Naruto's brows knotted as he mulled over what puzzled him, his blue eyes scanning the library's shadows where dust danced with light. "Hey, Sakura," he ventured, breaking the silence that had settled between them like a thick blanket. "Do you think there's supposed to be a medical nin in every team? Like, isn't it kinda risky not to have one?"

Sakura paused; her finger sandwiched between the pages of a hefty ninjutsu manual. A flicker of surprise crossed her features before she stared into the distance, considering the question. "Well," she began tentatively, brushing a stray lock of pink hair behind her ear, "I haven't come across any rule about teams having a medical-nin. Maybe it's something they teach us later on?" Her tone wavered, betraying her uncertainty.

Naruto's face scrunched up in visible annoyance, imagining himself sprawled on the ground during an important mission, a victim of some sneaky poison. "Man, that would be so lame," he grumbled under his breath.

But then, like a lightning strike, inspiration hit him. His scowl melted into a hopeful grin, and he spun around to face Sakura, his energy practically zipping through the air. "Wait! You're real smart, Sakura. Could you—would you mind teaching me some basic medical-ninjutsu? Just enough so I don't keel over out there?"

For a second, he bit his lip, the request lingering between them like a thrown kunai waiting to hit its mark. He shuffled his feet, suddenly sheepish. "I mean, if it's not too much trouble or anything," Naruto added quickly, not wanting to overstep or scare off one of the few people who didn't treat him like an outcast.

"Uh, well, I've read a lot about medical ninjutsu," Sakura began, her voice a shaky melody of nerves as she fiddled with the corner of a page in her manual. "There's an Antidote jutsu that could help in this case. Maybe I could show you on Monday when we visit the medical-nin? I can't really demonstrate here in the library."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up, a cartoonish expression of surprise painting his features. "Visit to the medical-nin? When did they tell us about that?"

Sakura sweatdropped, an uneasy chuckle escaping her lips. "Miss Shinohara mentioned it just yesterday. You didn't hear?"

Rubbing the back of his head, he sheepishly grinned. "Guess I must've snoozed off... Old habits die hard, huh?"

She watched him sigh then, a cloud of defeat deflating his usual buoyancy. Curious, she cocked her head to the side. "What's wrong, Naruto?"

"Ah, it's just..." He hesitated, scuffing the floor with his shoe. "I was wondering if you could help me with my ninja philosophy essay?"

"Me?" Sakura blinked, genuinely surprised. "But usually, it's only Ino who asks for my help..."

"Exactly why I'm asking you!" Naruto blurted out; his blue eyes earnest. "You always have the answers in class, so I figured you'd be the best person to ask!"

Pink bloomed across Sakura's cheeks at the unexpected compliment, and she ducked her head, nearly disappearing behind the tome in her lap. "Sure, I'll help you."

At her words, Naruto leaped up, a burst of jubilation. His exclamation echoed through the library until a stern "Shhh!" from a neighboring reader cut him short. Chastened, he settled back down, offering an apologetic grin.

"Would you mind if we sat over at the study tables instead of the floor?" Sakura asked, peering up from the pages that had served as her temporary shield. Her voice was soft, almost lost amidst the rustling of leafing through books and soft murmurs of other patrons.

"Of course not! Thanks, Sakura," Naruto said, his tone brimming with gratitude. He watched as she closed the hefty manual, brushed off her clothes, and walked over to return it to its rightful place on the shelf.

"Whatcha looking at?" Naruto inquired, approaching her as she seemed to get lost in thought before the bookcase.

"Ah!" Sakura started, caught in her contemplation. A light flush stained her cheeks again. "It's just... this is the medical ninjutsu book by the same author as the advanced chakra text we used with Ino. It's written so well..."

"Is this one as good as that one?" Naruto mused, scratching his chin. "You got all excited last time you talked about that chakra book."

"Good? It's fantastic!" Sakura's enthusiasm surged like a sudden gale. "It reminds me of Lady Tsunade's jutsu scrolls. She's the greatest medical ninja ever—saved countless lives and revolutionized the field of medical ninjutsu!"

As her idolization of Lady Tsunade poured out, her eyes sparkled, her gestures grew more animated, and her voice rang with admiration. Then, a shadow crossed her face, and her voice softened. "It's just... Lady Tsunade didn't write much herself."

"But," Sakura continued, her excitement reigniting like a flare, "having potentially Tsunade-sama as a co-author makes it incredible!"

Watching Sakura's display, Naruto couldn't help but feel taken aback. He'd seen her passionate side before, but never quite like this—her energy rivaling even his own. Luckily, the library was nearly empty now, sparing them both another scolding.

Realizing she had gotten carried away, Sakura's blush returned full force, and she glanced around, embarrassed but unable to hide the twinkle of joy in her eye.

Shaking off her embarrassment, Sakura's gaze landed on a misplaced scroll peeking out from under a nearby shelf. With determined strides, she snatched it up and headed straight for an empty study table a few rows away from them, scattering a few loose papers in her wake. Naruto, momentarily confused by the sudden change of pace, scurried after her, his blue eyes wide and curious.

"Hey, wait up, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out, almost tripping over his own feet as he dashed to catch up.

They took their seats across from each other, the worn wooden surface of the table between them. Sakura unfurled the scroll with a swift motion, her green eyes quickly scanning the text before she turned her attention back to Naruto, who was now fidgeting nervously in his chair.

"Did you get what our teacher was asking in the homework?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Uh..." Naruto scratched at the back of his head, his spiky blond hair bouncing. "Something 'bout importance and missions... right?"

"Close," Sakura corrected gently, "but it's about the importance hierarchy on missions in other countries."

"Importance hierarchy? What's that even mean?" Naruto's voice wavered between confusion and frustration.

Sakura sighed but caught herself before fully giving in to exasperation. 'Think simpler,' she mused silently. 'He's not dumb—just needs a different angle.'

"Okay, imagine you're undercover on an island in the Land of Water, alright? You've used your transformation jutsu to become a local shop owner, like your teammates." Sakura's fingers danced through the air, sketching the scene for him.

Naruto rubbed his chin, nodding thoughtfully as he pictured himself as a florist, surrounded by exotic blooms and fragrant petals. The image made him smile.

"Your mission is to gather intel about a secret scroll from the locals," Sakura continued, her explanation picking up steam despite the slight falter as she crafted the scenario. "But before you learn enough, all three of you are exposed. What do you do?"

Naruto blinked, lost for a heartbeat before he remembered Anko-nee's words, urging him to strive for excellence. He clenched his fists, steeling himself for the challenge. "So we're all shop owners, huh? How'd we get caught?"

"Local shinobi," Sakura replied, her eyes widening as they locked onto Naruto's. "They found you, and they're not happy."

"Right..." Naruto nodded slowly, pride swelling within him for keeping up. "Escape without getting hurt. Mission comes second if things get dicey."

"Exactly!" Sakura's lips curved into a smile, a glint of surprise in her eyes. "That's what you should write about. It's all about assessing and responding to risks."

"Seriously?" Naruto gaped; disbelief etched across his face.

"Yep," Sakura affirmed with a firm nod. "But remember, it gets more complicated later on when you have clients to protect, too."

"More complicated..." Naruto muttered, the weight of future lessons already pressing down on him. But then, with a deep breath, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, smoothed it against the table, and began to scribble down his thoughts, the pencil moving as steadily as his newfound determination.

Naruto's pencil scurried across the paper like a squirrel in a rush, his brow furrowed in concentration. Scribbled words and crossed-out sentences littered his page—a battlefield of thoughts trying to obey the rules of ninja philosophy. Sakura, on the other side of the table, leafed through a heavy tome, her fingers deftly flipping pages filled with intricate medical jutsu diagrams.

"Hey, Sakura," Naruto mumbled, not lifting his gaze from the chaotic paper sprawl. "What's your favorite medical ninjitsu?"

Sakura paused mid-flip, her eyes wandering to the window where the afternoon light fought to sneak past the library's thick canopy of books. "Hmm... I've never thought about it," she said, her voice trailing off into silence as she pondered. Then, with a gentle nod to herself, she added, "Probably the Mystical Palm technique."

Naruto's head popped up, his interest piqued like a dog hearing the rustle of a treat bag. "Why's that?"

"It's versatile," Sakura explained, closing the book with a soft thump. "You can heal wounds, perform surgeries... or even fight with it."

"Fight with it?!" Naruto's voice spiked with excitement, his chair teetering dangerously as he leaned forward and ignored the disdainful look from the nearby librarian.

She chuckled at his barely contained energy. "Yeah. Tsunade Senju used it to take down enemies just by disrupting their chakra flow with a touch."

Naruto's eyes sparkled with visions of grandeur. He imagined himself reaching out, a single poke sending a foe sprawling. "Wow, I gotta meet this Tsunage lady. She sounds awesome!"

"Her name's Tsunade," corrected Sakura with an amused smile, watching Naruto's admiration bubble over with a shake of her head.

Naruto and Sakura walked out of the library, the door whispering shut behind them. The sun was on its descent, casting long shadows that stretched across the stone pathways of Konohagakure. Naruto turned to glance at the clock hanging above the exit, noting that it hadn't even been a full two hours since their arrival. A persistent nagging feeling tugged at his consciousness, but he shrugged it off as he caught the wary glances from the villagers. Next to him, Sakura stiffened slightly under the scrutiny. He narrowed his eyes defiantly in response, though the gesture seemed to evaporate against their cold indifference.

Once they stepped clear of the watchful eyes, Sakura's shoulders relaxed, and she gifted Naruto with a small, genuine smile that crinkled the corners of her green eyes.

"Thanks for the help with the ninja philosophy homework," Naruto said, bowing slightly, an unexpected formality in his voice that felt oddly right in the cool evening air.

Sakura blinked. "Oh, um, you did most of it yourself, Naruto," she murmured, a touch of red tinting her cheeks. "I wouldn't mind doing this more often."

"Really?" Naruto blushed, a warm sensation flooding his cheeks as swiftly as a fire jutsu ignites. He fidgeted, rubbing the back of his neck. "You don't have to if it bothers you, y'know."

"No, it's okay," Sakura reassured, brushing aside his concern with a gentle wave of her hand.

With a parting nod, Naruto turned away and started toward his home, already missing Sakura's calming presence. The village was winding down for the day; shopkeepers closed their stalls with weary sighs, their disdainful looks flickering toward Naruto like stray sparks. He ignored them, used to walking his path alone.

As he passed Ichiraku Ramen, the savory scent teased his senses, and he licked his lips, imagining a steaming bowl of his favorite comfort food. But then, as if struck by a rogue shuriken of realization, he remembered his tardiness for his meeting with Kurenai.

"Shoot!" he exclaimed, and dashed into Ichiraku, nearly crashing into the counter.

"Long time no see, Naruto!" Teuchi greeted with a cheerful chuckle, noting how the boy's chest heaved with frantic breaths. "What's the rush?"

"Can't talk, super late!" Naruto panted, catching sight of the clock on the wall that confirmed his fears. "Gotta go—will come back later!"

And with that, he was off again, bolting from the ramen stand with such haste that he nearly toppled over a crate of apples outside a nearby stall. "Sorry!" he called over his shoulder as the vendor shouted indignant protests.

Teuchi just shook his head, a knowing smile on his face as he wiped down the counter. "That kid..." he muttered, a sweat drop sliding down his temple, bemused by the boundless energy that was undeniably Naruto Uzumaki.

Author's note

The next chapter will be up next Thursday.