Got You

As Naruto returned home, the rain had gradually lessened.

With a light step and a strange yet simple tune on his lips, he made his way upstairs.

The old apartment complex he lived in had few residents, and the occupants were a peculiar mix. Sometimes, you'd see young girls, and at other times only the elderly.

On rainy days, however, people were rarely seen. Naruto shook the rain off his large black umbrella and stomped to rid his pants of the dampness clinging to his calves.

As Naruto reached for his keys to unlock the door, he suddenly noticed someone squatting nearby.

It was a girl with pink, cherry-blossom-colored hair and a broad forehead. She was slumped against the wall, seemingly asleep, with the tips of her hair still wet.

"Huh? Sakura?"

"Sakura!!!"

What was she doing here? Wasn't she supposed to be with Sasuke for the Chunin exams?

Naruto crouched down to get a closer look.

"Is she really asleep?"

Isn't this something you'd only find in a novel…? He confirmed she was indeed asleep and couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

Sakura sat slumped against the wall, knees tucked close, wet pink hair hanging down, breathing rhythmically.

People fall asleep most easily in two situations: in a warm room or when it's cold. Although it was summer, the recent rain had cooled the air enough to be refreshing.

Naruto scratched his head, nudged Sakura's shoe with his foot, but she didn't respond.

After another scratch on his head, Naruto sensed a faint chakra aura. Recalling his training, he made a seal and commanded, "Wake up!"

Red chakra flowed from his hand into Sakura, who instantly jerked awake, gasping for breath as if she hadn't taken a breath in a long time.

"I'm saved," Sakura said, her voice trembling.

"What happened?"

"Sasuke was taken by a strange man, and I was caught in his genjutsu. Kakashi-sensei must have gone after him."

"Naruto! We have to go – Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke are in danger!" She reached out to grab his hand.

But in the next moment, Naruto kicked her squarely in the face.

Strangely enough, this "Sakura" cried out in pain and jumped back, but her appearance remained as Sakura, albeit with a much more sinister expression.

"How did you see through me?"

"Are you always this curious?" Naruto responded.

The fake Sakura sneered and reached behind her back, pulling out two kunai.

"You don't need to answer; it won't matter soon enough."

She dashed toward him with her kunai, and the scene around them began to shift.

A crackling noise echoed around Naruto like an old film reel, and the light around him suddenly darkened, as if being devoured by blackness.

Naruto instinctively steadied himself, realizing he was inside a genjutsu, while the real enemy lurked nearby, attacking his physical body.

Boom!

The darkness receded. Naruto looked up to find himself tightly bound to a stone pillar, with a blood-red moon casting light over both him and the sneering fake Sakura.

"Why do you always have that creepy smile?"

Naruto taunted the figure before him, unsettling her with his calm demeanor.

"Oh, I'll tell you why – right after I slit open your stomach!" she cackled, sucking on her fingers with a deranged look.

Insanity gleamed in her eyes, her expression disturbingly twisted as she advanced on him.

Naruto forced a smile. "So… what exactly did you say you were going to do to me?"

"Are you scared?"

"Terrified," he replied mockingly. "Maybe I can convince you to turn over a new leaf."

"Convince me?" she laughed wildly.

"Or maybe if you begged on your knees, I'd consider letting you go."

"Actually, I do have one last question," Naruto said, coughing slightly as he fixed his gaze on the fake Sakura.

"Have you… ever seen a mouth seal?"

"What?" The question threw her off.

**[Four Symbols Seal activated: devour.]**

The genjutsu world shattered as ancient power surged forth, engulfing her. The fake Sakura was drawn into a binding, transported into the dark, damp world within Naruto's seal.

She fell, staring wide-eyed at Naruto, who stood before her in the water, while a massive red fox with piercing eyes lurked behind him.

Naruto smiled, looking her in the eyes.

"I! Got! You!"

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