The Second Girls journey in Naruto

During the summer solstice, Konoha became unbearably hot.

Inside the classroom, students listened to the teacher's lecture, but with the heat pressing down on them, drowsiness crept in.

The stifling summer air made it the perfect time for a nap.

Kihana Sakiya sprawled lazily across her desk, soft and motionless like a sunbaked fish.

At the front of the room, Iruka's voice droned on, his lecture transforming into a lullaby in Sakiya's ears.

She shifted slightly, finding a comfortable position, ready to drift off.

Suddenly—

A sharp poke at her waist.

Already half-asleep, she ignored it and remained still.

Then—another poke.

This time, the sting of the jab snapped her out of her sleepiness. A dull ache spread from the soft spot on her waist.

Her eyes snapped open in irritation.

She turned sharply, glaring at the culprit.

Shikamaru.

He sat behind her with Chōji, his usual bored expression in place. Without a word, he gestured toward the door.

Sakiya understood immediately—he wanted her to come outside.

She glanced at Ino, who was listening attentively to the lecture beside her.

Ino caught her gaze, smiled knowingly, and shook her head but didn't say anything.

Taking that as silent permission, Sakiya nodded to Shikamaru.

Carefully, while Iruka faced the board, they crouched low and slipped out through the back door.

Ino sighed but turned back to her lesson without interfering.

Outside, Naruto and Akamaru were waiting. Chōji followed closely behind.

With that, five students had successfully ditched class.

The classroom, already warm and sluggish, now felt noticeably emptier.

Once outside, Sakiya turned to Shikamaru, her eyes burning with indignation.

"You dare interrupt the meditation of the Eye of Death?! The consequences of interrupting my meditation are severe! I am very angry right now!"

Naruto flinched, looking guilty.

"Uh—actually, Sakiya-chan, it was me—"

Before he could finish, Shikamaru cut him off.

"Troublesome," he muttered with a sigh.

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small bento box filled with skewered meatballs.

"Here. I'll treat you to some Mitarashi dango."

Sakiya paused, fists clenched, as if struggling with some deep internal conflict.

Then—she snatched the bento from Shikamaru's hands.

Locking eyes with him, she spoke solemnly.

"Very well. The Eye of Death declares this deal... accepted!"

The others watched in stunned silence.

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Wait... That's all it took?!"

"Sakiya-chan... you're way too easy to bribe," Chōji muttered.

Naruto's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had just learned a valuable life hack.

With that, Sakiya followed the group as they wandered away from the academy.

After all, they had already skipped class—there was no way she was going back now.

Kihana Sakiya walked in the middle of the group, casually eating Mitarashi dango as they strolled along.

Each bite brought a small look of satisfaction to her face.

Naruto watched her intently, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

Shikamaru, walking beside him, shook his head.

They hadn't originally planned to bring Sakiya along when they skipped class.

But two days ago...

That day, the four of them had snuck out and were hanging out when Naruto suddenly had an idea—he wanted to invite Sakiya along next time.

After all, she spent most of her time in class sleeping anyway, so skipping wouldn't make much difference.

More importantly, Naruto saw this as an opportunity to grow closer to her.

The problem?

He couldn't figure out how to convince her.

After struggling with it for a while, he finally turned to Shikamaru for help.

Shikamaru agreed—on one condition.

Naruto had to buy him ramen.

Although Shikamaru found it troublesome, he still came up with a plan.

Now that Sakiya was here, the chance was right in front of him.

But Naruto hesitated.

Shikamaru and the others had no choice but to watch and wait.

Naruto clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and finally made up his mind.

He stepped in front of Sakiya, blocking her path.

Sakiya, still eating, glanced at him.

She had already noticed Naruto's fidgeting.

And she had already guessed his intentions.

Honestly?

She wasn't interested.

But she decided to play along anyway.

Naruto grinned nervously.

"Sakiya-chan! We know a really cool place. Want to come with us?"

Silence.

Sakiya stared at him without speaking.

One second.

Three seconds.

Ten seconds.

A bead of sweat rolled down Naruto's forehead.

"Uh... S-Sakiya-chan, I—"

"Alright."

Naruto blinked.

Then realization hit him, and his face lit up.

"Awesome! Sakiya-chan, I—"

He turned to celebrate with the others.

But when he looked back—

Sakiya and the rest of the group were already walking away.

"Eh?!"

Naruto panicked and ran after them.

"Wait for me!"

---

The "cool place" Naruto had mentioned was a grassy hill in the forest, not far from the academy.

Under the shade of a large tree, Shikamaru immediately found a comfortable spot and lay down.

Chōji and Naruto weren't surprised—this was his usual habit.

Sakiya, however, looked around with curiosity.

The small clearing was surrounded by tall trees, their thick leaves forming patches of cool shade.

Thanks to the hill's high elevation, a gentle breeze blew through constantly, rustling the grass and making the sunlight dance in shifting patterns.

It really was a nice spot.

Naruto turned to Sakiya excitedly.

"See? Isn't it great?"

But Sakiya ignored him.

She walked over to the biggest tree, stepping into its shade.

The moment she did, a cool sensation washed over her.

Combined with the gentle breeze, it was incredibly refreshing.

Closing her eyes, she spread her arms slightly, letting the wind brush against her skin.

Strands of her hair floated as the breeze played with them.

Naruto watched, his grin widening.

She liked it.

Sakiya opened her eyes and turned to him.

"The Eye of Death tells me that this is a place where high spirits gather. Meditation here will be extremely effective."

Naruto blinked.

"Uhh... what?"

Sakiya continued, her tone completely serious.

"I am going to meditate."

Naruto scratched his head.

"Meditation? You mean...?"

"Please don't disturb me."

And with that, Sakiya found a soft patch of grass, lay down, and closed her eyes.

Naruto looked at her, then at Shikamaru, who was already asleep a few feet away.

His mouth opened, but no words came out.

After a long hesitation—

He sighed.

"Fine..."

With Naruto gone, Sakiya opened her eyes again.

She stared up at the sky, visible through the gaps in the tree branches.

A soft wind blew, rustling the leaves.

Sunlight filtered through, creating a shifting pattern of gold on the ground.

The speckled light danced across her skin, like a robe of golden stardust woven by nature itself.

For a long time...

Sakiya simply lay there, lost in thought.

Then, finally, she let out a soft sigh.

"Peaceful days like this... there aren't many left."