Ino is a Little Rich Woman

The Land of Rain, the High Tower.

Konan lay dying in front of the floor-to-ceiling window on the edge of the High Tower. The sky was covered with dark clouds like fish scales, and lightning flashed and thunder roared as if the sky were about to collapse.

She was exhausted. After leaving Konohagakure, she had already anticipated that she might die. Obito would never give up searching for the Rinnegan, and she could only escape once.

Naruto refused to accept the Rinnegan, thus cutting off her path to survival.

Fortunately, Konan used all her strength to escape with her life, albeit injured. When she returned to Amegakure, she was barely breathing and on the verge of death.

Her gaze fell upon the village where she had lived for decades, her eyes filled with weariness. The endless war had left the village scarred and broken, and loved ones had perished.

Ironically, whether it was Yahiko's death and the Akatsuki Organization's plans falling through, or Nagato inheriting the Akatsuki Organization's legacy and creating a new Akatsuki Organization, things didn't work out.

Nothing compares to the period of peace and tranquility that Amegakure enjoyed after Jiraiya and Naruto defeated Pain. I wonder if Nagato shared the same thoughts as me on his deathbed.

So many years of hatred have ultimately blinded him to the bigger picture, and have gone against Yahiko's original intentions.

"Cough cough!!" Her chest heaved violently as she spat out a mouthful of thick blood, her eyes dimming considerably.

It's too late to say anything now. The Rinnegan has been stolen, and she's dying. Even though she still has many things left undone and regrets in her heart.

Nagato's dying wish remained unfulfilled, nor Yahiko's, but it was all too late. Konan opened and closed her eyes several times, feeling her own breath growing weaker and weaker.

It seems like there's no chance anymore.

Meanwhile, Naruto was still drinking tea in the living room. Uzuki Yugao put down her teacup and frowned as she looked at him. She couldn't understand why he was grinning like that.

Did you find some money?

"What?" Naruto looked up.

"I don't know why, but I always feel like your smile is never a good thing," Uzuki Yugao said quietly.

"Really?" Naruto touched his face, looking puzzled, and asked her, "Shouldn't my smile be sunny and cheerful?"

Uzuki Yugao: "."

Faced with Naruto's outrageous statement, she was momentarily speechless. Did this guy have no self-awareness at all? What he did had absolutely nothing to do with being cheerful and optimistic?

"Silence means consent." He stood up and smiled, looking somewhat cunning.

After leaving home, he didn't head straight for Amegakure. Before that, he needed to make some preparations; the wind was already blowing. He needed to secure his rear to prevent a fire.

The Rinnegan falling into Obito's hands had enormous consequences, even triggering the end of the world. Naruto knew this from the beginning, but he didn't interfere.

He's not Spider-Man, and he doesn't play the "with great power comes great responsibility" card. Can he possibly kill Obito, Black Zetsu, Otsutsuki? One person's power is too limited; they can only protect those in front of them.

Yamanaka Flower Shop.

Ino sat listlessly in the shop, her gaze constantly drifting towards the Great Green Tree. With the Communications Project completed, the Intelligence Department wasn't particularly busy.

Where do people go all Tenten?

She completely forgot that Naruto had just gone on a date with her not long ago. And Naruto had also intentionally or unintentionally revealed yesterday's gathering of Shikamaru, Choji, and the other two to Ino.

The irregular updates on her itinerary were very helpful to Ino.

The communicator on the table rang. Ino glanced at it, quickly reached out her hand, but then stopped. She didn't want to answer so soon, as if she didn't care about what happened last time.

She actually cared a lot, but she didn't want to actually avoid seeing him. They didn't have many opportunities to meet normally, so this period was a concentrated and frequent time together.

The birthday had passed a few days ago, and the two of them had been playing around everywhere. If Ino hadn't had to work, perhaps they could have continued playing like that forever, but unfortunately, happy times are always short-lived.

After September comes October, and we won't be able to see each other again at the end of the year, so I won't be angry with him anymore.

After a while, Ino answered the phone, her voice sounding somewhat aggrieved.

Where are you?

"I'm worried about you," Naruto's smug voice came through the communicator. "I'm maintaining world peace in Amegakure, so I'm just telling you it's hot, don't get heatstroke."

"Pshaw! I'm in the store, how could I possibly get heatstroke!"

"And you lied to me again." Ino pouted, swinging her legs under the table. "Why did you go out again? Is the mission location so far away?"

"It's fake. I'm right downstairs at your place. Come out and take a look." Naruto's voice rang out. "Can you see me? I'm behind that Great Green Tree. Come down quickly."

"You!!!" Ino was both angry and amused.

She went downstairs, looked around, and for some reason felt a little guilty. But then she shook her head; the one who should feel guilty was that guy.

Ino wore a thin white cropped t-shirt, a denim mini skirt, and sandals. Her movements were light and agile, like an elf.

"Here!" He waved his hand.

"Hmph." Ino clearly still a little angry and walked over reluctantly.

"Don't be angry, I brought you lemon tea." Naruto grinned and went over, handing over a bottle of lemon tea. "I bought it especially for you."

The lemon tea was covered in steam, and ice was visible to the naked eye.

He had indeed bought this specifically for her; Ino didn't really like drinking beverages and usually preferred warm milk. It wouldn't be reasonable for him to bring a bottle of ice-cold milk.

"Hmm?" Ino narrowed her eyes as she looked at the iced lemon tea, then looked up at Naruto, her brows furrowed as she huffed and puffed.

"You're just trying to annoy me! Here it is, I can't drink anything cold!"

"Just kidding, this is mine." Naruto smoothly unscrewed the cap, took a refreshing sip, and casually pulled out a bottle of warm milk. "This is the one I bought for you."

"Hmph, don't give me that!" Ino glanced at him smugly. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Hehehe, I'll make you mad!"

"Hiss! You noticed that too." Naruto looked surprised.

"Of course!" Ino raised her chin, a smile on her face, having completely forgotten the meaning of being reserved.

"Impressive, impressive," he praised.

"Stay away from me, you pervert!" she said disdainfully, shoving Naruto away with just a little force.

"Hehe, that won't do." Naruto shamelessly moved closer.

Ino pursed her lips, but didn't continue the topic, her smile remaining unchanged. She turned and locked the Yamanaka Flower Shop, then walked back.

"Let's go, I saw an outfit I liked a few days ago, come with me to try it on."

"Sure, it would look great on you."

"Tch, what a hypocrite!"

"No, I know your figure very well, absolutely."

"Go to hell!" Ino, embarrassed and annoyed, and skillfully twisted his waist. "Don't say weird things in a place like this, or I'll beat you to death!"

"I couldn't help it, I couldn't help it," Naruto said with an embarrassed smile.

Ino isn't the kind of person who likes to make others guess her thoughts. She can't understand why some people would beat around the bush and make their boyfriends guess, and then get angry if they can't guess correctly.

If she wants something or wants to go somewhere, she will just say so.

The two ate and strolled along the way, and there were few people on the streets even though it was broad daylight. As Naruto talked, he naturally took Ino's hand, not caring if anyone saw them.

Ever since that incident, Naruto has adopted a completely reclusive mindset. Aside from avoiding the Yamanaka couple and Hyuga Hiashi, he's fearless.

Run into an acquaintance? Anyway, what needs to be known already is known, and what doesn't, will never be known. A cough can't be hidden, and things can't be concealed.

Since that's the case, instead of being anxious and fearful, acting like you have something to hide, it's better to just give up. A pot needs a lid that fits its size; if it doesn't work, don't bother with all this fancy stuff.

That's just how it is; if you have something to hide, the things you don't want to happen will happen to you. If you're open and honest, nothing unexpected will happen.

It's all about the thrill, it's all about the probability.

He had already figured it out, and held Ino's hand the whole way, a smile on her face the entire time. Naruto didn't hide anything either, patiently accompanying Ino on a long walk.

Is it pretty?

"It looks great." Naruto nodded without hesitation and added a few more words of praise.

"Then I'll take this one!" Ino said to Naruto.

The clothes were a bit pricey, costing 10,000 ryo, but the quality was top-notch even among clothing stores in Konohagakure. Even though Naruto didn't have much money, he paid without hesitation.

For him, money was merely a necessity for survival. If he really wanted to make money, he had plenty of channels to acquire a large sum.

While paying, Ino looked at Naruto and said something.

"I found that Hinata has a necklace that looks just like mine. I asked her about it, and she said it was a gift from you. So I don't want to wear that necklace anymore. Since you gave me this outfit, I won't bring up that matter again."

Upon hearing this, Naruto broke out in a cold sweat. His hands almost trembled as he paid, but thankfully his mental fortitude allowed him to remain composed.

His memory was too hazy; he couldn't recall giving away a similar necklace. To avoid backfiring, he specifically gave one necklace and one bracelet.

But later, things got busier, and I sent out too many gifts. Maybe one time I got carried away and sent the wrong one. Their return gifts were always different, unlike Naruto sent gifts in bulk.

After paying, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly felt for the first time how precious money was.

While there's a saying that a bag can cure all ills, and if it doesn't work, you can just get another one, for a princess like Ino, some problems can't be solved with money.

This time, it was entirely because Ino was in a good mood and forgave him.

"Maybe... we should buy a few more. There are still a few sets over there." Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He felt a little guilty and thought that he should buy a few more sets, otherwise he wouldn't feel at ease.

"No," Ino refused outright.

Afterwards, she took Naruto on a shopping spree, buying not much for herself but mostly for Naruto. She probably knew Naruto had a spatial artifact, as she bought him seven or eight sets of clothes.

She picked up the shoes she liked immediately, and bought two or three sets of hats and scarves, seemingly intending to buy all the clothes she would need for the next few years.

It was only then that Naruto realized the little rich girl's astonishing wealth; she swiped her card repeatedly without batting an eye. In less than an hour, she had spent 600,000 taels of silver.

This was just the cost of clothes and shoes; as Naruto walked around, he started to feel a little guilty. Ino was being too good to him, and he felt a bit ashamed.

"Why did you buy so much?" he asked.

"I like it, so what?" Ino was still holding the can of milk in her hand, which she had been drinking the whole way without finishing it. She turned her head to look at him and said very seriously.

"I've bought you clothes and shoes, so she can't deliver them."

"Okay, fine."

This reason is indeed impeccable. Hinata could only think of gifts that were personal and half of them were handmade. Now she's bought a whole bunch of clothes, shoes, bags, and even scarves and insoles.

Everything will be expensive and high-quality, and Ino will most likely force him to wear different clothes every day. In that case, Hinata will naturally see them, and won't be able to give him gifts in that way.

With Hinata's limited intelligence, she'll probably be struggling to choose a gift for a long time to come.

"But... I bought too many," he said softly. Even someone as shameless as him felt embarrassed receiving so many gifts.

"Not many, just right." She said, counting on her fingers, "Those few outfits can be worn on sunny days, and the other few dark-colored ones can be worn in the rain. I haven't bought winter clothes yet."

"Huh? We still need to buy more? Isn't that a bit too expensive?" Naruto was starting to have second thoughts. "Just these few outfits, tens of thousands of dollars a set, isn't that a bit much?"

"It's not expensive, the quality is good, and most importantly, it looks good." Ino pulled his arm and walked forward. "Besides, I'm buying it for you because I want to."

"Mind your own business!"

Hearing this, Naruto felt embarrassed. Okay, then he'd just have to accept it. Anyway, she's one of them, so he could just cover it up internally and pick out a nice gift for her later.

The two walked along the road. At first, Naruto's hand was on Ino's waist, and they whispered to each other as they walked. As they talked, his hand began to move downwards.

Just as he was about to use the Hunyuan Method, Ino's communicator suddenly rang. Ino took it out of her bag, glanced at it, then looked at Naruto, a helpless expression on her face.

"It's my mother."

She had originally planned to continue shopping with Naruto, but having probably guessed something, she answered the phone dejectedly.

"Moshi moshi".

"Go home." Yamanaka Rino's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

She suddenly realized that her mother might be watching from not far away, and her body stiffened, but she didn't dare to look around. She just pursed her lips and responded.

"Good."

After hanging up the phone, Ino's face turned pale.

"What's wrong?"

"My mother saw us, and she told me to go home now." Her voice trembled slightly, as if she was about to cry, and she looked at Naruto with tears in her eyes.

"It's alright, let's go back first." Naruto completely disregarded the fact that Yamanaka Rino was still watching from somewhere, and pulled Ino into his arms, patting her back and gently comforting her.

"I will explain the situation to your aunt. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"No! Don't go!" Ino was already somewhat flustered.