Hiding Her Feelings in Secret, Forgetting That Her Eyes Could Speak

Someone in the Intelligence Department discovered that Ino had secretly skipped work, but they weren't too surprised, since they often did the same thing.

Actually, as long as you don't get caught, it's not a big deal. At most, you'll get a scolding, but they won't even deduct your salary. The main reason is that Intelligence Department personnel are so rare, which leads to some hidden special treatment.

It wouldn't be surprising if someone else did this, but it's quite unusual for the popular and rule-abiding beauty of the Intelligence Department to do so. Someone noticed that Ino skipped work today and walked away with a young man behaving intimately.

Who is that person?

The Intelligence Department has seen a steady stream of new recruits, and they're all still quite young.

The rumors about the fox demon were put an end six years ago thanks to Tsunade's intervention. Since then, Naruto has been constantly on field missions, either staying home or spending years or even months away on missions.

The village has changed a lot, with new people replacing the old, so not everyone knows him. Some newcomers have no idea about the dirty dealings at the top, and their circle of acquaintances is limited to the older colleagues they've worked with.

"Him? He's someone important, it's normal that you don't know him." A young man who looked to be in his early twenties leaned against the desk, holding a thermos, and reminisced in a senior-like tone.

"Which powerful family's scion is it this time?" the newcomer muttered in complaint.

"If you really think that way, then you're wrong..." The young man opened his mouth, intending to boast a bit, but then suddenly remembered that others had already run off with the princess of the Intelligence Department, so what was he doing here pretending to be?

Upon thinking this, he suddenly seemed to enter Sage Mode, waving his hand listlessly with no desires or interest.

"In short, just don't provoke them."

The twenty-year-old veteran sighed, clutched his thermos, shook his head, and walked away dejectedly. He didn't care which idiot actually provoked Naruto; nothing serious would happen anyway.

There have been people who have pursued Ino over the years, but those second-generation rich kids grew up with her, so what do they have to offer in a way?

A group of simpletons, thinking that Ino was always kind to everyone, blindly went for it. But they didn't realize that she was the beloved daughter of Lord Inoichi Yamanaka Clan, a true princess of the Yamanaka Clan.

Their warm and welcoming attitude towards others doesn't mean they have low standards. Every year at the New Year Festival, everyone knows that the second-generation Ino-Shika-Cho can completely carry the show on their own.

Moreover, although the Ninja Academy graduates Genin every year, the most outstanding class in recent years is undoubtedly the group of second-generation ninjas, some of whom have already Jonin several years ago.

At that moment, Naruto was unaware that he was being talked about.

He was walking along the street with Ino, chatting idly, when they strolled to Konohagakure Street. In the golden twilight, the street scene appeared rather deserted.

"Do they know you're back?" Ino glanced at him.

"Them?" Naruto casually glanced at the shops on both sides of the street, his long legs moving rhythmically at a moderate pace, pulling Ino forward by just half a step.

"Shikamaru, Choji... and Hinata."

Upon hearing this, he realized something was amiss. All that casual conversation had just been a prelude.

The early spring wind was biting, and the entire golden twilight seemed frozen in place. After blurting out those words as if possessed, Ino felt a pang of regret; she had spoken them without thinking.

In that instant, her senses sharpened, and her heart pounded like a drum. The sounds around her were amplified, and the soft rustling of footsteps echoed.

"Shikamaru?" he said calmly. "Of course I'll look for you first when I get back. I can't contact them either, unless a communicator is invented in the future."

"Besides, why would I need to talk to them? The first thing I'll do when I get back is talk to you."

Naruto secretly thought that Sakura didn't count, since she had come to him on her own initiative and he was completely unaware of it. So, to be precise, aside from reporting to Tsunade, the first person he contacted was indeed Ino.

"Is that so?" Ino glanced at Naruto with a detached look, not at all annoyed by his feigned ignorance. Instead, she looked up and smiled sweetly in the frozen golden twilight.

"Even if you're lying to me, I'm still happy to hear you say that. Let's... go find something to eat."

He wasn't going to let Ino off so easily; she was so young and already knew how to be jealous. He had to pay a price to prevent her from being jealous everywhere in the future.

"So you think I approached Hinata first, and then came to you?" he asked directly, turning to look at her, "And that I like Hinata more than you?"

"When did I... I didn't mean that."

"You really care about this?" A look of surprise flashed across Naruto's face.

Ino's face flushed slightly.

That's how people are; they hide their emotions inside, wanting others to notice, but once they do, they feel like they've done something wrong as soon as they speak out.

"Is it obvious?" She glanced at Naruto quickly and asked in a low voice.

"Um."

The New Year Festival had just passed, and Naruto wasn't wearing many layers. He was wearing a thin, fitted black sweatshirt, and his blond hair was soft and casual.

Thanks to Mr. Gato, he never lacked money from a young age, and his nutrition was always adequate.

After turning eighteen, he was a tall, thin, blond boy, aloof and reserved when silent. The two of them walking together exuded youthful energy, attracting the attention of several passersby along the way.

Ino would occasionally steal glances at the boy she liked, whether they were talking or arguing, she couldn't help but think that if they were to get together in the future, he would be the only one she would hold onto through all the hardships and joys of her life.

Seeing Naruto walking ahead with his hands in his pockets and not saying a word, she couldn't help but poke his waist and ask.

"What would you do if I told you I'm really jealous of Hinata?"

He glanced at Ino sideways, thinking to himself that Ino was more like a girlfriend in love. She would get jealous, she would act cute, and she showered him with endless love like the blazing sun.

Such a personality can only be cultivated in a loving family environment where everyone loves her, so she also learns how to love earnestly.

"Then I'll have to go find Hinata," he said.

He quickly received a response, a sharp pinch on the soft flesh of his waist. Ino snorted, practically lying on top of Naruto as she spoke.

"Can't you just pretend for a moment?"

"You know me, I never lie," he said calmly, reaching out to pull Ino closer. "Are we lovers?"

"How could this be!" Ino blushed and stammered, "I... I..."

"That's it then." Naruto patted her head. "We're not lovers, so why are you being so nosy? Can't I even see my friends?"

"I didn't say that!" Ino was speechless for a moment, but something seemed off, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Seeing that Naruto had already walked ahead, she could only follow sullenly. She muttered words like "cunning" and "shirking responsibility," seemingly having figured out his intentions.

The two walked for a while and then randomly found a shop to eat something. At the table, Ino didn't bring up the topic of jealousy again, and kept talking about the Chakra Communicator.

Her desire to make that happen stemmed from both a selfish motive and an idealistic element. The selfish motive was that even if the two of them weren't together, they could still stay in touch.

Her ideal was to contribute to the village's development and integrate it into the communication system as soon as possible, thereby promoting the innovation of Konohagakure 'Chakra communication technology. For her, ideals and personal desires were not contradictory.

"Let me tell you." Ino has fair skin and a smooth jawline. Ninjas are a profession that requires a lot of Taijutsu training, so her physique is naturally good.

Passersby outside the shop could tell from a glance at the face and blurry figure in the window that the person in question was a true beauty.

They probably didn't expect that Naruto, sitting opposite Ino, wasn't very knowledgeable about technical matters. Listening to Ino's excited explanation, he showed no impatience whatsoever.

Even if he didn't understand much, it didn't stop him from showing great interest. Even if it went in one ear and out the other, he would still pick out a couple of sentences to make it seem authentic, and occasionally interrupt with a question.

This guy is pretty cunning when he talks. He'll suddenly blurt out, "Where are you going tonight? Want to come to my place on your vacation?" One question after another, it's impossible to guard against.

Ino wasn't fooled; as she grew older, she became more discreet. If she had a clear conscience, she wouldn't need to do this, but she was precisely guilty. She was certain that if she went to his place now, she might be pregnant in a while.

She doesn't want to have children so early, and she's not mentally prepared yet.

Two years ago at the store, she almost couldn't resist giving in, and that feeling has become a recurring itch in Ino. When she thinks of him, even with her eyes closed, she sees their heavy breaths mingling.

Even though she wouldn't say these words aloud, and carefully hid her emotions, she forgot that the eyes can also speak.

"By the way, I'm going to see my grandmother in a couple of days. Do you want to come?"

"What?" Naruto was startled.

Did we change the subject a little too quickly? We've already met each other's parents? Isn't that a bit too sudden? No, it seems like we've already met the parents, and there's no pressure.

"Don't you have time?" Ino asked, propping her chin on her hand.

"No, it's just a bit strange." He touched the water glass on the table, his gaze drifting. "Why are you suddenly asking me if I'm going?"

"Your parents will probably be going too, right?"

"I'm not going." Ino shook her head. "I always go alone. Every year after the New Year Festival, I would find an excuse to secretly visit my grandmother."

Naruto noticed a word: secretly.

He thought to himself, "No wonder Ino seems to disappear every New Year Festival; she always appears and disappears like a ghost, impossible to catch." He realized there was another layer to their relationship, a secret connection.

However, wasn't Ino's maternal grandmother the mother of Mrs. Yamanaka Ino?

Did they have a conflict? So it's an internal conflict within the extended family, and the relationship has always been so tense? So Ino can only secretly visit them alone.

He could even picture the dignified old lady sitting there, leaning on her cane, looking down on everything.