Her Ideal World

Shikamaru was too smart; he immediately understood what Naruto was trying to say, and his brows furrowed as he stroked his chin in thought.

"I heard from my father that the situation in various countries is very tense right now. Konohagakure probably won't spend much time on technology, and the Shinobi World War might be coming."

Choji, oblivious to everything else, ate a skewer of grilled meat and said nonchalantly.

"Anyway, with Lord Tsunade here, nothing will happen."

Naruto smiled, knowing this wasn't the time to talk about that, and immediately changed the subject. The atmosphere at the table remained lively; the group was familiar with each other, chatting and laughing, and before they knew it, it was late at night.

Shikamaru: "I have a feeling that guy has something on his mind, but things outside are definitely much better than in Konohagakure. The village is still as conservative as ever."

Choji: "After all, this is a ninja village. Ninjas take pride in training and restraining their desires. Too much luxury is not good for training."

Ino: "It's just a communicator. In general, it makes life more convenient, right? But speaking of which, Konohagakure did equip the Genin with ear-worn Chakra Communicator, but they could only communicate over short distances and in a small area."

Shikamaru: "That thing often malfunctions, so it's not very useful."

Naruto returned after paying the bill and glanced at the mountain of plates piled on the table. He didn't sit down, but stood beside Ino, with the dim light of the pull-cord overhead lamp above them.

"In the future, we still need to develop technology, and peace in the Shinobi World is the main theme."

"Oh." Shikamaru glanced at Naruto sideways and teased, "Now you're starting to show your high-level demeanor. Your rhetoric is quite polished."

"That's right." Naruto smiled. "From now on, you have to call me 'sir' when you see me."

"Xinei."

After the meeting, Shikamaru and Choji walked back arm in arm. They drank juice, but Choji was so full that he could barely walk.

"Where to?" he asked, glancing at Ino with his eyes lowered.

"Go home."

On the way back, Naruto casually asked, "Are you going to take over your father's job in the future?"

Ino turned to look at him, then remained silent for a moment before answering softly.

"The secret techniques of the Yamanaka Clan are used for communication and liaison work, and incidentally to assist the Torture and Interrogation Force in intelligence interrogation and collection. The secret techniques are not passed on to outsiders."

The meaning is quite clear: the Yamanaka Clan has only one daughter.

"Do you like doing this?" he asked again.

"Like? I don't know, but I probably wouldn't dislike it," Ino said. "I've never really liked anything in my life, only disliked anything."

Naruto stared back at her, Ino, feeling a little guilty under his gaze, swallowed hard.

"What?"

"It's alright," he said. "Since you're going to take over, you might as well pay more attention to communication devices and surveillance. Although these are rarely seen in Konohagakure, they are available outside."

"Furthermore, I mentioned it to Lord Tsunade. As long as the Shinobi World is at peace, Konohagakure will also undergo changes in a few years."

"Are you thinking of me?" Ino blushed slightly.

"What? Are you being nosy?"

"No." Ino looked at the shadow by the roadside, her mind in turmoil. "I just think Shikamaru is right, peace in the Shinobi World isn't so easy."

"The recent increase in missions is also due to the tense relationship between the major ninja villages. If this continues, war may break out in less than two or three years."

"Don't worry, there are people to hold the sky up if it falls," he comforted her. "Who knows what the future holds? Maybe things will really get peaceful in the next few years."

"Maybe," Ino replied, clearly not very convinced.

But Naruto knew very well that Sand and Konohagakure had suffered heavy losses, Kumogakure had lost its edge. Iwagakure had been in a state of transition, relying on Ōnoki to keep it afloat.

As for Kirigakure, he did have some ideas, but once he completed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's questline, even Mei Terumi great ambitions, it would be difficult for her to cause any trouble.

The Akatsuki Organization has suffered a setback and will likely not make any rash moves until it replenishes its ranks with new members. He can simply take some time out of his busy schedule in a month and go to Amegakure with Jiraiya.

If we can defeat the Akatsuki Organization by the end of this year, even if we can't wipe them out in one fell swoop, we can still drag them into the shadows. As for Nagato, Konan, and Obito, there's still plenty of time; we can deal with them gradually and kill them if we can.

Over the remaining days, Naruto and Ino frequently met and discussed plans for the modernization and widespread adoption of communication devices.

Ino genuinely wanted to reform and upgrade Konohagakure's communications system, Naruto happened to have some expertise in this area. Having witnessed both the golden age and the nascent technology of the Land of Snow, his suggestions were very insightful.

"I'm leaving in a couple of days," he said suddenly, looking up without warning.

"Where to?" Ino asked instinctively.

A few seconds later, she suddenly realized that it might be a secret mission that couldn't be told, and immediately changed her question.

"The day after tomorrow?"

"Unsure, yes," he said, sitting on the edge of the low tatami table in the living room, his feet dangling inside. In winter, this spot would be covered with a thick layer of cups and have a heater hanging on it.

He beckoned to Ino, signaling her to come closer.

"What?" Ino didn't think much of it.

"Wait for me to come back," Naruto whispered in her ear.

Ino was startled and fell backward, revealing her smooth, bony feet from under the low table. In her panic, she saw the person crawling towards her, and her breath caught in her throat.

She trembled slightly as she spoke.

"What's wrong with me?" Naruto stared at her, his body very close to Ino, his gaze intense. "Tell me, what's wrong with me?"

Ino stared at his wide collar, glanced inside, and then blushed furiously. Every time she heard him say that, Ino would skip a beat.

He was genuinely listening to her, and that made him somewhat happy.

"Naruto."

He paused, his movements halting. Seeing the hesitant and restrained expression on Ino's face, he immediately regained his composure, though somewhat embarrassed, and simply got up.

"I'll go get a glass of water."

"Hmm." Ino suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, gently patting her chest with her hand, breathing softly with her back to him.

About half a minute later, Naruto returned with a glass of water and sat down casually in his original spot. His expression was clean and composed, as if nothing had happened.

"The discussions these past few days have all been useful; take notes." He held up his glass, took a sip of water, and looked down at Ino's clean hands resting on the Ino.

He paused briefly, then continued.

"Konohagakure will gradually introduce it in the future. I'll talk to Lord Tsunade about it then. It shouldn't be a big problem."

"Why are you helping me like this?" Ino suddenly asked, looking up at him.

"Are you stupid?" He tactfully took a sip of water, glancing at her sideways. "I'm happy to."

This was her ideal, not quite a dream, just an idea she had conceived since childhood. He simply wanted to do his part to help her build that world that belonged to her.

No earth-shattering feats are needed; simply introduce the technologies already emerging in the Shinobi World to Konohagakure. Then, make some modifications to suit Konohagakure's circumstances, and the final solution will be established.

Once the plan is approved, Konohagakure gradually changes, making it easier for people to communicate their emotions and messages—that's probably her ideal.

It was a small thing, but he was willing to help her achieve it.

Because I like it, that's all.