Chapter 24 Her in Their Eyes
A gentle breeze brushed against Nara Shikamaru's cheek, carrying the unique warmth of a spring night, bringing space for silence and contemplation. Under the crystal-clear moonlight, his thoughts seemed to become transparent as well.
Nara Shikamaru sat alone on the edge of the wall, gazing at the sky.
He gently rubbed his hand on the floor, feeling the coolness from his fingertips, which inexplicably reminded him of the nights when Haruko sat beside him in the morning.
Both of them were quiet by nature. Compared to listening to Naruto's constant chatter, when it was just the two of them, Haruko was usually the more talkative one. She would whisper about the books she had read or other things, while he would occasionally respond with a few words.
Whenever Yamanaka Ino spoke to him, she would angrily question whether he was listening attentively.
But Haruko Hayama wouldn't, which made him a little curious. Even when he was rambling on and on, Haruko Hayama wouldn't stop talking just because she felt like she was being ignored.
At first, Nara Shikamaru thought she was talking so much because she felt awkward just sitting there with him, until one day Nara Shikamaru took the initiative to ask her about it.
“I know Shikamaru is listening,” she said.
Upon hearing the reply, Nara Shikamaru chuckled, though he himself didn't know what he was laughing at. Looking back now, perhaps he was laughing at Hayama Haruko's silliness.
He's such a boring person, I can't even have a proper chat with him, yet that idiot is still so insistent on being friends with him.
Friends... are definitely the most troublesome.
The swaying shadows of the trees cast dappled light, and in the stillness, the sound of a sharp weapon piercing the wind broke the heavy silence.
Sasuke Uchiha threw out his last shuriken, then bent over, panting heavily. He rested his right hand on his knee and casually wiped the sweat from his brow with his left. It had been a long time since he had trained all night.
After a short while, he caught his breath and straightened up. He inadvertently caught a glimpse of his reflection on the grass, and turned around to look up at the bright moon in the sky.
If Naruto Uzumaki is the sun, then he is the wind...
Perhaps Haruko Hayama is like the moon tonight.
She is gentle and soft-spoken, as if she would never get angry. Being by her side will unconsciously calm you down and make you feel peaceful and comfortable.
However, she can be a bit silly sometimes. Ever since she found out he likes tomatoes, she often brings a bag of tomatoes when she visits, and enthusiastically tells him which uncle or auntie's shop she bought them from.
Later, she seemed to take a liking to a vegetable shop in the Uchiha territory and asked him in surprise why the tomatoes there were so delicious.
Uchiha Sasuke also tried it and had to admit that it was indeed delicious.
The next day, she, her mother, and her brother each bought a bag of tomatoes from that store. Seeing their bewildered expressions, Sasuke Uchiha couldn't help but smile.
They thought to themselves that the owner of that vegetable shop would probably remember their family.
However, because there were too many tomatoes at home, Naruto Uzumaki, Haruko Hayama, and he had to sit together in the backyard and eat big red tomatoes.
Naruto Uzumaki, that idiot, had food all over his face. Haruko, as if it were nothing unusual, skillfully took out a handkerchief to wipe his face. Naruto was still grinning like an idiot, which Haruko found unbearable to watch.
This is what they call birds of a feather flock together... Those two idiots only seemed a little smarter after he joined them.
A bird's cry cut through the night air snapped him back to reality. Uchiha Sasuke pursed his lips and scratched his reddened ears as if trying to cover up his embarrassment.
"...Let's continue."
Outside the brightly lit window, the streetlights are close together, their dim yellow light converging into a river, adding a touch of silent liveliness and hustle to the tranquil night scene.
Back home, Naruto leaned against the window, tilting his head and gazing at the myriad lights below.
His room was on the top floor. Although it sometimes leaked when it rained, the view of Konoha from that high vantage point was still breathtaking.
In the past, when he saw the lights of thousands of homes under the hazy night sky, he couldn't help but wonder why he had no family, why he was ostracized by everyone, and why no one was willing to listen to him...
However, after becoming friends with Haruko, he was completely enveloped by the happiness of being needed.
He can rush to the woman he needs without stopping, he can stay by her side at any time, and he doesn't have to worry about being abandoned.
Because she needs him, she can't leave him, right?
But the man with the tomato-shaped hair said that his loud words were like a merciless hand, pulling him out of his smug self-satisfaction.
He suddenly realized that if Haruko found him noisy or was annoyed with him, but couldn't leave him because of their friendship... wouldn't their friendship be distorted?
Thinking about this, he didn't even realize he was crying. It was Haruko who frantically found a handkerchief to wipe his tears and asked him what was wrong.
Upon learning of his anxiety, Haruko chuckled and patted his head, saying—
"It's okay if it's noisy, I'll listen to everything."
It wasn't that Naruto Uzumaki believed in Haruko Hayama unconditionally and without reason, but rather that Haruko Hayama steadfastly stayed by his side whenever he was lost, which gave him the courage to insist that he hadn't been abandoned.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, and Naruto Uzumaki, who was leaning against the window railing, subconsciously squinted his eyes to see the same scenery as before through blurred vision.
He didn't quite understand why, after his brief separation from Haruko, the lights below seemed even more glaring than before he met her...
The bright moon hanging high tonight flows deeply and quietly into the hearts of many, nourishing them silently.
A few stars occasionally twinkled in the sky above Sunagakure, but they were quickly swallowed up by thick clouds, leaving only one bright pearl in the night.
Haruko leaned against the window with both hands, gazing intently at the sandstorm rising in the air, her focused expression suggesting she was contemplating some important life matter.
For a souvenir to take home... how about some sand?
Having finalized this important life decision, Haruko smoothly closed the window in the morning and went to sleep.
...
Although she had taken a week off, the mission went very smoothly, and Haruko and her parents came back a day early in the morning.
Haruko Hayashi thought it was a good thing, as she could take this opportunity to sneak away and check on the development of the main characters' friendship without anyone noticing.
After calculating the time, school should have let out by now. Even she wasn't sure where Naruto Uzumaki was, so Haruko decided to go to the school to try her luck.
Unexpectedly, she actually saw the main character. It was as if she had returned to the time before they met. Naruto Uzumaki was sitting alone on a swing, swaying back and forth, his head down and his expression unreadable, while Haruko Hayama was hiding behind a tree and watching him from afar.
It was quite a surprise to her that Naruto hadn't been here on the swing for a long time.
Just as Haruko was wondering what he was doing sitting there alone, three boys approached Naruto from the other side. They seemed to be classmates, but judging from their arrogant expressions, they probably weren't Naruto's new friends.
"Hey, the monster's hiding and crying all by himself again." The boy in the lead crossed his arms, looking arrogant.
To Haruko's surprise, Naruto Uzumaki, instead of immediately reacting angrily, asked in a somewhat somber tone, "What is it?"
She seems to be in a bad mood... Did something happen?
Haruko, the culprit, kept guessing the reason in her mind, and leaned closer to hear what they were saying.
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