NOVEL WEB Chapter 32: You Owe Me One.
[given holidays to college, took 1 and half day train journey and reached home....]
.....
Sakura's wide eyes remained fixed on Naruto as she hesitated, her mind racing. The warmth of his hand lingered on her face, but his voice, whispered softly in her ear.
"SHHHH," Naruto repeated, "Come outside. I need to talk to you. I won't do anything to you. Believe me."
Her heart pounded in her chest, the words echoing in her mind. Do I have to trust him? she thought, He did save me before... and I want to know what this is all about.
Sakura stopped her muffled protests and nodded slightly. Naruto, sensing her agreement, slowly removed his hand from her mouth, watching her closely to ensure she wouldn't wake the others.
Without another word, the two silently made their way out of the house, careful not to disturb the others. They thought they'd managed to sneak out unnoticed, but in the corner of the room, Kakashi's single exposed eye followed their every move.
'So much for sleeping peacefully' , Kakashi thought, his mind alert despite his outwardly relaxed posture. His focus had been on Haku, carefully monitoring the boy's every move, but the sudden arrival of Naruto had shifted his attention.
His sharp instincts had sensed Naruto's chakra long before he approached Sakura, and now he watched the two leave the house together. His brow furrowed slightly as he thought to himself.
'Sakura... She likes Sasuke, doesn't she?' His gaze lingered on the door they had exited. 'But now she's sneaking out with Naruto in the middle of the night? What are they up to... do they plan to do something... naughty?'
Kakashi smirked at the thought, shaking his head. 'Ah, young love... messy, complicated, and full of surprises. I do enjoy these love triangle situations, but... He sighed, closing his eye. They're of my team. I can't sneak peek their love issues, even though I am curious. I'll let this one slide. For now.'
Deciding not to interfere, Kakashi shifted his attention back to Haku, who remained calm in the corner, even in his restrained state.
Outside, the night air was cool, with the sounds of the faint chirping of crickets. The moon is high in the sky, its white light illuminating the Naruto and Sakura who stood facing each other.
Sakura crossed her arms, her posture defensive but curious. she looked at him. "What do you want, Naruto?".
Naruto hesitated for a moment, as he struggled to find the right words.
"It's about Zabuza's sword," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sakura blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Zabuza's sword? What about it?"
"It's gone," Naruto admitted, his frustration evident. "I woke up and searched the entire house, but it's nowhere to be found. I thought... maybe you've seen it?"
Sakura's brow furrowed as she considered his words. "No, I haven't," she said."Are you sure it's not in the house? Maybe someone moved it."
"I already checked," Naruto replied, his fists clenching at his sides. "It's not there. I didn't want to ask Kakashi or Sasuke... for obvious reasons."
Sakura tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "And you thought asking me would be any different?"
Naruto looked at her, his blue eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. "Because you are my last bet and I ...trust you,".
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard, and for a moment, Sakura didn't know how to respond. She glanced away, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "I... I see," she muttered.
"Why is that sword so important to you?" she asked, her voice soft but probing.
Naruto hesitated. "It just is, I want it desperately, I think it will make me stronger." he said finally.
Sakura says, "Ok... fine. I will tell you, But you owe me one."
"After you laid on the ground, sensei left Sasuke and Tazuna to look after you, as Gato isn't dead."
She pointed toward a distant cliff, near the sea level, "Sensei, carrying Zabuza's body and Zabuza's sword, Haku and I went to that cliff."
Naruto followed her gesture with his eyes, his gaze narrowing.
"There, sensei buried Zabuza's body and penetrated the sword into the ground where his body is buried," Sakura explained.
"Out of curiosity," she added, "I asked sensei, 'Why are you placing the sword here, sensei, instead of using it or selling it?'"
Sakura mimicking Kakashi's response. "Sensei then said, 'Even though Zabuza died, he died as a warrior. He didn't use pathetic ways to fight, and he accepted his fate... I honor that.'"
Naruto remained silent, his thoughts racing.
'I've been in this world for 17 years and still don't know much about Kakashi, he thought. When we first met, I did try to analyze his strengths and weaknesses. My instincts told me he could pose a threat to me someday. But now... it seems he values comradeship and honor the most. I don't want to deal with him right now, but if it happens in the future... I now know how to deal with him.'
A sly grin crept across Naruto's face as he processed this revelation.
Sakura frowned, catching the look. "Why are you making that smile?"
Naruto waved her off, "It's nothing. Sakura, I'm going to pee outside. You go inside and rest. I'll come back after."
(.....to be continued)
A/N: tomrrw new chap