Kapitel 167: Chapter 167 The Girl Takes The Upper Hand

At this time, the elegantly dressed Rino stumbled but managed to steady herself at the staircase's corner.

Rino happened to meet the eyes of the two youngsters at the counter, and realizing that she had been discovered, she looked a little embarrassed.

"This staircase is getting a bit old. I'll have to find someone to replace it later."

"… Mom." Ino's face darkened with embarrassment, "You weren't eavesdropping just now, were you?"

"Cough, of course not." Rino covered her mouth with a light laugh, walking gracefully down the stairs. "I just happened to be coming down. Who knew this staircase was so..."

Looking at her mother who had lost all her usually elegant temperament, Ino felt a bit helpless.

"Mom, eavesdropping is wrong."

"Ino-chan, I didn't hear anything you two were talking about." Rino, dressed in an elegant long dress, walked over to the flower bed and began watering the plants.

Hearing this, Ino finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But the next second, with her back to them, Rino casually said, "Refrigerating bathwater can upset your stomach, you know."

Ino turned her head stiffly and looked at Naruto, her pupils dilating in shock. Naruto understood the meaning behind her gaze and quickly stood up, grabbing the lunchbox as he said to Rino, "Auntie, it's getting late. I'm going back first."

"You're not going to stay a bit longer?" Rino turned around and asked with a smile, "Ino-chan, she..."

"Mom!" Ino panicked and interrupted Rino, "That… That…!"

Ino's face flushed red as she hurriedly shoved Naruto out of the store, shutting the door behind him. She turned to Rino and said, "Mom, I'll send that guy out first."

"Will you come back in the evening?" Rino asked with a smile.

"It's only right outside the door! Mom, please don't say things like that." Ino said, a bit exasperated. With a click, she locked the shop door.

When she turned around, she saw that Naruto was still standing nearby, watching her, with no intention of leaving.

"My mom, she... Anyway, don't think too much about it." Ino said, feeling a bit worn out from dealing with a mother who seemed serious but wasn't reliable when it mattered.

To make things worse, the blond guy in front of her wasn't exactly a saint either. Seeing his innocent-looking face, Ino felt her composure slipping. She walked up to him, grabbed his shirt, and dragged him into a dimly lit corner of the street.

"What kind of face is that?"

"I was just thinking about you, Ino-chan, hahaha!" Naruto burst into laughter.

"Don't laugh!" Ino grabbed Naruto's neck and threatened fiercely, "There's... There's something I want to ask you. Since things are already like this, I might as well just ask!"

"What is it?"

"You can pretend to be clueless, although I don't care much about this kind of thing, but!" Ino brushed her hair back from her forehead and stared at Naruto fixatedly, "There's one thing I hope you can clarify."

"Me and Hinata… who are you closer with?"

"Huh?" Naruto was dumbfounded, a hundred questions running through his mind, 'That's it?'

"Is it difficult to decide?" Ino's eyes dimmed slightly.

Hearing this, Naruto blinked his eyes, 'That was not the case. It was not a difficult decision. It was actually too easy to decide. Relationships aren't private matters.'

'It can be simply understood as, to be good, to have a better relationship with someone.'

"Not at all. Of course, I'm closest to you." Naruto said smoothly, as if he were still a child trying to coax a playmate, "I only gave the key to you. What do you think?"

"Really?" Ino sounded as naive as a little girl at that moment.

"Of course it's true. I swear on my beloved foxhound that if I'm lying…!" Naruto raised his hand and swore without hesitation.

"May that foxhound be struck by lightning, starve to death, never touch a drop of alcohol again."

"Does that dog even drink?" Ino asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, I told you before, all those drinks in the living room fridge are for him." Naruto said, throwing Kurama under the bus without a second thought. After all, drinking wasn't exactly a secret.

"A foxhound that drinks is so cute!" Ino said.

"Huh?" Naruto realized that Ino's thought process seemed a bit odd, 'What was so cute about a drunken, sly fox?'

Meanwhile, Kurama, curled up on the living room sofa with a drink, suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He squinted and looked toward the balcony.

The half-open window showed nothing but darkness outside. After staring at it for a while, he still couldn't figure out what was going on.

'Was it just my imagination?'

At the corner, Ino covered her mouth and laughed. Naruto couldn't quite understand her reaction but awkwardly chuckled along. His attempt to backstab the fox had failed, so he'd note it down for later.

Ino, who had been laughing, suddenly remembered that the two of them were in the middle of an argument, and her smile faded.

"I have a mission tomorrow. I might be gone for a while."

"Is it dangerous?" Naruto asked, following the flow of conversation.

"With Asuma-sensei around, it shouldn't be too dangerous. Besides, because I'm still too weak, they won't assign me anything too risky for the time being," Ino said.

"Mm."

Naruto's gaze fell on Ino. She was only wearing thin pajamas, the fabric looking quite luxurious. Her fair face was not far away, exuding a faint fragrance.

Noticing Naruto's intense gaze, Ino turned her head away and said in a muffled voice, "Are you peeking?"

"No, I just haven't seen you in pajamas before. I figured this kind of opportunity doesn't come often, so I might as well take a good look."

"Pervert." Ino muttered softly, her voice trembling a bit.

As if his gaze was tangible, Naruto coughed strategically at this moment, and the atmosphere became slightly awkward.

"Um... I'll head back now."

"Wait." Naruto called out to her.

"What's wrong?" Ino looked at him. The surrounding light was dim, and this was a secluded alley where no one would pass by. Her heart suddenly started pounding.

"Nothing, I just suddenly wanted to ask you. After you finished your mission, it'll be winter, right?" He asked, his voice a bit lazy, like a record player stuck on repeat.

Ino suddenly felt a bit uneasy. She remembered the last time Naruto was in that state, they had almost ended up behind the big tree... Luckily, nothing had happened in the end.

"Maybe, but the New Year Festival is still a long way off."

"My house won't be cold, so you'll still come over, right?" Naruto looked at Ino, his eyes clear and sincere, as if nothing but the purest thoughts were behind them.

Ino pressed her lips together, her heart beating faster. The little flutter in her heart felt both a bit sour and a bit addictive.

Ambiguity is more enticing than blatant affection. A love that's shrouded in mystery is impossible to fully decipher. Yet with one short sentence, the boy made more of an impact than a fleeting summer could.

'So, you'll still come over, right?'

That sentence kept echoing in Ino's ears. She narrowed her eyes slightly and a sly smile appeared on her face. Her eyebrows suddenly bent down like a crescent moon.

"You guess."

In the depths of Konoha's streets, under the autumn night's moonlight, in the dimly lit alley, the girl, with her hands behind her back, had taken the upper hand.