Chapter 187 The Door is Broken!

After Naruto left, Tsunade was alone in the office. She stared at the documents on the desk for a while, then summoned a small Katsuyu.

With a bang, white smoke rose, and a Katsuyu the size of a teacup appeared on the desk.

"Tsunade-sama." Katsuyu called gently.

"Hmm." Tsunade propped her head with her left hand, stared at Katsuyu and asked, "What was that on the rooftop just now? You were summoned and immediately recognized that kid?"

"Well... it's not really recognition." Katsuyu hesitated, speaking in a soft, girlish voice, "Is person your disciple, Tsunade-sama?"

"No." Tsunade waved her hand and said, "You don't need to be lenient or nice to him just because of me. Treat him as you see fit."

"But…" The slug interrupted Tsunade, "Tsunade-sama, it's not about recognizing him. It's just... I don't know how to explain it."

"What?" Tsunade frowned slightly, not understanding what Katsuyu meant at all.

"… It's fear." Katsuyu said weakly, "Like being dominated, unable to move at all. Tsunade-sama, you may not believe it."

"His soul is exceptionally towering, like a mountain. For some reason... I couldn't look directly at him. I was also shocked at that time."

Tsunade tapped her fingers rhythmically on the desk, remaining silent.

Naruto hadn't expected summoning Katsuyu would be so simple. He whistled while holding an umbrella as he walked home.

With the new year beginning, it seemed like an endless cycle of missions awaited him.

Such a life could not be described as monotonous, nor did he hate that kind of life.

More importantly, his training speed wasn't particularly fast. Aside from the Rasengan and Taijutsu, almost all of his power came from the System, and completing missions made it easier to trigger system options.

If he had any innate talent, it was probably his knack for handling Biju. He suspected this talent was why he learned Summoning Technique so quickly.

'Oh no! Am I going to become the Pokémon Trainer of the Naruto World in the future?" Naruto muttered to himself.

"That can't happen!"

Back at Konoha Street 404, Naruto shook off his umbrella, glanced at the half-closed door of the furniture store, and stomped his feet on the wet steps before leisurely heading upstairs.

There were no lights in the stairwell, but Naruto didn't mind, after all, he was the only resident. In the dim afternoon light, the open corridor was shrouded in misty rain.

After the new year, a prolonged rainy season usually followed, which usually lasted about half a month.

Naruto didn't pay it much attention. He fished out his keys, ready to unlock his door, when he noticed someone standing at the entrance, catching him off guard.

It was a small figure, holding an umbrella and standing timidly by the door.

Naruto was immediately reminded of some unpleasant memories but cautiously approached and asked, "Hinata, what are you doing here?"

"I…" Hinata stuttered, unable to form a sentence.

This actually made Naruto feel relieved. He thought that the old bastard Danzo was up to his usual scheme, waiting for him here.

He knew that if something like that happened again, it would not end so well.

It's not that Naruto didn't have a temper, he was merely wary of Danzo's Izanagi, which kept him from seeking revenge. As for caring about the village, Naruto didn't care about it.

The only people in this village he had any fondness for were a small handful. It's fortunate he arrived in this world a bit later. After all, had he come earlier, the streets of Konoha might already be full of Impure World Reincarnation's zombies.

Hinata's hair was damp, and she stuttered, unsure of what to say. She couldn't possibly admit she had no missions, lacked the drive to train, and, feeling down, had wandered over here after a restless night.

Three months ago, she couldn't bear the awkward atmosphere and had left abruptly, but now she had returned.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, turning his head as he used his key to open the apartment door.

Hinata bit her lower lip. She was wearing a thick winter coat, with a few rain stains on her left arm. She tightly grasped an umbrella, and the joints between her fingers were slightly pale from the pressure.

In the dim light, her face could not be seen clearly.

Naruto couldn't quite figure out what was on Hinata's mind, only assuming that something had happened

He pushed the door open and immediately reached for the switch by the entrance, flicking it on with a snap.

Warm yellow light spilled from the entrance, illuminating a small square of the corridor. Hinata stood there, dazed and silent, looking rather pitiful.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked again.

"Yesterday…" Hinata lowered her head and suddenly whispered, her voice very soft.

"Yesterday? What about yesterday?" Naruto pondered for a moment before responding, "Yesterday, I ran into your sister at the food stalls. She said you've been pretty busy lately."

"Mission work is indeed tiring, Hinata, you…"

Hearing his familiar tone, Hinata felt a block in her chest. It was as if something inside her had started to break, and all the emotions she'd been bottling up for three months poured out uncontrollably.

"When you asked Hanabi to say hi yesterday, I... I wasn't doing well at all. I've been feeling worse and worse."

Hinata lifted her head, but couldn't meet Naruto's eyes. She stared at the illuminated patch on the floor, tracing it with her gaze until it stopped at Naruto's toes.

Beyond that, a line of light and shadow separated the door from the corridor. Outside, rain continued to fall, and downstairs, the furniture store was on the verge of closing.

Everything around was silent except for the sound of wind carrying damp rain mist.

Naruto pressed his lips together, not saying anything unnecessary. He grabbed Hinata's wrist and, with a gentle pull, brought her into the entrance.

"Come in first, let's talk inside." Naruto said.

Hinata still seemed lost in her thoughts, with a confused look in her eyes. She was dragged into the entrance hall, and the door slammed shut, completely isolating the sound of rain outside the corridor.

The two people were bathed in bright yellow light, and a small area of ​​the brown shoe cabinet in the entrance reflected the light.

Naruto had to exert some effort to take the umbrella from Hinata's grasp, as her fingers were clenched so tightly around it that they had turned white.

After finally prying her fingers open, he glanced at her. Seeing no reaction from her, he contemplated whether to help her remove her shoes.

'That doesn't seem like a good idea.'

Hinata suddenly let out a small gasp, coming back to her senses. Realizing she had been pulled into the entryway, she panicked and stepped back abruptly. Fortunately, Naruto reacted quickly, catching her before she fell.

"I'm sorry, I said something weird earlier." She apologized quietly.

"Change your shoes first and come in." Naruto didn't respond directly, but instead skillfully changed the subject and said, "Your clothes are all wet. I'll help you dry them later."

Hinata was slightly stunned and quickly waved her hand to refuse.

"No, no! I... I just... I should go. Sorry for bothering you."

With that, she bowed quickly and turned to leave.

Naruto had already noticed that Hinata's condition was not right, so how could he let her go at this time? He grabbed her arm with a snap and, making up an excuse, said, "The door is broken."

Check out my new novel, the title is: Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone.

Just click my profile, and look for my uploaded novel..