How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray

kid? What a joke." 

"Retreating only leads to aging, and cowardice will bring about death... that's an interesting phrase." Kazayahana Koyuki showed no other expression but a hint of interest. "For ninjas, this phrase is indeed very important."

"But unfortunately, it doesn't work for me." Kazayahana Koyuki smiled. "Having made so many movies, I've heard countless similar phrases, some even ones I've said myself. But so what? It's just words after all."

She had acted in many movies—tragic, passionate, happy ones, and so on—often featuring lines that encouraged people to do good or lift others up.

But so what? She was just an actress. She wasn't the person in those stories. Those lines were only said to act a part. Even if someone followed them, it had nothing to do with her.

Yes, she was just an actress.

Kazayahana Koyuki looked at Naruto with interest. "Do you have any more lines like that? If I make more movies in the future, I could use them."

"Yeah, there are plenty more." Naruto didn't mind Kazayahana Koyuki's opinion. He nodded and said, 

"Like 'As long as you don't stop, the road will continue to stretch ahead, so never stop,' or 'I'm not a hero, I just do what I want to do, and protect those I care about,' or 'People who believe in miracles are as amazing as miracles themselves.'"

These were lines Naruto had heard from Kurama. However, each time Kurama said them, they didn't seem to fit the situation, and Naruto often wondered if there was a deeper meaning behind them.

Later, he understood that it was because Kurama loved those words and loved saying them.

Kurama simply liked those words, and liked the people who said them.

Although he didn't know them personally, Naruto thought anyone who could say such things must be great.

Naruto smiled, and as he looked ahead, he spoke with a smile: "Speaking of which, my favorite line isn't any of those, but another one. The ones I just mentioned were all from Kurama, but the one I like the most is the one my teacher told me."

"What?" Kazayahana Koyuki asked instinctively.

"The person who breaks the rules is trash, but the person who doesn't cherish their companions is even worse than trash," Naruto said with a smile.

"My teacher, Kakashi-sensei, he might not seem very reliable most of the time, but I know he works harder than anyone else to make sure the three of us can become capable ninja." 

Kakashi's laid-back nature was already well-known. There wasn't a single person in Konohagakure who didn't understand his personality. But even so, if there were a vote to choose the Sixth Hokage, more than half of the village would probably choose Kakashi. 

Because he's the kind of person who's so dependable, you just can't say no to him. 

"Kakashi… huh?" Kazayahana Koyuki closed her eyes as she leaned on Naruto's back. 

"That sounds reasonable at first, but when you think about it, isn't it just a cool-sounding line?" 

"Unrealistic and far from practical. It's completely opposite to the way you ninja operate," she said with a chuckle. 

"In a world like this, you ninja treat completing missions as the highest priority, even at the cost of your lives. If Kakashi really believes that, then what would he do when a mission conflicts with the life of a teammate?" 

She asked this to stump Naruto, but instead, he started laughing. 

"That's pretty interesting." 

She blinked, surprised. 

"What's so interesting about it?" 

Naruto turned to look at her, his smile a little strange. 

"It's funny because Kakashi-sensei asked us a similar question once, and all three of us gave different answers." 

Kazayahana Koyuki didn't say anything, but her curiosity was clear from her expression. 

Naruto didn't keep her guessing and explained directly. 

"My answer was that a failed mission could always be retried, but if a teammate lost their life, then it's over. My dream is to become Hokage, so I'd protect my teammates." 

"Hmm, that fits your simple-minded personality," Kazayahana Koyuki commented. 

"What about the other two?" 

Naruto continued, "At the time, Sasuke said that if a teammate died, it was because they were too weak. If he could save them, he'd try, but if not, he'd leave them and finish the mission." 

Kazayahana Koyuki nodded. 

"That sounds reasonable. What about the last one?" 

Naruto chuckled. 

"Sakura said that if it were Sasuke, she'd risk her life to save him. But if it were me, there'd be nothing she could do." 

Even Naruto couldn't help but laugh as he recalled it. 

This was right after they'd barely passed Kakashi's test. They hadn't even experienced the Land of Waves mission yet. Back then, the three of them had no sense of being true teammates. At most, they just knew the other two were people they had to work with. 

Kazayahana Koyuki didn't know how to respond for a moment. She sighed and muttered, "That girl Sakura must like Sasuke." 

"She does," Naruto nodded. 

"But you know what? Later, during the Land of Waves mission, Sasuke, the one who said to abandon teammates, nearly died saving me. I, the one who said I'd protect my teammates, could only watch as Sasuke was gravely injured and do nothing. And Sakura, who claimed she'd only save Sasuke, ended up protecting the client with everything she had, even though she knew Sasuke and I were under attack." 

Naruto tilted his head and grinned at Kazayahana Koyuki. 

"Everything we said back then turned out to be the opposite of what we actually did. Isn't that funny?" 

Kazayahana Koyuki stared at Naruto, stunned, as if she couldn't believe he and Sasuke had been through something like that. 

She lowered her head and buried her face in Naruto's shoulder. 

"I feel like you're trying to tell me something again." 

"Maybe," Naruto replied with a smile. 

"But that's just how it is. The way people see themselves and what they're actually capable of doing can be totally different. Maybe you'll manage to do it, maybe you won't. But so what?" 

"Life is all about proving you can achieve what others think you can't and doing even better at what you believe you can." 

"A life like that is interesting, isn't it?" 

Even though it was a pitch-black cave, Kazayahana Koyuki felt as if a light had appeared before her—a light as brilliant as the sun. It wasn't blinding, but it shone with incredible warmth. 

She stared blankly at Naruto, the boy who seemed to always wear a smile. Maybe it was a goofy smile, a bold smile, or like now, a pure and untainted one. 

This kid… he's kind of handsome. 

Kazayahana Koyuki's ears turned red. She awkwardly looked away, feeling like she couldn't handle the warmth of this sunny boy. 

How embarrassing. She had seen so many handsome actors as a movie star, yet here she was blushing because of a boy barely twelve or thirteen years old. 

Kazayahana Koyuki tried to regain her composure. 

"So, you and that Sasuke used the transformation jutsu to impersonate your two teachers and ruin their reputations? And you even took the crew's horses while you were at it?" 

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