'Since Dark Sakura was still sleeping, it proved that she could still be awakened. Maybe in a day or two, Dark Sakura would wake up on her own, or maybe she would come back on her own initiative.'
As for what he said to Sakura… How could he have a solution? If he did have one, he wouldn't have delayed it until now. He had said those words to give Pink Sakura a reason to come back to him voluntarily.
Since Pink Sakura had awakened from intense emotional stimuli, it stood to reason that Dark Sakura could also be awakened in a similar way, just as it had happened the first time… Pink Sakura had fallen into slumber after being overwhelmed by Sasuke's defection, and Dark Sakura had emerged.
Naruto figured he could try various methods, ranging from verbal triggers to other types of stimuli. He felt that the chances of Dark Sakura awakening were high if he kept switching between these approaches.
The theory made sense, but whether Sakura would cooperate remained to be seen. However, Naruto had a backup plan if it came to that, but he hoped it wouldn't be necessary.
So much had changed in the six years Sakura had been dormant. Naruto was confident that in time, she would come back to him.
…
At dinner, Sakura sat with her parents, who looked much older now, and felt a little dazed.
"Sakura, what's wrong?" Her mother asked.
"It's nothing." She replied and lowered her head to eat. Inside, her emotions were in turmoil.
"You don't usually come home much. Did something happen this time?" His father asked gently, "Are you having trouble at work? Or did you have a breakup?"
"I didn't…" Hearing the word 'breakup', Sakura felt as if her heart was electrocuted, "I'm full. I'll… go take a bath first."
"What's wrong with that child?"
…
In the bathroom, Sakura was soaking in the bathtub, recalling the events and feelings that happened in the afternoon, and her emotions grew increasingly complicated.
She had been asleep for six years, a fact that seemed too absurd, even making her question her own reality. Her work wasn't hers, and neither were those six years of experiences.
Even her body didn't feel like hers anymore. She submerged her head under the water. The bathroom fell into a heavy silence for two full minutes, and then she surfaced with a splash, gasping for air.
As her breathing slowly calmed, she slumped against the edge of the tub, her hand hanging loosely by her side, her thoughts filled with the words Naruto had spoken. She felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she finally emerged from the tub. Drying herself off, she dressed and took an umbrella, stepping out into the night for some fresh air.
The rain, which had started in the afternoon, continued into the evening. Sakura walked through the winding pathways, eventually finding herself on the familiar yet somehow unfamiliar Konoha's main street, her eyes drawn to the neon signs flickering through the rain.
The Konoha's main street is still bustling with life even on rainy days. Unlike the old Konoha's main street six years ago, colorful umbrellas bloomed like flowers as people hurried in all directions.
Sakura gripped the handle of her umbrella tightly, walking with the flow of people, but the further she went, the more lost and anxious she felt, as though she had wandered into an entirely foreign world.
Finally, she spotted the warmly lit sign of Ichiraku Ramen shining through the rain. The unchanged, familiar appearance of the shop brought her a small sense of security, as if she had finally met an acquaintance in a strange place.
Shaking the water off her umbrella, she fought the urge to flee back home. With a heart heavy with mixed emotions, she then walked into Ichiraku Ramen.
Inside, the shop was brightly lit. Ayame had grown up, and is now a young woman. Meanwhile, Teuchi was busy in the kitchen, working with his back straight. Despite the rain, a few customers sat scattered throughout the shop.
"Haha! On a rainy day like this, nothing beats a hot bowl of ramen!"
The sudden, enthusiastic voice startled Sakura. It came from a pair of customers, one older and one younger, who were cheerfully praising their ramen. Their bright smiles caused her to momentarily drift into a daze.
Just as Sakura was about to order, she noticed that even the ramen menu had changed. The once consistent tonkotsu ramen now had several additional ingredients. It seemed that time changed everything.
'Has even the most popular tonkotsu ramen changed?' Sakura wondered silently as she took a bite. She felt that the taste was familiar, yet it felt like something had been added.
"I should probably head home now." Sakura murmured to herself, standing under the eaves of Ichiraku Ramen before stepping back into the rain.
She wandered down the streets of Konoha, the sound of raindrops splashing beneath her feet.
As she walked, her mind suddenly drifted to a memory from long ago. It was about her favorite female teacher from her days at the Academy.
However, one day, the female teacher suddenly stopped coming to class. Rumors spread throughout the class, until one afternoon, Sakura saw her sitting alone on a swing in an abandoned area on the outskirts of the village, her belly noticeably swollen.
The teacher's eyes briefly glanced over at Sakura, and with a calm voice devoid of emotion, she said, "Sensei did something that's not widely accepted and now that Sensei is pregnant, Sensei can't stay at the Academy anymore."
The smile on her face was something young Sakura couldn't fully understand. But she always remembered that smile, which is a blend of bitterness and serenity.
But now, Sakura felt like she could understand a little. She, too, wanted to cry, but somehow it seemed she no longer had the right to shed tears, as if everything would be fine if she never woke up.
She felt like a ghost drifting through a time that no longer belonged to her, engulfed by an overwhelming sense of loneliness. And that loneliness hit her full force when she returned home to find the door locked.
Sakura realized that her other self had a habit of leaving the house often, so her parents must have gotten used to locking the door behind her.
She didn't want to knock. Instead, she crouched by the door, biting her wrist, and silently cried.
She cried for a while, but not a single sound escaped her lips. At this time, she remembered an address in her mind, Konoha's 404 Street.
She wobbled to her feet, ready to take a step forward but then froze in place.
'Should I really go find Naruto? Even though… even though I still like Sasuke. But Sasuke has defected. He might never come back.'
'Should I go?'
'After everything that has happened, there's no turning back. I've… already been… yet I can't even bring myself to blame him.'
'Sasuke…'
'What is Sasuke doing right now? I've finally woken up, but after what happened, do I really have no other choice but to…'
A sudden, urgent knock echoed through the door.
Naruto was arguing with Ajisai over a plot in a TV series while holding a cup of water, with a day's break as the wager, while Yakumo sat nearby, watching the fun.
The unexpected knock broke the lively atmosphere. Naruto turned his head to look at the door and frowned slightly. The two women were also stunned for a moment, and Naruto waved them off.
The two girls quietly retreated to their rooms, while Naruto, still in his slippers, walked to the door. Without any hesitation, he swung it open. The wind and rain rushed in as Sakura stood at the entrance, clutching her umbrella.
Her thin figure trembled slightly as she raised her eyes to glance at him briefly. There's a look of awkwardness on her face, as if she had been forced to come.
"What are you doing?" Naruto was a little surprised, 'We just parted in the afternoon, and you came here in the evening? Did you figure it out that quickly? How amazing.'
Sakura, however, hadn't thought much about it. She was torn over whether she should go to Naruto or not. She had already decided earlier in the day to go home and start over.
However…