The low-lying, somber clouds cast a darkness over Konoha, and as Naruto finished his morning routine and stepped outside, the village's vibrant hues began to fade. It seemed as though shadows had conspired to extinguish the light within the expanse of clouds, plunging everything into an enveloping gloom. Soon after, a thunderous downpour erupted, without a care for anyones plans. Naruto and Sakura found themselves in the corridor at the entrance, their expressions reflecting a shared sense of astonishment as they gazed upon the relentless curtain of rain. "Did the weather forecast in Konoha predict rain today?" Sakura asked, her brow furrowed as she watched the white mist blur around them.
"Today's weather was gloomy in the morning, wasn't it?" Naruto muttered, "The good news is, I have an umbrella."
About an hour later, the rain had lightened up a bit.
"Let's go." Sakura said, getting up. The rain wouldn't deter her from her mission. She would find the perfect gift for Sasuke.
'Maybe when he sees how much thought I put into his present, he will finally realize that no other girl will ever be as perfect for him as me.'
Naruto, seeing the burning flames of youth in the pink-haired kunoichi's eyes, sighed, locked the door, and went out.
'Hopefully, this won't be too bothersome.'
With a snap, a black umbrella opened. They stood shoulder to shoulder beneath it. Fortunately, it was large enough, so they didn't have to worry about getting wet.
"Naruto." Sakura broke the silence, seeming to be in a low mood.
"Hmm?"
"Why did those people look at us like that just now?" Sakura asked with concern, "Aren't they also residents of the apartment?"
When they walked out of the apartment, Sakura saw for the first time the villagers, standing under the eaves, had dark and full of disdain expressions, as if they were looking at something extremely repulsive.
"Because you are walking beside me, they hate you too." Naruto said.
"Is that really okay?" Sakura couldn't help but shudder. The stares of the people were really getting to her.
She did not continue the conversation and stopped talking.
"Ah, it doesn't matter." Naruto seemed not to care. He held the umbrella in his hand and looked steadily ahead.
The street under their feet was flowing with rainwater. Summer always brought abundant rain, and the black umbrella stood out starkly against the cold street.
His voice was firm and cool, as plain as freshly cooled boiled water.
"I've long since stopped caring about them. Though saying that might be a bit harsh. But they are just brainless pests following the crowd."
"Or maybe, their hatred of me helps them unite. No one wants to be left out, right?"
The rain hit the black umbrella, making a rustling sound.
"Forgive me for saying this, but they are just existing, aren't they? Covered in human skin, the only meaningful thing they can do is to work and reproduce."
Listening to Naruto's words, Sakura didn't know what to say.
After passing through the old streets, the two stopped in front of a gift shop. Then, Naruto motioned Sakura to go in first. Sakura was a little confused and looked at Naruto in confusion.
"If you come in with me, the shop owner might not sell to you."
Sakura was stunned for a moment after hearing this. She looked up at Naruto, then at the rain outside, and after hesitating for a moment, she turned around and went in first.
After a while, Naruto estimated that Sakura probably had made her choice, so he walked into the store.
The shop owner recognized Naruto, frowned as he gave him a glance, but said nothing.
At that moment, Sakura was walking out, holding a gift, which is a cute blue plush doll. Naruto nodded, turned around and walked out the door.
"You're leaving without buying anything?" The shop owner suddenly mocked from the doorway, "Next time, don't come to my shop if you have no money."
Naruto ignored it and continued walking forward.
Instead, Sakura felt as if her palm was pricked by a needle. Her brow furrowed deeply, and her fingers clenched tightly around the plush toy.
Shinobi are forbidden from harming civilians in their village, a rule clearly stated in the Shinobi Code. The shop owner clearly knew this, which is why he showed no restraint as he watched Naruto leave the store.
Although she had mentally prepared herself, witnessing such blatant bullying right before her eyes, with the victim being her own comrade, was still hard to bear.
Filled with resentment, Sakura threw the plush toy heavily into the shop owner's arms, startling him.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm not buying anything from this crappy store!" Sakura glared at the shop owner before storming out.
"Are you sick? Really!"
Sakura exited the gift shop and saw Naruto waiting for her under the eaves, shielding himself from the rain.
She pursed her lips and said, "The stuff in there was no good, so I didn't buy anything."
"Alright." Naruto didn't say much, opened the big black umbrella and stepped out into the rain.
"I plan to go to the Ninja Tools shop and buy a wrist guard for Sasuke. What do you think?" Sakura forced a smile and said, "I don't really know what boys like, so I wanted you to give me some advice."
"I didn't expect what happened back there, and I didn't think it through… I'm sorry."
By the end of her sentence, Sakura's voice lost momentum. She didn't know what to say in a situation like this.
"Don't worry, I get it. You could've gotten it if you wanted. Their opinions don't matter to me."
"Really?" Sakura blinked and didn't react for a moment.
"Well, I see those people as bugs." Naruto explained, "In fact, aside from excluding me, they can't really do anything to me."
"They have no power and live their lives in confusion. Even though I became a Shinobi, they still speak rudely to me as always."
"To me, they are just the bugs of Konoha. Whether they live or die doesn't matter to me."
Sakura became increasingly nervous as she listened, so she quickly tried to change the subject. She really did not want to see her teammate get dragged off to prison for spouting such treasonous words. But just as she was about to speak, a flash of golden light caught her eye.
"Why are you walking together?" Ino raised her umbrella and stood in the rain, looking at the two with curiosity.
Sakura was afraid that Ino would know that she was shopping for Sasuke's birthday present, and she was also worried that Naruto might spill the beans, so she quickly explained.
"I had something to ask Naruto for help with!"
"Hmm?" Ino stared at Sakura suspiciously, "Since when did the two of you become so close that you'd ask each other for help?"
"It's about training, right, Naruto?" Sakura said nervously, her awkwardness a clear sign she was lying.
"Yes." Naruto nodded.
"Training?" Ino retracted her gaze, the gossipy and suspicious look on her face slowly fading.
She did know that the two of them were on the same team as Sasuke, and Naruto's top score in the graduation exam was indeed surprising. If Sakura were asking for advice on training, that would make sense. However, Ino had another concern. Ever since Naruto told her that day that Sasuke doesn't like women, it had become a personal torment for her.
"I see you two have been walking together for quite a while. Is your training over?" Ino asked.
"Yes… it's over," Sakura said helplessly. She really couldn't tell another lie.
"Okay then," Ino said, handing her umbrella to Sakura and dragging Naruto away.
"What?" Sakura was stunned.
"I'm borrowing him for a bit!" Ino's voice came from afar as they disappeared from sight.