❝ i'm bored ❞

when she felt her stamina was reduced due to heavy chakra usage. Earlier she, Yamato, Kakashi, and several other people discussed the land surface of the village due to Pain's fierce attack. And they ended up agreeing to use the earth jutsu to raise the surface of the ground (at Shizuka's suggestion) to the original state. Because Konoha is a large village and not everyone can use top level earth release, it makes them dependent on Kakashi, Yamato, and Shizuka who have more chakra than others.

It was also not finished when Yamato used his wood release to build several houses. And Shizuka, who can also use wood release, can't help but make houses with hers too. A few more houses than Yamato's but it's made her exhausted.

She took a bite of her red bean dorayaki, chewing slowly while walking to enjoy the cold winter. With a bag of freshly made red bean dorayaki that weighed her pinkies, while the other hand carries her lucky item, a raccoon shigaraki.

"... I don't care, pretty boy!" Her steps stopped when she saw Naruto lying on the ground with a girl on top of him, hitting his face several times. There is also Sai, Sakura, and an unknown man.

Narrowing her eyes, she leaned against the tree. Observing them for a few seconds.

"I advise you to stop," she finally spoke, startling some people there, and succeeded in getting the girl who beat Naruto to paused.

"Shizuka!"

"...Shi-chan."

Shizuka walked over to them while biting into her dorayaki. "You're from the cloud village aren't you? You're here because of what Sasuke did to one of your guys," how did she know about this? Well, she's using her connections with the tree to find out what's going on. "But there is something you need to know. Uchiha Sasuke has officially become a rogue ninja and a criminal since he broke ties with Konoha three years ago."

"So, it's not our fault if you are useless to protect your jinchuriki from Akatsuki," she spoke with so much coldness in her tone, making everyone flinched. "And besides," she turned towards Naruto. "This pretty boy is the one who saves Konoha from Akatsuki. You should be thankful he didn't go berserk and instead let you punch him."

Shizuka ended her words with a cold gaze, making the girl who originally punched Naruto immediately trembled in fear.

"You—" a girl with short blonde hair walked over to them. Then bowed apologetically and took them away.

"You don't have to say cruelly like that, Shi-chan," mumbles Naruto softly. Wiping his bruised cheek.

"I just said what I should say, nanodayo," she exhaled. She still wonders why this team is so caring and hopes that Sasuke will come back. Unlike the others, only Shizuka is normal when that boy leaves. She just said that Sasuke was stupid, and there was no hope or the slightest feeling for him to return. So why?

"Since it's your own doing, I won't heal you."

"Me too!" Sakura nodded in agreement.

"You guys are so mean," Naruto whined.

"It's your fault," Sai chimed in.

○○○

Naruto stared at the ceiling of Shizuka's house in boredom. After the incident with the cloud village ninja, Sakura and Sai immediately went to do their job, leaving Naruto and Shizuka alone. And that resulted in them now being at Shizuka's house.

His eyes then trailed down towards the item beside the table. "Is that today's lucky item?"

"It's a raccoon shigaraki," she told him. "I acquired it from my regular antique store."

He narrowed his eyes. "You already had one just like this. Just a little bigger."

"Cancer was second from bottom, so I had to bring the bigger one," she reasoned calmly while pushed up her glasses. Ignoring the deadpan expression Naruto gives to her.

Silence.

Naruto groaned at the silence. Lazily lifted himself up to sit down. Then leaned down towards the table separating them, his arms grabbing the edge of the table while carefully no to bump the snacks and the teacups.

He pressed his cheek on the table as he stared at Shizuka who is busy reading a book. "Shi-chan, I'm bored ..." he whined. Even though he loved staring at Shizuka's face, he was still a man who got bored easily and was a very social creature. He couldn't stand it if the other person was silent.

"So?" Shizuka replied indifferently, her eyes still focused on her book.

Naruto groaned. "Talk to me... Tell me something, a story or like what did you do today or anything... Or you can ask me something! anything!"

Shizuka paused her reading. Pondering for a while before nodding, closing the book slowly and placing it on her tatami flooring. Naruto was immediately happy, his eyes lighten up enthusiastically. And he waited patiently for her to open her voice.

"Hmm... When you fought Pain, you turned into Kyuubi," she spoke. "What happened back then? What made you stop changing?"

The boy blinked. Honestly, he was a little disappointed by the question. He didn't expect that Shizuka would ask about that. However, it's Shizuka. She couldn't possibly ask strange or silly questions.

"I..met my father," he trailed off.

"Your... father?"

"Yeah. He appeared in my mind and fixed the seal. And you know, my father is the Fourth Hokage!"

Tilting her head, she asks slowly. "And how do you feel?"

"Well, to be honest at first I hated him a bit. He left me, put the Kyuubi inside me, and put me through some difficult times alone, but ..." Naruto looked up to her and grinned widely. "He did it all for the village. And I'm proud to have a father who is a village hero and a Hokage that I admire!"

Seeing how sincere Naruto's words made the girl stunned a little. Her green eyes stared at that face closely before smiling faintly. "I'm glad."

The boy halted. His eyes widened when he saw something rare that he had just seen. Blush adorning his cheeks. "Shi-Shi-chan ... Did.. did you just ... smile?"

The said girl flushed, pushes up her glasses to cover her pink cheeks. "You must be just making it up."

"No, no. You are definitely smiling. I saw it!" Naruto abruptly stood. Finger pointing at her.

"Hmph! Your eyes must be blurry from the beating before," Shizuka cleared her throat to restore her original expression.

"My eyes are really good! Not like you!"

"What did you say?!"

Naruto suddenly laughed. "hehe..."

"Why are you laughing?" she asked, her eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"I just feel like we're getting closer," Naruto flashes her a genuine smile, automatically makes the girl flushed.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Yesterday, Shi-chan's flushed face... and the feeling of her hand... couldn't go away from my head, Naruto groaned. There's a bag under his eyes as he walks slowly. I can't sleep at all ...

"Ah, Naruto," The said teen stopped and looked up to saw the girl who made him unable to fall asleep was standing several meters in front of him. Her flat face looks very bright and there are flowers all around her. "Good morning."

W-wh-what's going on? Shi-chan's suddenly become super cute...! Exclaimed Naruto. Why are there flowers too?!

"Don't misunderstand! I thought it would be appropriate for me to thank you," said Shizuka, looking away. "So I was waiting for you."

Waiting for you ... waiting for you...

"Eh...eh..." Naruto's face now looks like a tomato. His body trembled, and no words could come out of his mouth.

"Naruto?"

"UWAAAHHHH!!!!" Without thinking, Naruto turned around and ran back to his house. Leaving Shizuka who looks dumbfounded.

Naruto closed the door with a bang, ran to the bed and sank his face into the pillow."That's not right... I must have gotten it wrong.. Don't I like Sakura?? .... No. no... how could I possibly have..."

In the end, he took many days to admit his true feelings.