When Sakura saw Sasuke quietly eating with an indifferent expression, her heart ached a little.
Even a simp has their own dignity.
Not receiving any response from the person she liked, even a ga-simp like Sakura found it hard to bear at this mont.
But she did have one of the greatest qualities of all ga-simp types: the ability to comfort herself.
'Sasuke may look cold on the outside, but I'm sure deep down, he cares about !'
'There's no way soone as beautiful as can't win his heart!'
'No, that's it! I'll train hard from now on! Once I'm stronger than Sasuke, I can do whatever I want with him!'
Thinking of that bright future, Sakura's eyes narrowed in joy.
As Sasuke was eating, he suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of malice directed at him. Startled, he shuddered, and the piece of at in his hand dropped to the ground.
"Ah! Sasuke-kun, how could you be so careless? Here, let feed you!" Sakura seized the opportunity to launch her passionate offensive.
But Sasuke imdiately retreated thirty ters away. "Uh, I need to train. You guys go ahead and eat."
Even for soone as cool as Sasuke, Sakura's enthusiasm was too much to handle.
"Um, Saku—"
"Naruto, hurry up and finish eating. Co with afterward."
Before Naruto could utter another lovesick comnt, Kamizuki Hikari quickly cut him off.
He really couldn't stand seeing Naruto like this any longer.
After all, Naruto was the protagonist of this entire shinobi world—how could he lose his dignity like a re lovesick fool?
"Oh, okay!"
Interrupted like that, Naruto suddenly felt a pang of guilt, as if he'd done sothing wrong. His mood dropped instantly.
Seeing this, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio stopped joking around and lowered their heads to eat silently.
---
"Hikari-senpai?"
After walking so distance away from the others, the two of them reached a wide, open training ground. Hikari sat down casually, and Naruto finally couldn't hold back his question.
"Alright, sit down. I've got sothing to talk to you about." Hikari gestured around—the area was spacious enough for Naruto to run around happily.
(Naruto: So what, am I a dog now?)
Naruto sat obediently, a little uneasy. "Hikari-senpai, did I do sothing wrong?"
"No."
"Then why did you pull aside?" Naruto asked, confused.
Hikari sighed. "I just don't want to see you like this anymore. Every ti I do, I can't help but think of your father. At your age, he had already won over your mother. I just don't get it—why is it that the woman you like has such a similar temperant to your mother? Is this so kind of masochistic family trait?"
Naruto's eyes widened with excitent.
"Hikari-senpai, you knew my father? Who was he? What's his na? Why haven't I ever heard about him?"
"And aren't I the Nine-Tailed Fox the villagers talk about?"
"Also, why did you say earlier that Kakashi-sensei owes ?"
"One thing at a ti, no need to rush." Hikari smiled, waving his hand.
"If you really want to know, I can tell you everything. But these truths co with heavy weight—you'll need to be ready to accept them before I say more."
"Really? Then I—"
Halfway through his words, Naruto stopped.
Even without knowing all the details, he could sense it—his identity, his family—there was a huge secret behind it all. Was he truly ready, both in strength and in heart, to face it?
"Since you're so troubled, I'll tell you about your parents first." Hikari walked over and gently ruffled Naruto's hair.
"Your father was a gentle man—like the sun in spring, lting away the snow and bringing warmth to the world. His smile always made others feel safe."
"Your mother, on the other hand, had a temper much like Sakura's—but she handled things with more grace. The two of them truly loved each other. If they could see how you're treating Sakura now, they'd probably climb out of their graves just to smack you!"
Naruto trembled in fear. "Why would they hit instead of helping win Sakura over?"
"Because even I feel like hitting you right now." Hikari said cheerfully.
"Hikari-senpai, there's no need for that!" Naruto jumped to his feet, panicking.
"Don't worry," Hikari said, lightly tapping Naruto's forehead. "I just want to talk about your feelings today. Do you really think this one-sided devotion of yours will ever make Sakura fall for you?"
"I think it will!" Naruto said seriously.
Hikari nodded. "Then tell —do you think Sakura's devotion will ever make Sasuke love her?"
Naruto shook his head. "No."
"You little brat, don't make hit you!"
Hikari sighed. "If you can't even let go of Sakura, why are you so sure she'll let go of Sasuke—and then fall for you? What kind of logic is that?"
Naruto argued back, "Just because I can't win her now doesn't an I never will!"
Hikari sighed. "Love that cos from humiliating yourself isn't real love. If you wouldn't want to be treated that way, don't force it on soone else."
Naruto hesitated. When Hikari thought he'd finally understood, Naruto frowned and asked, "Um, Hikari-senpai... what does 'don't force on others what you wouldn't want for yourself' an?"
Hikari explained patiently, "It ans you shouldn't impose sothing on soone else that you wouldn't want done to you. And tell honestly—are you sure what you feel for Sakura is truly love?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Naruto asked.
Hikari shook his head. "If it's about looks, Sakura isn't even the prettiest in your class—Ino and Hinata are just as beautiful. The only area where Sakura stands out is her grades."
Naruto frowned. "So what?"
Hikari continued, "Most people's first crush isn't about how soone looks. It's about what that person represents—sothing we lack in ourselves. You grew up being shunned and ridiculed, so what you actually crave is the sense of recognition Sakura gets from others. You don't really love her—you love the feeling of being acknowledged that she embodies."
"It's like a lie—tell yourself the sa thing a thousand tis, and you'll eventually believe it."
"You've idolized the way Sakura stands confidently among others. That's why you keep holding onto this feeling."
Naruto shook his head stubbornly. "No way! My feelings for Sakura-chan co from the bottom of my heart!"
Hikari shrugged. "I didn't expect to change your mind right away. I just want you to understand sothing—love shouldn't make you feel inferior. This endless giving only moves you, not her. It makes you look like a fool to others."
"I don't want to see you beco a laughingstock. You can like Sakura, but don't lose your dignity over it. You are Naruto—Uzumaki Naruto—the future Hokage of Konoha!"
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Read 40 advanced chapters on my P@treon.
/KakuzuTL
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