After several days of careful observation, Chizhao came to a conclusion: Kakashi was indeed taking over Shisui's task to monitor her.
However, Kakashi and Shisui had obvious differences in how they carried out their missions.
Shisui always preferred to stay in the shadows, so much so that Chizhao never even spotted him.
Kakashi, on the other hand, felt like a ghost, appearing in inconspicuous corners from time to time.
When she looked again a moment later, he would be gone.
She really didn't know if he was brazenly slacking off at work or deliberately keeping his distance from her.
Perhaps he was afraid she would loudly call him "Big Brother Kakashi Watermelon" again.
Never mind, as long as it didn't affect her normal life, nothing else mattered.
If Old Man Hokage wanted to monitor her, then let him; having an extra free bodyguard wasn't a bad thing.
.......
On a scorching summer day, the street seemed to be melting, with visible heat shimmering in the air.
The large trees by the road also drooped their branches listlessly, their leaves curling, having lost their usual verdant green and vitality.
The incessant chirping of cicadas in the trees made the already irritable mood even more unbearable.
She really didn't know what she was thinking, agreeing to go out and play with Naruto.
Chizhao regretted it after only a few steps out the door; the hot weather had already made her back start to sweat profusely.
Helpless, she had no choice but to sit under a tree for a while to rest; if they forced themselves to continue, they might both collapse on the ground and become "cooked people."
"It's so hot....."
Chizhao wore a simple short-sleeved shirt and shorts, adorned with a small white bird poised for flight, adding a touch of liveliness to her appearance.
Her slightly long hair was tied up high at the back of her head, with a few stray strands dampened by sweat clinging to her ears, making her look a bit disheveled.
One hand rested on the stone bench, while the other continuously fanned a faint breeze towards herself, trying to lower the temperature of her face slightly.
"I feel like I'm melting......"
Naruto, on the other side, also looked like he was suffering from the intense heat.
He wore a garment with a Uzumaki pattern, his hands clasped together on the bench between his legs, leaning towards Chizhao, attempting to feel the faint breeze she was manually fanning.
"I wish we hadn't come out to play......"
Looking around, the street was sparsely populated, and even the shop owners had retreated into the cool shade of their eaves, fanning themselves with paper fans, sweating profusely, trying to dispel the unbearable heat.
Naruto's gaze inadvertently swept over the refrigerated display case at the corner convenience store, and his clear, limpid eyes instantly sparkled.
He then turned to the girl beside him with a bright smile and happily asked, "Chizhao, do you want ice cream?"
"Yes!"
"Then wait for me here!"
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Naruto excitedly scurried across the sun-drenched road and ran towards the convenience store.
"Uncle, I'm here to buy ice cream!"
His energetic voice woke the drowsy owner.
The owner stood up and deftly lifted the lid of the refrigerated display case; a cool, crisp air mixed with a hint of sweetness wafted out, and inside, simply packaged but enticingly colored popsicles were neatly arranged.
Naruto unconsciously leaned his small face closer, wishing he could squeeze inside and stay there for a while.
Feeling the refreshing cool air, he let out a comfortable sigh.
The convenience store owner, seeing Naruto enjoying the cold air, impatiently urged him, "Are you buying or not?"
"Buying! Let me see......"
Under the owner's unfriendly tone, Naruto somewhat awkwardly collected himself and began to carefully choose from the dazzling array of popsicles.
Finally, his gaze was drawn to two popsicles tightly joined together; he unhesitatingly took them out and smiled at the owner, "Uncle, I'll take this one!"
This time, Naruto didn't forget his wallet.
After paying, he happily ran back to Chizhao with the popsicles, holding up the special pair high, his excited voice carried on the heatwave: "Chizhao, look!"
Under the girl's expectant gaze, Naruto carefully split the popsicle in two, gently offering one to her.
Chizhao took the clear, brightly colored popsicle and couldn't help but recall memories from her previous life.
She hadn't expected to eat the popsicle that Naruto and Jiraiya would share, ahead of time.
"Thank you, Naruto!"
"You're welcome! I should be thanking you!"
She put the popsicle in her mouth, feeling the pleasant coolness, and looked at Naruto with confusion.
"Thank me? You're treating me to ice cream, why are you thanking me?"
The happy Naruto didn't answer her immediately.
He put the popsicle in his mouth, the cool and sweet taste instantly blossoming in his oral cavity, so delicious that he blissfully squinted his eyes, his legs unconsciously swaying gently.
He tilted his head and met her emerald-green eyes, time seemingly frozen at this moment, his thoughts crossing the river of years, leaping over countless past hot summers.
As a child, he had witnessed countless times people holding such popsicles, leisurely dispelling the heat.
That unfamiliar coolness, to him, was full of endless temptation and curiosity.
Finally, he mustered up the courage and timidly bought the same popsicle as them.
When he awkwardly held the two joined popsicles, laboriously stuffing them into his mouth, the melting sweet water dripped from the corner of his mouth, soaking his collar, and the stunned him merely wiped it casually, not caring.
Just as he was immersed in this novel experience, the mocking laughter from around him pierced his ears like sharp blades.
"Mom, look, he's so silly."
"Doesn't he know this needs to be separated? Hahaha."
"He can't even eat a popsicle, how funny."
He looked at them blankly, his young heart unprepared for these cold words, and being rather naive, he didn't understand their meaning.
With a corner bitten off the popsicle in his hand, he mimicked the people around him, gripping the wooden sticks with two fingers and gently applying force, and the popsicles, originally stuck together, instantly became two separate ones.
This sudden surprise made him involuntarily smile.
The melting popsicle water dripped down his small hands onto the ground, forming dark circles.
He hurriedly put both popsicles in his mouth, but then looked up and saw the warm scene of a child and their mother sharing nearby.
In the hot air, only the irritating chirping of cicadas remained.
Looking around, it seemed everyone else could find a home for the other popsicle in their hand, with another person.
At that moment, what spread in his mouth was no longer sweetness, but endless bitterness and an inexplicable surge of sadness in his heart.
This popsicle was truly unpalatable.
After reaching this conclusion, he threw the nearly melted popsicle into the trash can and fled the scene as if escaping.
From then on, he never bought that kind of popsicle again.
Time returned to reality, the familiar heatwave still engulfing them.
The woods behind them were lush and green, the trees tall and straight, their branches intertwined to form a green canopy.
Occasionally, a gentle breeze blew, rustling the leaves.
Naruto looked at the girl beside him, patiently waiting for his answer, and a gentle look appeared in his eyes.
"Thank you for making this popsicle taste good!"
It turned out that what tasted good was never the popsicle itself, but rather depended on who it was shared with.
"Hahaha, am I that magical?"
"Of course! To me, Chizhao is a magical existence!"
Naruto's innocent words made her laugh, and for a moment she actually forgot her irritable mood.
Amidst their pleasant chatter, accompanied by the fervent chirping of cicadas, Chizhao quickly finished her popsicle, staring at the wooden stick in front of her, contemplating something.
Then she turned to Naruto, who was beaming with a happy smile, and tugged at his sleeve.
"Naruto, when you bought the popsicle, did you get any change?"
"Huh? Yes, quite a bit, I think."
"Then can you exchange it with me?"
Although she didn't understand the girl's purpose, Naruto generously took out his frog wallet and opened it, displaying it before Chizhao.
"If Chizhao needs it, I can give you all of it."
Naruto's smile was even brighter than the summer sun; looking at the scattered coins inside the wallet, Chizhao felt a moment of emotion.
This guy, even though he only has so little left, is still willing to give it all to me?
She held both his hands and his wallet together, her tone firm.
"Naruto, if you're hungry, you can always come to my house to eat. Grandma still has a lot of dishes to make, and she's worried about not having anyone to taste them!"
"Really?"
Seeing the girl in front of him nod, Naruto excitedly raised his arms again and cheered.
"Yahoo! That's great, then I won't be polite."
The heat in the air infected the passing breeze, but the sweetness and coolness brought by the popsicle suppressed the annoying heat within their smiling faces.
Even after the two children left, a refreshing sweet scent still lingered around the stone bench.
