Scene Eleven
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A Love Fight?
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Sakura suddenly pulled me into one of the empty classrooms, both of us panting after the sprint.
"Sakura-chan... What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"
She looked truly anxious. Could it be the first time someone's confessed to her?
"I-I-I need your help, Naruto," Sakura said as she looked at me directly.
"And why is that, Sakura-chan?"
"The guy who confessed to me…" she glanced to the side nervously.
"Even though I rejected him, he's still incredibly persistent. He's been following me everywhere. It's become really annoying lately…"
Well, that's somewhat expected. The guy probably won't give up that easily. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't give up either!
"Well, in that case, you should confront him and put him in his place," I suggested, waving my hand slightly.
"I know, and I've tried that. But he still won't stop. I don't know what to do anymore. I didn't want this to become a big deal over a love confession, so I haven't told anyone about it yet."
She's right. If her father or family found out that a guy was stalking her over a love confession, her clan would become a laughingstock.
"Well, it's a bit complicated... Do you want me to go and talk to him?"
Yes, convincing him to stop chasing after Sakura is probably the best option for now.
"Are you sure? There might be a fight between you two..." Sakura looked at me with slight concern, but I could clearly see the pleading look in her eyes. Even though I've lost my supernatural powers, my sharp perception hasn't dulled. In fact, it's probably considered supernatural in a simple world like this.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, you might not know this, but I'm really strong. He won't even be able to touch me."
I laughed proudly as I flexed my arm muscles for her to see. I've started training to keep up my strength and fitness so I won't grow weak or sluggish. It's important in case I ever need to escape quickly.
Sakura smiled gently, closing her eyes in clear happiness. She really is incredibly beautiful!
"Alright... I'm counting on you."
After she said that, I exchanged a calm smile with her.
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"So, is this the boyfriend you were talking about?"
Our beautiful moment was suddenly interrupted by a soft, sweet voice. If not for the tone, I would've thought it belonged to a professional singer…
Wait a second. Did he just say "the boyfriend she was talking about"? Was this... a love confession?!
No, no, no—let's be reasonable. Maybe she just used me as a fake boyfriend to keep him away, but it didn't work.
Damn it, I'm still happy she described me as her secret boyfriend!
"I-Izumi-kun!!"
Sakura stepped back cautiously as she called out that name right in front of me. The voice came from behind—he had followed us here.
Izumi... So that's the name of the stalker.
"Sakura-chan, you're not trying to trick me into stopping my feelings for you, are you?" Izumi leaned against the door, arms crossed. He's exactly the kind of arrogant person I hate.
"And what exactly are you trying to gain by getting close to Sakura-chan?" I stood firmly in front of her, eyeing Izumi with an almost hostile gaze.
If only my glare could scare him off... I hope this works. But I know it won't.
"What do you mean, what do I want? Isn't it obvious? I'm in love with her. I want her to feel the same way I do. Is it wrong to pursue someone you love?"
His words, while sounding fair, were nothing more than childish nonsense. Chasing someone in love? Intimidation and fear aren't love—they're emotional manipulation.
"Oh, how poetic. Maybe you should start writing novels if you're that much of a romantic," I said sarcastically, which clearly irritated him.
He stepped two paces forward and said, "Are you just trying to look cool in front of your girlfriend? How will you feel when you realize all you have is your mouth to fight with?"
"My words are more than enough to handle someone like you. Do you think I'd waste my hands on a bully? That would only disgrace me."
"Huh?!"
Now he was genuinely angry, but he wasn't trying to hit me. Could it be that he knows he's in a losing battle? That's impossible...
Then what exactly is he planning?
"Tch... You'd better watch your surroundings."
With those words, Izumi backed away and walked out without saying anything else.
Phew. Glad he left without causing any trouble.
I looked at Sakura and saw her smiling at me. I felt relieved she was okay.
"Don't worry. I doubt he'll bother you for a while—I made sure he's too focused on me now."
Sakura understood exactly what I meant.
"Thank you, Naruto."
She spoke gratefully, smiling warmly at me.
She really is stunning...
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Scene Eleven
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A Love Fight? (End)
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That evening, in another part of the vast Konoha City, inside a modest hotel...
An apartment door marked with the number 250.
Inside that small apartment sat a young man with orange hair, counting the money in front of him.
"We earned a lot today. If things keep going this way, I might be able to buy a house for us within another year."
He spoke enthusiastically as he packed the money into a black bag, clearly pleased.
"Onii-chan, I'm home."
As the door opened slowly, the gentle and sweet voice of a middle school girl reached the ears of the orange-haired boy with bright blue eyes.
"Ino... Welcome back."
After taking off her shoes and placing them in their spot, she bent forward to peek into the living room, smiling. "Yup!"
"How was your day, dear Ino?"
"It was bad, as usual. So boring. I really hate studying," the girl called Ino replied with a helpless sigh as she flopped onto the couch restlessly.
"Studying is important—it will secure your future! So make sure you study hard to guarantee it."
"I knooow. You've given me that speech like a thousand times already." Ino waved her hand dismissively.
It wasn't that she had a bad attitude—far from it. If it weren't for her older brother, she would've quit school long ago.
She could never forget the things he'd done to protect her and keep her safe over the past seven years.
Listening to him was the least she could do in return.
She was already planning to do something special for him. But first, she had to find out what would make him happiest in that moment.
"By the way, Onii-chan, do you want to go for a walk around the city? It's been a while since we last went out together."
Her older brother smiled and replied with a gentle grin: "Yeah, let's go."
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#To_Be_Continued