Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 619 Naruto's Accusation

The response to being silenced was too practiced.

Those words, those expressions, that perfectly timed gentleness and warning—it was as if they had been rehearsed countless times.

She was certain that Shizune knew the truth, and even suspected that it was Shizune who had reported him in the first place, just to get revenge on her for taking Iruka and ruining their relationship.

In reality, this was all just her imagination. Shizune and Iruka had only spoken a few times and could barely be considered friends.

She had forgotten that it was all due to her jealousy.

Yumi lowered her head, her voice calming down, "I understand. Thank you, Lady Shizune. I'll go back and get some rest."

Jingyin nodded: "Yes, things will get better, don't think too much."

The oil woman turned and left, her steps unhurried, completely different from when she came.

She went to the distribution point and borrowed a handcart there, saying she wanted to help her neighbor move some heavy items.

She pushed her cart through most of the village, and when she passed a dead tree, she stopped and took out a bundle of rope, a handful of kunai (a type of Japanese awl), and a small packet of white powder from a hollow in the tree.

She stuffed the things into the compartment under the cart and continued walking forward; the village hospital was ahead.

-

That night, Yamanaka Ino disappeared.

Sakura only went to the pharmacy to pick up her evening medication, which took less than fifteen minutes. When she returned to the ward, the bed was empty, the blankets were off, and the windows were wide open.

She searched frantically inside the hospital and then in the courtyard, eventually alerting the Konoha Hospital's security system. Shizune arrived within ten minutes and quickly organized a search party to cover the entire village.

But Ino seemed to have vanished into thin air; she couldn't be found anywhere.

The news quickly reached Naruto's ears. He and Sasuke had just returned to the village after moving a batch of supplies when a medical ninja rushed over in a panic, saying that Ino was missing.

Naruto's mind exploded with a buzz!

He rushed to the hospital almost instantly and burst into Sakura's office.

How did you take care of Ino?

Sakura forced herself to remain calm and apologized, "I'm already looking. Shizune-senpai is leading a search party throughout the entire village—"

Naruto felt a surge of anger and wanted to unleash all the pent-up rage he had accumulated over the years.

"Do you know Ino's current situation? She can't even feed herself. She'll get into trouble if she's out there alone. Why don't you keep an eye on her?"

Last time she was almost assaulted by a doctor, what promise did you make? You said you would never let anyone near her again, you said you would watch over her 24 hours a day, is this what you mean by "watching over"?

Sakura's eyes reddened instantly, but this time she didn't hold back like before.

"I didn't take good care of her? Is it wrong for me to take care of her? Five years! I've taken meticulous care of her for five years! Every day I fed her, bathed her, changed her clothes, and gave her her medicine on time. I didn't even dare to sleep soundly at night, afraid that something might happen to her. And what did I get in return? Not a single kind word from you, and you're still blaming me!"

"Do you know how much I felt guilty when I heard that Ino was being bullied by the doctor? I couldn't sleep for days, constantly wondering if I had done something wrong, if I hadn't taken good care of her. But what about you? When you came to the hospital, you didn't even ask me 'Are you okay?'"

"Nobody cares about my feelings! Naruto, have you ever cared about my feelings?!"

As she spoke, tears finally fell. This was the first time in five years that he had cried in front of others; before, he had always cried secretly by himself.

"You've been telling me all the troubles you've encountered over the years, and you've been complaining to me about them."

Come to me when you're tired, come to me when you're lost, come to me when you feel like you can't go on anymore. I listen, I listen to everything, I've never refused you.

But have you ever thought about how tired I am too? How difficult things are for me too? How there are times when I can't hold on anymore?

"Do you think you love Ino?" Sakura suddenly looked up at Naruto, her eyes blurry with tears.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Sakura asked again, "Then do you think Ino loves you?"

"Or is it just wishful thinking and budding romance with Ino? What you can't let go of isn't Ino, but the guilt in your own heart?"

Naruto choked up, as if he had been punched in the chest, unable to speak.

Especially when he saw Sakura's heartbroken expression, he wanted to apologize, but couldn't bring himself to say it.

Sakura looked at his expression and suddenly laughed, a laugh that was even uglier than crying.

"Naruto, you're such a coward. Go be a 'central air conditioner' for everyone! I'm tired. Go find someone else if you want."

After saying that, she turned and ran out of the office. Just as she stepped out the door, she bumped into Xiao Li, who was coming from the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, pushed Xiao Li away, and ran away again.

"Sakura! Sakura, wait!" Lee quickly chased after her, but before leaving, he glared at Naruto angrily. "Naruto-kun, you've gone too far! How could you say such hurtful things? Do you know how much Sakura has given up for Ino all these years?"

But what he hated even more was why Sakura liked this guy too. Wouldn't it be better to look back at him?

Naruto stood alone in the empty office, surrounded by the sounds of his own heartbeat and heavy breathing.

At that moment, he recalled Sakura's words: "What you can't let go of isn't Ino, it's the guilt in your own heart."

is it?

He kept wondering what his feelings for Ino really were.

If Ino were still the healthy and lively Ino she used to be, would he still visit her every day?

Will he still hold her hand and say those words? Will he still tell himself "Ino is the only one in my heart" when other women get close?

He didn't know that he seemed to have stopped thinking about relationships altogether, and now he just felt his mind was in turmoil.

Women are so hard to understand!

But that's not the point right now. The point is to find Ino as soon as possible, because he's terrified... terrified that she'll reappear and the same thing will happen again.

In that case, he would really be afraid that he wouldn't be able to bear it and would destroy the village.

However, at that moment, Sasuke Uchiha grabbed Iruka-sensei, tied him up, and threw him into the room.

Without even a hearing, they went straight to demanding, "Where did the woman hide Ino?"

"Sasuke, how can you doubt Iruka-sensei? He's a good person!" Naruto was about to step forward to stop him when Iruka unexpectedly revealed the whole truth.

He said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sasuke and Naruto, it was indeed Yumi who kidnapped Ino, but I believe he wouldn't hurt Ino. I have my reasons; I just want to find a way out for my child."

"Have you ever considered that he was lying, and that the child isn't yours at all?" Uchiha Sasuke stated the cruel truth.