Step by step, time continued to pass. All they did was walk, yet Tenten still felt it was something special.
Until Naruto's steps began to slow, and eventually, he stopped.
He turned around.
"We've arrived," he said with a smile on his face.
Tenten snapped out of her thoughts and turned her gaze forward.
"There?" she pointed.
Naruto nodded. He reached for her hand again and gently pulled her forward.
"Come on, I think you'll like it."
Slowly but surely, Tenten followed Naruto's lead.
Whoosh.
The wind brushed her face, and a bright light made her squint and close her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them, she gasped in surprise. Her body trembled, and her eyes couldn't look away.
A vast field of flowers in every color stretched out before her.
At the center stood a windmill, spinning in the breeze.
It was the first time she had ever seen something so beautiful.
She turned to Naruto, her eyes blinking as she smiled sweetly.
"This is beautiful, Naruto..." she whispered.
She stepped forward slowly, wanting to see it more closely.
Naruto's heart warmed. It seemed he hadn't chosen the wrong place.
"Hey! Wait for me!" he called, running after her.
Tenten turned back, but instead of stopping, she ran farther away.
"Haha! I'm being chased by the monster Naruto!"
She ran along the flower paths, and Naruto followed.
"You just wait!" he called, mock-annoyed.
They played chase, but Naruto's speed soon allowed him to close the distance.
Until—
"Ahh, Naruto!" Tenten yelped in surprise.
He had suddenly embraced her from behind, tightly. Her face turned red with embarrassment, though she tried to hold it in.
"Let go!" she yelled.
"Let go? Sure…" Naruto loosened his hold, and Tenten sighed in relief.
But immediately, he hugged her again—this time even tighter.
Because of that, Tenten could feel the warmth of his body, his scent, and the calm rhythm of his breathing.
"He's... too calm," she grumbled inwardly.
Tenten was overwhelmed with embarrassment, while Naruto remained relaxed, maybe even enjoying the moment.
He slowly rested his chin on her shoulder, making her squirm.
"Finally… I caught you, little thief," he whispered playfully, irritating her even more.
And at last, Tenten couldn't take it anymore.
The embarrassment wouldn't end unless she did something.
She readied her elbow to jab his stomach—
"Well, well, who do we have here?" a voice interrupted them.
They looked ahead.
An old man with a bald head and a long beard stood before them.
Tenten squinted at him.
"Oh, sorry. I should've introduced myself first," the man said as he approached.
"So who are you?" Tenten asked, still in Naruto's embrace.
Naruto silently made a few guesses in his mind.
The man smiled and turned his gaze to the field of flowers, breathing gently.
"Well then... my name is Yenji. I'm a caretaker here."
"Caretaker?" Tenten raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, a caretaker," he repeated. "I look after these beautiful flowers and let them live in peace so we can enjoy them."
Tenten listened but didn't fully understand, so she just nodded.
"And by the way, you two are quite the romantic pair… Are you a couple?" he asked, his voice suddenly lively.
He turned his soft gaze toward them.
"No—"
"Yes, we are," Naruto cut off Tenten's reply.
"Oh, is that so?" Yenji's smile widened, and he laughed heartily while looking up at the sky.
Tenten pinched Naruto lightly.
"Why?"
Naruto leaned closer.
"You know? Old people love seeing young couples in love," he whispered.
Tenten's cheeks flushed.
"You idiot… how do you even know that's true?" she muttered back.
But Naruto ignored her.
"So, Yenji-san, what else do you do here besides watching over the flowers?"
Yenji turned toward them.
"Besides that, sometimes I sleep, sometimes I write in my journal, and sometimes… I reflect on old memories," he said in a heavy voice.
"What kind of memories?" Tenten asked innocently.
Yenji smiled.
"Ah, just ordinary memories. But if you're curious, come with me. That over there is my post," he said, pointing at the windmill.
They both looked at it, then turned back to Yenji.
He chuckled.
"I know it may sound odd. But come on."
Naruto and Tenten followed him. Naruto had let go of his embrace but continued holding Tenten's hand.
Tenten didn't pull away. Her curiosity about Yenji's story was too strong.
When they arrived, they were amazed at how large the windmill was.
"No need to stare. It's just an ordinary windmill," Yenji said.
"And come on in." He opened the door and welcomed them.
They entered. The room wasn't big, but it wasn't small either.
They sat on the sofa, their eyes on Yenji.
Naruto leaned back, while Tenten sat up straight.
"So, what is it?"
"Well then," Yenji served them tea and sat on his wooden chair.
Naruto took a sip.
"This is pretty good," he said.
Tenten, hearing that, grew curious. She tried it too.
"Hmm, you're right. This is really good!" she exclaimed.
Yenji smiled.
"Tasty, right? Of course. It was my wife's favorite."
"Really? So where is she?" Tenten asked.
At that question, Yenji's expression changed slightly. He didn't stop smiling, but he looked down.
After a sigh, he looked back at them.
"My wife and I got married about sixty years ago. It was a happy marriage. It wasn't grand, but the feelings we shared were richer than anything else.
Three years later, we were blessed with a daughter. She was so adorable.
But when she turned five, our village was attacked by bandits. She was killed by one of them... a man who took a liking to my wife's face…"
Tenten's face tensed. Anger filled her, and her fists clenched.
Naruto saw it and did nothing—he understood what she was feeling.
After a pause, Yenji continued.
"And after our little girl's death, several bandits took my wife away. When she returned, her condition was terrible—her clothes torn and..." Yenji stopped. He couldn't finish his words.
Now, not only Tenten but also Naruto looked upset. He understood what had happened and was at a loss for words.
Yenji looked at them both and gave a bitter smile.
"But thankfully, we were saved. Konoha ninja heard about the chaos and came to help. One of the most heroic among them was Danzo."
Hearing that name, Naruto was shocked.
"Danzo?" he repeated.
"Yes. He was a young ninja, full of spirit. When he heard our story, he quickly ordered a raid on the bandit base and wiped them all out."
Naruto remained silent. He never imagined Danzo doing something like that.
"After that, we started living again, trying to move past the shadows of sadness..." Yenji continued.
They both nodded.
"But sadly, ten years passed, and we never had another child. As time went on, the pain grew heavier. My wife fell ill and eventually passed away…"
Yenji ended his story. His eyes were filled with longing, and his face full of regret.
The mood in the room turned somber.
Each of them sank into their thoughts—especially Naruto.
He felt the need to keep training, to become stronger.
He didn't want to experience loss again.
He had already lost too much.