The gentle, polite question reached Ino's ears, but she froze as though a tiny electric current had shot through her.
"Huh?"
That voice... I hardly ever heard it in class, but that familiar tone... Is that the demon... Naruto Uzumaki?!
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she studied the blond boy before her.
Half the vacation had passed since she last saw him, and his hair had grown quite a bit.
What shocked her most was that the six whisker marks on his face, which always brought unpleasant things to mind, were gone!
And... Was he really this handsome with those whiskers gone?!
That realization made Ino's heart skip a beat.
She instinctively compared him to her personal dream boy: He's still not quite as handsome as Sasuke-kun... Uh, actually... Looking closely, maybe he's not any worse?
She found herself seeing him in an entirely new light.
Sasuke-kun's good looks were cold, proud, and distant, like ice beneath the moonlight. But now that Naruto had tidied himself up, his relaxed features, clear eyes, and bright, sunny smile felt like warm winter sunshine.
These... These are two completely different types!
They each have their own appeal...
Ino felt her cheeks heat up. Her mind was such a jumble that, for a moment, she had no idea how to answer Naruto's simple question.
Sure enough, Ino was a sucker for a handsome face.
Seeing the flustered look in her large eyes and the faint blush on her cheeks, Naruto understood.
He had heard about Ino's weakness for good looks in his previous life, and now he had seen it confirmed.
When Ino stammered, too flustered to know how to respond, Naruto took the initiative and broke the slightly awkward silence, introducing himself naturally. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
That clear introduction was like flipping a switch.
"Oh, it's Naruto-kun... Naruto, my classmate!"
Remembering how little they had interacted, Ino quickly corrected herself, replacing the somewhat familiar "-kun" with a form of address more appropriate for a classmate, trying to hide her earlier lapse.
She tried to make her voice sound calmer.
"You... You've changed so much. I didn't recognize you at first."
Even as she spoke, her gaze lingered on Naruto's smooth face for a few extra seconds, and she continued to marvel at his complete transformation.
"People always recognize me because of these whiskers, and I can't shave them off, so I covered them up. Do I really look that different?"
Naruto paused with his hand halfway to his cheek, then touched his chin instead.
I'd better not smudge the makeup I worked so hard to put on.
Just then, Inoichi Yamanaka, who had been carefully arranging a bouquet behind the counter, rushed between them with a swish, moving almost as fast as the Body Flicker Technique.
With a slightly stiff smile on his face, he shoved the finished bouquet into Naruto's hands.
"So you're Ino's classmate! What a coincidence!"
His voice rose an octave, brimming with forced enthusiasm. "It's New Year's Eve, and you're our last customer, so this bouquet is on me!
"You should hurry along and find your teacher. Don't keep him waiting! We're about to close up and head home, too!"
He spoke at lightning speed, clearly wanting to "escort" Naruto out of the flower shop immediately.
Looking like Minato was one thing, and stirring up bittersweet memories was another, but...
Without a moment's hesitation, Inoichi Yamanaka acted purely on his instincts as a father!
The moment he saw this blond brat talking to his precious daughter, a father's wariness of a potential suitor instantly overwhelmed all reason and sentiment.
His daughter Ino was still attending the Ninja Academy!
Even if he was Minato's son, they were far too young for that!
Granted, both Minato and Inoichi Yamanaka had started dating while they were at the Ninja Academy, but that was different!
This was his only daughter, the little princess of the Yamanaka Clan.
"Uh..."
Faced with Inoichi Yamanaka's intense reaction, as though he had entered a state of high alert, Naruto was momentarily at a loss for words.
He instinctively accepted the obviously carefully arranged bouquet, but still insisted on asking:
"Thank you, sir. How much are the flowers? I..."
"No need to be so polite. The flowers are yours!"
Inoichi Yamanaka gave Naruto no chance to finish. Repeating himself in an exaggeratedly hearty tone, he was already using an arm to usher and half-push Naruto toward the door.
"No payment needed! Off you go, don't keep your teacher waiting! Happy New Year!"
Before he had even finished speaking, Naruto felt an irresistible force against his back. By the time he gathered his wits, he was already standing in the cold air outside the flower shop.
Behind him came the clear jingle of the door closing, followed by Ino's faint, indignant complaint from inside. "Dad! What are you doing?!"
Holding the bouquet that had been discounted all the way down to free, Naruto stood in the snow and looked at the shop door, which already sported a "Preparing to open" sign. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Good grief, Inoichi Yamanaka really acts on impulse.
He just gave the flowers away like that. I'd better buy him something later as a return gift.
Naruto had learned that Might Guy's birthday was January 1, which was tomorrow.
The date suited Guy's enthusiastic personality perfectly, always brimming with fresh starts and new hope.
After giving it plenty of thought, Naruto had decided to mark the occasion somehow.
He couldn't afford any decent ninja tools, while an ordinary gift wouldn't feel thoughtful enough.
In the end, he decided to buy a bouquet.
He knew that different flowers had different meanings in the "language of flowers," and that choosing the right occasion to give them mattered a great deal.
Although Naruto couldn't even identify all the common flowers, he could distinguish a few of the most basic and symbolic ones.
For instance, sunflowers symbolized sunshine, loyalty, and respect, making them perfect for Guy, a teacher who burned like the sun to light the way for others and was utterly loyal to the village.
Conversely, he would never mistake white chrysanthemums, which were used at funerals and represented mourning and remembrance.
Giving someone white chrysanthemums as a birthday present... Just imagining that scene made Naruto's scalp prickle.
It was precisely because he wasn't sure what to give that he had entered the flower shop, hoping a professional could arrange a bouquet that would avoid any blunders while properly expressing his feelings.
Inside the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was using the Telescope Technique through a crystal ball.
When he saw Naruto emerge from the Yamanaka Flower Shop holding a beautifully wrapped bouquet that he had apparently just bought, looking a little bewildered yet pleased, a kindly smile spread across his face. He habitually stroked his graying goatee.
He recalled visiting Naruto a few days earlier, when the boy had asked about his birthday and Might Guy's.
At the time, he had wondered why the child had suddenly taken an interest in that.
So... This was what he had in mind when he asked about Guy's birthday!
Watching Naruto carefully carry the bouquet through the snow in the crystal ball, the Third Hokage felt warmth well up inside him.
This child understands gratitude. He knows to thank those who have guided and helped him as he grows.
Even though he has received little warmth himself, he is still willing to show kindness to others.
What a good child!
He murmured his praise, his gaze growing gentler.
Perhaps the kindness and sincerity Naruto had inherited from Minato and Kushina were far more resilient than anyone had imagined.
The warmth Naruto still strove to bring into bloom, despite growing up amid darkness and abuse, offered a measure of comfort even to this old man who had witnessed so much darkness.