In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

"Gods?" Tsunade was slightly surprised and stared at Naruto with narrowed eyes, "Why are you asking about that?"

In the Hokage's office.

Inside the Hokage's Office, Naruto sat on the chair opposite Tsunade, feeling somewhat uneasy. It wasn't the topic that made him uncomfortable, but rather Tsunade's choice of attire… black stockings.

'Why did they look so familiar? Wait, weren't those Shizune's black stockings?'

'She secretly wore the black stockings of her student?'

'Was Tsunade really that perverted?'

"I'm asking you, what are you looking at?" A hint of dissatisfaction flashed across Tsunade's face.

"N-nothing." Naruto came back to his senses, "I'm just a little curious. During the missions in the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds, I heard bits and pieces about Jashin."

"But since I didn't directly encounter any cultists of the Jashin, I just found it odd and didn't think much of it. However…"

After saying that, Naruto paused, stared at Tsunade seriously for a few seconds, and then continued, "During that mission in the Land of Snow, I don't think the shipwreck was an accident."

Tsunade's casual gaze stopped, her eyes slightly raising as she focused on Naruto's face. She then asked, "What do you mean?"

"When the ship docked at the Land of Fire's port, a strange person appeared. I kicked him into the sea. However, now that I think about it, that man seemed to have attracted everyone's attention at the time."

Naruto chose his words carefully and said, "Tsunade-sama, have you ever heard of the Jashin Festival?"

Tsunade didn't immediately respond. After a brief silence, she asked, "Are you saying that someone deliberately tampered with the situation and wanted to sink the entire ship? So, you suspect that this incident has something to do with the cultists of Jashin?"

"The shipwreck is too strange. The ship inexplicably deviated from its course and headed for the deep sea, where it encountered a storm and sank directly." Naruto explained.

"If you insist on saying it was an accident, I don't buy it. But this is just a guess. It wasn't specifically targeting us, so maybe it was just bad luck that we got caught up in it."

"The ship has already sunk, and the trail has gone cold." Tsunade slowly rubbed her fingertips on the desk, deep in thought, "Let's put that matter aside for now. We'll talk about it if we find more clues in the future."

"As for your question, it's hard for me to give you a straightforward answer."

"Why?" Naruto was puzzled, 'If something exists, it exists, and if it doesn't, it doesn't. What does she mean by it's hard to say?'

"Why so many whys?" Tsunade sounded a little annoyed.

She suddenly recalled what Katsuyu had said that day: It was fear, as if being dominated by something. His soul was exceptionally grand, like a towering mountain.

The spring sunlight pierced through the windowsill, and the white walls reflected a halo of light, making the atmosphere in the Hokage's Office suddenly feel heavy.

"You should go back for now."

Tsunade's voice carried a hint of weariness, "I'll give you an answer to your question. Most of the details are a blur to me. I'll sort it out and let you know when I have time."

Naruto sensed something was off, but it wasn't appropriate to press further, so he simply agreed for the time being.

"Alright."

With a click, Naruto closed the door behind him and left.

Moments later, Tsunade rose from her chair, the crisp sound of high heels echoing in the empty office. She walked to the filing cabinet and paused, her figure curving as she bent down. Her wide green robe touched the floor as she pulled out an old file from the bottom drawer.

Judging by the faded cover, it had been stored there for at least ten years.

After the death of the Sandaime Hokage, most of the things in the office had been cleared out and replaced with Tsunade's preferred furnishings. Only this large file cabinet remained tucked away in the corner, untouched.

Tsunade had returned to her desk and tore open the top-secret file. The first signature was Jiraiya's, containing intelligence he sent back about the Land of Hot Water a decade ago.

"The Jashin's worshippers in the Land of Hot Water… That small country really has a penchant for creating gods." Tsunade murmured as she sat heavily in her chair, and started flipping through the pages.

"The gods are always watching, overlooking the world." Sakura set down the book she was reading, her eyes curved into a crescent moon as she smiled, "Why are you buying scripts like these?"

The rooftop of Konoha Hospital.

It was noon, with the bright spring sunlight pouring down.

Surrounded by green wire fences, Sakura wore a thin blue and white hospital gown, clutching a slim script as she smiled at Naruto.

Behind her, cherry blossoms bloomed in full glory. It was early April, and petals silently fell.

A gentle breeze outlined Sakura's slender form, the wind lifting the loose fabric and briefly revealing a flash of pale skin.

"I just suddenly got curious about these things." Naruto replied, placing the book down. Four or five thin books were casually stacked on the edge of the cement railing of the rooftop.

"Aren't guys your age supposed to be more curious about the female anatomy?" Sakura teased.

"Haha." Naruto gave a perfunctory laugh, "I'm not interested at all. I have more important things to do. If you're really that bored, you should go back to your room."

"I don't want to."

"Then please keep quiet. After I check on Princess Fuun, I'll be heading back." Naruto lowered his head and said while flipping through the reading material.

"I thought you were here to see me. So you're really just here for Princess Fuun." Sakura's voice was filled with a hint of resentment.

"I'm also here to see you, my dearest teammate. Get well soon." Naruto said without even raising his head, his voice devoid of any sincerity.

"Just a teammate?"

"Of course, we've got missions to do together. Stop saying such weird things." Naruto said absentmindedly, as his attention was still on the book, his eyes scanning the pages quickly.

"What does it matter? I don't want to possess you. Isn't the feeling of secretly holding hands without anyone knowing exciting?" Sakura tilted her head and asked word by word, "Na-ru-to-kun?"

"Hmm." Naruto's fingers rubbed against a passage on the page as he answered absentmindedly, not fully processing Sakura's words.

Realizing that Naruto wasn't paying her any mind, Sakura pouted slightly and moved in front of him, leaning in halfway. With a troubled expression on her face, she read aloud the obscure passage that had caught his attention.

"Human hooks pierced the Jashin;'s body, pulling out strands of flesh, greedily devouring it. They offered their souls, becoming immortal monsters, but the god didn't care."

"What on earth are you reading?" She asked.

"Just some folk literature, nothing to make a fuss about." Naruto snapped the book shut, "How is your injury healing?"

"Me?" Sakura asked.

"Who else?" Naruto said while staring directly into her eyes.

"I thought you'd ask about Princess Fuun first?"

"How is she recovering?"

"… Naruto-kun, your words don't make me happy at all." Sakura said, "Even though I won't get jealous, I still feel a bit sad."

"Come on, she's a protection target. Whether the mission to the Land of Snow can resume depends entirely on that shameless princess." Naruto closed the book and prepared to take it with him.

"Why do you so eager to restart the Land of Snow mission?" Sakura leaned in slightly, the faint scent of disinfectant lingering in the air.

"Of course, if it's put on hold, it means the mission has failed." Naruto looked at her and said, "Get well soon. Next time, Anko and I can handle the Land of Snow mission ourselves."

"So, you just want to be alone with those two, don't you?"

"What nonsense." Naruto scoffed, "The Land of Snow mission involves another organization. Until we figure that out, it won't restart."

"Anko doesn't necessarily need to go, either. We'll see when the time comes. Maybe Princess Fuun won't need to go, and I can handle it alone."

The plan to hunt down the Akatsuki has been put on the agenda. Sooner or later, the fact that Naruto no longer had the Kyubi would eventually be discovered. Losing the Kyubi was a loss for Konoha, but Naruto didn't care. And if needed, he'd fight the higher-ups over it.

There were too many problems to deal with: Gaara's battle for Kazekage's position in Sunagakure, the suspended mission to the Land of Snow, the secrets beneath the Land of Whirlpools' island, and Hidan and Kakuzu, the Immortal Duo gathering money for the Akatsuki.

Even within Konoha, things were unstable. After all, as long as Danzo lived, Naruto couldn't feel at ease.

"Come on, touch me," Sakura said suddenly.

"No." Naruto sighed, "I'm busy, and I have zero interest in touching my teammates, so please stop."

"But you usually just lie around or stay at home. You're not busy at all."

"Uh…"

'Damn, I've been discovered.'

Naruto blushed slightly. He was, admittedly, a bit lazy.

Whether it was Gaara's issues, Hidan and Kakuzu, or the Land of Snow, none of it was urgent for him, since none of it directly concerned him.

He was just after answers, like when he's playing a game.

He didn't care if Gaara got into trouble, if the Land of Snow would see spring, or even about Kakuzu and Hidan. To Naruto, they were just missions.

Like levels in a game. He's driven by a desire to clear them, but losing actually didn't matter.

"In any case, Naruto-kun, you will have to do these things with someone else eventually," Sakura said with a hint of excitement in her voice, "Why not use me as your practice partner?"

"It's okay, just consider it a practice session. If it's with Naruto-kun, no matter how I'm treated, I'll be happy."

Her expression was deadly serious, as if she'd reached the peak of rationality. Naruto did not doubt the truth of her words at all. It seemed that as long as he agreed, the next unlocked scene would definitely not be as simple as holding hands.

The pink-haired girl, dressed in a blue and white striped hospital gown, spoke with an unsettling allure.

On the rooftop, a sudden gust of wind swept up the pages of the books in their hands, sending them fluttering high into the sky. The thin booklets rode the wind, gliding past the towering cherry blossom canopy.

Naruto's face showed a hint of boredom. He reached out and pinched Sakura's cheek, saying, "Don't joke like that in the hospital."

"I'm serious."

"Then you should reflect on your unhealthy ethical values, damn it!"

"Okay." She nodded, showing no sign of guilt on her face.