Chapter 68 You still have me

He confided his inner fears to Jiu Lama, even though he knew Jiu Lama already knew everything.

By the time he finished speaking, his eyes were already filled with tears. He tried hard to control his tears from falling. At this time, the light in the sealed space had dimmed, and the surface of the water seemed to be covered with a pale filter.

Kurama curled up his body and wrapped Naruto in his huge tail, forming a warm nest. He placed his front paws on the ground behind Naruto and his nose gently touched Naruto's knees.

"In my humble opinion, brat, you have nothing to worry about." Kurama's voice rumbled after he finished speaking, and it raised a paw and gently pushed the hair on Naruto's forehead behind his ear.

Naruto's hair has grown a lot longer and can be tied up.

he whispered, wiping the tears from his eyes angrily.

Kurama laughed softly, and the laughter echoed in Naruto's mind, dispelling some of the haze in his heart.

"I never thought I would say this, but I think you underestimate your friends," Kurama lowered his head and moved closer, tightening his front paws so that Naruto could feel its soft and warm fur. "I'm sure that if they really find out your identity and alienate you because of something you can't control, thinking you are a monster, then they don't deserve to be your friends. That's it."

Damn it, he wanted to cry again. Hearing Kurama's words, Naruto felt his nose sore and new tears welled up in his eyes again.

"Not only that, if they really alienate you because of this, and you decide to leave here and face the unknown world alone, then you must also remember," Kurama's tone was full of determination, tenderness and affection. Naruto didn't know what he had done to gain its recognition and to have a friend and partner like Kurama. After hearing its last words, Naruto couldn't hold back any longer, and tears welled up in his eyes. "You still have me. I will always be with you until the end of time. No matter what happens."

Naruto burst into tears, letting them flow freely until he finally burst into laughter. The light in the sealed space became brighter, and the water surface seemed to be stirred by the ocean current, the water temperature also rose, and a warm breath filled the air.

He wiped his tears, raised his head, looked at Jiu Lama, and said:

"You're right. I have nothing to say."

"I'm always right." Jiu Lama said proudly. "You should listen to me more."

Naruto laughed. "I've always been obedient." He retorted.

Kurama gave a smile without showing his fangs.

"Then listen to me, kid. Stop worrying about your friends. If they really care about you, they won't care about your identity. If you need me and need my power to protect the people you want to protect, promise me, don't hesitate."

Naruto nodded, looked up at Kurama's amber eyes, and said seriously:

"I promise you."

"Very good." Jiu Lama whispered. "Let's talk about something else. Even if you really decide to escape, I believe your two friends will definitely drop everything they are doing and follow you."

Naruto blinked in surprise.

"What? That's impossible."

Kurama snorted. "Well, maybe Shikamaru and Kiba won't. They have too many concerns here, but that Uchiha brat and that little girl named Haruno Sakura? They will definitely follow you to the ends of the earth."

"How do you know?" Naruto asked, he suspected that Kurama was just saying something to comfort him.

Kurama scoffed, his breath blowing Naruto's hair slightly. "Because you underestimate yourself, kid. They like you, it's an irresistible attraction, like gravity."

Naruto couldn't help but make a face.

"You're at it again, Jiu Lama. You always like to beat around the bush when you speak."

Jiu Lama smiled and said nothing.

"It's okay, kid, there are some things you're better off not knowing."

After a while, Kurama urged Naruto to go out quickly and told him to take the time to meditate so that he could be in the best condition for the next mission.

Then, Naruto left the sealed space. When he opened his eyes, the seal spells on his arms and legs disappeared.

He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and began to meditate seriously, focusing on the flow of chakra in his body.

Half an hour later, the proximity alarm was triggered. Sasuke's arrival earlier than he expected startled him and caused him to suddenly come out of his meditation state.

The proximity alarm sent a vibration through the seal on his arm, and when he sensed it was Sasuke, he immediately disarmed the alarm and wiped the chakra mark from his skin with a simple wave of his hand.

He felt guilty for leaving without saying goodbye, and he knew Sasuke must have seen through his lies a long time ago. He had never been good at lying, especially to his friends, and Sasuke knew him best.

He prepared himself to be scolded when Sasuke slowly walked through the woods and approached him.

However, Sasuke said nothing.

He simply glanced at Naruto's shirt and shoes that were placed by the water before he began to remove his own shirt and shoes.

He rolled up his trouser legs, jumped onto the rock, and without saying anything, he moved to the side and motioned for Naruto to sit over.

Naruto was stunned for a moment, then relaxed and entered a meditative state again.

This time, he felt more relaxed, Sasuke's presence reassuring, his calmness just enough to neutralize his overly vigorous energy.

Twenty minutes later, they ended their meditation, walked out from under the waterfall, and began to wipe the water droplets off their bodies.

Naruto whispered, "I'm sorry, I was..."

Sasuke simply patted his shoulder gently, which was a comfort between friends that was worth more than a thousand words.

"Don't be silly," he whispered, and neither of them spoke of the incident again for the rest of the day.

In Sasuke's opinion, the old bridge builder named Dazna had a bad temper and was stubborn. He was not worthy of their protection, let alone their instructions.

He actually called them "kids" and "brats", which really annoyed Sasuke.

You know, the only person who is allowed to call him that is Kakashi-sensei, because it is a teasing nickname, but why does this smug stupid old man have the right to do so?

But this was their first time to carry out a C-rank mission after all. Sasuke could only suppress his anger, swallow the harsh sarcasm and insults, and cast angry glances at the old man from time to time.

Sakura was also complaining quietly on the side. Every time Dazna spoke, the corners of her mouth would twitch noticeably, as if she was about to explode in the next second.

She had barely left the Hokage's office and she already looked like she was going to kill someone.