Naruto: AFK System

Tanako Bunya gazed wistfully at the spot where Yoruha had disappeared into the distance, reluctant to part with the memory of him.

Senju Mei noticed her daughter's expression and smiled knowingly.

"It seems this teammate is a bit different for you. What kind of person is he?" Mei asked gently.

Hearing her mother's words, Tanako's face flushed with embarrassment.

"There's nothing different about him. Mom, what are you talking about?" she said, flustered.

Mei chuckled softly. "Oh? But just now, your eyes were glued to that boy. I've never seen you look at Jumoku like that."

Tanako glanced at the road illuminated only by streetlights.

She sighed softly. "I don't really know him. We just met."

Mei tilted her head, puzzled. "You just met? Isn't he in your class?"

She assumed Yoruha was a transfer student.

It wasn't uncommon for students to transfer from smaller ninja villages in the Land of Fire to Konoha.

While Konoha was the largest and most powerful ninja village in the Land of Fire, there were several smaller ones scattered across the country.

Tanako shook her head. "He's in our class, but I never noticed him in the six years we've been together, and I didn't know him before now."

"What? You've been in the same class for six years and didn't know each other? Not even a single conversation?" Mei asked, incredulous. "Is that boy particularly aloof?"

She found it hard to believe that two classmates could go six years without even exchanging words.

Tanako turned to her mother and smiled. "No, Yoruha just had very little presence in the class—less than even mine."

Mei was stunned.

She couldn't fathom it. If her daughter hadn't said it herself, she would never believe someone's presence could be that negligible.

Frowning slightly, Mei asked cautiously, "Could it be that he's hard to get along with?"

She was concerned for her daughter.

In her experience, students with such low profiles often had reclusive or difficult personalities.

She worried Tanako might get hurt.

But Tanako shook her head firmly and said, "No, Yoruha is easy to get along with. I don't know why he was so unnoticed before, but he has a really nice personality."

Mei observed her daughter closely, noting how Tanako's eyes seemed to light up when she spoke about Yoruha.

She felt a headache coming on.

Could her naive daughter be developing feelings?

Children in the world of shinobi matured quickly.

Although they had just graduated from the academy, they already understood matters of the heart.

Considering Tanako's exceptional circumstances—a wealthy father, a mother from the prestigious Senju clan, and her own natural beauty—it wasn't surprising that some boys might develop a crush on her.

Mei asked carefully, "And how do you feel about him? Is it the same as with Jumoku?"

Tanako, unlike Naruto, understood exactly what her mother was implying.

However, she felt conflicted.

She had only known Yoruha for a day. Although she had a favorable impression of him, it wasn't enough to form any definite feelings.

For now, it was simply a budding sense of admiration.

After a moment of silence, she raised her head, deep in thought.

Tanako Bunya spoke thoughtfully, "It feels a bit different. I see Jumoku as a good friend, but with Yoruha, it's... not quite the same."

"But we've only known each other for a day. I don't even know why I feel differently about him."

Senju Mei frowned slightly, realizing her concerns might be coming true.

"Maybe it's just curiosity," she suggested. "After all, you didn't know him before. It might just be that he piques your interest, nothing more."

Mei wasn't eager for her daughter to be deceived by a boy.

Her worries weren't unfounded, considering their family wasn't like most others.

Though not strictly a shinobi clan, they were a wealthy, prestigious family, and Mei's Senju lineage made them comparable to the elite ninja clans in Konoha.

They were firmly part of the village's upper echelon.

If Tanako was simply looking for friendship—whether with Jumoku or someone else—Mei was fully supportive.

But if genuine feelings were involved, it was crucial to consider the other person's intentions and background.

Tanako noticed her mother's worried expression and smiled.

"Mom, are you worried your daughter might fall for Yoruha?"

Caught off guard, Mei felt a bit awkward but nodded nonetheless.

"You know our family isn't like others," she said earnestly.

"You're our only child. One day, you'll inherit the Bunya family, so your partner must be chosen carefully to avoid unnecessary risks."

Tanako sighed deeply at her mother's words.

"Mom, why don't you and Dad just have another child—a younger brother for me? Then I won't have to carry all this responsibility."

"You child!" Mei's cheeks flushed slightly.

She truly did love Tanako's father.

The two of them had married for love, and their bond had always been strong.

Tanako smiled. "I'm not sure if I actually like Yoruha, but he feels different from my other classmates."

"He's mysterious, but when I'm with him, I feel a strong sense of security."

Mei caught onto something unusual.

"Mysterious? Are you saying he's withdrawn or aloof?"

"No," Tanako replied. "It's more like Yoruha gives the impression that there's far more to him than what's on the surface."

Mei frowned deeply, her concern mounting.

"Do you think he might have ulterior motives with you?" she asked seriously.

Tanako blinked, then chuckled softly.

"Mom, if that were the case, do you think I'd have any positive feelings toward him at all?"

Though Tanako's demeanor was gentle and quiet, similar to Hinata's, she wasn't as blindly kind-hearted.

She had her own thoughts and judgments.

If someone approached her solely because of her family background, she wouldn't like it—in fact, she'd find it deeply repellent.

Mei nodded in agreement.

She trusted her daughter's judgment.

Though Tanako appeared soft and introverted, she was thoughtful and independent.

"Then what is it?" Mei asked. "Why does he seem mysterious to you? He's just a newly graduated genin, after all."

Tanako shook her head. "Mom, I think he's already far stronger than me or my classmates."

"Oh? Is he that remarkable?" Mei asked, her curiosity piqued.

"But why haven't I heard the Third Hokage mention him?"

"I've heard about the most outstanding students of this generation, but I don't recall anyone named Yoruha."

As someone with access to high-level information, especially since her precious daughter was among this year's graduates, Mei found the lack of information about Yoruha surprising.