Naruto Shadow Emperor - Chapter 44
Unknowingly, it was already the sixth morning since the training began.
Tap, tap.
In the conical wooden house suspended in mid-air within the forest, the beautiful boy took a few steps to the window.
Creak!
He pushed open the wooden window, and the warm sunlight eagerly poured in, dancing on his body.
He lifted his beautiful face, basking in the rare warmth. Then, a pair of fair hands slowly untied the ribbon from his hair…
In the next moment, soft and silky long hair cascaded down to his waist.
Next, he changed into a stunning pink kimono and neatly combed his long black hair.
In the sunlight, the boy looked breathtakingly beautiful!
He picked up a basket, wearing wooden clogs, and walked down the steps out of the wooden house, rustling as he headed deeper into the forest…
The sunlight pierced through the dense branches, forming gentle beams of light, within which tiny specks of light danced, making the entire forest appear transparent.
The beautiful boy, wearing wooden clogs and holding a basket in his left hand, walked through the colorful sea of flowers, occasionally squatting down to pick herbs with his slender, fair right hand.
Chirp, chirp!
Suddenly, a small sparrow landed on the beautiful boy’s shoulder. When he turned his head, it flew up again, circled a few times, and then flew towards a large tree not far away.
The beautiful boy smiled gently, walked over slowly, turned around the tree root, and lifted his eyes, only to be slightly stunned the next moment.
On the tree root, a boy wearing a cloak leaned his head against the tree, several small sparrows hopping on and off his body. The boy showed no reaction, clearly fast asleep.
He is…
The beautiful boy paused, memories of that day when a single punch seriously injured Zabuza flashed in his mind, and his gaze instantly turned cold. He reached out his right hand towards the boy’s neck!
…
Yawn!
Inside the wooden house, Sakura yawned widely as she walked into the main hall, where Sasuke and Naruto were already eating breakfast.
“Did Yukigetsu not come back to sleep again last night?” she asked curiously.
Kakashi shook his head, “Ever since I dismissed his idea of Micro Flicker, he has been going out to practice every night…”
Sasuke, propping his chin on his hands, pursed his lips in admiration. That guy’s determination was truly touching, just like that day during their duel, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t knock down the seemingly frail boy…
“He must be exhausted by now!” Naruto said with schadenfreude, but secretly resolved to climb to the top of the tree today, completing the training before Sasuke.
Tsunami brought over breakfast from the kitchen, worried, “Yukigetsu won’t be in trouble, will he? A child running out in the middle of the night…”
Sakura shook her head, pouting, “He’s the strongest among us; he won’t have any problems!”
Kakashi added, “Don’t worry, he’s a ninja after all!”
At that moment, Inari, wearing his hat, said indifferently, “Are you sure he’s still alive, that foolish idiot!”
Sakura and the others’ faces darkened immediately.
“Inari!” Tsunami scolded, “You can’t talk like that!”
…
Bang!
Deep in the forest, Yukigetsu suddenly flipped up, grabbing the other person’s throat and slamming them to the ground!
Ever since he pinned Sakura like this, he seemed to have become more proficient with this move…
Ugh…
The beautiful boy let out a painful moan, never expecting the boy to be so alert even in his sleep.
Realizing that the person under his hand was a beautiful, delicate girl, Yukigetsu hesitated, frowning but not letting go. He coldly asked, “Who are you? What were you trying to do?”
The beautiful boy took a breath and struggled to speak, “I… I just wanted to remind you… sleeping here… you’ll catch a cold…”
“Hmm?”
Yukigetsu was slightly stunned, recalling the scene just now. It did seem like the person was reaching for his shoulder, not his neck. So was he overreacting?
Besides, she looked like a girl from the town and was so pretty. According to his principles, beautiful girls had immunity, even if they made mistakes…
Yukigetsu’s lips curved slightly, he let go and pulled her up with a strong grip, then scratched his head with an apologetic smile, “Sorry, big sis, I thought someone was trying to harm me.”
Hearing him call her ‘big sis,’ the beautiful boy’s eyes curved, not arguing. Instead, he patted his kimono, smoothed his hair, and spoke gently, “Since it was a misunderstanding, don’t worry about it. Hmm… you seem skilled, with a headband on your arm. Are you a ninja?”
Yukigetsu squinted and smiled, nodding, “Yeah, I’m a pretty good ninja! Sis, want to consider marrying me?”
Hehe…
The beautiful boy covered his mouth and laughed, unable to resist patting Yukigetsu’s head, “What a funny child!”
At this moment, Yukigetsu paused. She seemed to think he was a kid. Should he play along? Such a good disguise…
Now he didn’t even feel the resentment he had when Kurenai patted his head. It felt oddly endearing. This showed he indeed preferred girls around fifteen or sixteen…
Coupled with tirelessly practicing the Body Flicker Technique, he was physically and mentally exhausted.
But being in this beautiful morning, amidst blooming flowers, seeing a beautiful girl, what could be more comforting?
At this moment, Yukigetsu’s mood was excellent. He even helped pick herbs…
“Is this the herb you want, sis?” Yukigetsu asked, holding up a freshly picked herb.
The beautiful boy nodded gently, looking at Yukigetsu with a slight apology, “Really, I should be thanking you for helping!”
Yukigetsu shook his head, sighing, “You came out early to pick herbs, it’s really hard work, sis!”
“And you?” The beautiful boy didn’t stop working, speaking softly, “What were you doing sleeping here so early?”
Yukigetsu chuckled, “Like you said, I’m a ninja. Naturally, I was training.”
The beautiful boy paused, biting his lip, and asked, “Why do you train so hard?”
“To get stronger, of course,” Yukigetsu replied casually.
“I see…” The beautiful boy raised his head, his expression a bit mysterious, “But… you already seem very strong!”
Yukigetsu’s expression grew serious, and he stood up slowly, looking up at the sky, “It’s not enough. I must do things, but I’m still too weak…”
“So you push yourself this hard?” The beautiful boy stood up too, looking touched, “Is it for someone important to you? Or for yourself?”
Yukigetsu tilted his head, “For someone important… or for myself…”
He then scratched his head, a bit dazed. Was it for his mother? For revenge? Or to free himself from constraints?
Hehe…
The beautiful boy’s smile blossomed, lighting up the world.
Yukigetsu, shaking off those thoughts, turned to see this scene, his lips curling up. What a beautiful picture…
“Do you have…” The beautiful boy stopped smiling, looking intently at the boy two or three years younger, “Do you have someone special to you?”
Yukigetsu closed his eyes, thinking of the blonde-haired woman and the droopy-eyed figure, then opened his eyes and nodded solemnly, “Yes!”
“People… when they want to protect something important…” The beautiful boy looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, “They can become very strong! You… will become stronger and stronger!”
He turned, waving his fair hand as he walked away, his farewell drifting back, “Until we meet again…”
Hmm? Until we meet again?
Yukigetsu frowned, confused. The next moment, the beautiful boy’s last words shattered his mood completely.
“And, uh… I’m not a girl!”
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