148. I Can See

With a flurry of footsteps, Ino cautiously poked her head in from outside the door. She stood before Naruto and offered Kakashi a slight bow in greeting. In truth, she had arrived while the two were still mid-conversation, but the atmosphere had been so tense that she had waited until now to reveal herself.

Kakashi gave a slight nod in response, while Naruto gently patted Ino on the shoulder. "Why did you come looking for me? Did something happen?"

"Tch, your tone sure changes fast, you brat."

Hearing the gentle tone Naruto used with Ino, Kakashi couldn't help but roll his dead-fish eyes.

"Well, the home visit is over, so I should be going."

Not intending to stick around and be a third wheel, Kakashi spoke up first and walked out the door—this time, he didn't use the window.

"Wait a second, Kakashi."

But Naruto called out to stop him. Beside him, Ino hurriedly tugged at Naruto's sleeve. Naruto initially wanted to ignore her, but Ino wouldn't let go, staring straight at him with a very serious look in her eyes.

Naruto, who had been so aggressive toward Kakashi just moments ago, now found himself defeated by that gaze—not sharp, but rather watery and earnest. After twitching his mouth a few times, he reluctantly added in a low voice:

"...Kakashi-sensei."

"Hm?"

Hearing this, Kakashi's mood improved slightly, and he turned to look at Naruto.

"I have two more questions." Naruto tried to keep his tone from sounding too abrasive, asking dryly, "What's with the bandages on your right hand?"

—He had noticed this detail the moment he first saw Kakashi. Without needing to think, he knew it must be related to the mysterious mission that had sent out all the jonin instructors over the past month, which was why Naruto asked.

"What, finally starting to care about your teacher?"

Kakashi teased. Naruto didn't reply, only giving him a look that said, "Don't push your luck."

Finding no amusement in the silence, Kakashi rubbed his nose and explained:

"This? It's from a fight with a guy who was covered in flowing lava... I'll give you the details when I have more time later."

Kakashi didn't think much of it, assuming he was just satisfying Naruto's curiosity. "What's the second question?"

"Lava? Roshi?"

Naruto thought uncertainly, but he didn't press the issue and instead asked his second question:

"Besides me, did you go for home visits with Sasuke and Sakura too?"

The question was a bit out of the blue, but Kakashi wasn't surprised that Naruto knew about his teammates, so he thought for a moment and answered:

"I went to Sasuke's house, but I haven't been to Sakura's yet. Why?"

"Then when you go to Sakura's house, will you also jump into her room through the window without any notice?"

"This..."

Kakashi finally understood why Naruto was asking this. He was momentarily speechless. Beside him, Ino hurriedly tugged at Naruto's sleeve again, but this time Naruto didn't compromise, continuing instead:

"I know that as a ninja, things like the right to privacy are often just bullshit... I've long since come to terms with that."

"But."

Naruto said earnestly, "Since you claim to be our teacher, then at the very least, please show a little more respect to us—to me and Sasuke, two orphans without parents."

"..."

Kakashi couldn't remember how many times he had fallen silent today, but this time, he truly felt... deeply ashamed.

After hearing Naruto out, Ino let go of his sleeve. Naruto turned back, looking a bit apologetic, and whispered:

"Sorry... there are just some things I really had to get off my chest."

To his surprise, after hearing the apology, Ino shook her head. "It's okay. You're right."

"I support you."

"..."

Naruto felt a slight tremor in his heart, but he didn't say anything, merely nodding gently.

Kakashi watched the young boy and girl before him, a complex look washing over his eyes.

"My apologies." Kakashi turned around. "About today... for many things, I am truly sorry."

"..."

Naruto didn't press the attack further, simply watching silently as Kakashi's back disappeared into the hallway.

"...Whew—"

Seeing that Kakashi had finally left and nothing had happened, Ino let out a long sigh of relief.

To be honest, watching Naruto dare to speak to a jonin like that had scared her to death.

One had to realize that even a chunin was at the level of a squad leader, and the status of an elite jonin like Kakashi in the village was predictably high. She had even been mentally simulating how she would go about asking her father for help if Kakashi got angry and decided to punish Naruto.

"I'm telling you, Naruto," Ino turned to him, a bit angry. "I warned you to be polite to your jonin instructor. What if he decides he doesn't like you later and sends you off to die..."

Ino stopped mid-sentence.

Because she saw the expression on Naruto's face.

This was an expression Ino had never seen before.

He kept his head lowered, his lips pressed downward as if still harboring a trace of anger, yet his eyebrows drooped. For the first time, those eyes that were always so bright appeared dim, and his entire body seemed to curl inward, as if searching for some shelter he could not find, leaving him to huddle up and provide himself with a little warmth.

"Naruto..."

Ino felt an inexplicable surge of emotion, realizing for the first time how difficult it was to express herself in words: "You don't have to bottle everything up... you can talk to me if something is wrong."

"...Of course something is wrong." Naruto paused, then grinned slightly, "This teacher is just too unreliable; I feel like my future is bleak."

"That's not what I meant."

Ino suddenly stepped forward, cupping Naruto's face in both hands and forcing him to look at her.

She stared directly into his slightly widened eyes, saying each word with deliberate clarity:

"I am Ino, the successor to the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu, the Ino who possesses the power to read minds."

"So don't lie to me; you can't fool me."

Thinking of everything Naruto had experienced lately—being shoved aside just for trying to buy groceries, wearing patched-up clothes, letting his hair grow long to save money on haircuts, working hard all by himself without bothering anyone yet still being subjected to malicious speculation, and having uninvited guests show up even when he was trying to rest at home—the scenes flashing through her mind made that sense of empathy surge within her once more. Her nose stung, and her voice trembled slightly:

"I can see it."

As if to emphasize her point, she repeated it again:

"I can see you, and I can see your heart."

"I know that what you say with your mouth is not what is in your heart."

"So stop pretending that everything is fine."

"...I."

Why.

Looking at Ino, whose eyes were reddening, Naruto felt as if his heart were about to overflow. He tried hard to force a smile, but this time, no matter how he tried, he couldn't deliberately put on a mask.

Why is it that even though this is just my own business, you look like you're about to cry?

Naruto's hand slowly rose and rested gently on Ino's head.

"Don't cry."

Naruto said softly.

"I promise you, when that moment comes... I will tell you everything."

I'm sorry.

Naruto said silently in his heart.

I'm sorry you're so worried about me, but I can't tell you right now.

Because he didn't know how the Anbu were monitoring him, he couldn't speak.

"Mm."

As if she truly knew what was in Naruto's heart, Ino didn't get angry; instead, she nodded earnestly.

Then, she suddenly grabbed Naruto's arm.

"Let's go! We're going to get your hair cut!"

"??"

Ino's unexpected words caught Naruto off guard, and he asked in astonishment:

"What haircut? Why??"

"We have to take our ninja photos the day after tomorrow. How are you going to take them with half your face covered by your hair?" Ino retorted, "Besides, after so long, we're going back to school to see our classmates... a new image is very important!"

"Wait, I don't have any money!"

"I have money!"

Ino, the young lady, waved her hand with a decisive, commanding air:

"I'm a member at that barbershop, it's my treat!"

"Wait! That's not right..."

"Denied! Objection overruled!"

Naruto, who was struggling just to stand, was no match for Ino. She kicked the door shut, and before the stunned Naruto could even swallow, she had grabbed both his hands and dragged him straight away without further argument.

I've changed my mind, Father.

Ino thought to herself.

That suffering is wealth, that walking the path alone is the only way to gain experience... those are your thoughts. I cannot understand them, because they are not my own.

Suffering is never wealth... and if suffering is unavoidable, there is no need to walk through it alone.

Because I have seen him.

And so, I have decided not to let him walk this path by himself.