Walking out of the barbecue restaurant, Chizhao's belly was round, and her steps were a bit wobbly, as if she could barely walk.
On the other hand, Sasuke seemed to be in a great mood, his hands casually in his pockets, a look of leisurely contentment on his face.
Chizhao's mind once again recalled Sasuke's shy appearance in a short skirt, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl into a smile again, making her laugh out loud.
A puzzled Sasuke looked at her: "What are you laughing at?"
Chizhao immediately reined in her smile, nervously looking elsewhere: "N-nothing..."
The two walked side by side on the riverbank, the warm sunlight falling on the green lawn, making the fresh colors more vibrant.
Sasuke tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Chizhao's delicate face and bright eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he asked softly: "Did you join Anbu?"
This sudden question made Chizhao pause, but then she remembered that the other person was the perceptive Uchiha Sasuke, and she sighed with relief.
"As expected of Sasuke, you've already guessed it."
After receiving an affirmative answer, Sasuke's expression became serious. He reached out and grasped Chizhao's arm, his voice tinged with urgency and worry: "Do you know what Anbu means? Why did you join?"
Chizhao was a little confused by Sasuke's sudden emotional outburst. Sasuke also realized his gaffe, quickly released her hand, and buried his face in the shadows, his voice low and heavy: "Sorry...."
Sasuke bit his lower lip slightly, and his heart also became uneasy.
That dangerous Anbu.
That hell full of slaughter.....
He was really worried that once Chizhao got involved, she would never be able to come back.
Having lost everything, he no longer wanted to lose anyone else around him.
"Of course I know what joining Anbu means."
Chizhao walked a few steps forward, explaining Anbu in the simplest terms: "It means integrating into the darkness, protecting the Village under an assumed name, and contributing to the Village."
"Everyone understands that principle, I just....."
Sasuke hesitated, and after meeting Chizhao's clear eyes for a moment, a strange irritation welled up in his heart.
"Just what?" Chizhao pressed.
He rephrased what he wanted to say in his mind, and with his hands in his pockets, he became arrogant again: "I just worry that you can't keep your promise..."
"Don't worry, Sasuke! I guarantee with my life that I will find the Uchiha Clan!"
Her tone was full of determination.
Sasuke moved his gaze from the girl's unusually confident expression and walked forward: "Are you an idiot? Who told you to guarantee with your life."
Chizhao quickly followed his pace: "Because that's the only way to express my resolve!"
"Sasuke!! Let's have a showdown!!"
Naruto suddenly jumped out from the other side, pointing at Sasuke and shouting, his clothes neat.
When he noticed Chizhao beside Sasuke, he immediately panicked: "Huh?! Why is Chizhao alone with you?!"
"You wouldn't be trying to take advantage of her, would you!!"
Chizhao looked at Naruto, who was in an intellectual desert, speechless, and kindly corrected him: "Naruto.... 'Taking advantage of her' isn't used like that...."
"Is that so?" Naruto scratched his head awkwardly.
The atmosphere was broken by a certain loudmouth. Sasuke frowned in displeasure and looked up at him: "Not interested today."
"What?!"
"Besides, you were the one who pretended to be me, so why do you act like you're the one who's been wronged."
Naruto was choked into silence, his face turning green then pale. Finally, he crossed his arms, turned his head, and retorted stubbornly: "Ah! That's right! It's certainly a grievance to have this great me pretend to be you."
"What did you say?"
Sasuke was so angered by Naruto's thick skin that he rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight. Seeing this, Chizhao quickly stepped between the two: "Stop arguing, stop arguing. I finally came back to the Village for a few days of rest, don't make me break up your fights again!"
Naruto froze for a moment at these words.
"Eh? Are you leaving the Village again in a few days, Chizhao?"
Seeing that both of them had calmed down, Chizhao finally sighed in relief: "That's right, so you two should get along, for my sake."
After speaking, she continued to walk forward, while Naruto seriously followed beside her, planning: "Since that's the case, I'll come find you to play these next few days, and we'll visit all the fun places in Konoha Village!"
Sasuke frowned and glanced at Naruto, then spoke slowly: "Did you, you idiot, forget that we also have entrusted missions? We don't have that much time for you to play."
Upon hearing this, Naruto deflated like a punctured ball: "You're right.... And they're all C-rank missions that don't get me excited....."
Chizhao placed a hand on his shoulder and comforted him earnestly: "C-rank missions are a necessary path for every excellent Ninja, keep it up, Naruto!"
"Is that so? Then were your first missions C-rank too, Chizhao?"
Upon hearing this question, Chizhao choked on her saliva and started coughing, quickly scratching her head and awkwardly laughing: "Th-that's of course! Hahahaha..."
If only they were C-rank missions.
Sasuke, who knew that Anbu never had C-rank missions, silently muttered "idiot" in his heart.
Then he looked up at the two beside him and offered his opinion: "If you ask me, we should use the remaining time to do something more meaningful."
"More meaningful?" Chizhao tilted her head, thinking.
In her heart, being with Grandma Huizi and her friends was already very meaningful.
Naruto, who immediately had an idea in his head, jumped up: "I know! Then tonight I'll treat Chizhao to Ichiraku Ramen! And it must be the kind with lots of char siu!"
Sasuke groaned with a headache: "As expected, a big idiot whose head is full of ramen."
"What?! Do you have a better idea, Sasuke!"
Naruto's ramen idea was within Chizhao's expectations. She turned to look at Sasuke, also anticipating his answer.
Sasuke lifted his head, looking disdainfully at Naruto and said: "Of course, it's to seize the time to take her to train and hone her abilities!"
Upon hearing Sasuke's answer, Chizhao silently nodded.
That was quite in line with Sasuke's personality.
Feeling like Sasuke had shown off again, Naruto gritted his teeth, strode a few steps in front of him, crossed his arms, and glared at him in dissatisfaction: "If you want to train, go by yourself! Chizhao is definitely going to eat ramen with me!"
Sasuke heard this and a mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Huh? Do you want her to become useless like you?"
"Who cares about you! Anyway, she's going to eat ramen with me! —"
"She should train with me, you dead last! —"
Between the two, the atmosphere was tense, they gnashed their teeth, their eyes like torches, glaring at each other.
Chizhao smiled bitterly in her heart, really not wanting to get involved in their pointless argument.
She tried to quietly slip away from beside them, but unexpectedly, both of them simultaneously turned their gaze to her and shouted in unison: "Chizhao, you say! Which side do you choose?!"
The sudden choice instantly put Chizhao in a dilemma.
Bearing their expectant gazes, she thought of a perfect solution: "Can't we eat ramen and train at the same time?"
"No!!"
"No!!"