The Fragrance Only Found on the One You Love

The door to the flower shop on the first floor was indeed unlocked; Naruto pushed it open easily, though it could also be pulled outwards. However, if the shop wasn't open, it could be pushed inwards and a "Closed" sign hung up.

He quietly and skillfully hung up the sign, then quickly climbed the stairs. A girl in love seems naturally radiant, her whole being glowing with a soft light.

They're so soft and squishy when you hug them, and they even smell like milk. Some say it's because of hormones. You can only smell that milky scent on someone you like, but others disagree, saying it's from being marinated in shower gel.

Naruto wasn't sure if Ino's milky smell came from hormones or from being marinated, but he knew he would soon absorb it.

The aroma will almost completely dissipate around third base.

When it comes to a truly consensual home run, after many times, it has a different kind of sweetness. A hazy, dreamy scent, the younger and prettier the woman, the better the fragrance.

It's often said that you can tell a woman's character by her scent, and there's some truth to that.

"Give me a drink of water, I walked over."

"Everyone has to go through this. Didn't I tell you not to bother me? I need to focus on my research until I update the communicator again."

"What the hell? They have all sorts of appliances, but not even a means of transportation." Naruto didn't respond to the previous comment and changed the subject, saying, "Quick, give me some water."

"Go to the living room to get it yourself; there are cups outside."

"Who's going outside?"

Naruto's eyes searched the table, and he spotted a large rose-pink glass filled with water. He snatched it and gulped it all down in one go, not leaving a drop.

"You!! Are you a bucket?! And that's my cup."

"So stingy. You've already done that kind of thing, what's wrong with drinking a glass of water?" he muttered. "Does drinking water make you pregnant?"

"Go to hell!!" Ino was both ashamed and angry, and pounced on him.

"Ah!! You actually did it!"

I'll bite you to death!

"No!! No! Ah!!!"

A chaotic scene ensued, Naruto, clutching his arm and gasping for breath, glared resentfully at Ino sitting to the side.

"Ino, were you born in the Year of the Dog?"

"Hmph, you deserve it!!" Ino said smugly, arms crossed. "Who told you to say such strange things? We didn't do anything."

"What's so strange about it? We already kissed, what's wrong with taking a sip of water?" Naruto said matter-of-factly.

"That's not what you meant at all!" Ino snapped. "Stop it!"

She felt a pang of regret; she shouldn't have moved so quickly. She'd let him kiss her, even though she'd anticipated he'd take advantage, but still...

After a while, the two of them hugged each other again, with the fan on.

Although Ino was initially reluctant, she eventually gave in and stopped struggling. She fiddled with the communicator, silently thinking to herself that there was a pig behind her.

Naruto squinted his eyes to rest, silently thinking about something.

Ino felt unwell all over, and leaning against his chest felt like being in a small furnace. Fortunately, the fan was on, so there was no need to turn on the air conditioner in this weather.

"Teacher Asuma has a child!" she suddenly said.

"Really?" Naruto actually knew that Asuma had mentioned it to him, probably because fathers like to show off. "What, you want to have a child too?"

"I don't want to!" That was what she really thought.

Her mother had told her more than once about the pain of childbirth, how she had no peace from the moment she became pregnant. Of course, the step of how she got pregnant was omitted, which is what parents like to hear.

They don't like to talk about how they were lustful and couldn't resist having a child. But they will definitely talk about how hard childbirth is, like the cruelest torture in the world.

For example, Yamanaka Rino once told Ino that when she was pregnant with her, she felt nauseous and vomited, and six months later, she had to go to the toilet seven or eight times a night because of pressure on her bladder.

During that time Inoichi Yamanaka was also under a lot of pressure, being a new father. He was busy with work, and when he got home he had to take care of his wife, so he didn't get much sleep at night.

When Ino found out, her young heart was deeply shaken. She always felt indebted to her parents and subconsciously chose to obey their demands.

For Ino, being sensible is not a bad thing, but it left her with the fear of childbirth.

"I don't want to have children!!" she said, then quietly added in her mind, "At least postpone it for a while, absolutely not!"

"Nobody wants you to have a baby." Naruto was startled, thinking he had stepped on a landmine, and quickly let go of her.

"Oh, okay." Ino shrank back and glanced at him again. "But if we're together, we'll have kids sooner or later, otherwise we can only be friends?"

"Huh? What kind of logic is this?" Naruto looked completely bewildered. "Can you win a lottery by having a baby?"

"I don't know, that's what my mother said." Ino shook her head. "Anyway, I wasn't prepared, and I don't know what to do about that kind of thing."

"Let's talk about it later, but having children is definitely a long way off," Naruto said. "Besides, who wouldn't prefer children to a wife?"

"I care more about you than whether we have children. Children are just a bonus; there's no need to worry about it too much. If you're afraid of them, then don't even think about it."

"Really?" Ino looked up at him, her eyes shining.

"Although I don't know why you're so scared, but," his eyes were serious, "It's enough for you to know that I like you."

"Hmm." Ino blushed slightly. It was just a casual chat, but his sudden seriousness in saying something so outrageous made her a little flustered.

"I'm going to the living room to get some water." She grabbed a rose-pink glass and ran out of the room.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. He didn't know why Ino was reacting this way, but... it didn't matter. He'd succeeded in flirting with her, after all. His goal was simply to delay her research progress—was it a kind of "handsome man ploy"?

He got up, looked in the mirror, then put the mirror down and nodded slightly.

Any plan or scheme would do; he just wanted her to be happy. He hadn't thought about the future because he himself didn't know where he came from, nor could he see where he was going.

Just as saviors always die, heroes may perish in the abyss. What he desperately avoids and struggles for may be something others can only dream of.

But the inability to obtain what one desires is a common occurrence in life, and he himself couldn't even define himself. So, he simply pursued what he loved, living passionately and openly.

If this were a peaceful world, he would choose to spend his life with Ino or Ino, or Hinata both of them. But this world...

For now, he just wants to be a passionate young man and set a small goal: to live to be twenty-five.

Not long after, Ino returned with the water. She slammed the water down on the table, intending to sit back in her chair, but then decided to sit on the edge of the bed with Naruto.