon me like that?!"

Her eyes were red, her face streaked with tears. She was furious, but also heartbreakingly sad.

Was she talking about the scene in the apartment?

Or just now, when he dodged her fall?

Probably both.

Naruto looked at her calmly, plucked a branch from the nearby cherry tree, and chewed on it.

"Abandon you? When did I ever have you to abandon?"

Sakura choked back a sob. "That girl—Temari—was a Sand ninja. She attacked us during the Chunin Exams. How can you be so close to her now?"

"She has Tsunade's permission."

"…What?" Sakura blinked, stunned.

"She's staying here under supervision. I didn't just decide this on my own," Naruto explained.

"But… do you even know her? What if she's dangerous?"

Naruto gave her a tired look. "I've lived with her for weeks. If I didn't know her by now, I'd be an idiot."

"She's not dangerous. She's kind. She just… hides it well."

Sakura paused. It was the first time Naruto had contradicted her—over another girl.

Her voice trembled. "What about me? What am I supposed to do?"

Naruto didn't answer immediately. The silence stretched on.

Sakura waited, her heart pounding.

She knew what the answer was.

But she still wanted to hear it—just in case it was different than what she feared.

Finally, Naruto sighed.

"You're too young, Sakura."

"…Huh?"

Her mind went blank. Then her eyes slowly dropped downward, and realization struck.

That Sand girl had long legs, a curvy body...

It wasn't just age. It was figure.

"YOU PERVERT!"

Sakura exploded. "Is that all you care about?! Looks?!"

"Without outer beauty, it's hard to notice inner beauty," Naruto replied, utterly serious.

"You… you're disgusting!" Sakura screamed. "I'm NEVER talking to you again!"

With that, she stormed off, like a child throwing a tantrum.

Naruto watched her go, scratching his head.

She had been crying a second ago. Why was she so mad now?

All he meant was that she was too immature for a relationship. He liked grown, confident women.

Like the older Sakura in another timeline—the Boruto version.

"Whatever. Time to head back to Temari and resume Round 2."

Meanwhile, Sakura stormed back home in a fury.

She wasn't sad anymore—she was angry.

But that anger came with something else… hope.

After tossing her shoes aside, she ran to the bathroom and stared at her reflection.

Her face fell.

Her body didn't compare to Temari's at all.

"I can't give up now. Come on, Haruno Sakura!"

She splashed water on her face and looked in the mirror, cheeks flushed with determination.

"Just because he's with her now doesn't mean it'll last forever."

"I still have time. I can still grow. I'll train harder, get stronger, become beautiful, and win him back!"

The image of Temari in Naruto's bed flashed in her mind.

Haruno Sakura clenched her fists.

That Sand girl was just a guest in Konoha.

But she was here to stay.

She wasn't out of the race yet.

This wasn't over.

Elsewhere, another woman in white stood before a grave.

Uzuki Yugao gently laid chrysanthemums on the tombstone, her expression soft and solemn.

She looked at the faded photograph. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Hayate… Naruto's been depending on me more and more lately. What should I do?"

There was no answer.

She stared at the stone for a long time, the wind tugging at her hair.

She had never been this conflicted.

She had only shared her body with Naruto in the secret chamber because she wanted to save him.

But during the Root raid, when Naruto could've escaped—he stayed. He fought. He risked his life for her.

And killed so many to protect her.

Her heart stirred.

But Hayate had only just died.

And Naruto was ten years younger.

It was all… too much.

Still, she remembered his voice clearly.

"Sister Yugao, Brother Hayate asked me to look after you."

He always said the silliest things, with such sincerity.

She smiled faintly.

"Hayate, rest well. Naruto has taken good care of me. I'll bring him here next time."

Meanwhile, in the Land of Rice Fields…

Shiro had seen a lot of strange people since gaining power in the Land of Waves.

But Danzo took the cake.

The man had just asked Orochimaru to assassinate the Land of Rice's daimyo so Danzo could take his place—as if he were still some bigshot from Konoha.

Were all Konoha elders this delusional?

Inside the brightly lit media room, Danzo and Orochimaru sat calmly while Shiro stood guard by the door.

Danzo laid out his plan: "We kill Jiraiya first. Then Tsunade falls. Orochimaru becomes Hokage, I become his right hand, and Konoha is ours again!"

Orochimaru chuckled, sipping tea.

"A sound plan. Let's start by consolidating power in the Land of Rice. You becoming daimyo is the first step."

Danzo smiled. "Exactly."

In his mind, Orochimaru was the only one of Hiruzen's students he truly trusted.

But Orochimaru's smile hid darker thoughts.

He poured more tea. "Becoming daimyo sounds good… but the mansion is heavily guarded. I may need your help."

Danzo narrowed his eyes. "What kind of help?"

Orochimaru tilted his head, smiling. "Did you finish your tea? Want more? It's top-shelf Gyokuro."

Danzo scoffed. "Don't talk in circles like Hiruzen. Just say what you mean."

He downed the tea—and before he could react, Orochimaru lunged.

In a flash, he ripped the Mangekyō Sharingan from Danzo's right eye.

"You senile old fool. You really thought you had leverage over me?"

"This eye doesn't belong to you."