Sakura pulled me by the ear through half the street like I was a misbehaving child. Her grip was surprisingly strong, and every time I tried to twist away she just yanked harder. I kept my face neutral on the outside, but inside I was rolling my eyes so hard it hurt.
Oh yeah. I remember how annoying she used to be in the anime. Trash—that’s what people called her. Personally, I never liked her much. Sure, she looked good. Even now, walking behind her, I could see the way her skirt moved over that large, round ass. But personality-wise? She was always this loud, violent, Sasuke-obsessed mess. And somehow Naruto fell for her of all people.
She finally let go of my ear when we reached a quieter stretch of road. She stopped, hands on her hips, breathing a little hard from dragging me around.
"You know you have to inform us when you get out of the hospital! I looked for you everywhere. I even went to your house, but you weren’t there. I was searching the whole village, and what’s with your clothes? You always wore orange—I was looking for that colour!"
I rubbed my sore ear and looked at her properly. The pink hair, the green eyes, the figure that made half the village stare. Still, the irritation won out.
"Yeah," I said flatly. "I decided to change."
She blinked, clearly thrown off by the short answer. I could see the wheels turning in her head. Naruto used to be around so many attractive women—Hinata, Ino, even the older ones—and yet he chased after this Sasuke fangirl for years. The thought almost made me laugh out loud. Instead I kept quiet.
Sakura crossed her arms. "Without telling me..."
The frustration bubbled up faster than I expected. Years of watching her treat Naruto like an afterthought, years of knowing how one-sided it all was, and now I was stuck wearing his face while she lectured me.
"Do I have to tell you everything?" The words came out sharper than I intended.
Her eyes widened. Shock flashed across her face. Naruto had always talked sweetly to her, even when she hit him or yelled. This was the first time she had heard anything close to real annoyance from him. From me.
"Hey... are you all right?"
"Yeah. I’m fine."
My replies were short, laced with clear dissatisfaction. She shifted uncomfortably, searching my face for the usual bright grin that never came.
"Okay... that’s what I wanted to ask."
My lips twitched. I couldn’t help it. "So you went through all that trouble just to ask that?"
She opened her mouth, closed it again, and for once seemed at a loss for words. The silence stretched. I let it.
"If that’s it, can I go now? I have to buy some groceries."
She looked at me with clear concern now, the anger from earlier completely gone. "Okay..."
I turned and walked away without looking back. I could feel her eyes on me the whole time until I turned the corner. Behind me I imagined her standing there, brows furrowed, wondering the same thing she had muttered under her breath.
*Is he angry at me?*
Good. Let her wonder.
I made my way to the nearest grocery store, a small family-run place with fresh produce stacked outside. I picked up vegetables, rice, eggs, some meat, and a few basic seasonings. I couldn’t keep surviving on instant noodles forever. The auntie at the counter smiled at me and gave a small discount when she recognized "Naruto." I paid with the money still left in the wallet and headed back toward the apartment, the bag of groceries swinging at my side.
On the way home I ran into Shikamaru and Ino. They were walking together, Ino carrying a small bouquet of leftover flowers from the shop. Both of them stopped when they saw me.
"Hey, Naruto," Shikamaru drawled, hands in his pockets as usual.
"Hey."
Ino’s eyes lit up a little when she noticed the new clothes. She gave me a quick once-over but didn’t comment in front of Shikamaru.
"We’re planning dinner tonight at that new hotel near the training grounds," Shikamaru said. "You want to come?"
I thought fast. If they were going out, there was a good chance Ino would be there too. Perfect opportunity to move the new quest forward without forcing anything.
"Okay," I answered.
Shikamaru nodded lazily. "Alright. We’ll come pick you up from your place later."
They continued on their way. I watched Ino’s ponytail sway as she walked and felt the system window pulse once in my peripheral vision. The quest was still active. One week. No pressure.
I got back to the apartment, put the groceries away, and started making a simple lunch—rice, stir-fried vegetables, and eggs. While the food cooked I leaned against the counter and thought through a rough plan for Ino. Nothing aggressive. Start with more casual meetings. Build comfort. Use the Mind Bender skill only when necessary. Take it slow so she comes to me.
As I ate, I noticed something strange. My hands weren’t shaking. My chest didn’t feel tight. The old anxiety—the one that had kept me locked in my room for years—had gone quiet. It wasn’t completely gone, but it no longer controlled every decision. I set the chopsticks down and smiled to myself.
"Maybe when I go home this time... I’ll actually be able to talk to my family like a normal person."
The thought felt good. Real. For the first time since waking up in this body, the goal wasn’t just surviving the quests. It was becoming someone who could walk back into his old life without hiding behind a closed door.
I finished lunch, cleaned up, and sat by the window with the rose plant I had bought earlier. The afternoon sun warmed the apartment. Dinner with the group was only a few hours away. Ino would be there. The timer on Quest 3 kept ticking.
I touched the leaves of the small plant and spoke softly to the empty room.
"One step at a time."
Outside, the village moved on with its day. Inside, I started turning over ideas for the evening, the weight of ninety-six remaining quests sitting on my shoulders—but for once, the weight didn’t feel completely crushing.
Give me power!!!