Naruto: We Agreed on a Simulation, But They Actually Came to Life?

Kitahara Kaede stood inside the shop, his gaze drifting toward the street outside.

For a fleeting moment, he had the distinct feeling that someone was watching him. But when he actually turned to look, there was nothing there.

"What’s wrong?"

Pakura’s voice pulled him back to reality. She was looking at him, her head tilted slightly to the side.

Kaede looked away and shook his head. "Nothing, just looking around."

Pakura didn’t press him. She handed the dress to the shopkeeper. "I’ll take this one."

Her tone was light, carrying a rare, playful charm.

Watching her pay, Kaede forced down the growing sense of unease in his heart. Tsunade hadn’t returned yet; he was likely just feeling guilty, and his mind was playing tricks on him.

Pakura walked back to him, carrying a paper bag, and naturally slid into place by his side. "Let’s go. Walk with me a bit more."

The two left the clothing store and merged back into the crowds of the commercial district. In the evening, Konoha’s shopping street was even more bustling than it had been during the day.

"Want to try some of those?" Pakura stopped in front of a food stall and pointed to the tricolor dango. "I’ve heard that Konoha’s dango are quite famous."

Kaede stepped forward and handed some money to the vendor. "One skewer, please."

The vendor deftly skewered the dango and gave Pakura a lingering look as he handed them over. Pakura took a bite, and her eyes lit up.

"Is it sweet?"

"Since when is dango salty?" Kaede couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction.

Pakura didn’t argue; she simply focused on eating her treat with great seriousness.

As they continued walking, Pakura stopped again at a takoyaki stand. This time, she didn’t say anything, merely glancing at Kaede from the corner of her eye.

Kaede sighed and bought a serving. "Just a taste. This stuff won’t actually fill you up."

"I know."

Pakura took a takoyaki with a bamboo skewer, blew on it twice, and took a bite. The heat made her frown, but she still gave him a thumbs-up. "This is good, too."

Before they knew it, the sun had dipped behind the Hokage Rock. Pakura came to a halt. Looking up at the twilight glow on the horizon, her voice grew soft.

"Time really flies when I’m with you."

Kaede caught the meaning behind her words. "Are you returning to the Hidden Rain Village?"

Pakura nodded, her expression returning to something more professional. "This alliance is crucial for the Rain Village. I can’t linger in Konoha too long; I must return as soon as possible to report the details to Yahiko."

Kaede nodded in understanding. "What about Konan and Nagato? What are the arrangements for them?"

"We agreed to meet at the village entrance this evening." Pakura brushed a few stray hairs away from her face, ruffled by the evening breeze.

Kaede glanced at the sky. "I’ll walk you to the gate."

Pakura’s eyelashes fluttered, but she didn’t refuse.

The two turned and began walking toward the village entrance. The distance wasn’t long, but Pakura walked slowly. Kaede noticed her deliberate pace but didn’t call her out on it. He simply matched her steps in silence, stretching the journey for as long as possible.

As they neared the gate, Pakura suddenly turned to him.

"Kaede, the alliance is complete now." Her voice was light, carrying a sense of natural certainty. "Since we’re allies now, I can come to Konoha to visit you often."

Kaede’s pace faltered for a split second.

’Visit often?’

’What about Tsunade?’

’Is he really going to be lucky enough to have Tsunade be out of the village every single time?’

The difficulty of keeping these two secrets was no longer just walking a tightrope; it was dancing on the edge of a blade. He finally understood a fundamental truth: liking one person didn’t require hiding, but pursuing two at once required absolute secrecy.

Pakura’s intuition was incredibly sharp. She noticed that Kaede’s face didn’t light up with joy upon hearing her words. She narrowed her eyes slightly.

"What? Do you not want to see me?"

Kaede kept his expression neutral. "That’s not it. I want to see you, too. It’s just that I have things I need to attend to as well."

Pakura studied his profile. Her gut told her his reaction was off, but his composed demeanor made her wonder if she was overthinking it. After a moment of silence, she gave a compliant nod.

"Alright. We’ll talk about it the next time I visit."

Kaede breathed a sigh of relief.

They continued forward until the main gates of Konoha came into view. In the distance, three figures stood waiting. Jiraiya’s towering frame was particularly prominent. Konan and Nagato stood beside him, engaged in a low conversation.

Seeing her companions, Pakura picked up her pace. Kaede followed behind, his gaze sweeping over Jiraiya’s face. He noticed that Jiraiya’s expression was... unusual.

The moment Jiraiya saw him and Pakura walking together, his relaxed demeanor vanished, replaced by a look of scrutiny and displeasure.

Kaede’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t yet figured out why the man was looking at him that way.

Pakura reached Konan and Nagato. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Konan shook her head, her gaze shifting between Pakura and Kaede. "How was the shopping?"

"It was great." Pakura smiled, lifting the paper bag in her hand.

Nagato nodded toward Kaede. "Jonin Kitahara, thank you for your help this time."

"It was my pleasure," Kaede replied, composing himself.

Before turning to leave, Pakura gave Kaede a deep, lingering look. Then she turned around, and the three of them vanished in a flicker of Body Flicker technique.

Kaede watched them disappear. Before he could even turn back, Jiraiya’s voice rang out behind him.

"Kitahara Kaede, come with me."

Kaede turned to meet Jiraiya’s scrutinizing eyes. While he maintained a calm facade, his mind was racing to figure out the reason for this behavior.

’Does Jiraiya know something? No, that shouldn’t be possible.’

"Lord Jiraiya, is something the matter?"

Jiraiya stepped closer. "What exactly are you playing at, kid?"

"And what exactly is your relationship with Tsunade right now?"

Kaede’s brow furrowed. ’Why does this sound like he’s standing up for Tsunade?’

"Lord Jiraiya, what do you mean by that?"

"Don’t dodge the question. And what’s the deal with that woman, Pakura?" Jiraiya interrupted him, his tone carrying a warning. "Don’t think I didn’t notice. The way that Pakura looked at you was completely wrong."

Kaede felt a flicker of annoyance, but he clung to his previous excuse. "Pakura is simply an envoy from the Rain Village. I was just helping her familiarize herself with the environment."

"Stop trying to fool me with that line." Jiraiya pressed closer. "Tsunade just returned to the village."

Kaede’s breath hitched.

Jiraiya stared intently at his face. "She went to find you. Where is she now?"

Kaede’s brain worked at lightning speed.

Tsunade was back? She had gone to find him?

The timeline snapped together in his mind. Tsunade had returned to Konoha and run into Jiraiya, Konan, and Nagato. She then learned that he had taken Pakura to the commercial district.

And at that exact time, he and Pakura had been inside a clothing store.

Kaede finally realized who had been watching him in the shop.

Tsunade.

She had seen Pakura clinging to his side; she had seen her looking up at him and smiling.

A sudden, overwhelming sense of dread washed over him.

Jiraiya was still waiting for an answer. But Kaede couldn’t even bring himself to respond; he simply turned around and walked away as fast as he could.

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