"Don't worry, I definitely won't disappoint the teacher."
The group continued chatting about random topics, occasionally listening to Tsunade boast about her past 'glorious victories' in gambling.
Before long, it was getting late.
Aoba stood up, "I'll be heading back first."
"Huh? Aoba, you're leaving already?", Sakura, who was still lost in her fantasies, snapped out of it when she saw Aoba suddenly stand up.
She looked at him with a hint of reluctance.
Aoba reached out and patted Sakura's head, "It's about time."
Sakura's face fell in disappointment. She felt like only a short time had passed.
Tsunade, noticing Sakura's dejected expression, couldn't help but feel a little mischievous, "In that case, why don't we let Sakura stay at your place tonight?"
"Huh?"
"Huh!"
Though they both uttered the same sound, their emotions were completely different.
"Really?", Sakura was so happy she almost jumped out of her seat, her heart bursting with joy.
In that moment, Inner Sakura and Outer Sakura were perfectly synchronized.
"Exactly. Sakura still has a lot she doesn't understand about medical ninjutsu. Aoba, you can teach her later."
Aoba's eyes widened, 'You're the teacher! If she needs help, shouldn't you be the one teaching her?'
'Do you even realize that you're pushing your own disciple into the fire pit?'
'If Tenten and the others found out about this, there would be serious trouble.'
But Tsunade didn't care. She cheerfully pushed both of them out of the house.
Standing outside, Aoba's head was still buzzing.
He glanced at Sakura, who was beaming with joy and blushing deeply.
He sighed, 'There is no way I can send her home at this hour.'
———
[Inside the Bedroom]
Both Aoba and Sakura had already showered and changed into their pajamas, sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring at each other.
Aoba looked as calm as ever, while Sakura, on the other hand, was blushing so hard she couldn't lift her head.
'Kids these days. Pajamas are just pajamas…'
The only issue was that Aoba's pajamas were a bit too big for Sakura, making her look extra small.
"So, Sakura, is there anything from your medical studies today that you didn't understand?", Aoba asked directly. Otherwise, the atmosphere would remain unbearably awkward.
"Huh? We finally have a night alone together, and all you want to do is study medical ninjutsu?", Sakura's face turned completely red. Aoba was honestly worried she might faint on the spot.
Not that it would be a bad thing, it would at least save them both from this awkwardness.
"Then what else do you want to do?"
'With our current hardware, doing anything else isn't even an option.'
Even if the hardware were fine, the Great Censorship Beast wouldn't allow it.
"Huh?", Sakura was stunned, "What else can we do…"
"I… I…", She couldn't think of anything. She just didn't want to waste this rare chance to be alone together.
Even though Aoba never neglected her, she still preferred having him all to herself rather than sharing him with the others.
"Sakura, just lie down here," Aoba suddenly patted the spot beside him.
"Huh?", Sakura hesitated but slowly moved over and lay down next to Aoba.
Aoba adjusted his posture, then gently lifted Sakura's head and placed it on his lap.
Before he could do anything else, he already felt an intense heat radiating from his thigh.
Looking down, he saw Sakura's face had turned completely red.
He could even hear the strong thumping of her heartbeat echoing through the room.
'What is this, the King Engine?'
Aoba didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
As for Sakura, lying on Aoba's lap, she felt completely surrounded by his presence, making her dizzy.
Her eyes were tightly shut. She had no idea what Aoba was about to do, but she was already on the verge of losing consciousness.
Then, she felt two fingers gently press against her temples, massaging in slow, soothing circles.
A warm, calming force spread through her, easing her nervous and excited heart.
"Mmm…", Gradually, Sakura's breathing steadied, and eventually, she drifted into deep sleep.
"Phew—", Watching her fall asleep, Aoba let out a sigh of relief. If she had stayed awake, things would have remained unbearably awkward.
He had massaged Tsunade plenty of times by now, so his skills were well-practiced.
At this rate, even if he quit being a ninja, he could open a blind massage parlor in Konoha and have endless customers. [T/N: It is actually a pretty good business idea, considering endless war in their era]
After making sure Sakura was fast asleep, he gently placed her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.
Then, he lay down on the other side and pulled up another blanket.
This was his house, his bed. Sleeping in his own bed was completely reasonable.
Besides, his bed was big enough that it could fit several people if needed.
Still, he'd have to remind Sakura in the morning to keep this a secret.
———
"Hmph! That brat!"
"Tsunade-sama, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just feel a little annoyed."
.
.
.
.
[The Next Day]
[Noon]
By the river in the back hills, two figures could be seen.
Aoba was holding a wooden stick, trying to fish.
Strangely enough, despite using the same method as Naruto, he hadn't caught a single fish in months.
But he wasn't idle while waiting. He was also holding a rock in one hand, using wind chakra to carve it like a sculptor.
This was also a form of training, particularly useful for passing the time when he had nothing else to do.
Sakura sat beside him, quietly watching Aoba work with full concentration.
She was even more focused than he was.
But whenever Aoba glanced her way, she would immediately turn red and look away, pretending to admire the scenery, too embarrassed to meet his gaze.
Since morning, Sakura had been acting strangely.
She was like a different person. Almost like Hinata from the original series.
One touch, and she'd light up like a firecracker.
She had entered an unresponsive mode.
Aoba had a bad feeling about this.
.
.
.
After a while, Tenten, Ino, and Hinata arrived together.
From a distance, they waved and called out.
"Huh? Sakura, you seem a bit different today," As soon as she got closer, Ino immediately asked the burning question.
"Now that you mention it, she really does," Tenten and Hinata also stared at Sakura in confusion.
Normally, Sakura would have greeted them cheerfully, but today, she avoided eye contact.
"N-No way… I'm… I'm the same as always!", Sakura stammered, her face bright red, her gaze darting everywhere except at them.
Aoba's eyelid twitched, but he kept his expression calm.
He had miscalculated.
He thought Sakura's personality would help her maintain a neutral face, but clearly, he had overestimated her.
'Something's up!', The three girls narrowed their eyes.
Tenten turned to Aoba suspiciously, "Aoba, you two didn't do anything bad behind our backs, did you?"
"What bad things could we even do? We just chatted and fished. What else could happen?", Aoba remained perfectly calm.
No matter how closely they scrutinized his expression, they couldn't find any clues.
But while Aoba was fine, Sakura wasn't.
Her body trembled slightly.
The scene from that morning had left a deep impact on her.
Aside from feeling awkward around Aoba, she was also overwhelmed by the mix of excitement, happiness, and a little guilt toward her friends.
She wanted to brag about it but was afraid of damaging their friendship.
In short, her emotions were in complete turmoil.
'Something's definitely up!'
Even if Aoba wasn't giving anything away, Sakura had already exposed herself completely.
"Sakura, they say a wise person knows when to speak the truth. Just confess."
"That's right! If you don't tell us, we'll just have to make you talk!"
Tenten and Ino slowly closed in with threatening smiles.
Hinata quietly circled behind Sakura, cutting off her escape.
"N-No… There's nothing going on…", Sakura hung her head, avoiding their gazes.
But her guilty response only confirmed their suspicions.
They surrounded her from all sides, ready to interrogate her.
Just as Aoba was about to step in—
"AOBA!", A loud voice cut through the moment.
Sasuke was charging toward him, his expression brimming with confidence.
For once, Aoba actually felt relieved to see him.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y