Ino

Kazahana Koyuki suddenly felt very lucky. Naruto had finally returned, and he hadn't forgotten the Land of Snow, which was thousands of miles away, nor had he forgotten her.

Even though they were thousands of miles apart, they still managed to communicate. A large part of the Land of Snow was his life's work, and Naruto couldn't possibly stand idly by if anything happened Land of Snow it.

Thinking of this, she immediately felt more confident and stood up with great poise.

"It's alright, go see them and see what they have to say."

"Your Majesty," the minister said with a worried expression, "But the people from the Land of Grass clearly have ill intentions, and there is no need to pay them any attention."

"Since we're already here, even if we ignore them, do you think those people will let it go?" Kazahana Koyuki said. "Don't worry, the Land of Snow is no longer the bitterly cold place it used to be."

"That's precisely why we've attracted the attention of others." The minister sighed. "The Land of Grass has always been treacherous and bullies the weak. We should have known they would set their sights on the Land of Snow."

"I just didn't expect it to come so quickly, and at this particular time. This year's fiscal allocation has been mostly used for people's livelihood, and not for strengthening military forces."

"Yes, I know that." Kazahana Koyuki nodded.

Although Naruto left a large sum of money to invest in the Land of Snow, now that six years have passed, some trade-offs must be made if the pace of development is to be accelerated.

After much discussion with higher-ups, Kazahana Koyuki decided to take a gamble and divert the funds originally earmarked for military purposes to funds intended for economic development.

The Land of Snow is located in the far north, and before the underfloor heating system was implemented, it was already a notoriously cold place in the Shinobi World. Thinking that most people probably wouldn't covet the Land of Snow, they decided to take a shortcut to overtake them.

The minister stated that the current military strength of the Land of Snow is insignificant compared to that of the Land of Grass.

"Let's go." She didn't say anything more, her expression solemn.

Inside the main hall.

The Jonin from the Land of Grass Jonin glances, their eyes filled with mockery. This Land of Snow was truly a treasure trove; how come they'd never noticed before?

After the ice and snow melted, the once harsh and cold land became a prosperous land.

The transformation from a small, impoverished village to Capital City with surrounding towns has undoubtedly brought them immense joy.

Unfortunately, this place seemed to have extremely weak military forces; since they entered the Land of Snow, they had hardly seen any ninjas. Even the palace guards were ordinary people, offering no deterrent power whatsoever.

"I heard that the queen of the Land of Snow is a woman. I wonder what she looks like?" One of the ninjas Takigami, stroked his chin, a knowing smile on his face.

"Be careful. The situation is still unclear. The Land of Snow couldn't have suddenly become like this for no reason," another person Kusari, said cautiously, adjusting his glasses.

"That's not important, as long as it has nothing to do with the Five Great Nations." The third ninja, the big guy Sekimoku, grinned, his smile looking somewhat ferocious.

"We've come all this way, and it's taken us a lot of time. How could the Five Great Nations possibly care about the Land of Snow?" Takigami laughed.

"Moreover, all the actions of the Five Great Nations are being closely watched by the other four powers. If they make any substantial efforts to win over the Land of Snow, the other four powers will definitely notice. But so far, there seems to be no news."

"Hey, don't overthink it," Takigami patted Kusari on the Jonin. "All of us combined wouldn't be a match for any one of us."

"Besides, even if something unexpected happens, as long as we get the news back to the village, this Land of Snow will be ours to control."

Upon hearing this, the bespectacled ninja Jonin Kusari somewhat relieved.

He knew very well what kind of people the Kusagakure was like; as long as the benefits of occupying the Land of Snow outweighed the investment, the villagers would swarm over like locusts.

Before long, a commotion came from behind the palace, and Kazahana Koyuki came out with her guards.

After emerging from the main hall, she calmly surveyed the surroundings, her gaze sweeping over the three people in the hall. Her expression remained unchanged, solemn and serious.

Among the three from the Land of Grass, the most arrogant one, Takigami, smiled and stepped forward.

"Queen Majesty, we are Jonin the Land of Grass. We are passing through your country and wish to discuss matters related to cooperation with Queen nation."

"Passing by? Our place is a bit remote, how could your esteemed envoy be passing by?" Kazahana Koyuki knew that the other party's purpose was not pure, so she didn't bother with feigned politeness.

"Heh, your land has transformed from a land of ice and snow into a prosperous place overnight, so it's hard to ignore the Land of Snow," Takigami said with a forced smile.

"What kind of cooperation?" she asked calmly, looking down at the group.

"The development of small countries is always difficult. If we reach a cooperation agreement, our Land of Grass will inject funds to help the Land of Snow develop in all aspects, including its economy and military."

"So, what's the price?"

"The price is 70% ownership of the Land of Snow. Of course, that's negotiable. As for the amount..." Takigami flashed a smile, revealing a set of white teeth, thinking it was elegant.

"Then it depends on Her Queen's sincerity."

When Takigami used the word "sincerity," his gaze remained boldly fixed on Kazahana Koyuki. This made Kusanagi, a bespectacled Kusari Jonin Land of Grass, feel a flutter in his heart and a strange sense of unease.

He looked around; the Land of Snow palace had only a few guards, and his panicked heart gradually calmed down. There weren't many ninjas in this place, and its military strength was weak.

Yes, what's there to panic about? Even if the Land of Snow is incredibly lucky, this is still a world where the strong rule, and nothing is beyond the power of force.

If your fists aren't strong, nothing you say will matter. No matter how angry the Queen of the Land of Snow is, she can't possibly offend the Land of Grass, which is far stronger than them.

As expected, upon hearing this, Kazahana Koyuki was not angry at all, but rather very happy.

"The Land of Snow will naturally offer its due sincerity, but this matter is of great importance, and the Land of Snow not belong to me alone."

"Could you please give me some time so I can give you an answer tomorrow?"

The three exchanged a glance, a sense of relief in their eyes. Asking for only one day to consider the matter was reasonable; after all, it would only take a day, no matter how long it dragged on.

Moreover, they figured that the people from the Land of Snow wouldn't dare to play tricks on the three Jonin. If pushed too far, they could directly destroy the Land of Snow.

After wreaking havoc, they'll send reinforcements from Kusagakure to attack the Land of Snow. This place is no longer the harsh, cold land it once was; without the constraints of the environment, conquering the Land of Snow won't be difficult.

Therefore, they did not object and readily agreed to the request.

After the three from the Land of Grass left, the smile on Kazahana Koyuki's face slowly faded. She rubbed her cheeks, which had become stiff from smiling, and her gaze gradually darkened.

Trying to seize the fruits of the Land of Snow's six years of hard work empty-handed, without even specifying how much investment to offer, is tantamount to outright robbery. What's worse, that person actually dared to set their sights on us.

Your Highness, your subject emerged from the shadows, his brow furrowed, and bowed to Kazahana Koyuki.

"Your Queen, those people..."

"It's alright, Lady Yukitake, please go back and rest. There's no need for you to worry about this, Elder." Kazahana Koyuki waved her hand and said, "Someone will come to take care of this before dark."

Upon hearing this, Finance Minister Yukitake raised his head, a hint of surprise appearing in his aged eyes. He probably guessed what was going on, and opened his mouth but remained silent.

"Yes." He slowly withdrew.

Konohagakure, noon.

"Come down." Naruto stood under the Great Green Tree and waved softly towards the second floor of the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Ino was standing there with a gloating look on her face.

Ever since that incident, he knew he wasn't liked by the Yamanaka couple. So he avoided them at all costs, and even when he met Ino for meals, it was like a rendezvous.

Summer has passed, and the sun in the sky is not as scorching as before.

From the Yamanaka Flower Shop came the sound of footsteps going downstairs, and the light, clear voice of a young girl.

"Mom! I'm going out!"

Aren't you going to eat lunch?

"I'm not eating, let's eat out!" Ino chuckled, and without saying how she was going to eat, she went straight out the door. There was no need for explanation; the Intelligence Department was well-funded and often had group meals.

"Alright, alright, slow down, don't run!" Mrs. Yamanaka's helpless voice rang out.

"Okay!"

The footsteps grew closer, then vanished abruptly. Naruto, who was hiding behind the Great Green Tree, was taken aback when he realized the sound had stopped.

Just as he was about to turn around, a dark shadow suddenly enveloped him.

"What are you looking for?" Ino's voice was as sweet as honey.

He looked up and saw Ino standing on a treetop, squinting at him. The next second, she fell straight towards him. Naruto cried out and hurriedly reached out to catch her.

He pulled her into his arms, and the two embraced in a princess carry. Ino casually wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled for a while. Almost in unison, one lowered her head, and the other pulled her up, and the two shared a wet kiss.

After a while, Ino suddenly pushed him away, pretending to be angry.

"Why are you afraid to go into the store?"

"I'm a rather introverted person, and I can't stand meeting people," Naruto said with a grin. "Meeting people makes my brain overload, and I don't know what to say to your aunt."

"Hmph, what can you say? What else could you say?" Ino turned her head away from him, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Why don't you ever get brain overloaded in front of Hinata?"

"I know exactly how you lied to her!"

"She told you everything?" Naruto was surprised. Damn, are these two that close?

"You actually lied to her!" Ino pinched the soft flesh of his waist, looking angry. "I was just testing you!"

"No, no, I was just making it up," he said sheepishly.

"Never mind, never mind, let's go eat first, I'm starving!" Ino let go of him, clapped her hands, and walked outside. "What are we eating today?"

"Choji told me that there's a newly opened shop on Konohagakure Street, I think it's called..." He looked thoughtful.

"Choji? You actually preferred to go out to eat with Choji instead of inviting me!"

"No, he insisted on dragging me along." Naruto started spouting lies. Since it was Choji anyway, he just made up some stories, "Like he got scolded, his sperm quality dropped, and he was in a bad mood or something."

"Pah!" Ino blushed for a moment, then spat at him. "You're talking nonsense Choji say such a thing? If you say that again, I'm not going out with you anymore!"

"Hehe." He laughed; changing the subject was a tried-and-true method.

"Let's go!" Ino pulled Naruto towards Konohagakure Street.

The Nikko shone brightly, making the two of them shimmer like glass. Naruto looked at the simply tied golden ponytail in front of him, his expression returning to normal.

He knew very well that Ino had never accepted Hinata, nor could she ever accept Hinata. Perhaps, given the significant difference in their social standing, they could be compatible.

For example, if Naruto became a figure like Hashirama Senju or the Sage of Six Paths, at least in the eyes of others, it would be normal for a powerful person who transcends heaven and earth to have multiple wives and concubines.

But he obviously wouldn't become that kind of person. Besides, Ino and Hinata grew up together with him since childhood, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were childhood friends.

Given this relationship, he couldn't force them to accept being together. He could only try his best to mediate and ultimately let things take their course.

He couldn't lose Ino, nor could he abandon Hinata; either of the two women was extremely important to him. So he maneuvered and deceived, maintaining the status quo.

Although they're a bit of a jerk, the three of them are still young, only eighteen years old. They have plenty of time to waste and don't need to rush for an answer.

Their lives weren't just about love; they were also ninjas with their own pursuits and dreams. Ino didn't live for Naruto; she had a long life ahead of her and plenty of time to find the answers.

The melodramatic plots found in romance dramas rarely happen to them, because ninjas are not ordinary people; they know exactly what they want.

They are very patient in order to get what they want, and can even spend long years alone. Kakashi, for example, has no intention of getting married.

After finishing their meal, the two cuddled together for a while, enjoying the cool afternoon breeze. After some playful banter, they eventually parted ways because Ino had work to do in the afternoon.

On his way home, Naruto received a message from the Land of Snow. But calling it a message was really just a very faint red light.

This is a simple gadget that Naruto figured out himself, based on the cross-border Chakra Communicator Ino gave him. Simply put, the other side presses a button, and Naruto's light turns on.

Originally, this was just a rather useless invention, since it couldn't transmit any specific messages.

But after he obtained the Gate of Hades, this amazing invention, just like the Anywhere Door, became even more useful. For example, right now, Naruto didn't hesitate and directly opened the Gate of Hades and passed through.

Coordinates: The Land of Snow.

In mid-air, Naruto took a step and landed in a town in the Land of Snow. The Capital City was a few dozen miles away, not far, but the coordinates were somewhat remote.

There's nothing we can do about it; the Land of Snow's location is too remote, and choosing the right coordinates wasn't easy. Some minor deviations are to be expected.

After some time, Naruto arrived at the Capital City of the Land of Snow. Just as he entered the palace, the sun began to set, and the blood-red sunset dyed the magnificent palace red.