This Is Pure Love; Even Tainted Pure Love Is Still Pure Love

When Anko asked him a question, Naruto didn't answer directly but instead asked her a question in return.

Are you busy lately?

"Not busy," Anko shook her head.

"Since you're so bored, just agree," he said casually.

"What kind of lame reason is that?" Anko asked incredulously, but then realized she didn't have a better idea, so she immediately changed her mind.

"That seems to make some sense."

"She really is a stupid woman, "Naruto coughed. He had prepared several plans, but he hadn't used a single one. This woman's thought process was really simple.

"Alright then, I'll apply for a mission in a couple of days, and you Leading Jonin," he said. "Let's get away from Konohagakure first, in case Orochimaru is resurrected and something else goes wrong."

"Me, the Leading Jonin? You don't mean it~" Halfway through her sentence, Anko realized that the person in front of her who could kill a Jonin with one punch was actually Chunin.

"You're still Chunin, haha." Anko clearly didn't take the heavy atmosphere from before to heart, and seemed to have found a new source of amusement.

Calling her a stupid woman was indeed accurate; no wonder she's almost thirty and still a virgin. He didn't mean any discrimination against virgins; he simply couldn't understand Anko.

But after thinking about it, I couldn't be bothered to mock her in that regard. After all, Anko didn't seem to care about that kind of thing, just like Orochimaru.

Naruto often felt that Anko was like a tomboy, always laughing and joking at work, but after work she would just disappear and not know where she was or what she was doing.

"Not for long." He threw the cushion at Anko. "I'll be Elite Jonin sooner or later, and I'll never be Special Jonin like you."

"So what if Special Jonin?" she retorted, somewhat unconvinced. "I'm still Jonin, at least I'm better than Chunin like you!"

"Why don't you apply for the mission tomorrow?" Anko asked, looking at him as if she remembered something. "If I go tomorrow, I can avoid a long and boring meeting."

"I'm busy. I'll talk to Ino the day Hinata."

"Scumbag!" Anko threw a cushion at him, verbally condemning his behavior. "Don't you feel even a little bit guilty about toying with a young girl's feelings?"

"Watch your words! What are you talking about? This is pure love," Naruto retorted. "Besides, we grew up together, it's normal for us to be close."

"Fine, you're right." Anko gasped. "Anyway, ninjas don't have good endings. They either die in battle or die young."

"I'll retire after a few more years and stop taking on missions." Anko slumped into the sofa, sinking into it completely. "Work is so boring, I might as well teach at the Ninja Academy."

Upon hearing this, Naruto raised an eyebrow slightly; indeed, everything had been foreshadowed.

The prime of an ordinary ninja lasts only a few years; only a select few can reach the top, leaving behind injuries and old age. And those few, without exception, become great figures in the Shinobi World.

The world is so big, there will always be geniuses. But this world also allows for the existence of ordinary people. Anko is not an ordinary person; she is Orochimaru's last disciple.

It should have had a limitless future and a bright future.

Unfortunately, her talent was stagnated before it could be fully developed due to Orochimaru's departure, and the Curse Mark of Heaven she left behind became an obstacle to her becoming stronger. In the blink of an eye, she had missed the best time to grow.

Anko isn't exactly just another face in the crowd, but her Road to Ninja is pretty much set in stone. Plus, being Anko orphan with no background or bloodline, she can only follow the conventional path.

"Teaching, oh, teaching is good," he chimed in. "Anyway, you don't have much else to do besides teaching."

"Get out!" Anko was so angry she was practically dying inside, and she had no mind for sentimentality anymore. Just as she was about to get up and go back to her room, she suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but ask.

"I have something to ask you."

"Speak," Naruto.

"What do you think about me raising a child after I retire?" Anko asked.

"You?" Naruto looked her up and down. "Someone like you is planning to spend a fortune to have a child?"

"You can just keep getting out of here." Anko threw the last cushion over.

Back home, Naruto lay on his bed, sighing as he thought about the events of the past few days. After a few years of leisure, things were starting to get busy again.

Ino wanted Konohagakure to install a communication system, Hinata wanted to become Jonin, and the matter of Black Sakura was the most troublesome and urgent. But he couldn't say it out loud, so they could only work together to make the arrangements.

Fortunately, only a few days have passed. In a couple of days, he can go to Tanzaku Town before the mission starts. Tayuya is still waiting for him, and he at least has to respond.

Tayuya will stay or not is unknown; the world is too small, much smaller than he imagined. If he wants to see someone, he can always do so if he gives it his time.

The next day.

He slept until noon before leisurely heading out. After washing up, he called out to Nine-Tails, who was also about to leave, and took out a bottle of Hinata Special Edition directly from his Sealing Space.

Even though Nine-Tails had already stepped one foot off the balcony, it immediately looked impatient when Naruto called it. But the smell made it forcefully retreat.

"Huh? Kid, what's wrong with you today?" Nine-Tails Fox ran over quickly, her eyes never leaving the bottle, but her mouth was as hard as iron.

"What? What's going on?" Naruto seriously, but inwardly he was sneering.

I thought to myself, this silly dog is such a show-off. It even went to great lengths to change into a high-class package just to fish. How could it resist? It might resist for a day or two, but how could it resist for a third day?

"For me?" Nine-Tails asked.

"Yes, it's to make it up to you." Naruto pretended to be nonchalant. "Sakura was alright last time thanks to you, so..."

"I didn't expect you to still have some conscience. I thought you were about to die, which is why you were willing to take it out." Nine-Tails was overjoyed and stood up, rubbing its front paws together.

Naruto's head was throbbing with rage; he wanted nothing more than to kick the idiot off the balcony. But the thought of needing to use that tool in the future made him suppress his anger.

"I have to go now," Naruto said with a forced smile, suppressing his anger as he left.

The door slammed shut, Nine-Tails scratched his head, staring blankly at the Hyuga -Hinata treat on the table. Something he'd always longed for had suddenly appeared before him.

It was as if the white moonlight in its heart had fallen, transforming from a jade plate in the sky into white rice in a bowl. Although it didn't understand philosophy, it still felt empty inside.

Upon receiving it, I was simultaneously overcome with the urge to both accept that there was only one bottle and the overwhelming desire for more. But after opening the cap and gulping down a few mouthfuls, all those thoughts vanished.

Its mind was filled with only stimulation and pleasure, as if all unhappiness had vanished. It squinted its eyes and enjoyed the sensation for a while, then suddenly remembered something.

Nine-Tails put down the bottle and jumped off the sofa. He took out a black-and-white portrait of Naruto and a stack of incense from a drawer, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and threw them all downstairs.

"Let it go, considering how conscientious he is," Nine-Tails Fox muttered.

It only offered incense to Naruto once, but later wanted to keep it for future use, and ended up keeping it for several years. Nine-Tails has a good memory and was afraid that Naruto would have something on him later, so it thought of destroying the evidence first.

Naruto had already gone far away, so he naturally had no idea what Nine-Tails had done with a guilty look on his face.

He had to see Ino today; they had just parted ways the day before yesterday. Although Ino had said she would be in seclusion for at least half a month and asked Naruto not to disturb her.

But girls usually interpret things the opposite way. He didn't go the day after they parted; instead, he chose to go the next day. A day of waiting creates a slight sense of loss, while seeing each other again the next day brings a pleasant surprise.

Even if it's not a surprise, at least there won't be any real negative emotions.

Moreover, the communicator issue wasn't actually that urgent. He thought he'd check Ino's progress first, then discuss with Tsunade what to do.

He's been incredibly busy lately, with everything piling up at once, which is unusual for him. Sakura's situation was unexpected, and there's nothing he can do about it, but he doesn't want to refuse Hinata's request either.

Hinata rarely makes requests, and when she does, unless it's absolutely impossible, Naruto will never refuse. Naruto knows Hinata is easy to please, but if he refuses her once, it will be difficult to get her to take the initiative again.

That's how personality is; it needs to be adjusted little by little. If you're too introverted, it's actually quite difficult to even talk to someone you're with.

For various reasons, he decided to first probe Ino's situation. He wanted to estimate how many days it would take her to complete the communicator upgrade in order to arrange a time to meet with Tsunade.

It's too early; the communicator isn't available yet. It's awkward. It's too late; Ino will definitely feel a little disappointed, which is something he doesn't want to see.

Although his pure love has become tainted, he can still do his best for them. Even in the smallest, most insignificant details.

The Yamanaka Flower Shop was still nearly empty, and the glass doors downstairs were tightly shut.

However, the window in Ino's room on the second floor was open. As for why he knew it was Ino's window, it was because he was too familiar with the layout of her room.

He actually has a communicator; there are only two in the village, the other one is with Ino. But he didn't use the communicator, choosing instead the simplest method.

"Ino!" he called out.

A rustling sound came from upstairs, a table being pulled, and then Ino's delicate face appeared at the window. Perhaps in the rush, the red clip fell from upstairs.

Her blonde hair was loose, and she exclaimed in surprise, not bothering to tie it up before asking.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm just passing by, I have to go soon," he said.

Upon hearing this, Ino responded with an "oh," her lips slightly pursed, and then spoke.

"Then you can leave."

He said that, but his body didn't leave the window for a long time, as if he really wanted to stay there and watch him leave. His dazed look made him want to laugh.

He waved upstairs, "Aren't you going to come down and open the door? I'll go through the window!"

"Didn't you say...?" Ino blushed, clearly realizing he had lied to her again, and immediately became somewhat displeased. "I won't open it for you."

"Really not opening? Then I'm leaving!"

"Idiot! It's not locked, push it yourself!" Ino both angry and wanted to punch him. How could this guy be so infuriating!