The Girl Took the Upper Hand

"Is it a difficult decision?" Ino's eyes darkened slightly.

He blinked. It wasn't that simple; it wasn't a difficult choice at all—it was far too easy. Relationships aren't personal possessions.

It can be simply understood as wanting to be close to someone, and having a closer relationship with someone else.

"No, not at all. You're still my closest friend," Naruto said smoothly, just like he would when he was a kid coaxing a playmate. "I only gave you the key, what do you say?"

"Really?" Ino, sounding as naive as a child.

"Of course it's true! I swear on my beloved Fox-dog, if I'm lying!" Naruto raised his hand without hesitation to swear.

"May the Fox-dog be struck by lightning, die a horrible death, starve all day, and never touch a drop of alcohol."

"Does that dog still drink alcohol?" Ino, slightly surprised.

"It drank it. I've already told you before, all the alcohol in the fridge in the living room is what it drank." Naruto betrayed Nine-Tails without hesitation, since drinking wasn't exactly a secret anyway.

"The Fox-dog can even drink alcohol, how cute!" Ino said.

"Hmm?" Naruto found Ino's thought process a bit strange. What was so cute about a drunken, scumbag fox?

At the same time, Nine-Tails was curled up on the sofa in the living room drinking and watching TV, suddenly felt a chill on its neck. It squinted and glanced at the balcony.

The window was half-open, and it was pitch black outside. It stared at it for a long time but couldn't figure it out.

Is it just my imagination?

Around the corner, Ino covered her mouth and laughed. Naruto was a little confused, but he smiled awkwardly as well. This attempt to backstab the fox had failed; he'd write it down in his little notebook.

Ino was laughing, but suddenly realized that the two were arguing, and immediately stopped laughing.

"I have a mission tomorrow, which may take some time."

"Is it dangerous?" Naruto asked casually.

"With Teacher Asuma here, there won't be any danger. Besides, because I'm too weak, I won't be taking on any overly dangerous missions for the time being," Ino said.

"Um."

Naruto's gaze fell on Ino, who was still only wearing a thin nightgown made of a high-quality material. Her fair face was not far away, exuding a faint fragrance.

Noticing Naruto's intense gaze, Ino turned her head away and said in a muffled voice.

"Were you peeking?"

"No, I've never seen you in your pajamas before. I figured I wouldn't get many chances like this, so I just took a few more glances."

"Pervert," Ino said softly, her voice trembling slightly.

As if his gaze were tangible, Naruto strategically coughed at that moment, making the atmosphere slightly awkward.

"Um... I'll head back now."

"Wait a minute," Naruto called out to her.

"What's wrong?" Ino looked at him. The surroundings were dimly lit, and this was the outside of a small alley where no one would pass by. Suddenly, her heart started pounding.

"Nothing, I just suddenly wanted to ask you, shouldn't winter be coming after the mission is over?" he asked, his voice a little lazy, like a record player that had jammed.

Ino. She remembered that when Naruto was in that state last time, he almost got behind the Great Green Tree, but luckily nothing happened in the end.

"Maybe, but there's still a long time until the New Year Festival."

"It's not cold at my house, so you'll still come, right?" Naruto looked at Ino, his eyes filled with honesty, as clear and pure as a gentle breeze and the bright moon.

Ino pursed her lips, her heart pounding a few times. A tiny tremor suddenly stirred in her heart, a bittersweet feeling, yet strangely addictive.

Ambiguity is more captivating than explicit love; love veiled in a layer of gauze can never be fully revealed. Yet, a single sentence from the young man transcended the fleeting heat of summer.

So you'll come again, right?

Those words kept echoing in Ino's ears. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a sly smile appeared on her face. Her eyebrows curved downwards, like a new moon.

"You guess."

Deep within the Konohagakure Street, in a Yotsuki, at the dimly lit end, a girl with her hands behind her back had the upper hand.

The next day.

Naruto opened his eyes in bed, the first thing he remembered was his short vacation. He had a unique perspective on doing missions.

It's more reliable to do A-rank Mission with Team 3. With Hinata's Byakugan, Rock Lee's Taijutsu, and Tenten's home-and-travel skills, even A-rank Mission can be completed with ease.

The B-rank Mission and Team Eight, where Hinata is, will be more interesting, less dangerous, and you can even tease Hinata.

As for C-rank Mission, even a dog wouldn't do them; they're a complete waste of time. They're tiring and troublesome, only good for tempering one's character. However, some ninjas do like to occasionally take on C-rank Mission to adjust their mood.

As for Team 10, where Ino is, they haven't done a mission together yet. Naruto even suspects that Tsunade is doing it on purpose, not wanting him, a temporary worker, to cause trouble for the Ino-Shika-Cho.

It's quite common to join a class to do missions, but it's a bit unusual for someone like Naruto to be a professional temporary worker.

I dragged myself out of bed to wash up, yawned as I changed clothes and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. Meanwhile, the scoundrel was sound asleep on the sofa, the TV sitting empty all night.

Naruto glanced at him but didn't react.

But soon, when breakfast was served, he walked up to the fox, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, and lifted it up.

"What?" Nine-Tails opened its eyes, still drunk.

"Eat breakfast, stop spouting nonsense!" Naruto said. "Get up and eat!"

"Why are you calling me for breakfast so early in the morning? Are you crazy?" Nine-Tails turned around and squinted at Naruto. "I'm not a real dog, it doesn't matter to me whether I eat or not."

"Just eat what I tell you to eat, why are you making so many demands?"

"You little brat, what's wrong with you so early in the morning! Oh! I know, you must have had a bad night last night and came here to take it out on me!"

"No, I just wanted to call you for breakfast." Naruto said expressionlessly. "You're too lazy, Kurama. You've completely turned into a drunkard."

"What does it matter?" Nine-Tails sat in the chair, its eyes not fully open, and moved its special tableware to its front.

"I've been fighting with you humans for so many years, can't I enjoy myself a little?"

"Sure, I don't care at all." Naruto brought breakfast to the table, and kicked the Nine-Tails' chair as he did so. "I hope you'll have the same attitude next time you work for me."

"How are things between you and your owner?" Nine-Tails Fox asked, its eyes narrowed, its claws never leaving its paws.

"What do you mean, how about it?"

"How should I put it? It's like falling deeply in love."

"You even know what love is?" Naruto looked at Nine-Tails with some surprise, seemingly finding it novel that such words came out of its mouth.

The latter was somewhat smug, narrowed his eyes, and muttered a couple of times.

"I've been watching a lot of random things lately. There's something in that big black box in the living room that's Tenten playing." Nine-Tails took a bite of breakfast and then gulped down a mouthful of wine.

"I think you humans are just plain sick. You might as well just reproduce. You've said a bunch of things you don't know what to say, and then the two of you suddenly started talking over each other. It's really boring."

"Well said. Don't say it again next time. Shut up." Naruto glanced at Nine-Tails sideways.

After breakfast.

Naruto was washing dishes in the kitchen when he looked up and saw Uzuki Yugao appear silently outside the window, which startled him.

"Do you guys in the Anbu all like to sneak through windows?"

"There's no choice," said Uzuki Yugao, who was wearing an animal mask, coldly.

"Is it Lord Tsunade's looking for me again?"

"Okay." After saying that, Uzuki Yugao left directly.

He looked in the direction where Uzuki Yugao disappeared, and his eyes narrowed. He wondered to himself, "What has Tsunade taken the Anbu for after Anbu?"

A carrier pigeon?

However, considering the woman's usual behavior, it's not too hard to understand why she would do something like this.

After cleaning the kitchen, Naruto wiped the water off his hands and leisurely walked to the entryway to change his shoes. He opened the door with a click, and the warm Nikko outside was somewhat dazzling, shining brightly on the white walls.

The Hokage's Office.

With a creak, the heavy double office door was pushed open.

Sitting at her desk, Tsunade wore black-rimmed glasses. She looked up at Naruto, who had come to report, and her white, smooth skin swayed in front of her, exuding an intellectual beauty.

Naruto didn't react much, looking ashen-faced, as if he were going to work on Monday, the first day after the Lunar New Year.

"What kind of reaction is that?" Tsunade tapped the table in dissatisfaction.

"I just got back from a mission yesterday," Naruto argued as he approached Tsunade. "My vacation! Have you completely forgotten, Lord Tsunade?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten." Tsunade toned it down a bit and said somewhat guiltily, "Let's just say you're on vacation. I'll just let you extend it for another day."

"That's more like it," he muttered.

"Anyway, I have something important to discuss with you." Tsunade crossed her arms and rested them on the table. "Team Seven has been vacant for a long time. Kakashi is busy with training and missions and doesn't have time to continue serving Jonin."

"Recently, the higher-ups have been Jonin for new Jonin instructors for you, as well as a substitute player to fill Sasuke Uchiha's position."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Tsunade frowned. "Your reaction?"

"Otherwise what?" Naruto retorted. "Isn't it good to have a new Jonin instructor? I'm working like a slave Tenten as a temporary worker. If this continues, I'll be exhausted sooner or later."

"To take more and do less, to reap without sowing, that is my way of forbearance."

"I really want to smash you to pieces and bury you, Naruto Uzumaki," Tsunade said through gritted teeth. "You..."

Taking a deep breath, Tsunade gradually calmed herself down and exhaled softly. She then sipped the hot tea on the table and glanced at Naruto.

"You are responsible for relaying what I just said to Sakura and making her accept this fact. Team Seven needs to be reorganized; the higher-ups cannot allow Team Seven to continue to be wasted like this."

"Why should I be the one to say it?" Naruto asked, somewhat puzzled.

He really didn't want to be around Sakura; just thinking about the very few times they'd met made him shudder.

"Hmm?" Tsunade. "If it wasn't relayed by you, a member of Team Seven, did you expect me, the teacher, to tell you?"

Besides