Wedding with Ino, Before the War Begins

Hinata left, and Naruto couldn't stay in the house any longer; the rain had long since stopped.

Logically and emotionally, he should find a way to resolve the immediate issue; it's not a troublesome matter. This is a major life event for him, perhaps more than one, but at most two.

Although he is shameless and unscrupulous, he firmly adheres to his bottom line.

"Why did you think of me?" Choji, somewhat puzzled, as he sat down at the table and looked at Naruto. "Let's make this clear, I won't help you this time."

"Hmm? If you don't help me, who will?" Naruto said slowly. "Let's not talk about that now. Since we're already here, let's eat first."

"Why are you being so generous today?" Choji muttered.

"When are you not generous?"

Who knows?

Although Choji complained, he ultimately didn't delay the meal. The food and drink were served without further conversation, and only after they had thoroughly enjoyed their meal did they begin to chat casually.

"You wouldn't be plotting against me, would you?"

"How could that be? We're best buddies."

"That's what you said last time you skipped out on the bill; you made up an excuse and left."

"This time it's definitely on me, don't worry about eating, I've already paid the bill."

Naruto's tone was casual, but became firm when he mentioned paying the bill. Choji was surprised and curious, and suddenly turned to stare at Naruto, asking a question.

"Is it really that serious? Has things really gotten that bad?"

Choji was somewhat shocked, thinking to himself that this guy had never treated anyone to a meal before Danzo, but now he was suddenly acting all generous. Was marriage really that complicated?

"Why not just go and marry him?" the chubby boy muttered. "Who cares about all this trouble? Uncle Inoichi has to agree anyway, so what are we going to do but stop him?"

"Of course I won't stop you, but I won't agree to it so easily either." Naruto took a sip of his drink. "You should know that I have more troubles than this right now."

"Hinata?" Choji hesitated, carefully choosing his words. "I won't try to persuade you. Have you thought about how to handle this? Marriage is a big deal after all."

"No."

"Oh, no, no!" Choji glared at him. "Then why are you still so leisurely? Why don't you hurry up and think of a solution? Why don't you just ask Lord Jiraiya and handle it?"

"Choji".

"Um?"

"You wouldn't happen to be White Zetsu in disguise, would you? I've never seen you this smart before, even knowing to tell me to go find that Pervy Sage. But no way."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Choji retorted to Naruto, not forgetting to pick up some food as he muttered, "Lord Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sannin, why can't he be?"

"Not enough, not enough."

Choji knew what Naruto meant by "not enough." He had no parents, but if his elders were to ask Jiraiya, his status would be sufficient. Although Jiraiya had never been married, in terms of social standing, he was already quite qualified.

The chubby boy rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that Naruto was starting to get picky. He never seemed to show much respect for the older, higher-ups, so now most people probably wouldn't be willing to step in and help him.

"Did you know that Kiba Inuzuka is getting married too, before the New Year Festival?"

"Why is he getting involved?" Naruto was a little surprised. Just how free Choji? He knew all the big and small things about his friends like the back of his hand.

But then I thought about it and it made sense; this guy didn't have much real power. All the family affairs were managed by Choza Akimichi, and although Choji was married, he was no different from when he was a boy.

"Same as you." Choji's words nearly made Naruto choke on his drink.

"No way?" Naruto asked a pointless question.

Choji didn't answer, but changed the subject again, "Kiba Inuzuka has his own way of doing things. At worst, he can get beaten up behind closed doors, but on the surface, it's still a great thing for the Inuzuka Clan."

"I don't have much family support."

Choji suddenly realized what was happening, turned to look at Naruto, and asked in astonishment.

"You don't want to wrong Ino, but you want to have a big celebration without hurting Hinata?"

After saying that, Choji found it increasingly absurd; he had never heard anything so outrageous in his life. What was this person thinking? How could this be?

"Does Uncle Inoichi know you're plotting all this?"

"I don't know. If I did, they'd probably kill me." Naruto shook his head, took another sip of wine, and frowned as he said, "But... we're going to have a war."

"What?" Choji didn't expect Naruto to suddenly bring this up. "War... I heard Kumogakure in chaos in Kumogakure. It shouldn't have anything to do with Konohagakure, right?"

"Hehe, if a real war breaks out, how can Konohagakure possibly stay out of it? Sooner or later, they'll have to get involved." Naruto chuckled, though he was being conservative; in fact, the Fourth Shinobi World War was just around the corner.

They will face an unprecedentedly powerful enemy: White Zetsu Clone, Edo Tensei Army Otsutsuki. This war is not a mission; people will really die.

Others may not know the dangers involved, but he is well aware of how long this war will last and how perilous it will be. He doesn't want Ino and Hinata to be too deeply involved; it would be best if they stayed in the rear.

Having a child makes this reason perfectly legitimate. We can't abandon our children for the sake of the village; Konohagakure isn't in such a talent shortage situation yet.

With that thought in mind, Naruto had an idea.

The Shinobi World is about to be turned upside down; he can't stop it. He's only managed to stop one Kaguya Otsutsuki, and there are other Otsutsuki as well. And he needs Kaguya Otsutsuki as consumables to resolve the trouble.

In other words, nothing will change; what's meant to happen will happen. The only thing that has changed is that Obito Uchiha dead, Kaguya Otsutsuki has already been targeted by Naruto before she's even resurrected.

The Otsutsuki are no longer predators; they could also be reduced to being pigs or dogs.

Kabuto was a madman, Sasuke Uchiha was equally abnormal. One was a madman raised by Danzo, and the other was a revenge machine deliberately created by Itachi Uchiha.

Those people are dead, but the harm they left behind has not ended, and Uchiha Madara could not possibly swallow that anger.

"War? I've never experienced it before. Isn't that very dangerous?" Choji frowned, still pondering the impact of war. "I should be able to gain merit and fame, right?"

"Don't think about it too much, people will die," Naruto reminded him. "Just do your job well first. When that day comes, it will come soon. Be careful."

He didn't know how to properly instruct Choji, as there were many things he couldn't say in advance, so he could only tell him to be careful.

"I know that." Choji's chubby face jiggled as he solemnly picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks. "I've heard some things from Kumogakure as well, and it seems a bit strange about this."

"Stop talking."

"Why."

"I'm not used to you using your brain, you're like Shikamaru, it's kind of scary," Naruto said, waving his hand dismissively.

Night falls.

Ino left the Intelligence Department office and went downstairs. The streetlights weren't very bright, and when she glanced back and saw a small stall in the distance, she stopped abruptly.

She hesitated whether to buy another serving of roasted onions. She had eaten some a couple of days ago, and coincidentally, one of them was undercooked. The juice splashed into her eyes and almost blinded her.

I rubbed my eyes for ages, almost crying myself to sleep. Thankfully, it was a false alarm; after a brief period of darkness, my vision gradually returned to normal, and it wasn't anything serious.

Ugh, that's so embarrassing!

With a snap, Ino facepalmed. While it was novel, she'd lost interest after a few tries. Thinking this, she shook her head and walked away.

The terrain of Konohagakure is not entirely flat. She turned into an alley, walked along the winding path, and skillfully emerged from the other end of Konohagakure Street.

Where to?

"When did you get back?" Ino, somewhat surprised. She was a little flustered when she saw Naruto. Her bright eyes glanced at him, and then a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"I'm going home, are you coming with me?"

"Okay," he said.

"No, you still dare to go?" Her voice was low, her eyes fixed on him.

Ino has large eyes, with clear, unadulterated dark blue pupils. Her eyes are bright and lively, unlike the empty and lifeless ones of others.

Her subtle emotions were conveyed through her eyes, the delicate changes like the frightening fawn hidden within them. Her expressions shifted with joy and anger; Naruto could read her words from her gaze.

Joy, but also some worry.

"There's nothing I'm afraid to go to. We'll have to meet sooner or later, and we can't keep putting it off."

Hearing this, Ino immediately understood that he already knew about it. For a moment, she hesitated, giving Naruto a long, drawn-out look.

"You know?" she asked.

"Hmm." Naruto nodded. "Why are you hiding this from me?"

"I didn't hide anything." Ino's eyes darted away, clearly feeling a little guilty. "It's just... it's just that you happened to be out of the village."

"Ah!"

Ino let out a strange cry as Naruto pinched her face.

"Still talking."

"That's right, it's all your fault for not coming to see me these past few days," Ino said with a grin. "It wouldn't have mattered if I had told you a few days later. I always thought you just didn't have an appetite."

After saying that, she jumped onto Naruto and sealed his lips with hers.

At the dark alley entrance, the two kissed for a long time before separating, their shadows cast on the road, one on the left and one on the right.

"Things happened so suddenly, I didn't even know how to tell you," Ino said earnestly, looking up as if summarizing her thoughts.

"Anyway, that's not something that can be done in a short time. There's still a long time before the baby is born, and other people won't be able to tell yet. Besides, I don't want to put you in a difficult position."

"What's so difficult about it? Your parents aren't going to eat me. It's good to get married sooner rather than later," he said. "I told you before, I'll definitely see you in your White Kimono dress."

"That's true, but I didn't expect it to be so soon," Ino muttered, seemingly with a hint of complaint. "I still have things to finish, and what about Hinata?"

"You can't fool me, I just don't want to think about it. You're not wholeheartedly devoted to me anyway."

Towards the end, Ino's voice lowered; she had only been feigning distress. She still remembered what she hadn't done, but as she spoke, her emotions surfaced.

Pitter-patter, Ino really cried, like a water pump that had been running for a long time. Before Naruto saw her, she didn't think there was anything wrong with being pregnant, and she was still thinking about work.

After that incident, her family never mentioned pregnancy to her again, as if the matter had truly ceased to exist. Busy as she was, she looked up and realized she still had to face it, and she felt somewhat overwhelmed.

If it were anyone else entangled with Naruto, Ino wouldn't be so conflicted. Or if Hinata's personality were even worse, she wouldn't be so easily swayed.

But Hinata remained silent, treating everyone the same no matter what, seemingly without any malice. She was so kind that it made one feel guilty, as if they had stolen her away.

Sometimes, Ino even felt that the two of them were meant to be together.

"There'll always be a way. Let's get the wedding going first," Naruto reassured him. "I heard Kiba Inuzuka is also planning to have his wedding this winter, I think."

"Isn't that just a coincidence?" Ino's attention was indeed diverted, and she covered her mouth as she said, "Choji and I also talked about it, and they plan to get pregnant as soon as possible this year."

"I don't know if they said that to comfort me, but I was quite touched at the time. If everyone's children were born in the same year, then they would have each other's company."

"It's better to give birth sooner, since war is coming soon." He changed the subject, drawing Ino's attention away again.

"What?" Ino was stunned. "No way, isn't there some unrest only in Kumogakure right now? How could war break out? Besides, it couldn't happen so soon."

"Nothing is impossible. War is coming soon, very soon." Naruto paused for a moment. "We need to get the wedding done as soon as possible, preferably within half a month."

"So rushed?" Ino exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, ten days would be best." Naruto nodded. The flames of the Kumogakure were already burning, and he didn't think Kabuto would be in the mood to use heavy troops to fight against a Kumogakure.

If something happens over there, the Land of Fire won't fare any better. It won't be long before war breaks out among the Five Great Nations; I wonder if the Allied Shinobi Forces will be involved this time.

If everyone fights independently, the losses, the battle lines, and the time will all expand indefinitely; war is a bottomless pit. It not only burns money but also consumes lives.

It mainly depends on Naruto's attitude. He is confident that he can secretly incite the Allied Shinobi Forces, but whether it is worth doing so is something he needs to consider.

"Ten days?" Ino was stunned. She had considered many possibilities, but this was the one she hadn't expected.

"The sooner the better, the war waits for no one." Naruto said, then changed the subject, "In case, in case the situation on the front lines gets tense, it would be safer for you to stay in the rear for the sake of the children."

This person's way of speaking is to beat around the bush again and again. He knew that if he directly told Ino not to go to the battlefield, she might hesitate and resist.

But as long as he could throw out the wedding and use the child as an excuse, he could keep Ino at home. It wasn't that he thought Ino was weak, but rather that the approaching enemy was truly ferocious.

He's not an omniscient and omnipotent god; the battlefield is ever-changing, and who can guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen? If it weren't for the need to eliminate the Otsutsuki from beyond the heavens, Naruto wouldn't have any interest in such trivial matters in the Shinobi World.

Wars always start and end, only the Otsutsuki wants to kill everyone in the Shinobi World.

Ino was starting to panic, tugging at Naruto's clothes. "Is it really that urgent? But if this happens, everyone..."

"Yes, really." He nodded, saying against his will, "Konohagakure isn't facing war for the first time, so everything should be fine."