Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 617 Konoha Ward

He rambled on for a long time, and finally, he looked at Ino Michi again.

"Sometimes I wonder, if I had been stronger back then and gone out with you guys, would things have turned out differently? Would you not be the way you are now?"

Ino suddenly laughed, perhaps because the candy was so sweet, or perhaps because Naruto's face was really handsome right now. She was naturally fond of handsome men and was a bit of a fangirl.

Naruto smiled at her and gently stroked her face. "Ino, do you think... we can go back to the past?"

He thought that if Ino were normal, they would probably already be getting married.

Click! The door to the ward was pushed open.

Naruto quickly withdrew his hand from Ino's, stood up, and turned his head, his movements so fast it was as if he were doing something wrong.

"Sakura".

Sakura Haruno was wearing a white coat and carrying a stainless steel tray with clean towels and ointment on it.

Her gaze fell on Naruto's face, then glanced at his hand that he quickly withdrew. Her expression was natural, as if she were used to it. "I'll wipe Ino's body."

"Oh... I'll be going now." Naruto walked out of the room somewhat awkwardly. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that he hadn't done anything wrong. They were, after all, lovers.

He walked to the window at the end of the corridor, stood against the wall, and took out a cigarette from his pocket.

He got it from Kakashi.

He had never smoked before, but Kakashi said it could relieve his depression, so he tried it a few times.

The pungent smell of the smoke choked his lungs. He coughed twice, took another drag, but still wasn't used to it.

Soon, the door behind me opened, and footsteps approached from afar.

"Smoking doesn't solve anything," Sakura's voice came from behind. "Besides, it's a very bad habit."

Naruto stubbed out his cigarette on the windowsill, turned around, and asked, "Why did you come out?"

"Ino is already asleep." Sakura walked to the windowsill next to him, put her hands on the table, and looked up at the gray-black night sky. "She just took her medicine before you came, and she gets sleepy when the medicine takes effect."

The two remained silent for a while.

Naruto asked, "How's Ino doing lately?"

"Same as before. No improvement, no worsening. Just hanging on like this."

"……Thanks a lot."

"I'm used to it."

Sakura turned her head to look at him, her gaze moving from the stubble on his face to the dark circles under his eyes, and suddenly asked, "What have you been busy with lately? You look very tired."

"It's nothing, just helping Kakashi-sensei move some things," Naruto said vaguely.

"Move what?"

"It's just... supplies and stuff." Naruto didn't go into details, "Those things brought back from outside need to be sorted and put into storage."

Sakura didn't press further, but instead said, "Would you like to sit down? I'll give you a massage."

Naruto nodded, then naturally walked to the chair next to him and sat down. His practiced posture clearly indicated that this wasn't the first time.

Sakura went behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pressed her fingertips precisely on his acupoints.

Her technique was excellent, with just the right amount of pressure, and she quickly relaxed Naruto's tense muscles.

"Is it comfortable?"

"Um."

Sakura touched his muscular shoulders, frowning slightly. "Your shoulder muscles are harder than before. Have you been more tired lately?"

Naruto closed his eyes, enjoying a moment of relaxation, and his voice unconsciously lowered: "Sakura, I have something to tell you."

"Outside... they're preparing to create a large barrier to enclose the space. At that time, most of the alternate dimensions will be captured by them, and Konoha's situation will be very dangerous. And..."

"I can hear, I'm not deaf. But... it'll definitely be very tiring later on."

Sakura's gentleness was tinged with a touch of heartache; she knew that the man before her carried too much on his shoulders.

Naruto didn't know why, but every time he said these things to Sakura, the heavy things in his heart would feel lighter.

It was as if she could truly sense his exhaustion.

This softness made him feel very relaxed.

"Sakura." Naruto opened his eyes, staring at the gray ceiling above him. "I made a promise with Sasuke."

"I know, the Infinite Tsukuyomi technique."

They are trapped in an eternal dream, living an ideal life within it, while their real bodies are hung on the divine tree, slowly turning into nourishment.

Knowing that he already knew the answer, Naruto continued without any surprise, "Sasuke said that rather than watching Konoha slowly head towards destruction, it would be better... for everyone to end their dreams. Of course, I disagree. But Sakura, do you know what's the scariest thing?"

"But... I'm increasingly convinced that he might be right. If that day ever comes... rather than letting everyone die in pain and fear, it would be better to..."

"Naruto," Sakura interrupted him.

She walked around from behind him to the front, bent down, placed her hand on his forehead, looked at him earnestly, and said, "Don't say things like that. You're not that kind of person."

She had thought that if she could forget all her memories and live out her life in that world, why should she care about whether it was real or not? Reality was already bitter enough.

Or perhaps she could have her wish granted; as she drifted off into thought, their faces drew ever closer.

Sakura seemed to be bewitched; her eyes were fixed on Naruto, and she kept moving closer to him, eventually sitting on his body without even realizing it.

As Naruto looked at the face that was getting closer, his throat bobbed, he swallowed, and felt his body getting hot, with some parts of him starting to stir.

He involuntarily closed his eyes slowly, and just as they were about to make their next move, the sound of breaking glass suddenly came from the ward.

The two quickly composed themselves, pushed each other away, and hurried back to the ward, afraid that Ino might get cut by shards of glass.

Sakura quickly hugged the mentally impaired Ino, preventing her from stepping on the ground and plunging into her skin. Naruto, on the other hand, quickly walked out of the room, grabbed a broom, and swept the broken glass off the floor.

When Sakura saw Ino like this, she despised herself in her heart. Sakura, Sakura, what are you thinking?

Naruto clearly loves Ino, and even though Ino has become like this, Naruto has remained devoted to her all these years.

Besides, you and Yamanaka Ino are good friends, how can you steal his beloved?

Naruto swept up the trash, then lowered his head, blushing. He felt he had been very presumptuous; his heart belonged only to Ino, yet he had been overcome with desire for another woman, and he had almost caused a disaster.

If he had kissed her just now, Sakura would definitely have punched him, she definitely would have!

In the hospital room, the two of them tacitly understood each other, each harboring their own secrets. Only Yamanaka Ino sat on the hospital bed, grinning foolishly, plucking flowers.

Downstairs at the hospital, Yakumo Kurama was painting a picture of a shattered glass.