Ino

Konoha, Yamanaka Flower Shop.

The freshly placed flowers, sprinkled with a few drops of water, looked vibrant and beautiful in the morning light.

As Ying passed by, she smelled the fragrance of a multitude of flowers and her heart stirred.

"Hmm, shall we buy a flower before we go?"

Thinking this, she lightly changed direction and turned into the flower shop.

Although she had a good relationship with Ino, this was only the second time she had come to her family's flower shop to buy flowers. The last time... was more than half a year ago, when she visited some injured classmates during the Chunin Ninja Exams. She didn't expect that so soon, she would be going to the Yamanaka Flower Shop again.

It seems that every time someone steps into this place, it signifies that a close companion has been seriously injured.

The pink-haired girl shook her head, dispelling the inexplicable melancholy thoughts in her mind.

"Is anyone home?" She Gate of Opening and went inside.

The flower shop in the Yamanaka Clan is not like that; it's just that the owner has decorated it in a secluded and winding way, giving the illusion that you can only smell the fragrance of flowers but not see anyone.

Sakura blinked, her green eyes scanning the room from left to right to confirm that it wasn't an illusion—there was indeed no one in the shop.

"Hmm...?" She tilted her head and let out a low, questioning hum.

Suddenly, a hand slapped her hard on the shoulder.

"Hey! Sakura!" someone shouted from behind.

Sakura Haruno pretended to be startled, shrinking her neck and trembling before turning around.

It's Ino.

Her Chakra was so obvious, and she made no attempt to conceal her footsteps, so Sakura Haruno naturally noticed her long ago. Even Sakura before joining the Anbu wouldn't have been frightened by such a prank.

However, she still pretended that Ino's prank had succeeded, and cooperated by making a wide-eyed expression.

"Haha! You were scared, weren't you!" Ino laughed, her eyes narrowing, and said smugly.

Actually, no... Sakura thought to herself.

However, if Ino pretends to be nonchalant and acted like she already noticed her behind her, she'd probably be quite embarrassed. -- Sakura is really considerate of her sister.

Ino hadn't realized how much the gap in their strength had widened recently. But this very issue might actually hinder their friendship. If the difference in strength seemed too great, wouldn't people unconsciously distance themselves? Besides, she wasn't the kind of arrogant, domineering type who needed to consider the strength of others before making friends, right?

"Long time no see, Ino." She calmed down from her "surprise," looked at her friend, and smiled.

She seemed to have grown another centimeter or two. Among the girls in her year, apart from Sakura herself, Ino was the tallest. Her figure was still as delicate and slender as a girl just beginning to blossom, but her breasts were starting to become quite prominent.

Her features were gradually maturing, and she wore light, delicate makeup. With her arched eyebrows and rosy cheeks, her beautiful eyes seemed to reveal a stunning future.

Having observed so many girls, Sakura believes that Ino undoubtedly the best in her class, both in terms of figure and appearance.

As Sakura sized up Ino, the latter was looking at her with the same gaze.

"You've taken a liking to wearing tight clothes lately?" She clicked her tongue in amazement, tugging at Sakura's Anbu uniform. The sleeveless black uniform contrasted sharply with the girl's fair skin, creating a clear dividing line on her arm.

He walked around her once, grabbing his hand at his chest in the process. "She didn't even have any padding!"

Sakura was speechless... Is growing up the only thing allowed for you?

"This is the uniform of the Anbu... Don't touch it!"

Now she's also getting used to wearing a uniform like Yugao, in preparation for any possible emergency assemblies.

Seeing that Sakura didn't react, Ino also lost interest and changed the subject seriously, saying, "Here to buy flowers again?"

Before Sakura could answer, he took her hand and led her deeper into the shop.

"There are even prettier flowers inside, come with me."

Her hands and words were soft yet powerful, and Sakura followed.

"I..." She moved her lips, about to speak, when Ino pulled out a bouquet of plain white flowers.

"You're visiting a patient, aren't you?" She seemed to have guessed what Sakura was thinking.

"Hmm..." Sakura Haruno responded, wanting to explain, but she noticed something amiss in Ino's slightly strange gaze. "You know?"

"I went to see him yesterday," Ino said softly, her tone tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"Her 'him'" naturally refers to Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura watched as she looked down at the flower in her hand, unconsciously pinching a green leaf from the branch.

It seems something has happened.

Seeing her wavering gaze, Sakura became even more certain of this.

"What happened between you two?" she sighed. "Sasuke is a hypocrite; sometimes what he says isn't what he really means. Don't take it to heart!"

He offered a lukewarm defense of Sasuke.

Actually, she didn't know exactly what had happened. But Sasuke was generally quite kind to his comrades and classmates, so surely he wouldn't have hurt Ino's feelings with harsh words, right?

E... Could it be that he started something and then abandoned it? Or was he caught cheating on his girlfriend?

Could it be that Sasuke's love life has been quite eventful lately?

She quickly interrupted her tedious speculations about the plot of a youth campus drama in her mind. Although she hadn't spent much time with Sasuke for several months, Sakura still considered herself one of the people who knew him best.

Sasuke isn't that kind of person.

So she didn't say much and quietly waited for Ino to speak.

The blonde girl pursed her lips, her expression tinged with sadness. Her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, making her bright face even more captivating.

He remained silent for a long time.

Finally, under Sakura Haruno's intense scrutiny, the truth came out.

"I confessed my feelings to him..."

Oh... Sakura immediately understood, and roughly knew what had happened.

However, Ino's version differs from the usual tropes: Sasuke rejected her, but at the same time—

"So you're acting all melancholic because you've realized you never actually liked Sasuke?"

Sakura sighed, looking up, speechless.

"And Sasuke told you that?"

The sobbing blonde girl nodded vigorously.

Sakura realized she couldn't understand Ino's feelings. It seemed that Ino wasn't sad because she was rejected by Sasuke, but because she realized that she had liked someone for years only to find out at the last minute that she had never liked him at all.

She might just be enjoying the feeling of liking someone...

Is this what they call falling in love with love itself?

No, no, no, a girl like that isn't sophisticated enough to talk about something as profound as love.

Actually, she just liked Sasuke's handsome face. This is what people call being obsessed with looks or being a member of the "appearance association."

Judging by appearance is a common human failing, but most people stop doing so after they get out of their teenage years, no longer obsessively pursuing only outward appearance. Clearly, Ino belongs to this majority. After leaving the Ninja Academy and the environment where girls compete with each other, she gradually realized her true feelings.

So these tears also represent Ino's growth.

Sakura Haruno, now a caring older sister, hugged Ino and gently patted her back.

The faint scent of perfume from the girl's hair wafted into her nose, mingling with the delicate fragrance of lilies and other flowers, creating a sweet and intoxicating aroma.

It feels wonderful to have something soft and fragrant in your arms.

--It would have been better if Ino hadn't used her clothes as tissues to wipe her tears.

She comforted Ino for a few moments, quickly making the beautiful girl stop crying and start laughing. She laughed so easily; it was clear the girl was just being sentimental.

However, there was one question that Ino couldn't answer, even when her close older sister asked, "So how exactly did he help you confirm your feelings?"

Sakura Haruno's doubts remained unresolved until she left the house— Ino seemed very shy about the question and stubbornly refused to speak.

It seems Sasuke might have used some rather extreme, even excessive, methods? For someone's thoughts to change so drastically so suddenly, the Sharingan Genjutsu is highly suspected...

But Ino refused to continue the conversation beyond that point.

She shoved the bouquet into Ying's hands. "Alright, you should go now! This bouquet is yours, no charge!"

Then he forcefully pushed her out of the store.

"Remember to take good care of Sasuke for me!" Ino said to the pink-haired girl in a tone that conveyed, "You two must be happy."

Without waiting for Sakura Haruno's reply, she turned and went back into the shop.

"Hey, we're not in that kind of relationship!" Sakura shouted at Ino's retreating figure, looking annoyed.

However, the other person only paused for a moment, then walked away without turning around or paying any attention to her.

"Tsk, ever since Naruto left Team 7, without the constant bromance between those two, I've often been misunderstood like this..." Sakura Haruno said speechlessly.

Even though it's just normal interaction between teammates, some people can always smell the romance in it!

The problem is, her companion is seriously injured and lying in a hospital bed; how heartless must she be to not visit him? Besides, isn't it normal to bring a bouquet of flowers when visiting a patient?

Why was I misunderstood again?

She's a single dog determined to be single to the very end!

Romantic relationships and such... are not her style.

Which had a greater impact on her: the twenty-odd years she lived before time travel or the dozen or so years she experienced after? The answer is rather unfavorable; the former lasted twice as long, while the latter occupied a more advantageous timeframe. However, it's absolutely impossible for one of them to completely disappear from her influence.

Although in many ways she thinks and acts, she is now no different from any other girl.

She is even more charming than the average girl.

However, she still adheres to certain eccentric principles on many issues. For example, she resists makeup, she resists dresses, and she prefers to understand things rationally rather than emotionally.

Dating would only make her feel awkward, not happy. She'd rather spend that time learning some Ninjutsu.

Sasuke is also a single man. Bearing the blood feud of his family and shouldering the heavy responsibility of reviving his clan, he has far less interest in romance than his restless peers.

So, she and he are basically the least likely pair to be together, right?

"In Sasuke's heart, the bonds of family and comrades, and the friendship, are far more important than so-called love, right?" Sakura concluded.

In this respect, Sasuke from both worlds are exactly the same— Sasuke from that world also stated frankly that he "didn't want to play dating games," even though Sakura Haruno had given so much to him.

She had already arrived at the entrance of Konoha Hospital.

(1/. Second update at 7 PM. I updated three extra chapters yesterday, but many people misunderstood, so I had to delete them. I want to reiterate: the ending is single!)

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