Chapter:13 Camping

After resting for a while and allowing Chika to regain her composure, Sasuke took her out.

Chika wasn't dressed in her usual princess attire. Instead, she tied her hair into a simple ponytail and wore a dress with small white floral patterns, giving off a youthful and energetic vibe.

Sasuke stuck to his usual style: shorts and a half-sleeved shirt. However, today he opted for a black outfit. With his black hair, dark eyes, and fair skin, the young man looked strikingly handsome.

They didn't bring any maids with them. The maids were keeping their distance, hidden in the shadows, ensuring privacy.

Sasuke held Chika's hand and carried the bento box that the maids had prepared. They walked through the streets and alleys of Konoha. By noon, they arrived at a park located in the southeastern corner of the village.

Konoha was a large village with many parks and training grounds, both big and small. These places were usually well-maintained, with lush trees, flowing streams, and flat grassy areas, making them perfect for picnics and camping.

When Sasuke and Chika reached their destination, everyone else had already gathered.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Ino spotted Sasuke first. She immediately dropped what she was doing and ran over to him.

Behind her, Shikamaru looked exasperated. This happened every time. The moment Sasuke appeared, Ino would abandon whatever she was doing, leaving Shikamaru to clean up. He was used to it by now.

"Hey, Choji, stop eating for a second and come help," Shikamaru called out.

"Oh – click, click, click – coming!"

"Sasuke-kun, why were you so slow? I've been waiting forever," Ino said playfully as she approached Sasuke, her hands behind her back.

Just then, Chika stepped between Sasuke and Ino, glaring up at her taller "rival."

"Hey, Ino, stay away from Brother Sasuke. You almost ran into him," Chika said, her voice sharp.

"Huh? Is someone talking? I can't seem to see anyone," Ino replied mockingly, shielding her eyes from the sun and pretending to look around without glancing down at Chika.

"Woo~" Chika puffed her cheeks in frustration, clearly upset.

This was a typical exchange between the two. They didn't meet often — today was only their fourth encounter — but whenever they did, conflict was inevitable.

Despite her young age, Chika had quite the sharp tongue, and she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Ino, on the other hand, wasn't the type to back down either. If it were anyone else, Ino would have likely fired back. However, due to Chika's status, she held back and resorted to teasing her for her short stature instead.

This wasn't the first time they clashed, and yet Chika always fell for Ino's provocations, which in turn made Ino even more amused.

"Alright, alright, you two, stop messing around. People are watching and laughing at you," Sasuke said, stepping in to defuse the situation. He glanced towards the woods, where his Sharingan briefly flashed red.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" Ino, who had been closely watching Sasuke, noticed something off and asked, concerned.

"It's nothing. Let's go, everyone's waiting."

Sasuke smiled, brushing off her question, and continued walking with Chika and Ino toward the others.

The group of kids gathered for the picnic were the usual familiar faces.

It made sense. Most of them came from prominent ninja clans, and it wasn't easy for outsiders to join their close-knit circle. Sakura had been an exception — thanks to her early friendship with Ino, she had managed to blend in. Others wouldn't have been able to do the same.

Chika, despite not being from a ninja clan, had an even higher status as the daughter of the daimyo and the princess of the country. She fit in easily, though Ino continued to regard her with suspicion. However, the others were kind to Chika.

"Hey, Sasuke, every time you come here, it's the same. Could you keep an eye on your fiancée next time?" Shikamaru said as soon as Sasuke sat down, his tired eyes drifting to Ino and Chika.

The two girls had just settled down for a minute but were already back at it, arguing again. Sakura watched in exasperation, trying to mediate between them. Meanwhile, Hinata quietly moved further into the background, keeping her eyes on Naruto, who was fishing nearby.

Naruto was uncharacteristically quiet today, but that likely wouldn't last long.

"What's the matter? Are you jealous that I have a fiancée?" Sasuke teased, leaning back with his hands on the grass and glancing sideways at Shikamaru.

"I'm so jealous!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "But seriously, what's your plan? Ino talks about you all the time, and I'm sick of hearing it. If you're not interested, just tell her already. She's been slacking off in her studies, and her grades have dropped. If this keeps up, Uncle Yamanaka's going to come after you."

Sasuke kept his thoughts to himself, thinking, Let him try. Let's see who's afraid of who. But he knew better than to say it out loud. Though strong, he wasn't ready to take on a veteran jounin like the head of the Yamanaka clan.

"I haven't really thought about it," Sasuke said casually. "Isn't it nice the way things are now? It keeps things lively."

Shikamaru shot him an exasperated look. "Yeah, sure."

Sasuke laughed lightly and added, "Honestly, I don't think too much about it. We're all still young. It's too early to get caught up in serious stuff. Don't worry, I'll talk to Ino when the time is right. I'll make sure it doesn't affect her studies."

"Alright, as long as you're aware of it." Shikamaru wasn't eager to involve himself in Ino's personal life, but he cared enough about her well-being to say something to Sasuke.

By noon, it was time for lunch. The group gathered and played some small games together. For a while, the atmosphere was peaceful, and even Ino and Chika stopped bickering.

Both girls sat close to Sasuke, one on his left and the other on his right. They took turns feeding him — Ino offering him sushi, and Chika, fried chicken. Sasuke, enjoying the attention, ate without having to lift a finger.

After the meal, once the dishes were cleaned up, Naruto and Kiba both jumped up at the same time, eager to challenge Sasuke.

However, before Sasuke could say anything, the two boys began arguing over who should go first. Neither was willing to back down, and soon they were fighting each other, leaving Sasuke out of it.

Sasuke watched the chaos with amusement.

To be honest, he wasn't all that eager to spar with his classmates. Their abilities weren't on the same level, and the matches often felt more like bullying than real challenges.

Naruto was an exception, but only when he tapped into the Nine-Tails' chakra. Unfortunately, Sasuke wasn't ready to face the Nine-Tails' power, even in small doses.

Besides, stirring up the Nine-Tails would only draw unwanted attention from Konoha's higher-ups, and Sasuke wasn't interested in causing unnecessary trouble.

It didn't take long for Naruto and Kiba's fight to end. Today, Kiba had the upper hand. Naruto, seemingly having an upset stomach, ran off into the woods, clutching his rear.

With Naruto out of the way, Kiba approached Sasuke triumphantly.

"Well? Can we spar now?"

"Sure. If you're so eager to get beaten, I'll grant your wish," Sasuke said with a smirk as he stood up and followed Kiba to the stream.

He hadn't done any serious training in a while. A bit of exercise wouldn't hurt, and he could offer Kiba a few pointers while he was at it. Why not?

(End of chapter).