Ino's Pregnancy

At that time, wars frequently broke out in the Shinobi World.

The Land of Fire is even busier, sometimes fighting against three countries simultaneously. The former overlord of the Shinobi World is finding it increasingly difficult to cope with each war.

Ultimately, the village's dominance stemmed from the leadership established by Hashirama Senju. However, with the passing away of talents like Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, the village began its decline.

In fact, Konohagakure's decline was inevitable. Even though the Third Hokage worked diligently and personally handled everything, he could only slow down Konohagakure's decline, but he could not change the overall situation of Konohagakure's decay.

Unless a figure similar to Hashirama Senju emerges again, it's unlikely that the Land of Fire will regain its dominant position. Clearly, there won't be another Hashirama Senju.

The Third Hokage did his best, but others didn't see it that way.

Among the Twelve Guardian Ninja, a group of extreme individuals, led by Kazuma, believed that the Hokage was trash. They couldn't accept the decline in the Land of Fire's status and felt that it was all the Hokage's fault.

The Konoha Village should belong to the Daimyo, not to a cowardly Hokage. The Land of Fire, under the Daimyo's leadership, should conquer the entire Shinobi World.

This feels strangely familiar, but unfortunately, the Daimyo is also a useless nobody. These people are just a bunch of extreme amusement-seekers. What a joke! Are nobles who throw silver parties more powerful than the Hokage?

The ninja village and its violent institutions are all under someone else's control, yet they dare to utter such words; they truly don't know the difference between superior and inferior. Therefore, these people were killed.

Asuma mentioned a couple of details, Naruto listened with a slight frown until Asuma stopped talking, at which point he looked up.

"Is that all?"

"That's about it. Why are you asking so many questions?"

"Ahem, I'm a little short on cash lately," Naruto said sheepishly.

Asuma: "??? Huh? What's the connection between these two things? You're not planning to threaten the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, are you?"

Knowing Naruto as he does, it's not impossible. That guy is reckless and doesn't even respect the Hokage, let alone the Daimyo.

"How could that be! No way!" Naruto quickly waved his hands. "I'm just short of money, not stupid. Why would I threaten the Daimyo?"

Upon hearing this, Asuma was finally relieved.

"I'm just afraid you'll do something reckless. The Daimyo has a very high status in the Land of Fire. You should avoid contact with those nobles. They are arrogant and look down on ninjas."

"I know." Naruto nodded.

"When are you free? Mirai Sarutobi for the First Meal Ceremony, so why don't you come and join the fun?" Asuma lit a cigarette and asked casually.

Asuma's daughter has unknowingly reached her 100th day. According to Konohagakure tradition, it's not called a 100-day celebration but rather a "First Meal Ceremony." On that day, a lavish meal is prepared for the baby, and she is fed.

Those invited must be close friends and family, which surprised Naruto somewhat; he hadn't expected Asuma to invite him. He was deeply moved and then asked...

"Teacher Asuma, you didn't invite Ino and Hinata at the same time, are you trying to set me up?"

"You little rascal!" Asuma laughed. "What kind of unreliable things are you thinking about all day long? How could I possibly set you up? I just want to invite you over for a meal."

"Ino and Hinata are both on assignments these days, so they won't run into each other. You know all the people coming: Kakashi, Anko, Guy, and Ebisu."

Upon hearing this, Naruto finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I'll definitely come when the time is specified."

"Three days from now." Asuma took a drag of his cigarette, his eyes sweeping over Naruto. His First Meal Ceremony was also to pave the way for his daughter's future, to make it easier for her to get to know a few uncles and elders.

"Okay, I understand," Naruto replied.

The two chatted for a while longer before parting ways.

Naruto received the news from Asuma and instead of heading directly to the Land of Fire, he passed by Yamanaka Flower Shop. It was midday, and the late autumn sun was neither too hot nor too cold.

The curtain was half-drawn on the inside of the glass door, and Ino was sitting there reading a book. Her golden, fluffy ponytail looked especially cute in the sunlight. Seeing that no one was around, he pushed the door open and went in.

Jingle!

"Welcome, sir." Ino didn't even look up, only realizing it was him when she stood up.

"Why are you here? Haven't you been busy lately?" Ino put away her book and casually placed it on the desk. Naruto glanced at it and realized it was a serious book.

He knows a bit about Make-Out Paradise, but serious books are out of the question; they're too profound and not suitable for a cultured person like him.

"I have some free time now, but I have to go soon anyway." Naruto sat down at the counter casually, picked up her teacup and took a sip.

Ino also enjoys drinking tea, just like her father. The difference is that her father-in-law prefers strong tea, while Ino prefers fragrant teas like jasmine tea.

What books are you reading?

"Just browsing, miscellaneous books," Ino replied.

"I also enjoy reading."

"Really?" Ino asked in surprise. "I've never seen you read a book before. There weren't any books on your desk back in school, and you often stole Choji's and Kiba's books."

"Well, I don't need it. Besides, I'd feel sleepy if I read it." Naruto scratched his head, thinking to himself that the original owner of this body was really realistic, sharing books with others without bringing his own.

"Tch, what kind of books do you like to read? I'll get you a few another day," she asked, rolling her eyes at him.

"I mean, the kind of book that explores the specific steps to implement human diversification that are conducive to population prosperity. You probably don't have any of those. Choji has quite a few of them at home."

"What nonsense is this?" Ino suddenly realized halfway through her sentence, "Hey! Are you trying to get yourself killed, you bastard!"

Ino patted him lightly, then angrily hit him a few more times.

"If you want to see me, hurry up, I have to go outside the village tomorrow, the second phase of the task has been assigned."

"Why didn't you tell me a couple of days ago?" Naruto pretended to be stunned, acting as if he was slow to realize what was going on, but in reality, he had already learned the news from Asuma.

"I only found out yesterday. Choji and Shikamaru are going too." Ino said to herself, stretching out her hand to look at her nails, her fair arm fluttering like a butterfly dancing.

He thought to himself, "No wonder. Since Team 10 is on a mission, there's no way Ino and Hinata could meet. It's probably the higher-ups' idea to take the communications project more seriously."

"Are they paying more attention to communications now?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Yeah, I don't know what got into them, but they suddenly allocated funds to the Intelligence Department," Ino said lazily, leaning her head against Naruto.

"That's a good thing. It might be related to Kakashi-sensei. After all, a group of high-ranking officials from the Land of Fire were arrested for colluding in transactions recently."

"Then they certainly deserve it. Nobles' money isn't so easy to take. Once they've taken the benefits and money, they have to work for them." Ino said with a smile.

"Selling my life? That's just begging!" he muttered to himself. "I can't do that; I have to rob."

"What are you humming and hawing about?" Ino turned over and asked.

"I said Choji hid his allowance in a hidden compartment in the bookshelf," Naruto changed the subject.

"Oh, really?" Ino suddenly laughed. "No wonder his wife complained to me last Choji was hiding pocket money and would sneak out to eat even though she didn't want him to eat so much."

"What's wrong with eating more? Isn't Choji's family's secret technique all about that physique?"

"How can you eat like that? Don't you know that too much of a good thing is bad?" Ino pointed at him with her finger. "Chōza Akimichi didn't get that fat either. Besides, his family only looks fat. Actually, most of their fat is muscle."

"If you eat too much, you need to increase your training volume and get back to your pre-eating weight. Choji eats too much and doesn't train, he'll get too fat and his health will suffer in the long run."

"I see." Naruto looked enlightened, but his hands started to wander again.

"Hey! Are you crazy? It's still daytime!" Ino pushed him. "You should be leaving soon. My mother should be back soon."

"Okay." Naruto reluctantly got up.

"I'll be over in a few days, and I'll come find you then!" Ino, perhaps feeling sorry for Naruto, stood up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Some things are addictive once you've tasted them. Ino didn't say she was addicted, but she would crave them every now and then. It was similar to eating and drinking, only the cycle was longer.

The only downside is that Ino doesn't like having the lights on. Naruto originally thought that Ino's lively personality would make her more receptive to new ideas, but he was clearly mistaken.

"All right."

Not long after Naruto left the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Yamanaka Rino arrived home. She glanced around and saw her daughter reading a book in the armchair by the counter, but didn't suspect anything.

She put down her bag, slightly lifted the jade bracelet, and poured herself a cup of tea.

"Ino, it's Asuma's daughter's First Meal Ceremony in three days. Your father and I are both busy. Are you free then? If you are, please go."

"No, Mother, I have a mission." Ino's eyes were still on the pages of the book. "Teacher Asuma also said that if we're busy, there's no need for us to go. We can get together next time."

"How can you just say you don't want to go?" Yamanaka Rino frowned. "Fine, I'll go."

"Okay." Ino turned a page, not giving it a second thought. "Mother, what are we having for dinner today?"

"A few vegetarian dishes. Didn't you say the meat has been a bit greasy lately?" Yamanaka Rino put down her teacup. "Are you sick? You used to love eating it."

"I don't know, maybe I'm just tired of it." Ino yawned. "Maybe I've been idle for too long. I haven't had anything to do lately, so I don't really want to move around."

Upon hearing this, Yamanaka Rino, Ino was putting on her apron, turned around and glanced at Ino, her hands still deftly tying the straps.

"Why don't you hurry up and check if you've gained weight? Maybe you've gained another two pounds."

"Ah! No way!" Ino said, but her body jumped up. She kept muttering that she wouldn't get fat, and nervously walked towards the scale.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

"Really!! I've gained weight!"

Hearing her daughter's desperate screams, Yamanaka Rino smiled.

"If you've gained weight, just move around more. You haven't been eating much lately, so how could you have gained weight?"

"I don't know, I've been too idle lately and haven't had much of an appetite." Ino was still staring listlessly at the scale. "How come I gain weight even from drinking water!"

Hearing this, Yamanaka Rino didn't take her daughter's complaints to heart. She stood in front of the mirror, tidied her hair, and then leisurely went upstairs.

After dinner, Ino sat by the window, watching the sky grow increasingly dark, and for some reason suddenly felt a sense of gloom. She couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, she just felt stifled.

I was in a good mood today, but when I watched the sky slowly darken, I felt like crying. I don't know why, I just felt unhappy.

Emotions are like a gust of wind, coming and going quickly. Even she herself couldn't fathom those emotions, and after a while, she inevitably felt incredibly frustrated.

Before me lay a dark blue twilight, the horizon and sky blurred together. Outside the window, a bustling noise filled the air, and the aroma of barbecue wafted from the street.

"Ugh!!" Ino felt nauseous for no reason and clutched her chest, dry heaving on the windowsill.

With a snap, she closed the window while gagging and ran up to the bathroom on the second floor. She gaggled in front of the mirror for a while.

Attracted by the noise, Yamanaka Rino walked to the door, knocked, and asked with concern.

"Ino, what's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing, I just smelled oil at the window and felt a little nauseous." Ino gagged for a while until tears came to her eyes, then washed her face.

Under the bright lights, Yamanaka Rino watched her daughter emerge, her eyes glistening with tears, and her brows furrowed immediately. Her eyes betrayed her worry as she looked Ino up and down.

Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly noticed that Ino's eyebrows seemed to have matured, unlike the innocent girl with her features squeezed together in her memory.

A hint of gentleness seemed to have softened her lively brows, making her appear mature and tender under the light. Just like... just like when she was a mother, making her heart skip a beat.

No way.

When she came to her senses, Ino sat cross-legged on the sofa to watch TV, and casually picked up an apple and took a bite.

"Hey, I haven't washed it yet!"

"I've already eaten it!" Ino took another bite and snorted.

"You're such a grown-up, yet you act like a child," Yamanaka Rino complained, her worries dissipating as a result.

You're probably overthinking it; the Tenten either.

"So what? I'm still a kid!" Ino, wearing bunny pajamas, said casually while intently watching the TV.

"I'm going back to my room now. Your father is back. Remember to come downstairs and open the door."

"Okay, okay."

"Really."

Hearing the door close, Ino didn't pay much attention and didn't think much of it. She just stared blankly at the boring TV and chuckled, gradually losing interest in her apple.

So she lowered her head, glanced at the fruit plate on the living room table, and her gaze lingered on the green oranges for a moment. After a while, she picked up an orange and began to peel it.

Lately, nothing seems to taste good, and she can't even eat meat anymore. She took a bite of a sweet and sour orange, and the juice burst on her taste buds, finally tasting a hint of sourness.

"It doesn't seem that sour," she muttered to herself, continuing to stare at the TV and chuckle to herself.

She had little experience and was currently working, so naturally she wouldn't think about that. Even though she had been seeing Naruto more frequently lately, she never considered the possibility of pregnancy.