What Ino Had Done

After washing up, Naruto intended to go downstairs for breakfast, but then he remembered that there seemed to be half a carton of milk in the refrigerator, so he decided to take something from the Sealing Space to make breakfast.

While others buy milk for breakfast, Naruto might make a special breakfast just for half a carton of milk.

He was just rolling up his sleeves, ready to get to work, when he suddenly heard a knock at the door. He paused for a moment, puzzled. Who would be looking for him at this hour?

"Coming," Naruto called out, thinking to himself, "It's rare for someone to just knock properly."

First, we can rule out using doors, as everyone in the Anbu Uzuki Yugao a monkey. They all either use windows or balconies; none of them stay still.

It's also unlikely to be Kakashi, Sixth Hokage and withdrawn due to his resentment about working overtime every day.

Ino and Hinata? They're unreachable, and they definitely won't be contacting me anytime soon. As for Choji and his gang, that's unlikely too; they don't get up early.

There are only two people left, either Anko or Sakura.

Sakura had specifically told herself that she was going to give a lecture at the Ninja Academy today in order to encourage more students to develop an interest in Medical Ninjutsu and to make up for the shortage of manpower in the Medical Unit.

Anko, surely not? I've been back for a few days now. She's been holed up at the Ninja Academy and hasn't contacted me at all. She certainly wouldn't be giving me a mountain of homework at a time like this, would she?

These past few days have been a bit of a mess for Naruto, and he was lost in thought before opening the door. Only when his hand touched the doorknob did all those chaotic thoughts disappear.

With a whoosh, the door was pulled open, and a pretty figure appeared in the doorway.

"Tenten?" Naruto was stunned for a moment before he reacted, quickly looking Tenten up and down. "Aren't you the class leader? How come you have time?"

Outside the door, Tenten seemed a little embarrassed, pursed her lips, and said with some guilt.

"I only found out about Ino and Hinata last night. When I met you on the path, you looked terrible, and I didn't know that something like this had happened."

"It's alright." Naruto waved his hand. "Come in first, I'll make you some tea."

"Okay." Tenten didn't stand on ceremony and went straight in.

"Speaking of which, this is my first time visiting your home." She stood in the entryway changing her shoes, leaning on the shoe cabinet with one leg raised and the other straight.

Naruto was making tea in the kitchen when he heard this and couldn't help but chime in.

"Come whenever you want. I don't have any reservations about what I'm going to do now."

"Why does that sound so depressing?" Tenten chuckled. The two had a good relationship and joked around without any restraint. "What exactly happened? Haven't you thought of a solution?"

"What's your idea?" He came out carrying a cup of tea, bent down and moved the tea to Tenten. "Have some tea, it's new tea I got from Hidden Mist."

"You even went to Kirigakure?" Tenten was shocked. She knew about Naruto's magical door, but she kept it a secret from Naruto and didn't tell anyone else.

When did you go?

"A while ago, before I went back to the village," Naruto sighed, plopped down on the sofa, and sighed again, "I was planning to go back to the village to rest for a while, but who would have thought something like this would happen."

"It would be strange if something happened to you. Luckily, Ino and Hinata are both alright." Tenten propped her face up and stared blankly at the brown tea.

Fortunately, Tenten didn't say anything like "Why can't you choose between the two?" Instead, she patted Naruto on the shoulder and gave him a firm look.

"Don't be discouraged, things will definitely turn around, keep going!"

"Huh?" Naruto was a little confused. "What turning point?"

"Weren't you planning to coax Ino and Hinata back?" Tenten looked at Naruto with some doubt, blinking her eyes. "You're not just going to give up like this, are you?"

"How is that possible!"

"That's it then. Good luck." Tenten took a sip of tea, smiled with her eyes narrowed. This tea was indeed excellent, quite different from the tea of Land of Fire.

"Um, Tenten, you could at least call me a scumbag if you're like this." Naruto hesitated for a moment, then said nervously, "You're giving me the creeps right now."

"Why would I yell at you?" Tenten was a little speechless. She glanced at the time. "Alright, I have something to do at the Ninja Academy, I have to go now!"

"Keep it up!"

"Okay." Naruto was a little confused as he saw Tenten out the door.

He stood on the third floor, watching Tenten leave, his heart filled with mixed emotions, thinking to himself, "What kind of mess is this?" Ever since the matter was brought to light, he hadn't had any contact with Choji.

He just wanted some peace and quiet. He could tell what they were going to say with his eyes closed. It was pointless anyway; he hadn't gradually become bad.

He'd been planning this for years. Aside from his messy love life, he didn't have any major flaws. He was good to his girlfriend and good to his friends.

He doesn't intend to change anything; he's only going to live for a few decades anyway, with no parents to care about and no children to raise. At his level, there's no need to worry about too much; living happily is the most important thing.

However, Tenten's unusual attitude surprised him somewhat. He had initially thought she was coming to comfort him. Who knew she was there to encourage him? Had she changed her personality?

He didn't think too much about it, assuming that the young rich woman was naturally cheerful and optimistic, and perhaps her thinking was different from ordinary people.

After finishing breakfast, Naruto went downstairs for a stroll. He continued to wander aimlessly through the village, deliberately taking some secluded paths to avoid running into acquaintances.

Around lunchtime, Naruto found a place, bought a few packs of good cigarettes, and headed straight for the Hokage Building. Kakashi didn't smoke much, and Naruto wasn't looking for Kakashi.

Knock, knock, knock—the sound of knocking on the door rang out.

"Come in!" Shikamaru said without looking up, his desk piled high with documents.

The door creaked open, and Naruto saw Konohagakure, the strategist of Shikamaru, looking tired with dark circles under his eyes as he went to work. He couldn't help but laugh and put a few packs of cigarettes on his desk.

"So busy?"

"Naruto?" Shikamaru shook his head, thinking he was so busy that his eyes were blurry.

The blurry double image disappeared, revealing Naruto still standing in the same spot. Turning his head, Shikamaru noticed several packs of expensive cigarettes on the table, and his eyelids twitched involuntarily.

He thought to himself, "This is bad."

"What brings you here? What's with this smoke, Naruto?" He gave a wry smile and scratched his head.

"We're brothers, don't push me into a fire pit."

"How could that be?" Naruto grinned, moved a stool and placed it opposite Shikamaru. "It's just that I haven't seen you in so long, I missed you so much, so I came to see you."

"We had dinner together a few days ago."

"I've missed you quite a bit since we last met." Naruto didn't feel embarrassed at all. When asking someone for a favor, you have to have the right attitude. He'd deal with Shikamaru if he didn't agree.

Shikamaru was terrified.

Even with his eyes closed, he could figure out Naruto's intentions with his toes. He wanted Naruto to spy on the Yamanaka Clan. If he were discovered, wouldn't that be suicide?

Naruto smiled politely, lost in thought, and simply pulled out a cigarette and handed it to Shikamaru. Shikamaru, unable to refuse, had one in his mouth when Naruto lit it for him.

Seeing Shikamaru take a puff, Naruto finally spoke.

"Shikamaru, I've never asked you for anything."

"Stop!" Shikamaru took the cigarette away, exhaled a puff of white breath, and said irritably, "Don't give me that. Ino has returned to the Yamanaka Clan's residence, and it's not convenient for me to go there."

"The Ino-Shika-Cho Clans are all of one mind; everyone knows that." Naruto sat down in front of him, arms crossed, looking at Shikamaru with an expression that suggested he wasn't easily fooled.

Shikamaru was helpless; trouble came out of nowhere while he was in the office.

"Why don't you go find Choji? Choji looks harmless, so no one will suspect anything if you go."

"Choji?" Naruto turned his head. "Choji isn't clever and can't lie. He'll give himself away after a few words. Besides, Choji is too close to me. If he goes there, things will basically be exposed."

Shikamaru: "."

"Wouldn't it have the same effect if I went?" He had a headache. Naruto was a stubborn person who wouldn't listen to reason. "Ino's parents could guess what was going on just by looking at him."

"That's different. You're so smart, you'll definitely find a legitimate reason," Naruto said without hesitation.

Shikamaru was even more speechless. His intelligence was universally acknowledged in the village. He had been praised countless times since childhood, and he was tired of hearing it, but this was the first time he had heard such praise.

"Alright, I'll think of something." Shikamaru couldn't refuse since Naruto had praised him so much.

"Okay, let's have lunch together." Naruto took a snack from Shikamaru's table. He didn't like smoking and was afraid that Ino would dislike him if his breath smelled of smoke.

"Okay." Although Shikamaru was reluctant to help Naruto do something against his conscience, it didn't affect their friendship. "Let's go with the same place we went before. It's cheap and close by."

"Ah! That's refreshing!" Shikamaru slammed his glass down, downed a mouthful of ice-cold beer, and immediately broke out in a fine layer of sweat. "Summer is almost over."

"Yeah, it'll get cold soon," Naruto chimed in. It's nice to have a few friends to chat with and relax.

These days, even the worst people have friends, let alone ordinary people. Naruto just wants to live an ordinary life and be with the person he loves.

"Asuma and Kurenai had a daughter named Mirai Sarutobi," Shikamaru said abruptly, lighting a cigarette and squinting at the distance.

"When did this happen?" Naruto asked, taken aback.

"It was quite a while ago. You weren't in the village then, so it's normal that you didn't know about this," Shikamaru said. "But Ino gave you a gift, so you could say that even though you weren't there, the gift was given."

Upon hearing this, Naruto fell silent for a moment.

"She didn't tell me."

"There are a lot of things Ino didn't tell you, and you didn't ask." Ino Shikamaru and exhaled a puff of smoke, then tapped the ash off his cigarette.

"Naruto, I won't say much now. I know you have your own thoughts, and what's between you and Ino is ultimately your private matter."

"I'm just an outsider, so there's no point in me saying anything more. After all, it's your life to live from now on, and whether it's good or bad is your own business."

Naruto remained silent, a sudden tightness in his chest.

"But I'm a married person after all, and I've seen some things. As Ino's friend, and also your friend, I feel I have to say a few words."

"Go on," Naruto nodded and put down his chopsticks.

Shikamaru stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette, tossed it casually on the table, and said with narrowed eyes.

"I know your heart isn't in the village, and the village has indeed decayed over the years, and it may not necessarily get better in the future. Your ambitions lie elsewhere, but would Ino think that way?"

"You said the Ino-Shika-Cho are of the same kind, Yamanaka Clan will always be rooted in Konohagakure. No woman in the world wants to be separated from her beloved, so they will stick together as much as possible and treat you with the utmost kindness."

"Before Lord Tsunade returned to the village, everything went wrong for the villagers. They blamed their misfortunes on you, cursed and resented you, and Ino overheard it."

"Do you know what she did? She almost killed someone during the argument. You know that ninjas can't lay a hand on civilians in their own village. Once blood is spilled, it becomes a real problem."

"I won't speak carelessly. If you like Hinata, then Hinata is naturally wonderful. But as your mutual friend, I naturally have my own selfish motives. I just want you to know what Ino did for you."

"Those things, both visible and invisible, that Ino did for you in a silly way. Ino may not care, but you have to know."

"If you have other plans or better solutions after you find out, I have nothing to say. I just hope you won't let her down."

"You are a capable person. Whether it's Hinata or Ino, they still like you. They have good taste; it's their own choice."

"I've finished speaking." Shikamaru poured himself a glass of wine, having said everything he had wanted to say for a long time, and felt a surge of satisfaction.

"I understand." Naruto smiled, filled his glass, and the two clinked glasses. "Ino is really great, I know that."

Hearing this, Shikamaru didn't say anything more. They would make their own decisions. He had said this much, and that was enough for Ino, as well as for Naruto.

In the afternoon, Shikamaru canceled his work and went to the Yamanaka Clan camp.

At this moment, I am far away in a foreign land.

Jiraiya, summoned, abruptly looked up at the sky. The once clear sky became overcast, and soon lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a torrential downpour began.

He fled in a panic, like a drowned dog, and finally managed to squeeze into a tavern. Dragging his wet body, he went inside, asked for a private room, and also asked someone to bring him a clean change of clothes.

After he changed his clothes and handed his wet clothes to a servant to be washed and dried, Jiraiya and his expression became serious.

Jiraiya clasped his hands together, made a simple hand seal, and pressed them to the ground with a thud. A sealing Cursed Seal appeared, followed by a large amount of white smoke.

A slender figure appeared, Scroll Toad made its dazzling debut.

"Little Jiraiya, it's been a long time."

"Gamatora, why is the Old Master Toad in such a hurry to see me? Is something wrong?" Jiraiya poured himself a cup of wine, took a sip, and asked.

"Yes, it seems to be about the Child of Prophecy," Gamatora said truthfully.