Welcome!
Sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows, bathing the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Ino was deftly arranging the newly arrived flowers when she heard the crisp sound of the wind chimes at the door. She immediately put on a professional smile and turned to greet them.
However, when she saw the visitor's face clearly, her smile faltered slightly.
"Ah... it's Naruto! Congratulations on your wedding yesterday!" Ino's gaze swept quickly over Naruto. Naruto was carrying a paper bag with the logo of a famous confectionery shop, the reddish color of tomatoes faintly visible inside. He looked no different from usual.
However, Naruto's blue eyes were shrouded in a lazy haze, and there was a faint blue tinge under his eyes, giving him an aura of happiness and exhaustion.
Thinking of yesterday's grand wedding, and the private time that would inevitably belong to the newlyweds afterward, Ino, and a slightly teasing smile appeared on her face.
She quickly composed herself and asked warmly, "Are you here to buy flowers for Satsuki? Coming to pick out flowers on the second day of your marriage, how thoughtful!"
Naruto nodded, his movements carrying an unconscious, languid air of contentment. "Hmm..." he responded, carefully placing the bag of tomato snacks he was carrying in his other hand onto the empty table beside him.
Seeing Naruto like this, Ino no longer felt the fear she had felt years ago.
Long ago, during her time at the Ninja Academy, due to some minor misunderstandings, Ino harbored a considerable degree of fear towards Uchiha Satsuki.
But now, times have changed. Satsuki and Naruto have finally tied the knot, and yesterday they even had a grand wedding. In Ino's opinion, Satsuki now possesses the happiness she longed for most, and probably won't cause trouble for someone like her—well, like when they were kids—like... well, coming to bother someone like her who was "insignificant in the past," right?
After all, I was a fellow student yesterday, and I attended the wedding properly and offered my blessings. I figured I was completely safe now.
Thinking this way, Ino felt more relaxed and began to truly immerse herself in the role of the florist.
"Um, please give me a rose..." Naruto pointed to the most prominent, vibrant red roses in the shop, then hesitated before adding, "... Are there any better ones? I want to choose the one that best represents... that, my feelings."
Ino, then immediately perked up and displayed the Yamanaka Clan's professional knowledge of flowers.
"Of course! Naruto, while giving only red roses is classic, pairing them with other flowers will give it a richer meaning!" Ino led Naruto deeper into the flower shop, where more rare or special varieties were displayed.
"Look at this, it's called ' Juliet Rose,' a rare variety of rose, known as the 'Three Million Rose.' It symbolizes a vow of protection and unwavering commitment, making it perfect for newlyweds. It signifies that your love will remain fresh and precious forever."
Naruto's gaze was drawn to the bouquet of flowers, and he nodded slightly.
Seizing the Ino, Ino pointed to a pure white flower with a delicate fragrance nearby. "And this one, the ' Lily of the Valley.' Its flower language is 'the return of happiness' and 'pure love.' In some places, lilies of the Lily of the Valley are always included in the bride's bouquet, symbolizing the passing on of happiness to the newlyweds."
Then, she picked up a few deep purple flowers. "These are ' Ocean Song ' roses. Their flower language is 'quiet love' and 'romantic true love.' They suit Satsuki's temperament very well."
Naruto listened attentively to Ino's explanation. He didn't understand the language of flowers very well, but he made his decision.
"Please use ' Juliet Rose ' as the main flower, paired with some ' Lily of the Valley of the Ocean Song ', um... and a few white tulips and hydrangeas. For the foliage, use what you just mentioned... eucalyptus leaves. Please make it look pretty."
"No problem! Leave it to me!" Ino immediately began selecting the freshest and best-looking flowers, skillfully arranging them in a pleasing and varied manner.
"Alright! This is the highest-grade bouquet of love that our shop can currently make!" Ino handed the heavy bouquet, exuding a complex and alluring fragrance, to Naruto, adding with a smile, " Satsuki will be very happy to see this! Wishing you... well, a sweet and blissful married life!"
"Excuse me, I'm here again... Oh? Are there any guests?"
Suddenly, a steady voice came from the entrance of the flower shop.
Naruto instinctively turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a young Konoha Ninja standing at the door. He had exceptionally fair skin and a handsome, well-proportioned face—the classic handsome man.
Wearing a well-fitting Konoha Ninja uniform, holding a book in his hand—[High Emotional Intelligence Conversation Skills: From Beginner to Expert].
" Sai? You've been coming quite often." Ino looked up from behind her workbench, not surprised by Sai's appearance. "Going again?"
Sai nodded. "Yes, after all, we can't let my brother be lonely for too long. We still need Shirogane and Yuri. Thank you for your help."
"Okay, just a moment," Ino replied, turning to retrieve the flowers from the designated flower stand at the back.
In the short space between the flower shop entrance and the counter, only Naruto and Sai remained for a moment. Sai's gaze naturally fell on Naruto.
Sai seemed to have finished observing. He took two steps forward, stopping about a meter and a half away from Naruto. Unlike most people, he didn't show any surprise or blessing. Instead, he looked directly at Naruto with a serious expression, then gripped the book in his hand and said...
"It's a pleasure to meet you formally. Although we're both from Konoha, this is the first time we've had such a close conversation. Hello, Uzumaki Naruto. I'm Sai from the Anbu. I've long admired your Daimyo and achievements as a ' Hero of Konoha,' and it's an honor to meet you in person today."
His words were formal, well-structured, and spoken in a literary tone. Combined with his expressionless handsome face and the book of "High Emotional Intelligence Conversation Skills" in his hand, it created the effect of a rehearsal.
As he spoke, he stared intently at Naruto, waiting for some kind of feedback, or... to confirm whether he had used the correct "words".
(Taking a day off, only one update. The wedding scene is finished, and I don't know what to write next. The author needs to start organizing the outline again.)