The sky gradually dimmed.
A campfire crackled beside the riverbank, its flames dancing and licking at the air. A pot full of ingredients bubbled over the fire, releasing an enticing aroma.
"Eh? Not bad!"
"Naruto, you really do have some skill!"
Jiraiya's eyes sparkled as he stared at the steaming pot, his appetite clearly stirred.
"Of course!" Naruto grinned proudly. "These are recipes Sakura gave me a while back—I've been keeping them safe, you know~~~"
The blond-haired boy threw a quick glance at the pink-haired girl sitting nearby, clearly trying to show off.
Trying to sound casual, Naruto added, "Besides Sakura's recipe book, I even went out of my way to buy several others, and I've learned how to cook them all~~"
However, Sakura's expression remained calm as she stared at the boiling stew in the pot, seemingly unaffected by Naruto's boasting. Her silence dimmed Naruto's excitement a little.
Jiraiya, ignoring the heat, used a clean twig as chopsticks and picked up a mushroom from the pot, which had been cross-cut with a decorative knife pattern.
"Slurp~~~"
"Hot! Hot! Ouch—too hot!"
Jiraiya's exaggerated reaction brought a smile to anyone watching, but neither Naruto nor Sakura paid him much attention at that moment.
Naruto's entire focus was on Sakura.
Sakura, on the other hand, was wrapped in thoughts about how to talk to Naruto.
She knew exactly how he felt about her… too clearly.
But how could she say it without hurting him?
Sakura had already made a decision: she would tell Naruto her feelings after he completed the training mission Jiraiya had assigned him.
But now…
Under the firelight, her emerald-green eyes flickered with a complicated glow, filled with visible hesitation and inner turmoil.
How do you gently turn down someone who has feelings for you?
And truthfully, "has feelings for" wasn't strong enough to describe Naruto's feelings anymore.
That was what troubled Sakura the most.
She was afraid that if she rejected him, their relationship would never be the same again.
It wasn't that Sakura was worried Naruto would react badly…
She was afraid she wouldn't know how to face him afterward.
There's a saying—"A dead ex is the best kind of ex."
The same could be said for someone who secretly likes you.
Sakura faintly recalled how in her past life, after breaking up with someone, she blocked him on every platform—phone, texts, social apps, even gaming ones.
Not a single loose end.
"Sigh…"
Sakura stood up, her expression calm as she looked at Naruto, who had been watching her the whole time.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"S-Sakura?"
Naruto felt a pang of unease as he met her gaze.
"Can you come with me for a moment, Naruto?"
Sakura's voice was so calm it actually helped Naruto settle down a little, though a faint nervousness lingered in his chest.
Jiraiya swallowed the food in his mouth with difficulty and looked at Naruto with a hint of pity in his eyes.
No other reason…
Just too familiar…
He had seen that same expression on Tsunade's face once, when she turned him down…
Ah… life…
So full of regrets.
——
Farther down the riverbank, Naruto walked beside Sakura with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
It was a gesture he had picked up from watching Sasuke.
Back in school, Sasuke was always the one admired by all the girls. Naturally, Naruto wanted to imitate him when around Sakura.
The moon hung high above, and the river shimmered under its soft light.
The moon's reflection danced gently on the surface, and the serene quiet of the scene made Naruto feel a little anxious.
In Naruto's memory, Sakura had never asked to talk to him alone like this.
Suddenly, Sakura stopped walking.
She turned to glance back toward the faint glow of the campfire in the distance, confirming they were out of earshot from Jiraiya, and then turned to Naruto.
"Sakura?"
Naruto's voice trembled slightly, his nerves mounting.
He didn't know why, but a strange premonition was stirring in his heart.
"...Naruto."
Sakura looked at the boy before her. Then she steeled herself.
She had made her decision—there was no point in dragging this out.
It was time to clear things up so Naruto could turn his attention elsewhere—like towards Hinata, who had always quietly cared for him. That would be better for everyone.
"You like me, right?"
Sakura's words were so blunt they made Naruto's face instantly flush red.
"Eh~ Ha~ Wha—uh—"
"Um…"
"Hehe…"
"Why are you—"
Naruto looked like he had ants crawling all over him, shuffling nervously, glancing around, his hands awkwardly hovering in the air—but he just couldn't bring himself to meet Sakura's eyes.
"...Naruto."
Her calm green eyes met his.
"I see you like a younger brother."
"Do you understand what I mean?"
"To me, you're like family. A friend. A comrade. A brother."
"I know very clearly what I need in my life."
Sakura continued calmly, her tone earnest and composed.
"Compared to chasing after me… you should turn around and realize there's someone who's been quietly waiting for you all along."
Sakura didn't say Hinata's name.
She was afraid Naruto would think she was using Hinata as an excuse, which might cause him to resent Hinata or treat her coldly.
The blond boy stood frozen, his face stiff, lips pressed tightly together, unable to say a word.
The breeze whispered over the river, making soft ripples and causing the moon's reflection to shimmer.
After what felt like forever, Naruto finally spoke.
"I like you, Sakura."
"I… don't even really know what liking someone truly means."
"I just know that… besides the Third Hokage… you were the kindest to me."
"Sakura would chase away the bullies for me."
"Sakura taught me how to cook."
"Sakura told me not to buy fresh milk if I couldn't finish it all."
"Sakura taught me to check food expiration dates."
"Sakura told me to go home when it got dark."
"Sakura taught me how to spend my allowance…"
"Um… okay, I didn't really do well with that one…"
"But… since you said you know exactly what you need…"
Naruto didn't seem heartbroken or devastated by Sakura's confession. He didn't even sound disappointed.
Instead, he smiled—something Sakura didn't understand. His ocean-blue eyes sparkled, and they held something Sakura couldn't quite identify.
"You know what you need, Sakura…"
"But I do too."
"If liking someone means wanting to be with them for the rest of your life, then I can tell you clearly—"
"I like Sakura."
Sakura stood in stunned silence, listening.
But Naruto wasn't finished.
"I don't know if I've ever done enough to deserve you…"
"But ever since that day, when you told me that I should go home when it gets dark…"
"I knew."
"If that's what it means to like someone… then I've liked Sakura ever since."
"That kind of clear, certain feeling."
His smile under the moonlight felt like a piercing blade to Sakura's chest.
"...I'm sorry, Naruto."
A sigh echoed softly by the river, mingling with the flicker of the fire in the distance.
——
"...Sigh."
Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage gazed at the scene through his crystal ball, a deep melancholy shadowing his eyes.
Maybe… he had made a mistake when he told Sakura to get close to Naruto…
---
(Chapter End)