Pig and Farmer

It was no wonder Inoichi Yamanaka hadn't figured it out.

At the dinner table, Ino hadn't said much about her relationship with Naruto. She had focused on Naruto's recent experiences and what he'd been doing. Meanwhile, Inoichi had been completely caught up in a tangle of emotions, so he hadn't thought much of it or realized how close his daughter had become to Uzumaki Naruto.

And when he heard that "his daughter had been dragged off by a man," he'd panicked. He'd rushed here without thinking about anything else. Only when he arrived and ran into Naruto face-to-face did he suddenly understand, putting all the pieces together.

Then the anger was replaced by another emotion, one that was heavier and more deeply rooted.

"Hello, sir." Naruto walked up to Inoichi and bowed slightly.

"Just like him..."

Even though he'd prepared himself, Inoichi still felt dazed when Naruto stood so close and he got a good look at him.

The dazzling golden hair, the similar hairstyle, the deep blue eyes, the familiar features... It was as if that powerful man had returned. Suddenly, memories of the days when Konoha had been surrounded on all sides, battered by the storm, came rushing back—crashing into his mind like a blood-red setting sun.

They had been the most exhilarating and most tragic years of Inoichi Yamanaka's life. Countless people had fallen and died; those who remained had charged onward, trampling over corpses. The cries of battle seemed to ring in his ears again, and he could almost smell the scent of rust and smoke in the air...

The reason Ino had once wondered, "How could my father say something so much like a hot-blooded idiot?" was that, back then, Inoichi Yamanaka really had been a hot-blooded idiot.

And he hadn't been alone. Nearly every Konoha Ninja had been prepared to die in battle. The great nations had an unspoken understanding between them, but by the Third Shinobi World War, that understanding had all but crumbled. The side most likely to be wiped out was Konoha.

In that war, Konoha was the only shinobi village fighting all four great nations at once—or, to put it another way, the only unlucky one being attacked by all four at once.

Every nation had been eager to see the giant fall so they could feast on its flesh and blood, and wash away the humiliations of the past. Konoha had truly stood on the brink of life and death. The flames of war had reached the village's doorstep, and everyone had fought without regard for their own lives.

And yet, even in those circumstances, no one thought Konoha would really lose.

Because—

Minato Namikaze was there.

"If you encounter the Yellow Flash on the battlefield, run immediately. You will not be punished, even if you abandon your mission."

That understanding between the nations was the best proof of Konoha's belief that "as long as the Yellow Flash is here, we will surely win!"

He crossed space to support battlefront after battlefront. On the Cloud Village front, he fought the AB Brothers alone and gained the upper hand. At the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, he cut down fifty Iwa Ninja, thwarting Iwagakure's plans and forcing Ōnoki to seek peace with Konoha... Everyone had followed that man of their own accord, cheering him on, fighting by his side, and giving their lives for him, because he would never betray their sacrifices or hopes. He was the strongest!

And Inoichi Yamanaka had been one of them.

Even he was surprised.

He'd thought he'd long since forgotten, long since made peace with it. But seeing that familiar face again, he—nearly forty years old—felt that long-lost excitement surge through him. It was as if he'd returned to his youth, kunai in hand, ready at any moment to kill the enemy or die for that man.

"Sir?"

"Dad!"

His daughter's reproachful voice pulled Inoichi back to the present. He realized that Naruto had somehow already reached out to him.

"...Yeah."

Inoichi answered gruffly and took Naruto's hand.

Naruto's hand wasn't as broad as that man's, which helped Inoichi distinguish the old friend from his son. But the warmth in their palms was the same, making Inoichi feel that Naruto really was his old friend's son... Though maybe he was just seeing what he wanted to see.

"Hmph!"

Ino made an unhappy sound. Unaware of what her father was thinking, she'd only seen Naruto greet him politely and offer his hand, while her father had done nothing and left Naruto hanging before finally shaking it.

Inoichi knew perfectly well what his daughter was thinking from the way she'd given him a withering look. But he couldn't explain, so he could only smile wryly. A bitter feeling inevitably rose in his heart, too.

Damn it... She was so young, and they hadn't even made things official yet, but she was already taking his side?

Inoichi finally understood why his own father-in-law had always disapproved of him. He'd been too pleased with himself when he'd stolen his father-in-law's sweetheart away. Now karma had caught up with him, and he was on the receiving end.

The worst part was, Inoichi couldn't even bring himself to resent Naruto. His father-in-law could at least scold him now and then to vent his frustration. Inoichi had no one to blame but himself.

"Sorry, sir."

After shaking hands, Naruto continued, "I thought my hair was too messy, so I suddenly asked Ino to bring me here for a haircut. That made her get home late... I even borrowed money from her to pay for the haircut, so it's all my fault. Ino was just being kind."

"Naruto..." Ino pressed her lips together, her eyes practically brimming as she looked at him. She hadn't expected him to take responsibility and stand up for her like this... Of course, the main reason was that Naruto looked so much better now. She couldn't help it. That was just how shamelessly shallow she was.

"Heh... I'm not senile yet." Seeing how hopeless his daughter looked, Inoichi snorted. "Lying isn't a good habit."

"You're right, sir." Naruto answered more quickly than Inoichi had expected, as if he'd never thought such a flimsy excuse would fool him.

He said candidly, "But if lying can protect someone important to me, I won't hesitate for a moment. And I can't just stand by and watch someone get blamed for helping me. So I have to make my position clear. I'll pay Ino back for the money I owe her... And..." He paused, then said earnestly, "I wasn't lying about Ino being kind, or about everything being my fault."

Ino heard nothing after that.

All she heard was Naruto calling her someone important to him. Her gaze was practically glued to his face when a broad back suddenly—and seemingly in a fit of exasperation—cut in front of her and blocked her view.

"My daughter just graduated from the Ninja Academy, you punk! You're already trying to steal her away from me?"

Inoichi gritted his teeth. He could see it now: that damn wild boar was really good with words, and no matter what he said, he kept adding to his daughter's affection for him. Whether Inoichi forgave him or knew he was lying didn't matter to Naruto. He was going to keep charging at the little cabbage, no matter what... The nerve of him to do it right in front of the farmer, too—and Inoichi couldn't even do anything about it!

"Sir?" Naruto tilted his head, seeming to wait for Inoichi's response.

"Quit trying to act cute, you punk!"

Inoichi, who'd just been telling himself that Naruto was his old friend's son and he couldn't bring himself to dislike him, was now furious. He got it. That long-lost excitement he'd felt hadn't been nostalgia for the battles of the past at all. He wanted to fight the kid like a real man!

Inoichi decided he couldn't let this wild boar stay near his daughter any longer. He was too dangerous—his mouth was dangerous, and so was his face. With that thought, he hoisted Ino over his shoulder, ignoring her cries, and prepared to turn and leave.

He couldn't control what happened in the future, but surely he could keep her away from him tonight!

After a few steps, though, he seemed to realize that this was unbecoming of a father-in-law. He stopped, turned around, and said solemnly,

"Remember to pay her back."

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded gravely.