"What?"
Nao was stunned. She stared at the purple wrist guard in Naruto's hand and was at a loss for words. A wave of complex emotions surged in her mind, leaving her feeling somewhat stifled.
She originally thought Naruto was waiting here just to strike up a conversation with her, not believing he had any good intentions. In her heart, she was already cursing him, ready to brush him off casually.
Who would've guessed that he would offer her a wrist guard so cleanly, presenting it with an open hand.
Only then did she have the mind to carefully examine Naruto, or more precisely, to examine Kitanoko's appearance. His ordinary face actually looked more pleasing to the eye, and he was quite tall.
This was the charm of persistence and effort, and money. When someone lacks qualities to praise, the mind often resorts to assessing the height.
'Hmm, not bad, he's tall.'
Naruto didn't seem to mind. Seeing Nao sizing him up, he knew that the money he had spent was not wasted. However, he didn't show it on his face, maintaining a genuine expression.
"I noticed your wrist guard was torn, and since you didn't change it, I thought you might be sentimental about it." He said with a smile, "Wrist guards aren't expensive, but they do wear down over time."
"I recall the Medical Department doesn't allow Medical-nin to wear wrist guards unless under special circumstances. This wrist guard meets medical specifications, so you might want to ask. It should be fine for long-term use."
"T-Thanks." Nao stuttered a little, but it was not because she was touched.
She wasn't foolish enough to be swayed by a simple wrist guard. If that were the case, she'd have a crowd following her by now. She just thinks this person is somewhat interesting.
At least he wasn't like the typical guys who would just use a few words to woo her. She had seen too many people like that. If her parents hadn't had some influence, she'd likely be surrounded by pursuers already.
However, the person in front of her looked cleaner than he had in the afternoon, and his gaze seemed devoid of ulterior motives. It was rare to find someone she could have a normal conversation with.
"Well, that's all for now. I should head back." Naruto said with a smile. "My house is far away and a bit shabby, probably not in the same direction as yours."
"Oh, okay." Nao was still thinking about what to say when she suddenly heard his farewell. She instinctively responded, then raised her head, and couldn't help but asked, "Hey, where do you live?"
"To the south, near Hanakage Alley." Naruto answered honestly.
"It's on the way. My home is in that direction too." Nao's mood suddenly improved. Her voice carried more emotion now, and a pleased smile appeared on her face.
People are like this, sometimes, they react with a sense of defiance.
Nao's heart was already suppressed, and the calmer she acted, the worse her internal turmoil. Every day, she encountered people who wanted something from her and they couldn't hide their intentions at all.
She had a preconceived impression that someone just wanted to take advantage of her. So seeing someone who didn't seem to want anything from her made her relax. The fact that they were headed in the same direction gave her a reason to continue talking.
In her opinion, Naruto's unremarkable appearance and apparent lack of bad intentions made him easy to manage. She believed she could control him with her charm.
Yet, when everything seemed under her control, she wasn't as repelled. It wasn't that she liked him, but she found the situation rare, like a breath of fresh air.
Initially, Naruto had been placed in the 'impossible' category in Nao's mind. It was precisely because of this that when Naruto showed that he had no ulterior motives, she felt the urge to open up.
People often react in contradictory ways.
For a brief second, as Naruto looked at her, Nao actually felt a flash of worry. She feared he might awkwardly reject her and turn away.
Thump, thump.
Her heart skipped two beats and her mouth actually felt dry.
Fortunately, Naruto soon showed a gentle smile on his face, touched his face and said, "Sure."
Hunters often appear in the form of prey. Naruto silently thought about the indifference revealed in Nao's eyes at noon. With his subtle testing, he had figured out about a third of her temperament.
"Is the work in the hospital tiring?" Naruto and Sakura have been together for a long time, so he is more or less familiar with some topics in Konoha Hospital and have heard all kinds of gossip and complaints.
After raising this topic, he smoothly transitioned to another, avoiding any awkward silences. Once Nao started talking, he quietly listened.
As the conversation went on, Nao began speaking more and more. Sometimes, all it took was a simple prompt, and Nao would continue on her own, talking endlessly.
After going on for quite some time, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. The feeling was far better than when she tried to cope on her own. She was completely relaxed mentally and her whole body felt lighter.
"Yeah, that's certainly the case with hospital," Naruto responded, continuing to agree with her while scanning their surroundings.
"Hey, how do you know so much about Konoha Hospital? Were you a Medical-nin before?" Nao finally couldn't resist asking, and began to feel a little curious about Naruto.
After all, although Naruto didn't say much during their walk, every time he asked a question, it resonated with her and he smoothly navigated their conversation.
It was as if he had worked in Konoha Hospital. He knew everything, except for some minor details that didn't match up, but it was not a big deal.
"Oh, I have a friend who used to be a Medical-nin." Naruto replied smoothly.
"Who? Do I know them?" She asked curiously.
"They died on the battlefield." Naruto responded calmly. If he said they're dead, then they're dead. There is no evidence, and no one would investigate such a thing.
"Sorry."
"No need," he said.
Normally, at moments like these, the conversations would become awkward, but Naruto didn't seem fazed. After all, he had just made that up, so he easily switched to a new topic.
As the two continued talking, the conversation naturally drifted to the future.
"Do you think the village will go to war?" Nao asked with a worried expression.
"It's hard to say about this kind of thing, but you are a Medical-nin." Naruto paused before adding, "Generally speaking, you don't need to go to the front line, so it's relatively safer for you."
"Even though that's true…" Nao felt a bit embarrassed. She really didn't want to return to the battlefield. The total annihilation of her previous team had left her with a massive psychological scar.
If it weren't for her teammates sacrificing themselves and some good fortune on her part that she managed to escape death with only a scar on her body, she might not have made it back alive. The scene of her teammates covered in blood was still vivid in her mind. And Nao's face turned noticeably pale.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
After a moment, her complexion improved slightly, and she turned around and asked somewhat kindly, "What about you?"
"Me?" Naruto stopped walking and glanced at her, "Me what?"
"Medical-nin are relatively safe, but what about you?" Nao bit her lower lip. Spending time with Naruto had allowed her to be more relaxed physically and mentally.
There were many things she couldn't usually talk about, but now she felt she could open up a little. This feeling made her comfortable, releasing some of the tension that had been building up inside her.
Naturally, she didn't want to see Naruto dead the next day or the next time they met.
Emotional support is irreplaceable. Emotions are an unsolvable dilemma. Without anyone to understand her, she had to bottle everything up inside, unable to release it.
So after experiencing emotional release once, Nao was unwilling to return to her previous life. To her, Naruto had become her outlet.