reincarnated in the world of naruto

The sun was beginning to set over the Uchiha base when Leila approached Sayuri, Mina, and Dina, a mischievous smile on her lips. Curiosity sparkled in her eyes, and with a playful tone, she asked the question that had been lingering in her mind.

"Hey, girls, just out of curiosity, which guys around here do you find attractive?"

The three girls fell silent for a moment, glancing at each other thoughtfully. Mina was the first to break the silence.

"Well, Terzhi is quite handsome, don't you think? And that Denji guy too..." she said with a slight smile, as Dina nodded.

"Yeah, and Banji has his charm too," added Dina, her eyes shining with amusement.

The three of them looked at Sayuri, waiting for her response. Sayuri, blushing and a bit nervous, didn't know how to answer right away.

"For now... I haven't really noticed anything like that," she murmured, her tone neutral but firm. She didn't want to go into details.

Leila, unfazed, leaned forward slightly, smiling.

"Well, if you don't have anyone in mind, then I'll speak up," she announced, clearly excited. "That guy Rei is also good-looking. Honestly... and I think Arata is quite interesting."

Sayuri felt a pang of jealousy shoot through her, but she tried to keep her expression relaxed. Leila continued, not noticing the change in Sayuri.

"Seriously, girls! Arata is something else. He has this quality that makes him so... intriguing. He's not like the other guys who try to get attention. He's reserved, mysterious..." she sighed, as if daydreaming. "And to think he's one of the youngest guys in the group. Imagine what he'll be like when he grows up a bit more!"

Leila's words struck a chord deep within Sayuri. Inside, she felt as if a knot were forming in her stomach. Though she tried to hide it, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her mind began to swirl with confused thoughts.

"Yeah, well... Arata is... interesting," Sayuri said, her voice trembling slightly, forcing a smile. "But he's a bit younger than us, isn't he?"

Leila quickly interrupted her, with a playful tone.

"Oh, come on, Sayuri! Age doesn't matter when it comes to love," she winked mischievously. "Besides, imagine how mature and responsible he'll be when he's our age. He'd be the perfect boyfriend!"

Sayuri couldn't help but blush even more, as Mina and Dina's laughter filled the air. Sayuri's heart beat faster, and discomfort took hold of her. Still, she tried to maintain her composure.

The girls continued talking about Arata, but the intensity of the conversation was no longer the same for Sayuri. Mina and Dina expressed their opinions with some disinterest, but Leila remained excited, defending Arata's perfection with every word.

"How can you say that? Arata is perfect. On the mission where he was my partner, he was so attentive, smart, manly, and on top of that, he's handsome... Anyone would want him as a boyfriend!" exclaimed Leila, lost in her thoughts.

Sayuri stayed silent, feeling the discomfort grow inside her. How could they talk about him like that? To her, Arata was more than just his appearance.

At that moment, a surge of frustration led her to interrupt the conversation.

"I think I'll head back to my tent for now," she said, trying to sound calm, though her voice trembled slightly. "I have some things to do."

Without waiting for a response, she quickly turned and walked away. The other girls were left puzzled, not quite understanding what had just happened.

"Huh? What's wrong with Sayuri? Did I say something wrong?" asked Leila, visibly confused.

"I don't know, but she seemed upset... Maybe we should go talk to her," said Mina, concerned.

Dina sighed, looking at her friends.

"Yeah, we should go see what's wrong. We don't want her to be mad at us."

The three of them exchanged glances, sensing that something had changed in the atmosphere. Without another word, they headed toward Sayuri's tent, unsure of what had caused her sudden departure.

Meanwhile, Sayuri sat in her tent, hugging her knees. Her mind was filled with turbulent thoughts, and her emotions overwhelmed her.

"How can they talk about Arata like that?" she murmured to herself, clenching her fists in frustration. "He's so mature, responsible, and he's always there when I need him... Ugh! Why does Leila have to talk about him in such a vulgar way?"

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Anger and confusion took hold of her.

"It's not fair... Arata is different from the others, and I... I..."

Her voice broke, and tears began to well up in her eyes. Why couldn't she tell Arata how she felt? Why couldn't she take the risk?

"I care about him so much... But I can't tell him... I don't want to risk losing his respect," she whispered, almost without strength.

Then her mind drifted back to the words he had said to her some time ago. She remembered his tone, his confident gaze.

"I want to see that strong, determined smile. But not in war. If possible, in 10, no... 80 years, I want to keep seeing you radiant, strong. Because you're a great kunoichi."

At that moment, the voices of Mina, Dina, and Leila approached. Quickly, Sayuri wiped her tears and composed herself. She didn't want her friends to see her weak.

"What are you doing here? I thought you wanted to keep talking about guys," she said, trying to sound calm, though her heart was still racing.

Mina, with a mischievous smile, looked at her.

"Oh, Sayuri, don't make that face! We weren't just talking about guys, but also about the awful food they gave us today. What was that? Pasta or glue?"

"I think they tried to poison us. If I disappear tonight, you know why," said Dina, making a dramatic face.

Leila burst out laughing and, in a playful tone, replied:

"Well, if you disappear, at least leave a note. I don't want us to be accused of doing something."

Sayuri couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her friends' antics, though her heart still felt heavy. Despite everything, their presence gave her a small respite, a sense of comfort amidst the chaos.

"That's it! That's how I like to see you, Sayuri. Why were you so serious before?" asked Mina with a wide smile, still amused.

Sayuri averted her gaze, as if the words were too complicated to say at that moment.

"Nothing important, just... I was thinking," she replied, unable to hide her discomfort.

Leila raised an eyebrow and, with a teasing smile, said:

"Does a certain mature and handsome guy happen to catch your eye, by any chance?"

Sayuri instantly blushed, frowning as the girls burst into laughter. The blush on her face only fueled the jokes they kept throwing at her.

"Leila!" said Sayuri, trying to sound serious, though she couldn't help feeling slightly embarrassed.

The girls continued laughing, while Sayuri sighed in resignation. Despite everything, she couldn't help feeling grateful to have them by her side.

"Come on, Sayuri, just admit it. Do you like Arata, yes or no?" asked Mina with a mischievous smile. "You got upset when Leila mentioned Arata."

Sayuri, a bit embarrassed and nervous, avoided looking directly at her friends.

"What? Don't be silly..." she replied quickly, though her voice wasn't firm enough to sound convincing.

Dina let out a playful laugh.

"That's not a no!" she exclaimed.

Leila crossed her arms, her expression amused.

"Come on, Sayuri. You always defend him, you worry about him, you've been on most missions with him, and just now you almost exploded with anger when I mentioned he'd be the perfect boyfriend."

Sayuri blushed even more, shaking her head as if that could make her friends stop insisting.

"It's not that... It's just that you guys are too vulgar when talking about him. Arata is... different," she murmured, her voice softening.

The girls exchanged knowing glances, and a soft laugh escaped their lips.

"Different, huh? Different as in 'I'm in love with him but don't want to admit it'?" said Mina, resting her elbow on her knee, with a teasing look.

Sayuri covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Don't say things like that!" she exclaimed.

Dina let out a light laugh, clearly enjoying the moment.

"Aw, Sayuri, you're too cute. But seriously, why don't you say something to him?"

Sayuri whispered, looking at the ground as the words slipped out softly:

"Because... he'd never see me that way. And if he did... what would happen to our friendship?"

The tone of the conversation shifted, and for a moment the girls fell silent, watching Sayuri with a seriousness they hadn't shown before. Dina was the first to speak, with a gentle smile.

"Sometimes it's worth taking the risk, Sayuri," she said softly.

Mina nodded, crossing her arms thoughtfully.

"And if Arata is as amazing as you say, why assume he wouldn't see you that way?" she asked, her tone more serious, though her gaze remained kind.

Sayuri looked down, her heart pounding, as if every word her friends said touched a nerve she had kept hidden for so long. No matter how much she tried to deny it, the idea of confessing her feelings planted a small seed of hope within her.

The conversation shifted, and the girls began talking about childhood memories, leaving the topic of Arata aside for a moment.

"Remember when we used to play hide-and-seek in the parks and I always hid in the worst spots? I'd sneak into one of the gardeners' sheds and stay there the whole time!" laughed Dina, reminiscing about a childhood anecdote.

Mina laughed with her.

"Oh, Dina! You were always such a mess. I never understood how you got into those places. I just hid behind trees, pretty basic, right?"

Leila smiled, running a hand through her hair.

"I always hid in the bushes, like I was already a ninja as a kid. No one ever saw me. Though, of course, I always ended up with my feet covered in dirt."

Sayuri couldn't help but smile as she listened to her friends' stories. Those little things, those moments from their childhood, always made her feel so connected to them, as if nothing had changed.

"I always liked climbing trees, always did it with Banji and Terzhi. My mom would get mad because I'd come back all dirty, but I didn't care. I felt so free up there," said Sayuri, with a nostalgic smile, as her thoughts drifted to those memories.

Dina smiled, with an appreciative look.

"That's so sweet! I was never that brave. I always thought if I climbed a tree, I'd end up falling headfirst."

Leila, playing with her hair, commented tenderly:

"The best part is that, no matter how much we grow up, those things always bring us together. It's like we're the same girls, just with more responsibilities."

Sayuri nodded, feeling a warmth in her chest as the girls continued sharing stories, laughing and reminiscing about simpler times. For a moment, the weight of her thoughts about Arata faded, and she allowed herself to enjoy the familiarity and comfort of being surrounded by her friends.