Seeing that her parents were not completely enraged, Sakura realized that Sasuke's earlier display had worked.
Gathering her courage, she said, "Dad, Mom, please don't blame Sasuke."
"Actually… I was the one who confessed to him today!"
"What?!"
Mebuki Haruno and Kizashi Haruno were stunned yet again.
Their daughter had taken the initiative?
For a moment, countless emotions surged through them.
The Uchiha clan had always been special. Even if only Sasuke remained in Konoha now, his background was still far beyond that of an ordinary family.
Mebuki suddenly realized she might not understand her daughter as well as she thought.
In their eyes, the once lively and innocent Sakura seemed to have changed overnight.
"Sakura, tell Mom… have you been under any pressure lately? Any worries?"
Perhaps that was why she had rushed into a relationship.
They wouldn't have opposed her finding a boyfriend so strongly—just not like this.
Sakura shook her head, her beautiful eyes filled with longing for the future.
"My only worry before… was that the Sasuke I liked never looked at me."
"Now that we're together, I feel so happy. I don't have any worries at all."
Seeing the bright smile on her face, both parents fell silent.
…
Back home, Mebuki cooked dinner with a heavy heart.
But Sakura declined.
"Sasuke already treated me to dinner."
Kizashi grew quiet once more.
…
That night, neither parent could sleep.
In just one day, their daughter had changed so much—it was hard to accept.
After observing Sakura carefully, Mebuki said softly, "Even if it's too early for her to be with Sasuke…"
"She truly likes him."
"And he treated her to dinner… and personally walked her home so late. Perhaps he's sincere too."
Kizashi recalled the terrifying Mangekyō Sharingan he had seen.
"For now… we can only hope so."
"Tomorrow, buy some of her favorite food. Let's treat her better these days."
"Don't let that boy completely win her over…"
Since her parents didn't scold her further, Sakura finally felt relieved.
…
After showering and drying her hair, she lay down and drifted into a sweet sleep.
…
Unlike Sakura, who slept peacefully, Sasuke was still full of energy.
After leaving her house, he felt the Nine-Tails' chakra surging within him.
In the original story, Naruto's rapid recovery had relied not only on his Uzumaki bloodline but also on the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Now Sasuke possessed it as well.
Even after exhausting himself earlier, he felt refreshed and vigorous.
Unexpectedly, when he passed Ichiraku Ramen again, the shop was just closing.
Ayame had changed into casual clothes.
Tall, mature, and graceful.
Anime girls were always beautiful—even if Ayame hadn't had much screen time originally.
"Sasuke?"
Ayame had just finished work when she ran into him again. She looked surprised.
The evening breeze lifted her skirt slightly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Sasuke's gaze lingered in appreciation.
"What a coincidence. I just walked Sakura home and happened to see you."
He didn't mind chatting with a beauty.
Back when he was a shut-in, he had only fantasized about popular characters like Hinata, Sakura, and Tsunade.
If he hadn't gone for ramen tonight, he might not have paid attention to Ayame at all.
Ayame looked at him warmly.
"I really envy Sakura."
"To have such a handsome and considerate boyfriend."
Sasuke chuckled. "There's nothing to envy. I'm not as perfect as you think."
After all, he already intended to build a harem in this world.
He knew that didn't make him a saint.
If he were completely devoted to Sakura, he might deserve the title of perfect boyfriend.
But how could he resist when this world was filled with so many beauties?
"Don't say that," Ayame replied.
"You're handsome, you treat Sakura well, and the way you handled Naruto earlier was impressive."
"At such a young age, you're already remarkable."
Sasuke smiled lightly.
"It's late. Walking alone might not be safe. How about I escort you home?"
Ayame's cheeks turned red.
"That would be embarrassing…"
"It's fine," Sasuke said casually. "You might even discover I'm not as perfect as you think."
He had no interest in maintaining a flawless image.
He only wanted to live freely.
"In that case, I'll trouble the handsome Sasuke-kun."
Ayame agreed without much hesitation. In her mind, he was still just a boy. Even if she felt a spark of admiration, nothing serious would happen.
…
The two walked together.
Ayame lived quite far away.
Perhaps too immersed in conversation, she didn't notice a stone underfoot.
She stumbled.
"Careful!"
In a flash, Sasuke caught her.
"I'm sorry…"
Ayame blushed deeply.
Being held in his arms felt unexpectedly reassuring.
Just as her heart began to race—
Sasuke's expression turned strange.
Because in that instant, the system notification sounded again:
[Congratulations on successful sign-in. Reward: Ichiraku Ramen Cooking Skill.]