Chapter 32: Warmth & A New Path
"…Hmm!" Seeing that Naruto had accepted the bento, Sakura nodded, though her heart was racing. That was my own lunch! She had no idea why, upon hearing he hadn't eaten, her hands had acted on their own. But seeing his genuinely grateful expression sent a sweet warmth through her. Maybe… this is okay.
Naruto opened the box, finished the meal quickly, wiped his mouth, and the two of them set off.
For today's training, Naruto planned to return to the waterfall to continue his own practice.
They chatted easily on the walk. Upon arriving, Naruto stopped and turned to Sakura. "Alright, Sakura. I'm going to have a shadow clone train with you. I'll be working on my own thing over there."
"Eh? You're not going to train with me yourself?" Sakura felt a pang of disappointment. Was he just going to brush her off with a copy?
"Uh, I think one clone is enough. Don't underestimate my clones!" Naruto misunderstood her hesitation, thinking she doubted the clone's ability.
"…Okay." Sakura opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, finally nodding in reluctant acceptance. A thread of resentment wound through her. He's just palming me off on a substitute!
Unaware of her slightly pursed lips, Naruto formed the seal. With a puff of smoke, a clone appeared. The real Naruto then dove into the pounding curtain of the waterfall.
The shadow clone led Sakura to a clear area.
"Sakura, your chakra control is top-notch, but your reserves are smaller. So, in a real fight, rationing your chakra and using it tactically is key. I'm still figuring it out myself, but I've learned a few things. We'll work on it through sparring," the clone explained.
"Fine! But Naruto, are you sure just a shadow clone is enough? Once I beat it, you'd better come out yourself!" Sakura declared, the lingering frustration clear in her voice.
Drawing a kunai, Sakura settled into her stance, her gaze steady on the figure before her. I'll show him. If I don't blow this clone away, he won't know how serious I am!
The Naruto clone stood calmly, drawing a kunai of its own. "Let's start. You have the first move."
"Hmph!" His casual attitude stoked her irritation. With a soft snort, she shot forward, her movement a swift, direct line.
"Such a straightforward approach?" The clone's eyes narrowed slightly. It shook its head almost imperceptibly and raised its kunai to meet the strike.
Clang!
A crisp ring echoed as the blades met, the force pushing them both back a step.
In that instant, Sakura's hands blurred. Several shuriken flew from her grasp, arcing to envelop Naruto.
The clone's arm became a blur of motion, deflecting each spinning blade with precise flicks. As its eyes refocused, it saw Sakura had already circled to its left flank.
Projectiles to distract, then a flanking strike? Much better. But… "Not bad!" the clone called out. Yet, it made no move to evade.
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
In the next moment, a volley of kunai and shuriken thudded into the clone's body.
With a soft poof, the struck figure transformed into a log, the weapons now lodged in wood. Naruto's voice then sounded from directly behind Sakura. "That's a classic Academy maneuver. Without any setup or feint, it's still pretty easy to see through."
The cool edge of a kunai rested lightly against Sakura's neck. She froze, stunned. Then, a determined smile touched her lips.
"Naruto, do you really look down on me that much?" As she spoke, her own form vanished with a poof, replaced by another log.
"Oh? A substitution. Well hidden!" The clone smiled, but its gaze immediately snapped upward and to the left. "Over here, Sakura!"
Its eyes locked onto Sakura, who was dropping from the air, her attack already committed. The look of complete awareness on the clone's face filled her with helplessness. This is just a shadow clone… and it's reading me so easily. He really is a monster.
Being utterly outmatched by just a shadow clone filled Sakura with a deep sense of powerlessness that quickly spiraled into dismay. At the Academy, she'd been a top student, always at the head of the class. And she was a student of the Copy Ninja, Kakashi. Yet now, every shred of that pride was crumbling.
She remembered clearly—Naruto had been the dead-last. But in the short time they'd been a team, he revealed some new, shocking depth almost daily. Just when she thought she was starting to understand him, he pulled her deeper into confusion.
Naruto… I understand you less and less every day! Lost in her thoughts, she barely registered the kunai at her neck.
"Hey, spacing out? Do you just give up the moment you're caught?" Naruto's voice was uncharacteristically stern. He withdrew the kunai and stepped back.
Sakura stomped her foot, looking down. "That's not it! It's just… who knew you'd be this strong!"
Seeing her dejection, Naruto understood. I've shaken her confidence. A pang of regret hit him. Perhaps he could nudge her toward a different path sooner.
He stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder with an encouraging grin. "Alright, Sakura, don't get discouraged. Let's break for lunch. I have something to talk to you about then."
"Talk about what?" Sakura's head snapped up, her curiosity immediately piqued.
"I'll tell you later. It's almost noon. Run through some basic kata on your own for now," Naruto said, smiling.
"Hmph! Fine, Mr. Secretive," Sakura grumbled, but the spark had returned to her eyes.
By midday, the sun was high. Naruto and Sakura sat in a small eatery.
"…" After listening to Naruto, Sakura fell into a long, thoughtful silence.
Naruto watched her patiently. He had just finished suggesting she consider becoming a medical-nin, listing her aptitudes: her exceptional chakra control, sharp intellect, calm under pressure, and inherent kindness.
Finally, Sakura looked up. "A part of me hates how fast you've left me behind… but I think you might be right. Focusing on medical ninjutsu could be the best path for me."
"So, you agree?" Naruto was pleasantly surprised.
The truth was, while Sakura admired powerful shinobi, her gentle nature struggled with the violence of combat. She was self-aware enough to know pure fighting wasn't her strongest suit—today had proven that. Surviving with her own unique strengths… becoming a medic made sense.
"Yeah, I agree," Sakura nodded firmly, then hesitated. "But… Kakashi-sensei doesn't know medical ninjutsu. How do I even start?"
Naruto thought for a moment. "Don't worry about that yet. The first step is the determination. Start with the basics. Find some books on medical theory. Once you've built a foundation, you can apply to the Medical Corps for formal training later."
"Is that so…" Sakura studied his face, then nodded decisively. "Alright. I'll listen to you."
As she said it, she felt a flicker of internal surprise. Since when did I start following Naruto's lead? But his suggestion felt right.
That afternoon, Sakura went to the Konoha archives for medical texts. Naruto returned to the thunderous solitude of the waterfall, continuing his own rigorous practice while carefully probing the unstable Sage energy intertwined with the Curse Mark.
"Naruto-kun!"
The voice, soft yet carrying over the roar of the water, pulled him from his focus. He had just pulled his shirt on, smoothing his wet hair, when he saw her.
"Hinata?" Naruto finished dressing and walked over, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"Naruto-kun…" Looking at his bright smile and his damp, spiky hair, Hinata felt her heartbeat quicken, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "The other day… I came looking for you in the afternoon, but you weren't here. I didn't see you in the village at all. Did you go on a mission, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto paused, remembering. That afternoon when Sakura had rushed to him about Sasuke, Hinata must have come by with food, only to find him gone without a word. The concern on her face told him she'd been worried.
A warm feeling spread through his chest. He shook his head with an apologetic smile and reached out, taking her pale, slender hand in his. "I'm sorry, Hinata. Sakura pulled me away that day and I forgot to let you know. I made you come all the way out here for nothing."
The moment her hand was enveloped by his, Hinata's face flushed a deeper crimson. Feeling his warmth, she was overwhelmed with shyness and dizzying joy. She fought the urge to faint and won, but in doing so, her capacity for coherent thought fled. For a moment, she could only let herself be led.
Seeing her utterly adorable expression, Naruto felt a wave of fond amusement. He gently tugged her hand. "Come on, Hinata, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."
A full day of training had left him weary. The fading light meant it was time to stop.
Under the setting sun, their two shadows stretched long across the ground. In the distance, where the shadows met, they seemed to blend seamlessly into one.