Chapter 43 The Beautiful Boy
It's hard to say whether the confrontation between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha is a good thing or a bad thing. At first, with Haruko Hayama's help, the two of them grasped the techniques and practiced hard in a pleasant atmosphere.
As soon as Haruko left in the morning, their eyes met, and sparks flew as they raced to catch up on their training.
After dinner, Naruto tried to sneak out, but Haruko discovered him and excitedly explained in a low voice that he was going to secretly work behind Sasuke Uchiha's back.
Even though he was speaking in a breathy voice, he couldn't hide his excitement, once again showing Haruko Hayama the "deep affection" between the two of them.
Before he left, Haruko told him to come back early, but when she woke up the next day, he was nowhere to be seen.
Based on Naruto's personality, he probably collapsed from exhaustion during training and fell asleep outside, leaving Haruko with no choice but to go out and look for him.
As Haruko hurried through the forest, she searched for him while calling his name.
"Naruto! Naruto!"
Unfortunately, the only response she received was the faint chirping of birds.
"Where did they go..." Haruko muttered in the morning, glancing past a few large trees and catching a glimpse of different colors.
Haruko's bright, light-colored kimono stood out against the lush greenery, causing her to pause in her tracks.
Bathed in the morning sunlight filtering through the leaves, a figure squats down to gather herbs, her long, glossy black hair flowing smoothly down her back, and a light-colored kimono outlining her graceful figure.
Seemingly hearing footsteps behind her, the person turned around, revealing a delicate and serene face, like a forest sprite.
Seeing Haruko standing there staring at her, the pretty girl stood up and smiled at her.
Finally snapping out of her daze at the other person's smile, Haruko awkwardly straightened her clothes. "N-I'm sorry, did I bother you?"
The pretty young woman shook her head, stood up, and comforted her, "I was just gathering herbs; there was no disturbance involved."
Haruko was taken aback again upon hearing the answer. Although the voice sounded like a girl's, the other person seemed to be a boy.
Haruko didn't investigate further, but casually asked about her teammate's whereabouts, "Have you seen a blond guy who's always smiling?"
I have never seen it.
"Oh, I'm sorry to bother you!"
Haruko smiled apologetically and was about to leave to continue searching for the lost golden retriever when she was stopped by a handsome young man.
"Judging from your headband, are you a ninja?"
Haruko Hayama glanced at her headband instinctively and then introduced herself, "Yes, I am Haruko Hayama, a ninja from Konoha."
Is the person you're looking for your companion?
"Yes, he cultivated all night and didn't go back. I'm looking for him everywhere."
The handsome young man seemed puzzled by this behavior and pressed for an answer: "Why do you have to cultivate so diligently?"
"Because there's someone I desperately want to catch up with, no matter what."
Remembering Sasuke Uchiha's expression when he woke up and realized he'd been tricked, Haruko tried hard to suppress her laughter.
"The person I want to catch up with..." the handsome young man murmured to himself, still seemingly not quite understanding, and continued to ask, "But why do I have to work so hard?"
Seeing that he wanted to get to the bottom of things, Haruko Hayama gave a serious answer: "Ninja training is all about becoming stronger, not only to catch up with outstanding people, but also to protect the people who are important to us. It is these reasons that drive us to train so hard."
This answer made the handsome young man think, and also aroused Haruko Hayama's curiosity.
Judging from her attire and behavior, she should be a villager from the neighborhood, but her overly feminine and otherworldly appearance seems incongruous with her identity.
Meeting Haruko's curious gaze, the handsome young man smiled and asked, "Do you have someone very important to you?"
"I think everyone has one," Haruko Hayama gave a general answer, then asked, "Do you also have someone very important to you?"
The handsome young man seemed to sense her probing, or perhaps he was simply about to leave. He picked up the basket full of herbs from the ground and bid her farewell.
"I have one too. It's getting late, let's meet again next time."
Unexpectedly, the other party ended the conversation so quickly, and Haruko hurriedly asked, "May I know your name?"
The boy, who had already taken a few steps, didn't turn back, leaving behind the words: "I'll tell you next time we meet."
The androgynous figure gradually blended into the greenery and faded from Haruko's view.
She's really a beautiful and strange person...
Having obtained no information and feeling no threat, Haruko Hayama could only put this interlude aside and continue searching for Naruto Uzumaki.
However, Haruko soon found out when he meant "next time".
Upon receiving news of a disturbance on the bridge, Kakashi Hatake's expression hardened slightly, and he hurriedly led them to investigate.
The drunken man looked around at the people lying on the bridge, his expression one of utter horror. "What happened?!"
"Could it be..." Thinking of a certain possibility, Kakashi Hatake's body tensed up suddenly.
Suddenly, a thick fog rolled in over the bridge.
In the hazy world, two figures with vastly different builds gradually came into view. The tall, muscular man made a hoarse sound; it was Zabuza, the ninja who had tried to assassinate them earlier. Beside him was a slender boy wearing a white mask.
The moment they appeared, Haruko and the others immediately prepared for battle.
Kakashi Hatake was right; the masked man who took Zabuza's body under the pretext was indeed suspicious and was actually in cahoots with Zabuza.
Having already fought Zabuza before, they knew this would be a fierce battle. Kakashi Hatake stepped forward first to block them and confront Zabuza, while the masked man, at Zabuza's signal, faced off against Naruto and the others.
Haruko originally wanted to join the fight, but the three of them stopped her and told her to protect the drunk man.
Haruko Hayama: "..."
Is she a very weak person?
"Secret Technique: Magic Mirror Crystal"
The masked man, whom Zabuza called White, used a secret technique to trap Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha in his magic mirror space, while he himself hid in the mirror and shot countless flying needles at them.
As they continued to suffer more and more injuries, yet still couldn't find any flaws in the masked man's defenses, Haruko's heart clenched with worry.
Bai Ting stood in the magic mirror, silently scanning their blood-soaked bodies, and slowly spoke: "You have people you want to protect, and I also have people I want to protect."
A nonsensical sentence echoed in the Magic Mirror space. Uchiha Sasuke, panting to relieve the pain in his body, heard his words and looked vaguely at the gap between the mirrors. After seeing the anxious expression of the other person, he put his hands on his knees and stiffly stood up to support his body.
His sharp gaze was fixed on Haku, who was hiding in the magic mirror, but he spoke to Naruto Uzumaki, who was lying on the ground beside him: "Get up, don't let her worry."
"I want...I want you to say it."
Naruto struggled to his feet, each wound tearing at his nerves, but he still forced a smile.
Then he turned his gaze to the gap that Uchiha Sasuke had just looked through. Blood and sweat blurred his vision, and he gave a thumbs up to the indistinct figure.
After reassuring her, Naruto Uzumaki was surrounded by a powerful fox demon aura, and his fierce gaze, now with vertical pupils, lashed out at the masked man without mercy.
"Sasuke, again!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com