Green Tree

Ino trembled slightly, and she almost couldn't resist turning around to argue.

The Yamanaka Flower Shop was closed in the afternoon. When it opened, I went upstairs in a daze.

With a thud, Ino onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Only now did she realize that she had overlooked many things all along.

Or rather, that guy didn't show those things at all.

Although that guy usually acts like he doesn't care about anything, he spends all day at home lying around, completely like he has no goals in life.

He speaks in a vulgar, obscene tone, and his mind is filled with lewd thoughts. He doesn't seem like an honest person at all—well, he's at least good at pleasing people.

But in any case, he did nothing wrong.

Suddenly, Ino realized that if Naruto had never mentioned those things to her, it might be because he simply couldn't find anyone he could trust to confide in.

It's normal that he's a boy and wouldn't bring up these things in front of me.

But thinking about it carefully, it seems that guy doesn't have many friends at all. Even at the Ninja Academy, he was only really close to Shikamaru, Choji, and a few others.

However, at that time, Naruto was a mischievous kid at the Ninja Academy, always playing annoying pranks. Her mind was on Sasuke, and she didn't pay much attention to Naruto.

But then something happened, Naruto seemed to have grown up overnight. It was only after that I started to get to know him that I realized he was better than I had imagined.

Although she had never been in a relationship before, she was happy just from being treated gently by that guy. But she would never admit that she was in love; it was just an impulse unique to her age.

Her mind was a complete mess; she couldn't make sense of anything. The future was too far away, and she didn't know how to face it. In a daze, Ino closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Night falls.

Ino sat listlessly in the shop, minding the business. The door of the Yamanaka Flower Shop was wide open, with a sign that read "Open for Business."

The lights were bright and warm, and the flower shop was completely silent.

With a ding-dong, the doorbell rang, and Ino slowly got up, about to greet it.

"Welcome! Would you like something?"

He forced a smile that was formal and stiff. He stopped halfway through his sentence, the smile vanished instantly, and his face turned away, puffing out slightly.

Like any girl who's had a tiff, she would occasionally glance quickly in Naruto's direction out of the corner of her eye.

"I'll buy flowers."

"I won't sell it to you."

"Then I'll just have to buy it from another flower shop. Next time I see your aunt, I'll tell her you spoke rudely to a customer," Naruto said, shrugging.

"Your mother won't believe you!" Ino glanced at Naruto with disdain.

Naruto stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then said softly, "I seem to remember that your aunt seemed to trust me more than you?"

One sentence hit her sore spot, Ino instantly went numb, suddenly recalling the Maid Outfit incident. It was always this guy who apologized first, but in the end, she was the one being scolded.

"Aaaaaaah!!!" Ino suddenly squatted down on the ground, burying her head in her arms and collapsing in despair.

Her biological mother trusted a stranger more than her own daughter, and what's even more terrifying is that this is a fact!

"Why did you buy flowers?" Ino asked expressionlessly as she got up from the ground.

"Give it away, or are you going to keep it as a decoration for yourself?"

"Who should I give it to?"

"How can I tell you that? Anyway, I'm in a hurry and I have to leave soon. Whether it will work out tonight depends entirely on this bouquet of flowers."

"Hmph!" Ino said with disdain, "Which naive girl are you trying to fool this time?"

"You don't need to worry about that."

"I don't care, what does it have to do with me?" Ino said seriously. "What kind of flowers do you want? Let me see if there are any we didn't want yesterday. I'll rummage through the trash for you."

"The most expensive."

"Hmm? The most expensive one is the one I made myself, a thousand taels, thank you."

Ino deliberately tricked him, extending her fair little hand. Her knuckles were like scallion roots, her palm was plump and fair, and the smooth, fine lines were like those carved on jade.

The Yamanaka Flower Shop was brightly lit, the warm yellow light falling on the two people separated by a counter. Ino, wearing a blue apron with the words "Yamanaka Clan" printed on it, leaned slightly forward, a sullen smile on her lips, and stretched out one hand as if in a huff.

The blond boy with a smooth forehead was a head taller than her, wearing a loose black short-sleeved shirt and gray shorts, looking tired and languid.

One hand was in his pocket, a playful expression on his face, his pupils reflecting the face of the sulking girl perfectly. His other hand was groping for something in his pocket, as if he wanted to pay.

The streets were bustling with people, and the old streetlights cast a yellowish glow on the weathered road. The leaves of the Great Green Tree rustled in the wind, and the orange light seemed to dance across the entire scene.

"Pay up," Ino said, pursing her lips, her hand still hovering above the counter.

Time began to flow at that moment. Across the counter, Naruto had already pulled out a thousand taels. But a moment later, he put the money back in and shrugged.

"I forgot my money."

"Sorry, no credit." Ino crossed her arms and said somewhat fiercely, "It won't do you any good by complaining!"

"Oh well."

"Hmm?" Ino glanced at it, her mind filled with doubt. "It's rare to see someone as shameless as you give up so quickly."

"No, I didn't bring any money." Naruto waved goodbye. "I'm leaving now, I'm in a hurry."

"Go to hell, you bastard!" Ino added.

And so she watched Naruto walk out of the flower shop, her brow furrowing deeper with each meter he went. Until Naruto left the flower shop without looking back, Ino suddenly felt like throwing Shuriken him.

She lowered her head and pondered for a few seconds, thinking about the odds of someone being inexplicably beaten up in Konohagakure and not being able to find the culprit, the kind of mental game where even through meticulous deduction, the criminal cannot be found.

About three minutes later, Ino made a snap decision, grabbed a handful of flowers, and chased after them.

She thought to herself, "Even if I don't earn this money today, I have to beat that guy up! He's so infuriating! He's definitely trying to provoke me on purpose. He's dead today, no matter what!"

No money? If you have no money, we'll beat you up!

Under the bright lights, Ino hurriedly ran out of the shop without even locking the door. She ran all the way to the corner of the Great Green Tree, wanting to see where the person had gone.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from behind the Great Green Tree and grabbed the unsuspecting Ino.

With a thud, Ino's waist and head slammed into a pair of soft hands. Naruto shielded her, pressing her against the opaque back of the Great Green Tree as if he were embracing her.

In the dim light, Ino saw those cunning eyes, which seemed to be saying something.

"I've got you."

Besides