Chapter 382 Waiting Around Is For Idiots


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    Sakura stood by the kitchen door, silently watching him, saying nothing. The curtains in the living room remained drawn, with only the smallmp by the sofa casting a dim light. The faucet ran with a soft, steady flow.


    Suddenly, the sound of running water stopped. Naruto shook his hands dry and turned to ask, "What''s up?"


    "Well, remember the incident with the Inuzuka n a while back?" Sakura said, "That incident is indeed rted to the Root, but there is no solid evidence."


    "And?" Naruto thought for a moment and had some impression of it.


    At that time, someone had disguised themselves as Kiba and infiltrated the vige. If Naruto hadn’t been so familiar with Kiba, he would not have been able to tell the fake. But at that time, Naruto hadn’t gotten involved and had asked Sakura to inform Tsunade to deal with it instead.


    Now, two yearster, the issue was brought up again.


    "Two years ago, the Inuzuka n didn’t dare offend Danzo, but now, the Root’s influence has declined." Sakura said, "So the Inuzuka n wants revenge."


    "What did Tsunade-sama say?" Naruto leaned against the doorframe and did not express his opinion directly.


    "She didn’t say anything."


    "Got it. Let’s keep an eye on things for now." Naruto brushed past the topic lightly. He wanted Danzo dead too, but Root intrigued him.


    ‘There’s no need to rush… Just take things slow.’


    ‘Danzo was getting old. Even though he was bing more cunning, the stronger Tsunade’s authority grew, the less Danzo could interfere. It was only a matter of time before Danzo would start to panic.’


    After a moment of silence, Naruto noticed Sakura hadn’t left, so he asked, "Anything else?"


    "Yes." Sakura stood there, her figure outlined with a faint golden glow, "You once said you’d never forget me, right?"


    "Why ask that all of a sudden?" Naruto was a little surprised.


    "I just want to confirm it again. After all, there are so many girls around you. What if a few years from now, you forget about me?" Sakura said with a teasing smile, "Wouldn’t that be a loss for me?"


    "Tsk, where did you learn to say such sappy things?" The corners of Naruto’s mouth twitched slightly, "If you’ve got something to say, just say it. Stop beating around the bush and wasting time."


    "Well, it’s bound to happen sooner orter. Can’t I practice in advance?" Sakura said.


    "Of all things to practice, why this?" Naruto dried his hands, grabbed a ss of water from the kitchen, but didn’t avoid the conversation.


    "Recently... is there something wrong with your body?"


    "A little bit." Sakura took the ss of water from Naruto, "But it''s nothing serious. I’ll check it again after you return in a couple of days."@@novelbin@@


    She emphasized the word ‘check’, but Naruto didn’t react at all. He simply gave her a once-over, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.


    "Just wait a bit longer."


    "Huh?" Sakura was a little confused about what he meant, "But didn''t you n to meet Ino…"


    Sakura paused abruptly in the middle of her words, as she noticed that there was something wrong with Naruto''s expression. Hiszy demeanor now carried a hint of a smile, and suddenly, she realized what was going on.


    "You and Ino are good friends, right?" Narutozily sniffed the air while lying on the sofa. The smile on his face looked a little provocative, and he spread his hands full of cheeky nonchnce.


    "You wouldn’t want Ino to find out, would you? After all, what if you end up not even being friends anymore?"


    Sakura: "You…"


    She wanted to say a few more words, but there was a click of the door lock turning at the door, and Sakura immediately shut up. Naruto, however, didn’t rush. He just kept his eyes fixed on her with that same teasing smile, showing no intention of getting up.


    Sakura thought about escaping to the balcony, but Naruto blocked her way.


    She could hear the sound of someone changing shoes at the entrance. In a panic, Sakura hurriedly slipped into the bathroom. Just as she was about to lock the door, Naruto quickly followed her in.


    With a click, Naruto turned on the lights and the shower, pushing Sakura against the wall. Warm water sprayed over both of them, soaking them in seconds. His voice was low, and he ignored Sakura''s frightened eyes.


    "Ino’s going to get closer to the bathroom soon, and she’ll hear you. You have about twenty seconds."


    Sakura''s heart was beating like a drum, and the sudden spray of water made her tremble slightly as she spoke.


    "She seems to be waking up, for real this time."


    "I''m scared I’ll either disappear or fall into a deep sleep. I don’t want the next time I see you to be when I’m already old. I..."


    Naruto had already covered her mouth with his hand, and signaled her to be quiet with his eyes. The bathroom was filled with nothing but the sound of running water, while from the living room, Ino’s yful voice echoed.


    "You''re so slow! Didn''t you promise to go out with me today?"


    "Give me a minute, I’m in the shower. I’ll be out soon." Naruto replied casually, adding, "Ino, could you grab me a change of clothes?"


    "You went into the shower without bringing clothes?" Ino grumbled.


    "Well, since you said that, I guess I’ll have toe out naked." Naruto said with a mischievous tone, starting tother his hair with soap, as if he really intended to shower.


    Sakura blinked and shrank further into the corner, not daring to breathe.


    "Forget it, I’ll get them for you." Ino sighed,ining as she tied up her hair and headed into Naruto’s room.


    Naruto estimated that the smell in the living room had faded by now, and Ino probably didn''t notice anything unusual. After all, the dishes were washed, and the scent of the eel rice had masked Sakura’s presence.


    Sakura blushed and instinctively turned her head away, feeling unexpectedly shy.


    Although it seemed like a real shower, Naruto simply threw on some soap and quickly rinsed off, wrapping it up in haste. When Ino knocked on the bathroom door, he finally put on the clothes she had brought and stepped out.


    "Why did youe over so early?"


    “Well, you’re alwayste, aren’t you?"


    "No way. I woke up early just for today and even had breakfast. You know what they say, right?"


    Naruto and Ino’s voices faded as they walked away. The front door clicked shut with a finality, leaving the bathroom inplete darkness.


    Sakura fumbled for the light switch, then removed her soaked clothes and took a proper shower.


    After wrapping herself in a towel, she ced her wet clothes into the dryer. Listening to the hum of the machine, she felt a sudden calmness wash over her.


    She had finally said everything. Of course, it had turned out this way. This was exactly the kind of mischievous, cheeky behavior she hade to expect from him.


    The unease she had been feeling for days had disappeared, like a long dream. She knew that even if that day came, he wouldn’t just sit back and do nothing. He’d be the one to wake her, no matter what.


    "I''m sorry for wasting so much of your time... and for lying to you." Shey down in the spot he had just vacated, her eyes wandering as she mumbled to herself. "But I guess it’s no big deal."


    In a daze, she recalled a question she had asked Naruto long ago.


    "What’s it like waiting for someone for a long time?"


    "It’s nothing special. If you’ve waited long enough, you should go see him and give him a hand." Naruto gestured and said, "Anyone who just stays in one ce waiting is an idiot."


    Bang!


    In the midst of her daze, the door suddenly swung open from outside.