THE PATH OF LIFE || U. SASUKE

CHAPTER 35

THIRD PERSON POV

"Hey Y/N-chan," 

Naruto's voice echoed through the surroundings. Y/N instinctively tried to evade Naruto, fully aware that if he caught sight of her, he'd undoubtedly drag her off to places she had no intention of going.

She exerted immense effort to avoid forming close connections with others, sensing the fortress she had built around herself slowly cracking, but deep down, she knew resisting might be futile, much like how she reluctantly let Sasuke in.

"What?" Y/N replied, her annoyance evident.

"We're going to Ichiraku Ramen, and you're coming too, please," Naruto whined, causing Y/N to raise an eyebrow at the word 'we.'

Understanding her hesitation, Naruto quickly added, "Rookie Team?" He rambled about the sizeable group of eight, clearly excluding Y/N and Sasuke, the usual non-participants.

Too much people

"No thanks," Y/N declined, not thrilled about the large group, turning away in an attempt to maintain her distance.

"So, what's your plan then?" Naruto inquired.

"I'm not sure. Maybe train or do something productive, unlike you," Y/N replied, firm in her decision.

"Hey, guys, you go ahead. I have something to take care of," Naruto shouted to the people behind him.

"Did Naruto just ditch us?" Kiba remarked, his surprise evident.

Ino clenched her fists in frustration. "How rude! We specifically asked him to bring Y/N-chan along with us." 

The group had just witnessed Y/N conversing with Kakashi before he vanished on a mission, prompting them to send Naruto to fetch her. Ino and Sakura harbored hopes that if they could persuade Y/N to join, Sasuke might follow suit.

"Ugh, that Naruto! How dare he just leave us hanging like that!" Sakura fumed, her frustration evident in her voice. "We were trying to include Y/N-chan, and he goes and does this? It's so infuriating!" She clenched her fists, her annoyance at Naruto's actions boiling over.

Hinata, always one to see the best in people, offered a gentle defense. "I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude. Maybe he'll catch up with us later."

Ino huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, he could have at least let us know before running off like that. It's not like Y/N-chan would have said yes anyway."

Shikamaru, leaning against a nearby wall, spoke up in his typically laid-back manner. "Troublesome, but I guess it's better this way. " The Y/N I know would never join us.

Kiba shrugged, not one to dwell on things for too long. "Yeah, let's not worry about it too much. Ramen's waiting, and we don't want to keep old man Teuchi waiting!"

☫━━━✧༝┉˚*❋━❉━☫━❉━❋*˚┉༝✧━━━☫

Naruto continued to drag Y/N along, despite her clear displeasure. "Hey, stop it!" she demanded, but her protests fell on deaf ears as Naruto ignored her pleas.

Unbeknownst to them, two enigmatic figures stood at a distance, silently observing the unfolding scene. They appeared to be transient travelers passing through the village, their intentions concealed beneath a veil of mystery.

Y/N shot Naruto an exasperated glare, her frustration palpable. Despite her clear annoyance, Naruto seemed unfazed and offered a sheepish smile. "I wanted you to meet Pervy Sage," he explained with an air of enthusiasm.