Chapter 4 The Regret of Missing OutOriginally, Naruto only wanted to find a method to train his chakra control, and he even found the answer. However, the manga's plot was too captivating. With the deaths of his comrades and the unraveling of mysteries, Naruto always felt compelled to keep reading.
Books & Literature
Except for a trip to school to hear the class placement results, Naruto's entire focus was on the manga. Even when he heard he was in Sakura's class, he barely smiled, much to the surprise of many.
After two days and three nights of reading the entire manga, Naruto became completely despondent.
He learned about his past, witnessed the Akatsuki organization, the destruction of his village, the Fourth Shinobi World War, the mastermind behind it all, and the truth behind this world. He also witnessed countless acts of ugliness and ambition! Countless conspiracies and betrayals!
He thought it would have a relatively happy ending, but he got married, and the person he married wasn't Sakura!!!
What irresistible force was at play? Why did he make that choice? Was it to fulfill someone else's wishes?
Okay, Sakura has always loved Sasuke so much. Sasuke has returned to the village, and she can finally be with him. As long as she's happy, that's all that matters.
But...but...why is that smile gone from her face?
On their wedding day, when Naruto stared blankly at the cherry blossoms beneath the Hokage Rock, when everyone was smiling and offering their blessings, why? Why was Sakura's face filled with disappointment?
Although Naruto was only twelve, after being transformed by the Intelligence Fruit, he was no longer an emotionally clueless idiot. His mind was far more mature than others his age, and he quickly understood the key to the situation.
Sakura did indeed love Sasuke, a crush during her innocent teenage years. Back then, Sasuke, though arrogant, was incredibly reliable as a comrade. Coupled with his handsome appearance and excellent grades, many girls would subconsciously admire a strong person.
Until Sasuke turned to darkness for revenge, Sakura cried and made a "lifelong" promise with Naruto, but this also planted a curse upon her: "to love Sasuke for life."
When Sasuke's actions repeatedly hurt her, Naruto was like the sun, always there for her, offering warmth and comfort.
For Sakura at this time, Sasuke was like the darkness she encountered in the sunlight, while Naruto was the light in the shadows!
Did she really not like Naruto?
They trained together under the big tree, shared their secrets on the bench, laughed and argued together, and gloated over their successful pranks.
When Naruto was consumed by the Nine-Tails, she risked her life to hold him, using her own blood to revive him, claiming her arm was injured by Orochimaru, simply to ease his guilt.
When Naruto was critically injured, she performed CPR on him without hesitation. Girls are supposed to be reserved and mindful of their image, but since he was willing to risk his life for her, she was willing to give up everything for him.
Time can heal many wounds. As Sakura grew up, she realized that what she felt for Sasuke was not love, but rather the reluctance and bond between comrades. Her passion for Sasuke had long since faded, and she finally recognized the excellence of Naruto beside her.
But Naruto's unwavering devotion and pain in pursuing Sasuke constantly irritated her, reminding her that the person she should love was Sasuke.
Perhaps there were many moments when Sakura wanted to abandon this promise, start a new life, and love someone else.
Sakura's feelings for Naruto were always so restrained and controlled. The longer these suppressed emotions were kept, the stronger they would erupt. She even resolved to kill another bond in her heart for Naruto's sake. If this isn't love, then what is?
Kakashi understood, Yamato understood, Sai understood, but Naruto himself couldn't.
That unexpected confession in the heavy snow, that sudden outburst of emotion, seemed incredibly deliberate, but wasn't it also a test?
What she had longed for for so many years was right before her eyes, yet Naruto retreated, and with the cruelest actions, prevented Sakura's inner transformation.
Despite Sakura's repeated tests, Naruto never dared to believe she truly loved him. He only told her that she probably loved Sasuke, and that she wouldn't give up on Sasuke even without her!
Naruto didn't believe that love could change! This shattered all of Sakura's hopes. Ultimately, Naruto married Hinata, and Sakura married Sasuke. As for Sasuke, it was more about atonement and compensation...
Naruto didn't believe that love could change! They believed they were fulfilling each other's wishes. Sakura thought Hinata would bring Naruto happiness, and Naruto thought Sasuke would bring Sakura happiness. But what was the truth? True happiness isn't given by others; it springs from the hearts of two people who love each other!
Yet, for Sasuke's sake, he consistently ignored Sakura's feelings. Were all those sweet words just lies?
They fulfilled each other's wishes, missed each other, and inflicted a wound on each other that could never heal!
"Baka! Why? Why?!"
"Why won't you even give her a chance to choose? You don't even give her the right to decide for herself! You coward!"
Although he knew what was about to happen, Naruto was living in the present. His favorite person right now was Sakura, and he couldn't accept the fact that they would ultimately miss each other, especially in such a tragic way.
"When you're twelve years old and secretly harbor feelings for someone, only to find that the other person is always hurting you, rejecting you, even trying to kill you, can't you just give up? Does giving up mean being unfaithful? But nothing has happened!"
"Bullshit! Nonsense!"
"Aaaaaahhhhhh..."
All the regret and resentment he felt after reading the entire manga finally erupted at this moment.
Naruto clutched his head in anguish. The power of the Intelligence-Intelligence Fruit made him more mature than his peers, and it allowed him to understand Sakura's feelings, but the weight of those feelings was something he couldn't bear at his age.
His heart felt like it was being gripped by something, suffocating him and leaving him utterly powerless. An unprecedented pain spread through almost every cell of Naruto's body.
Naruto's face gradually contorted, and eerie red chakra surged continuously from his body; the Nine-Tails seal had been broken.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was secretly observing Naruto using his telescope jutsu, was shocked and shouted, "Oh no! Kakashi, get to Naruto's house!"
Damn it! Naruto had been staring at his palm for two days and three nights, and he hadn't even noticed the anomaly until now.
"Hi!" The voice had barely left his lips when Kakashi vanished.
Kakashi used almost his fastest speed ever. He didn't want anything to happen to Naruto, not only because Naruto was his student, but also because of his teacher—Minato Namikaze!
Minato-sensei was dead, and Kakashi couldn't allow Naruto to die at such a young age.
"Phew."
When he arrived at Naruto's house, he found that Naruto's anomaly had subsided, and he was now fast asleep, hugging his pillow, occasionally murmuring in his sleep.
"Sakura..."