【Ming Zuo】Walking Alone in Darkness

Rather than running tasks outside, Naruto's job is more to assist Kakashi with Shikamaru.This job was much more boring, but Naruto survived.It's just that the more he does it, the less the smile on his face fades and his signature Uzumaki Naruto glow dims.

He used to really think that guarding is the simplest thing.Strong enough to defeat all the enemies that come, isn't it?

really not.

What should he do when what he wants to protect is itself a conflict?

He didn't ask Kakashi, nor did he go to Shikamaru to complain. He flipped through the thick files about Uchiha, his eyes became more and more serious.

If Itachi asked him again, what would you do if Sasuke wanted to destroy Konoha, he could still firmly say that he would stop Sasuke while not hurting Sasuke.But Itachi didn't tell him how to bring Sasuke back when Konoha has been targeting Sasuke.

Itachi's original plan was to let Sasuke kill himself and become Konoha's hero, which is considered an honorable return to his hometown.But Naruto suddenly felt that even if Obito and the others didn't tell Sasuke the truth, and everything went according to his plan, could he really be accepted by Konoha after killing the Uchiha who slaughtered the clan and rebelled?

There was one Uchiha Madara, and another incident where the whole family tried to revolt. Later, even the Fourth World War was provoked by two Uchihas. Those high-level officials, can they really tolerate Sasuke becoming a "hero"?

Naruto rubbed the center of his brows, pushed the file away wearily, leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes.

"Hey... You also take a break." Shikamaru said reluctantly, and handed him a cup of tea.Kakashi is already a Hokage who is much more diligent than Tsunade, but compared to Naruto, who looks like he will desert when he looks at it, he looks like paddling.

"I'm quite tired, I said... ah, I'm hungry." Naruto drank half a cup of tea with a puff, got up and rummaged through his box of instant noodles, "Do you want it? Let me tell you what flavor it is?"

"Well...it's not really me showing off, but Temari prepared a bento for me."

"Oh." Naruto responded casually, yawned, and went to make noodles by himself.

Kakashi and Shikamaru looked at each other and chose to remain silent.

Naruto looks so wrong.

Although the two of them definitely liked him more than Hinata, anyone with eyes could tell, but... why did they feel that their married life was quite disharmonious?With Hinata's personality, they really couldn't imagine a reason why Naruto could not even eat a homemade lunch in the office.

Naruto himself knew something was wrong.

He told himself that he couldn't do this, and he should treat Hinata better.Not only has he eaten pork, but he has also seen pigs running. He has seen how Shikamaru and Temari, Sai and Ino get along. He knows that he should spend more time with Hinata and treat her better.

But he just felt empty.

There is a place where the heart is, and it has been completely empty since he held Hinata's hand.

That's where he thought he'd be completely filled when he got married and started a family.

In the end, Naruto, who was working hard, was thrown out of Hokage by Kakashi and Shikamaru jointly, on the grounds that he should go home and rest.

Kakashi and Shikamaru assured that when they knew that Naruto would be the next Hokage, they never imagined the scene where they forced Naruto to rest.

The completely opposite scene has already done enough psychological construction.

Naruto was indeed tired, but his heart was even more tired.He didn't really want to go home, so he wandered aimlessly in the village.

He is about to celebrate his 20th birthday, that is to say, it has been almost three years since the Ninja World War ended.The reconstruction of various parts of the village has been basically completed, and signs of new reconstruction have also begun. The village looks full of vitality.

Seeing his village improving, Naruto must be happy in his heart, but... he also hopes that this improving place can completely become the destination of that person.

There were a few people around the entrance of the village. Naruto walked over and found a strange face holding a strange musical instrument. He set up a portable stool and started to play.

Listening to the conversation of the people next to him, it seems that he is a wandering poet from a different continent.

Naruto had nowhere to go anyway, so he sat down and prepared to listen.He came earlier and was in the front row.Later, more people came one after another, and most of them came to say hello to Naruto. Naruto smiled and waved his hand to signal not to disturb the performance.

The singer sat down, tuned the strings, and began to play.

The melody is beautiful, but there is a touch of sadness.Soon, he sang along.It should be a language from another country, Naruto couldn't understand it, but he just listened to it quietly, and his mood fluctuated with the melody. When the melody reached its climax in the middle, he felt as if his heart Gripped so hard that sadly even the soul was shaken.

I don't know when, a song has been sung, but there is almost no applause, it's not bad, but everyone was a little shocked by the sad melody, and didn't recover for a while.The poet looked at Naruto sitting directly opposite him, and smiled as if embarrassed: "Sorry, did you think of anything?"

Naruto seemed to wake up suddenly from a dream, only then did he realize that his face was full of tears.

"Ah, it's okay... you sing really well, I said." Naruto smiled, and wiped the water marks on his face with his hands indiscriminately, "just now... what did you sing about?"

The singer read the lyrics lightly in Japanese. The translation slightly destroyed the rhythm, but he read it very slowly and slightly rhymed it. There was no melody, but the words felt beautiful.

And, so sad.

Whenever I hear melancholy music

wounds that evoke memories

whenever i see the white moonlight

remember your face

I know I shouldn't think about it

Thinking of bewilderment

who makes me sad

who makes me worry

It is you

I know the things that shouldn't be said

make you angry

Want to know the years of floating time

do you miss home too

If I kissed you/hugged you then

Maybe it's hard to tell

I'm so sorry

so many expectations you know

how clear i love you

what a strong faith

how warm i love you

what a brave force

Listening to him translating the meaning of the lyrics, Naruto suddenly smiled, the smile was relieved and warm, but tears filled his cheeks.

"I love you"...?

He finally understood, but it was too late.

He likes Sasuke.

Not like a friend, but like a lover, like someone who wants to marry him.

He understood Sasuke's hesitation to speak, the tears that flowed into his temples when Sasuke said goodbye at the beginning, and the gentle but still eyes of Sasuke when he left the village.

But he understood too late.

Naruto covered his face, smiled a few times, and then burst into tears.

After finishing an operation, Xiao Sakura walked to her office and thumped her waist after standing for two hours. Her mind was full of dinner, so when she opened the door, she was startled and hiccupped.

Naruto looked up at her and smiled at her, he didn't laugh at her or make fun of her, he was smiling, but this smile was really ugly.

"What... what's wrong? Wait, why is your face so ugly?" Xiao Ying closed the door, walked over quickly, and frowned at him closely, "Tell me the truth, how long has it been since you had a good rest?"

Naruto didn't answer her: "Sakura, I want to come and see you. Ah, don't think too much, I just... want to come and see you."

Because I miss Sasuke.

The only person who can make me miss Sasuke silently is you, Sakura.

Sakura was stunned for a moment, she suddenly thought of when they were both very young, that time Naruto suddenly said to her, "I really like Sakura the most", just like now.

If you are an ordinary person, you may feel that this sentence is really too ambiguous, especially under the premise that Naruto is married, it is really inappropriate.But Sakura knew very well that Naruto was definitely not expressing any special feelings towards him, because at that time, his next sentence was "Because, being by your side makes me think of Sasuke".

He is... Missing Sasuke-kun.

Sakura pursed her lower lip and didn't say anything else. She opened the drawer and rummaged through it. She found some instant food that she had prepared. She picked out red bean bread with the latest date. Put it to your mouth.

"Understood, you have something to eat and have a good rest."

Ah...why did you say it was when you were a child just now?

They are only 20 years old now, but what happened at the age of 16 seems like a lifetime ago.

Naruto took a bite of the bread, chewed slowly, and said softly, "Hinata is pregnant."

"...Huh?" Sakura asked cautiously, she didn't know what Naruto meant by saying this suddenly.Of course she knew that the wife of a good friend at the same time, who was also her friend, came to check, and she personally received and took them around.

Naruto smiled wryly, threw the bread aside, and slammed his head on the hard wooden table.

"...What have I done!"

Naruto pulled his hair vigorously, with an ugly smile still on his face, he roared in a low voice, even crying: "What the hell have I done!"

Sakura was stunned.

When she was in school, she was the smartest one in the same period, but it is a pity that this smartness was basically used to chase boys when she was a student, but also because of this, she is the best able to use the shortest time to understand this team. For two boys.

She immediately understood what Naruto was talking about, but she would rather she didn't understand.

Naruto really likes Sasuke-kun.

But he is married, and his wife is just pregnant, only three months old.

But at this time, he actually found out that he likes Sasuke.

Sakura watched Naruto hit her head hard, she couldn't do anything, she took a step back, covered her mouth and started crying.

Why is it still like this...

She went to practice, she became stronger, she just wanted to stand beside the two of them, so that she wouldn't just cry when something happened to them, and couldn't help anything.

But now... She still just cried and couldn't help anything.

Naruto's state deteriorated at a speed that was almost visible to the naked eye, and he spent all day in Hokage Building, Kakashi and Shikamaru tried to persuade him to no avail.

Sakura looked at it and felt distressed and helpless.

Not only Naruto, but Sasuke has been communicating with her all the time, and she can see that Sasuke asked questions that Naruto would not tell him.

Sasuke would ask her if Naruto's job is going well, if the process of being Hokage will be embarrassing, and if there are any rumors in the village that are not good for him.

She also knew that every time Naruto said to Sasuke, apart from the miscellaneous nonsense gossip he could find, it was to report the progress of communication with high-level officials about the Uchiha clan and Sasuke himself.

However, the frequency is greatly reduced.

Since the day he suddenly appeared in her office and vented his emotions in a big way, his letters to Sasuke have dropped sharply.Of course Sasuke could feel it, he was too embarrassed to ask directly, so he had to vaguely mention it in the letter to Sakura, asking her if Naruto had encountered any trouble recently.

What else can Sakura say, he found out he likes you but his wife is pregnant?My God, let me die.Sakura bit her pen and thought about it for a long time, and finally said that Naruto has been working so hard recently that he doesn't pay attention to rest, Sasuke-kun, please persuade him.

She has to say, Sasuke's words are still useful, Naruto looks much better.

It's just that this pain...how long will it last...

============TBC=========