Chapter 355: Chapter 356: Makeup
Chapter 356: Makeup
Naruto walked along the streets of Hidden Leaf Village with three young girls, drawing a lot of attention.
But Naruto’s attention was mostly on the beautiful girls beside him.
A girl’s beauty and charm never lie in delicate eyeliner or smudged lip color, but in the glint of light on her eyelashes when she wakes in the morning, the natural crimson that flushes her cheeks after running, and the earnest look when she gently bites her lower lip while focusing.
Their most beautiful moments are often when they are barefaced.
With fine beads of sweat on their foreheads, hair tousled by the wind, eyes curving like crescent moons when they laugh, and the tip of their nose turning slightly red when they cry.
That unadorned vividness is like the first flower trembling in bloom on a branch in early spring, carrying the weight of dew and morning light, sufficient to quiet the entire world without any decoration.
Naruto remembered his teacher from his past life’s language class, who had once said this when she was angry because some girls in the class were wearing heavy makeup.
"You are still young; don’t smear all sorts of cosmetics on your faces. A facial cleanser and some moisturizer are enough.
Wearing makeup during your youth is a sign of lack of confidence; makeup is meant for covering up, and you young girls and boys in your teens have absolutely no need for it.
People like us in our forties need makeup to cover the traces left by time, to use light makeup to temporarily reconcile with time.
What is the most moving makeup? It is your current stage—it is youth! Youth is the best makeup."
At the time, Naruto perhaps only thought the teacher was sharing some extracurricular knowledge and found it interesting, but he didn’t have a deep realization.
It wasn’t until he came to the Ninja World and encountered these girls who shone like gemstones that he deeply realized how correct and essential the teacher’s words were.
In this world that values power and often brushes against death, "youth" and "beauty" exist in another, more vivid, and more touching way.
His gaze involuntarily fell upon Hyuga Hinata beside him.
Hinata still wore her hair short, with a few strands softly clinging to her fair cheeks.
She wore no makeup, her face bare, and her skin glowed with a healthy, delicate luster under the warm light.
Her iconic Byakugan eyes were exceptionally clear and bright at this moment, filled with shyness and joy. Occasionally, when she made eye contact with him, she would quickly look away like a startled fawn, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
She was beautiful, and that beauty was reserved and gentle, like a lily blooming quietly under the moonlight.
She was shy; the slightest bit of attention could make her cheeks flush with crimson. That blush was not rouge, but a natural expression of vitality, vivid and lively.
She was endearing; that cautious approach and wholehearted admiration made her every move carry a kind of innocence that tugged at the heartstrings.
When Naruto looked at her, she would blush, subconsciously avoiding his gaze, her small hands unconsciously clutching the sleeves of her yukata.
But after a short while, she would again turn her gaze back to Naruto, thinking she was unobserved, her eyes filled with reliance, joy, and a tiny bit of satisfaction.
She was just like a mimosa plant that shyly folds its leaves at a touch.
Her "makeup" was this natural shyness, those pure eyes, and the most authentic blush that appeared because of him.
Without any embellishment, she was already moving to the extreme.
Ino was tightly holding Naruto’s hand, walking gracefully by his side.
Ino’s beauty was outgoing and bright, like the midday sun in summer—passionate and unreserved.
She was full of laughter and smiles, her crisp laughter seemingly able to dispel all gloom; when talking to others, her eyes were bright and full of confidence.
She was full of composure; whether responding to greetings from acquaintances at the festival or walking side-by-side with Naruto, she appeared so natural and appropriate, as if she were born to stand by his side.
She was jubilant, full of curiosity and enthusiasm for everything at the festival, excitedly pointing out interesting stalls to Naruto when she saw them.
She was attached, never letting go of Naruto’s hand, and occasionally giving it a gentle shake, carrying a sense of intimate coquetry.
She was enjoying the present moment, the smile on her face pure and brilliant—proof of happiness from the bottom of her heart.
Ino’s "makeup" was her exuberant vitality, her cheerful personality, and that unmasked affection and companionship.
She carried her own radiance, infecting everyone around her.
And Karin, who was walking slightly behind on Naruto’s other side, was another kind of scenery.
She did not have the irritable personality she had in the original work; after her bleak childhood ended, she met people who treated her with tenderness.
Therefore, she did not need rage as her protective color.
Only when one is not respected does one need to make themselves look tough.
At this moment, Karin was holding several bags of snacks, eating a piece from time to time.
During this process, the corners of her mouth would unconsciously turn up slightly, revealing a curve of satisfaction.
It wasn’t a stunning smile, but it revealed a simple joy belonging to "enjoying food," as well as a secret happiness that "Naruto bought this for me."
She did not deliberately try to attract Naruto’s attention, nor did she participate in the conversation as lively as Ino; she just followed quietly, eating quietly, occasionally pushing up her sliding glasses, but her gaze always remained on Naruto, ensuring he was within her field of vision.
When Naruto turned his head to talk to her or asked her if she wanted to try something else, she would immediately look up, her eyes behind the lenses brightening, and then she would nod earnestly or offer a suggestion.
Naruto, with Hinata, Ino, and Karin, strolled casually through the flow of people at the festival, enjoying the festive atmosphere.
They would stop from time to time to watch the performances of artisans, and occasionally buy some local snacks to share, the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant.
Occasionally, they would play small games, enjoying the atmosphere of the festival.
Just as they were wandering around and arrived near a relatively open space with several large trees, a burst of discussion that was deliberately lowered but still couldn’t hide the excitement, along with a few muffled laughs, came from the direction of the large trees.
Naruto looked in the direction of the sound and saw that under the lush, leafy large tree, several people were gathered, either squatting or standing—it was Shikamaru and the others.
They formed a loose semicircle, all eyes cast with great interest toward the center of the circle.
And in the center of the circle was none other than Inuzuka Kiba, whom they had been "remotely watching" from the trees just moments ago, along with that gentle girl, Tamaki.
However, the scene at this moment seemed to differ somewhat from the previous expectation of a "coy date."
Tamaki was half-squatting on the ground, holding a simple medical kit, bandaging the right hand of Kiba, who was sitting on a tree stump.
Kiba’s expression was somewhat awkward.
Naruto raised an eyebrow and walked over with the girls.
"Shikamaru, what is this...?"
Naruto asked, his gaze sweeping over the group of friends who were obviously "watching the fun," and finally landing on the man and woman in the center, "Kiba? What happened?"
Hearing Naruto’s voice, the onlookers finally realized they had come over.
Shikamaru and the others had expressions that were more or less unable to hold back their laughter.
As soon as Kiba saw Naruto, his face turned even redder, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Tamaki looked up, smiled politely at Naruto and the girls, but didn’t stop the movement of her hands.
"Naruto... how come you..."
Kiba stammered, not knowing what to say.
Shikamaru covered his forehead.
"This guy got scratched by the cat Tamaki keeps while holding hands with Tamaki."
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