章節 310: Chapter 310 Power Outage Again
The conversation moved on. Ino, sitting on the sofa with a delicate posture, slowly ate takoyaki. Every so often, she'd glance at Naruto, then pause, glaring at him fiercely.
A girl caught in the throes of flirtation is always both foolish and adorable, and yet she never realizes it.
"Did you go to see Hinata after you came back?" She asked after clearing her throat. For some reason, the topic suddenly shifted to this, as if she were just looking for something to talk about.
She glanced at Naruto, and her eyes fell on the almost-empty plate of takoyaki on the table. She took a bite, feeling a bit jealous, but reasoned with herself that it was just a casual question.
After all, she didn't show anything on her face. As a friend, she was simply concerned about how far Naruto and Hinata had progressed. It was just a normal question, one that she had every right to ask.
"I looked for her, but she was busy with a mission." Naruto said.
He was telling the truth, though he left out certain details. For example, there was no point in telling the dark history of Kurama going to the Hyuga Clan's compound to drink every day.
For some reason, though, he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but both Ino and Hinata had been extremely busy over the past six months, either on missions or training, making it almost impossible to meet up.
"Oh." Ino replied absentmindedly, feeling like she had just committed some sort of betrayal.
'Why do I feel guilty? I had only come to my friend's place because I was bored during the New Year Festival. That's perfectly normal, right?'
'Besides, it's not like I haven't been over before.'
When she thought about this, her face got hot again. When she looked up, she met Naruto's thoughtful gaze, and suddenly panicked, then blurted out, "What are you staring at e?"
"You're pretty, so I want to look a bit longer. Is that a problem?" Naruto said without a hint of embarrassment.
Ino took a bite of the last takoyaki, feeling her heart race at Naruto's words, unsure if he was teasing or being sincere.
She remembered the time Naruto had told her he liked her, but he didn't say it explicitly. And considering the stormy night it happened, with her mother nearby in the kitchen, it had been her who started the conversation.
'In that kind of situation, guys probably feel excited, right? But do those words count? It seems that I didn't think too much at that time.'
At that time, she came to her senses after a long time. And after realizing what she had done, she rolled on her bed in shame.
Her mother had warned her that most of the things men say in bed are lies. While they hadn't been in bed, sitting on the couch under such circumstances was almost the same.
'But the situation and atmosphere are similar to the metaphor in bed. So, did those words count? Or were they just spur-of-the-moment feelings? As strange as it sounds, it might actually be.'
'He must have forgotten. He definitely forgot.'
Ino, who is caught in the web of her own thoughts, felt increasingly anxious. Once her mind starts working, she can't stop, and her logic was slowly starting to crumble.
Meanwhile, Naruto watched as Ino quietly ate her takoyaki in small bites and couldn't help but wondered, 'Is that thing really that delicious? She'd been nibbling on it for five or six minutes already.'
Suddenly…
With a sharp crack, a flash of light lit up the living room before everything plunged into darkness.
"Huh?"
"The power is out again!"
Power outages were a common occurrence during the New Year Festival in Konoha, especially those living on the outskirts of the village.
"What should we do then?"
"Guess we'll have to squeeze in together for sleep." Naruto suggested.
"No way!" Ino immediately shook her head. In the darkness, she stood up, trying to pinpoint Naruto's location. After a while, her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Things weren't the same as before. As her body grew, she had become more sensitive to certain matters. Occasionally, her mother would impart some 'important' knowledge, which always left her blushing.
They say ignorance is bliss, and the more you know, the more cautious you become.
"Are you heading back?" His voice clearly came from the darkness. It was just a simple question.
Ino saw him stand up and move closer to her, and her whole body stiffened instantly.
Relying on his familiarity with the living room, Naruto stood in front of Ino effortlessly. He reached out and gently pulled her arm.
"Where did you put your coat?"
"On the coat rack." She replied, her voice slightly different.
"Hm."
When he responded, Ino's back trembled, as if a nerve had been touched. Naruto had already moved away slowly, seemingly walking towards the coat rack in the dark.
After a while, Naruto returned and bumped into something along the way.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Nothing, just bumped into something." He said.
Then, Ino felt the thick winter coat draped over her and Naruto's low voice sounded right by her ear.
"I'll take you to the entrance to change your shoes now."
"Okay." This word was almost squeezed out of Ino's throat. She was startled when she heard her own trembling voice in the darkness, and her face suddenly turned red.
She was grateful for the blackout, thankful that nothing could be seen. But Naruto had already reached out and grabbed her hand. In her fluster, she accidentally slid her hand into his shirt.
The moment she touched his abdomen, she immediately realized her mistake and yanked her hand back with a startled cry.
In the darkness, Naruto chuckled awkwardly.
"Why are you touching me?"
"I didn't!" Ino quickly denied, wanting to be angry but finding herself unable to. Her cheeks were flushed, and she's afraid he might see her expression, "I didn't!"
"Alright, you didn't." Naruto chuckled and gently held her hand as if comforting a child, "I'll take you to the entrance to change your shoes, then I'll walk you home."
He didn't try to make Ino stay overnight. It was a different time now. As the young girl became more aware of the changes around her, maintaining distance wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
This is not an estrangement of the relationship, but a further confirmation of self-awareness and emotion. A hug at the age of twelve is not the same as a hug at the age of sixteen. The latter is often much more complicated.
In the dark, Naruto led Ino forward, and her heart started pounding. Suddenly, a sense of taboo surged in her heart, as if she had secretly tasted some forbidden fruit.
At the same time, she realized that despite his slim appearance, Naruto had already grown into a man. His abdomen and back were firm and broad, like they had been sculpted.
Naruto held her hand tightly, and Ino's palms began to sweat. The warmth coming from his body made her feel even more flustered. Just as she felt like she couldn't bear it anymore, they reached the entrance.
The door opened, and a cold wind rushed in, instantly clearing Ino's mind.
"Are you coming back?" She suddenly asked.
"Huh? What?" Naruto had just opened the door and turned his head, but the cold wind rushing past his ears made it hard for him to hear her clearly.
"Nothing, never mind." She stammered, quickly shutting the door behind her, "Let's go."
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Iampoorguy
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章節 311: Chapter 311 It's Too Cold, Let's Be Together
The entire Konoha was covered in a blanket of white snow as the two walked through the cold wind, their breath visible in the frosty air. When they reached the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Naruto's ears were bright red from the cold. He waved to her.
"You should head upstairs. I'll go back first."
"Wait…" Ino called out softly, "Won't you be cold going back like this?"
"I don't think so." Naruto replied uncertainly, then looked at Ino in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"Do you... want to come inside and stay for a bit? You could head back tomorrow?" Ino stood at the door of the flower shop. Under the dim light, her face was redder than a rose.
"Besides... my parents aren't home."
After a brief moment of thought, Naruto discarded his rational thoughts without hesitation.
What was there to hesitate about? Even Ino was willing, so what was the point of holding back?
"Sure."
His lazy voice reached her ears, and her rationality collapsed instantly. Her heart was pounding, and Ino suddenly realized that this was her own home. What if her father came back in the morning and caught them together?
She thought so in her mind, but when she regained consciousness, she found herself already wearing an apron and standing in the kitchen.
'Wait, did I blank out?'
She thought carefully for a moment and realized she hadn't. She had gone upstairs with Naruto, turned on the lights, let him stay in the living room, and then used the excuse of making a late-night snack to escape into the kitchen.
Staring at the boiling water in the pot, Ino had only one thought in her mind.
'I must be crazy!'
'I had actually brought this guy home with me. What if someone found out...' After battling with her thoughts for a while, she realized the water was about to boil dry. Finally, she calmed down.
'I need to stay calm. It's the New Year Festival, it's so late that no one would notice. Dad usually wouldn't come home until lunchtime tomorrow, so I could just send him out early.'
'As for Mom, she wouldn't be back for two or three days.'
'I took him in because it was late, and the snowstorm outside was too harsh. Letting him face the cold wind alone would be rude. Yes, it was all about courtesy.'
Meanwhile, Naruto was lying on the sofa, feeling a bit restrained. He suddenly remembered that this wasn't his own home and quickly sat up, maintaining a polite posture.
Even though Ino's parents weren't around, he still has to be mindful.
Ten minutes later.
"Why does your late-night snack taste so much like dishwater?" Naruto asked, staring helplessly at the soupy concoction with floating bits of seasoning.
"I was so nervous that I accidentally messed it up." Ino covered her face and said, "Are you really hungry? I'll make another one."
"No need, I'm not hungry." He declined.
Soon, the kitchen was cleaned up and Ino sat down on the edge of the sofa, looking nervous.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine."
The atmosphere grew tense, and both of them felt a bit awkward. Even someone as carefree as Naruto couldn't relax. He noticed that Ino was fidgeting with her fingers, and his eyelid twitched.
'So she's nervous too. Why does this feel more like a wedding night than just spending the night?'
The sofa in the living room was a small space. The light was bright, and the boy and girl were alone together. The silence made every sound seem amplified, making them both extra sensitive.
Suddenly, Ino stood up. She felt that as the host, she needed to break the deadlock and say something.
"If there's nothing else... we should go to sleep."
"Huh?"
"No! That's not what I meant!" Ino quickly covered her mouth, cursing herself for messing up. "I meant we should rest together, ugh… Separately!"
She gestured frantically for a long time, struggling to get the words out.
Naruto couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so he stood up and asked, "Where's the bathroom? I want to take a shower first."
"Huh?" Ino looked at him, and her pupils dilated in shock.
Naruto seemed to have become much calmer now, so he spread his hands and explained, "I'm not used to going to bed without a shower. I'll need to take a shower even if I sleep on the sofa."
"Oh." Ino pointed to a room, "It's over there."
"I'll get you a towel." She offered, but as she walked halfway, she suddenly realized that her family never accommodated guests overnight, and they usually entertained people at the Yamanaka Clan's compound.
So… there are no spare clean bath towels.
After some inner conflict, Ino grabbed her own pink towel and started pacing the living room. Towels are very personal, and she would need to use it later too.
The moment Naruto came out of the shower, he saw Ino clutching a bath towel and muttering to herself, causing him to be momentarily stunned.
"What are you doing?"
Ino jumped in surprise and, seeing Naruto was done with his shower, likely having dried himself off in the warm air, she breathed a sigh of relief. She shook her head and hurried into the bathroom.
Night fell.
The temperature on the snowy night began to drop sharply, and the living room suddenly became unbearably cold. There were only three rooms on the second floor, one is Ino's and one is her parents'.
The remaining one is a storage room for flowers and has no bed.
Naruto didn't make things difficult for Ino and chose to sleep on the sofa. However, in the second half of the night, even under the quilt, he could feel the biting cold settling in.
Suddenly, there was a soft creak as Ino's bedroom door opened just a crack. A thin strip of light spilled out, casting a warm glow on the corner of the sofa.
Ino peeked out from the crack in the door, but didn't look at him directly and spoke hesitantly.
"There's no heating in the living room. If it's too cold... we can sleep together. Come in."
"Huh?" Naruto was a little confused about the situation and asked as if he heard her wrong, "What did you say?"
But by then, Ino had already opened the door, dressed in layers, and spoke to him seriously.
"Come in."
…
In the bright light of the room, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle when he saw how many layers Ino had bundled herself in.
"You're so wrapped up you don't even need a blanket, do you?"
"I do!" Ino pouted angrily.
Then, with a fierce glare, she pointed to the other side of the bed and warned, "You sleep over there. Don't cross the line, or I'll punch you flat."
"Anyway… I have a clear conscience and I can't just let you freeze to death out there."
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