The next day, Natsuki and Tenten finally got to sleep in.
So much had happened recently that both of them were ntally exhausted, but things had finally cald down a little.
Still, they got up before noon. After a sweet and cozy lunch together, they went their separate ways—Tenten went to visit Lee at the hospital, while Natsuki planned to find a peaceful spot to relax and clear his mind.
He wanted to empty his thoughts and unwind so that he could later dive fully into researching the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique).
But before he could find the perfect place, Kakashi ca looking for him.
"Yo! Kakashi-senpai, taking it easy today?" Natsuki greeted.
"Not even close," Kakashi replied, his dead-fish eyes looking extra tired. "Just finished with the exams, and now we're rushing to prepare for the Daimyō's visit. I've barely touched the ground."
"Then what brings you here?"
"I'm here to ask about Orochimaru."
Kakashi got straight to the point. "Back then, I rushed to pursue Orochimaru with Anko and didn't get the chance to properly ask about what happened. I heard from Pakkun that you were pretty certain he would appear, and once inside the Forest of Death, you seed worried he'd make a move on everyone."
Natsuki was silent for a while. In the end, he chose not to hide it.
"Orochimaru... he seems to have so kind of connection to Itachi. He ca to Konoha for Sasuke."
Itachi?
And Orochimaru's target is Sasuke!?
Kakashi's expression turned grave. "Explain."
Natsuki grew serious as well. "I had a gut feeling, or maybe just a strong hunch, that Orochimaru would appear in the Forest of Death. He disguised himself as a female Kusagakure ninja just to get in, right? Even before I exposed him, I had been watching him closely. His gaze kept drifting toward Sasuke. I suspected he was targeting him, but I had no proof, so I didn't say anything afterward.
"And sure enough, he went after Team 7.
Sasuke said later that Orochimaru ntioned Itachi and said he was disappointed in Sasuke, as if he were testing him or sothing.
Tenten also told that when Guy's team arrived to help, Orochimaru had extended his neck and was about to bite Sasuke. It probably had sothing to do with that 'test.'"
Kakashi now understood clearly—Orochimaru really had co for Sasuke.
Even though he still didn't know how Itachi was involved, it was undeniable that Sasuke was in danger. Orochimaru could be hiding sowhere, ready to strike again at any mont.
Kakashi imdiately said his goodbyes, "I'm off!"
"Kakashi-senpai!"
Natsuki suddenly called out, "Protect Sasuke!"
Kakashi waved without looking back and didn't give any promises. Maybe he wasn't confident—after all, Orochimaru was incredibly strong and slippery.
Natsuki just sighed.
He wasn't the type to ddle too much. It was just a mont of sympathy—Sasuke really had terrible luck.
But he hadn't intervened beyond that. He had decided long ago to respect the fate of the so-called "Savior." If Sasuke weren't a friend, he wouldn't have even spoken up. He just hoped Sasuke would be okay.
Natsuki eventually found a grassy field and lay down to soak up so sun. When it got too hot, he moved to the shade of a tree and continued lying there. It was peaceful.
His mind, which had been restless for so long, finally found so quiet. If only Tenten were here—soft and fragrant to hold while napping—it would be perfect.
But instead of Tenten, he got Shikamaru.
"You've got a good eye for spots, Natsuki," Shikamaru said, lying not far away.
"You too," Natsuki replied, not even glancing at him.
"I always do this—find a good spot to lie down, stare at the clouds, and envy how free they are. But for you to be out here like this... you must be exhausted to need such rest."
It was rare for Shikamaru to ramble on like this. Maybe he was just sharing his dream.
Natsuki didn't reply. He simply squinted up at the drifting clouds. Deep down, he was a little envious of Shikamaru.
Being born into a major clan really was great—no worries, no hardships. If he wanted to lie down all day, he could. He could be a lazy bum his whole life.
If one could live in peace forever, who would willingly choose a life of hardship?
If the world weren't so dangerous, Natsuki wouldn't be pushing himself this hard to grow stronger.
Sure, being an ordinary villager didn't sound bad. But in a twisted, chaotic world, if you couldn't control your own fate, then once disaster hit, all that awaited you was helplessness and despair.
Like during the Nine-Tails' attack—so many villagers were crushed to death by debris from a single swing of its tail, dying without aning or value.
Natsuki didn't want that kind of ending. That's why he had to grow stronger!
Konoha's destruction was coming, and after that, the terrifying Akatsuki would spread chaos everywhere.
The age of peace was ending—the era of war was about to begin.
So today's rare bit of laziness... might be the last of its kind for a while.
He lay there for a long ti. When the sun started dipping westward, he figured it was ti to buy groceries. He got up, stretched hard, and felt incredibly refreshed.
Seeing Shikamaru still lying down, he said, "Shikamaru, your dream of being a lazy bum might sound nice, but the world isn't that stable. I have a feeling things are going to get chaotic. Only those with true strength can protect what they care about. So don't slack off too much—train when you can."
With that, he turned and left.
Shikamaru sat up and squinted as he watched Natsuki walk away.
He couldn't explain why, but Natsuki's words felt serious—not like a joke.
"Tch... such a drag. What's wrong with peace? Why does everything have to fall into chaos?"
Even as he grumbled, Shikamaru stood up and started heading ho. He figured maybe it was ti he started training again too. If his coordination with Ino fell apart, she'd definitely beat him up.
Besides, from the look of it, Sunagakure's attitude during the exams wasn't exactly friendly. That left him a little uneasy.
After Natsuki finished shopping, he went straight to the ninja tool shop to cook. Just as he finished making dinner, Tenten returned. The three of them happily ate together like a family.
But just after they finished eating, Natsuki suddenly said, "Tenten, for the one month before the final round, I'm going to focus completely on mastering the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique). I'll probably only show up for dinner. I won't have ti for anything else."
Tenten understood Natsuki's urgency—she was feeling it too. So she wasn't surprised.
She even offered, "Then maybe you shouldn't bother coming for dinner either. I'll bring food to you in the evening."
"Heh, no need for that."
Natsuki smiled and refused. "Even if I'm focusing on training, always thinking about it gets tiring. I need to shift my focus sotis to let my brain rest. Plus, I really enjoy having als together as a family—it makes happy."
(End of Chapter)
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