Chapter 41 Sasuke is good.
"I really enjoy my life now. I can learn a lot of amazing ninjutsu, travel from time to time, and most importantly, I've met all of you."
The clear river reflected Haruko's image, and for a moment she seemed to see herself from a past life. Then, she was scattered by the ripples of fate, and what emerged was herself existing in this world.
For a moment she couldn't understand her own emotions, and in the end she could only close her eyes and put them out of her mind.
Her voice was so soft that Sasuke Uchiha almost missed what she said.
"I cherish life very much."
If Sasuke Uchiha had said this to anyone else, he would have called them a coward, but Haruko Hayama said it with a different meaning.
Her so-called cherishing of life is not about escaping alone while her companions are caught in a bloody battle, but rather about wanting to protect herself because life is so precious, until she can maximize its value.
This realization caused Sasuke Uchiha to straighten his lips, but as he gazed at her gentle smile, his words took a different turn.
"Illusions aren't so bad. You've got the enemy in place, so we can finish them off."
Haruko was slightly taken aback in the morning. She turned her head to look at Sasuke Uchiha, who looked indifferent and thought he was strong anyway. Her melancholy dissipated.
There's really nothing to be conflicted about. Her initial goal was simply to protect herself. After meeting them, the only change was that she needed to protect more people.
Receiving no response, Sasuke Uchiha couldn't help but glance at her out of the corner of his eye, only to meet Haruko Hayama's gentle, smiling eyes.
The damp sea breeze gently ruffled her long hair, and her moist eyes, reflected in the dim morning light, were filled with him. Being gazed at by such eyes would give one the illusion that Quan Quan was loved.
Sasuke Uchiha looked away, slightly flustered, and asked her in a muffled voice, "Why are you looking at me?"
To everyone's surprise, Haruko answered without hesitation, "Sasuke is handsome."
"..."
Seeing his helpless and rather embarrassed expression, Haruko burst out laughing in the morning, and then received an even more resentful cat with an even uglier expression.
Haruko Hayama stopped joking and promised him, word by word, "Sasuke, I will protect you."
Ignoring her words, Uchiha Sasuke stood up, helping her to her feet as well. "It's enough that you can protect yourself. We don't need your protection."
Haruko silently answered him in her heart: It will be useful.
As the protagonists, their fates are overwhelming and unstoppable. Perhaps the tragedies that existed in their childhood, such as Naruto being ostracized and the Uchiha clan being wiped out, are just the beginning. The real danger is still lurking and waiting for them.
She needs to be stronger, she needs to work harder, so that she can truly stand in front of them.
"Ah! Sasuke is too cunning!"
The warm atmosphere was shattered by shouts coming from afar.
I knew it was Naruto Uzumaki without even guessing; I never expected him to find me.
When Sasuke Uchiha saw that Sasuke was staring intently at his and Haruko Hayama's clasped hands, he raised an eyebrow and not only didn't let go but tightened his grip even more.
As expected, Naruto Uzumaki exclaimed again. He rushed over and hugged Haruko Hayama's other hand, baring his teeth at Sasuke Uchiha. When Haruko Hayama looked over, he immediately put on a pitiful expression.
"Haruko—I've been looking for you for so long!" Naruto Uzumaki drawled, trying to get her attention so she would only care about him.
Looking for me?
Sasuke Uchiha's heart skipped a beat, and he tried to stop him from continuing, but it was too late.
"Yeah! Sasuke and I left together, so why did he find you first?!" Naruto glared angrily at Sasuke Uchiha behind her.
"You went out together?"
Haruko blinked and turned to look at Sasuke Uchiha, who wasn't meeting her gaze, as if she understood something.
Did he say he was just passing by, but actually came specifically to find her?
Although Haruko wanted to tease him, she wisely swallowed her words when she saw the anger in Sasuke Uchiha's gaze as he stared at Naruto Uzumaki.
Unaware that he had exposed someone's little scheme, the golden retriever, upon encountering a warning look from his nemesis, widened his eyes even more defiantly, as if to say, "You're angry, but I'm even angrier than you."
For the sake of the golden retriever's safety, Haruko pretended that she hadn't seen anything and pulled the two of them by the hand to walk forward.
"Okay, let's go back and eat!"
With her in the middle, the two who were about to fight each other barely suppressed their burning fighting spirit, and in the exchange of glances, they tacitly agreed to spar again later.
Haruko couldn't stop them in the morning. After breakfast, the two of them sneaked out when she wasn't paying attention.
Even without going to them, Haruko could guess that they had gone to fight under the guise of sparring, so she sighed and prepared a first-aid kit for them.
*
After a few days of rest, Kakashi Hatake had almost fully recovered. After the examination showed no major problems, Haruko Hayama was finally relieved and congratulated him on finally being able to escape from the hospital bed.
"Actually, teachers also quite like lying down."
Kakashi Hatake flexed his wrist, seemingly pondering how it had healed so quickly.
"What are you saying, Kakashi-sensei!" Haruko Hayashi exclaimed in disapproval, then changed the subject, "You still have to teach us how to train!"
Glancing at the undisguised seriousness on her face, Kakashi Hatake's fleeting sense of relief shattered instantly. "...Oh, right."
Even with most of his face covered by a headband and mask, he still couldn't hide the bad luck emanating from him. Haruko couldn't help but laugh, "Just kidding, Kakashi-sensei getting better is more important than anything else!"
"Then thank you for your concern, Haruko." Kakashi Hatake's tone remained unchanged, seemingly unaffected by her words.
Seeing that she was meticulously packing her medical kit and hadn't noticed him, Kakashi Hatake's eyes revealed a scrutinizing look that he usually kept hidden. She was so young and already knew medical techniques, and to a considerable degree...
After she finished tidying up, Kakashi Hatake switched back to his squinty eyes, "I didn't expect Haruko to know medical jutsu."
"You only know how to do simple body checks and heal minor wounds. Kakashi-sensei, you should take good care of yourself and avoid getting seriously injured," Haruko Hayama earnestly advised.
Instead of getting a straight answer, Kakashi Hatake got a lecture. He scratched his face and gave a perfunctory laugh.
"I remember Kakashi-sensei saying that your Sharingan was a gift from your comrade, right?"
Previously, when they encountered an assassination attempt by ninjas from another country, Kakashi Hatake adjusted his headband to save them, revealing the blood-red Mangekyou Sharingan in his left eye, which immediately stunned Sasuke Uchiha and Haruko Hayama.
It's quite unbelievable that Kakashi Hatake is not a member of the Uchiha clan and only has one Sharingan.
It wasn't until later, when Sasuke Uchiha questioned him, that he explained that it was a gift from a former comrade. Haruko Hayama, who was standing nearby, also understood why his name was "Copy Ninja Kakashi" in the ninja world.
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