In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Naruto didn't hesitate and took the bite of grilled meat she offered him, swallowing it in one go.

Amid the flickering lights and bustling noise of the street, the bright glow of the town stretched out like a ribbon. Ino covered her mouth with one hand, her almond-shaped eyes curving like crescent moons.

Her smile was warm and pure, filled with a sense of simple joy, as she watched him with a look of triumph.

"Tasty?"

"Yeah." He lowered his gaze and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Naruto is not the kind of person who cannot humble himself to please others. Even if he has done nothing wrong, he does not mind admitting his mistake. It is just a matter of words.

For him, admitting fault and teasing someone weren't mutually exclusive. Ino had a soft heart and a few words of comfort would easily make her happy. Young love was fleeting and carefree, like clouds drifting by.

What mattered more was that Ino always responded to him. Every word he said received a reply, like tossing a stone into a deep pond and waiting for the echo. She never brushed him off or left him hanging.

Her sincerity made everything more comfortable, and her occasional temper was nothing to worry about.

"So why were you transferred to the Hokage's Office?" Naruto leaned back in his chair, watching the flicker of the nearby flames reflected in his eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he spoke.

"I was cast aside." Ino huffed, stuffing her mouth with grilled meat, her lips glistening with oil as she chewed angrily.

"Who could ever cast you aside? You're so popular that people are lining up outside the shop to see you." Naruto glanced at Ino sideways and said lazily.

"You're still holding onto that?" Ino felt a little guilty, but when she thought about what had happened, she puffed out her chest and said confidently, "It's not my fault! I already made it clear I wasn't interested."

"Mm." He acknowledged her with a simple nod.

Ino watched as Naruto reached for his drink, his long, slender fingers gently curling around the cup. The motion inexplicably sent a shiver down her spine, as if those fingers had grazed her heart.

She quickly averted her gaze, but her thoughts wandered uncontrollably, spreading like ivy, 'His hands looked so graceful. If those fingertips were to caress me, it would surely feel incredible.'

She imagined them tracing a delicate path down her spine, from her shoulder blades to her collarbone, and then lower…

"What are you thinking about?"

"Ah!" Ino nearly toppled from her chair. After realizing what she had just thought, she was too embarrassed to meet his eyes, or look at his hands.

"No!! Nothing!! I mean... I just zoned out, that's all, haha…"

"It's normal to get distracted when you're overworked," Naruto replied calmly.

"Y-Yeah." Ino chuckled nervously, feeling a bit guilty, "It's definitely because I've been working too hard. It's all my dad's fault for pulling me out of the Intelligence Department."

"Are you not working seriously?"

"No way!" Ino retorted, raising her chopsticks in defense before taking a big gulp of her drink and slamming the cup down on the table, "He had the nerve to say I'm too popular and that standing there would distract others from work!!"

"He just transferred his own daughter without a second thought! How old-fashioned!"

Hearing this, Naruto's lips twitched slightly.

He thought to himself, 'It was obvious that your father was helping you brush up your qualifications while Sakura was on leave. After all, the Hokage's Office wasn't just a place anyone could get assigned to.'

"So, how long are you going to be in the Hokage's Office this time?"

"I don't know, at least until Sakura comes back from her break. But I haven't seen her around much lately." Ino muttered, looking over at Naruto.

"Have you seen Sakura lately?"

"We just had lunch together this afternoon." He had nothing to hide, so he answered it truthfully.

"Why didn't she have lunch with me?" Ino pouted and frowned, "I'm the one filling in for her, so shouldn't she be treating me?"

"Oh, she owes me a meal."

"She paid?" Ino was stunned for a moment, "She's been very stingy lately. She said she wanted to save money for something big. Every time we eat, I'm the one paying."

"I paid. She doesn't have money." Naruto replied calmly.

"Then why would he invite you?"

"I never expected her to treat me anyway. You two are a perfect match, one is the 'Flower of the Intelligence Department and the other is the 'Flower of the Medical Department'." He said casually.

"Really? So, which one do you like more?" Ino asked, resting her face in her hands.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, right, including Hinata… who do you like more?"

"You."

"How perfunctory." Ino scoffed, then blew carefully while holding the drink, "But I'm still very happy to hear you say that. Do you think I'm..."

She looked up, only to freeze.

Naruto was watching her with a smile, his eyes reflecting the warm glow of the nearby lights. The moment their eyes met, Ino felt as if nothing else mattered.

Promises may change, and hearts may waver, but the sincerity of their youth never would. At that moment, she realized that whatever the answer was, it didn't matter anymore.

She remembered seeing Naruto years ago, slumped in his old apartment, looking worn out and isolated. She'd witnessed his dark, moody gaze as he wandered the streets, a wounded beast hiding his scars.

It wasn't until Tsunade's arrival that things started to change for him. What once seemed impossible to solve slowly resolved over time, and he finally became the person he was meant to be.

Watching him now, with that peaceful and warm smile in his eyes, Ino genuinely wished for a world where all discrimination and injustice vanished, and all hatred stayed far away from him.

She hoped he would always walk down the bustling streets, free from sickness and misfortune, crossing over every sorrow and separation. And in the crowd, she would be there, saying she liked him.

If the person she fell for had been an ordinary boy, she might have wanted to possess him. But with Naruto, all she wished was for the world to treat him with the same kindness she felt.

And she knew, whether or not she ever moved toward him, as long as he stood there, someone would always love him. No one asked him to be some dazzling beacon of light, only that he could live a peaceful life.

"I'm so full." Ino leaned back in her chair, rubbing her slightly rounded belly while gazing up at the starry sky, "You'll pick me up from work tomorrow too, right?"

"If you want, I can pick you up every day." He replied nonchalantly, "Considering how many people are after you, it's probably a good idea to be prepared."

"Really? Then you have to come every day!" Ino's mood brightened instantly at his words. She grinned as she sipped her drink, gently kicking him under the table with her bare feet.

The warm evening breeze carried the scent of grilled meat, mingling with the sweet remnants of the day's heat.

The noise from the lively street drifted over, close enough to hear but far enough not to intrude. Neither of them spoke, and Ino's pale feet softly grazed Naruto's pant leg.

They exchanged long, lingering smiles, a silent understanding building between them. It was like carefully piling sand into a tower, delicate but with an eager desire to build it higher and higher.

In that moment of mutual gazing, their eyes holding unspoken thoughts, Ino finally gave in with a long sigh, "How many girls' hearts have you stolen with that look? Your eyes are practically pulling strings!"