章節 336: Chapter 336 Nee-Chan, I'm Sorry
Konoha's Street No. 404.
Naruto returned home, swapped his shoes at the entry, and walked into the living room. He first glanced at Kurama calmly. At this moment, Kurama had drunk himself into a stupor and was sprawled out on the couch, snoring away.
Thankfully, Kurama is a Biju made of Chakra, so his body does not get dirty and he does not need to pee, otherwise, Naruto would've kicked that drunken fox out for sure.
The living room carried a faint scent of alcohol. Naruto quietly went to his room, shut the door behind him, and retrieved the good sake Hinata had brought him from the Hyuga Clan.
Then, he pulled out ten fancy bottles he had bought from the market, then set them neatly in a row on the floor.
He poured the high-quality Hyuga sake from the jade bottle into one of the fancy bottles, and then filled the remaining nine bottles with the cheap sake stored in his seal space.
After completing the task, he cleaned up the tools and nonchalantly strolled into the living room. Shortly after sitting down, he took out the bottle of good sake.
The bottle was opened with a pop, and delicate fragrance of alcohol slowly filled the air.
The sleeping Kurama's nose twitched as he stirred from his slumber, and his eyes suddenly snapped open. His gaze was instantly drawn to the sleek and luxurious bottle on the table, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets!
"Good sake!!!" Kurama leapt up, reaching out to touch the bottle, but Naruto smacked his hand away.
"What are you doing!!!"
"What are you doing?" Naruto resealed the bottle and glanced at the clearly ravenous Kurama slowly, "This is for a ritual offering."
"You little brat! What kind of ancestors do you have to offer to? I've never seen you perform any rituals before. You might as well just offer it to me instead! It's a waste to keep it anyway, why not give it to me?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think money grows on trees?" Naruto retorted without holding back, "Kurama, if you want to stay in this house, you'd better contribute something. Otherwise, why should I give you the sake meant for a ritual?"
"I, uh…" Kurama was immediately at a loss for words.
"Besides, there are only ten bottles of sake for the offering, and I didn't prepare any extras." Naruto casually pulled out the other nine identical, inferior sake from the seal space.
"Ten bottles! Isn't that enough?" Kurama asked in astonishment.
"There are many ancestors, so no, it's not enough."
"What's the point of you offering to ancestors anyway?" Kurama's eyes never left the ten bottles of sake on the table. He once again stretched out his claws to reach them.
"I already told you, it doesn't matter. You wouldn't be of any help anyway, so don't ask." As he said that, Naruto swiftly put away all ten bottles, though he left behind two regular ones as an afterthought.
"I have some things to take care of, so I'll head out now."
Seeing the good sake disappear, Kurama instantly lost interest, but when he thought about the guy's habit of playing mind games, especially when it came to luring him out, Kurama didn't bother stopping him and let him go.
The door slammed shut with a bang, and the living room returned to silence. A refreshing breeze blew in from the balcony, causing the curtains to flutter lightly. Suddenly, Kurama felt life was utterly dull.
He slumped heavily back onto the couch, staring blankly at the two bottles of regular sake on the table. He reached for one out of habit, but found he had no desire to drink. His eyes wandered aimlessly toward the ceiling, the dim light casting shadows in the room.
Those ten bottles of top-tier sake, with their elegant, jewel-like packaging, reminded him of ten female foxes, their fur as white as snow, eyes like shimmering pools. In his mind, they teased him, making him itch.
Ten seconds later, with a loud thud, Kurama stood up on his feet and cursed angrily, "Damn it! That fishing brat is so infuriating!"
…
The sun set in a golden hue.
The shadow of the Hokage Tower stretched long, standing tall in the orange dusk.
On the fifth floor, the door of Hokage's Office was pushed open from the outside.
Tsunade, lying back in her chair with her head tilted up, didn't even bother opening her eyes, and said, "We're off the clock."
There was only one person in the entire village who never knocked on the door of Hokage's Office. Tsunade had been working non-stop for nearly a month, utterly exhausted like a dog. Having finally finished all the works, she naturally had no energy to deal with him.
Ino was standing at the filing cabinet, sorting out documents and preparing to leave. When she turned around and saw Naruto, whom she hadn't seen in days, walk right in, she instantly tensed up, wanting to hide inside the cabinet.
It was just an ordinary evening in the Hokage's Office, and the windows were wide open.
The setting sun poured in unabashedly from outside, drenching the office in a layer of soft, orange light.
Tsunade lay in her chair, looking utterly drained. Ino, dressed neatly in professional attire, stood nearby. The white long-sleeved shirt she wore highlighted her slender figure, while her lower half was clad in a black pencil skirt.
Her long, pale legs were bathed in the glow of the setting sun, her expression one of flustered haste.
Naruto stood at the door, dressed entirely in black, including a matching black hat. He wasn't just a Shinobi who trained relentlessly to become Hokage, he also paid attention to his appearance occasionally.
Even under the loose clothing, his youthful energy was hard to conceal. His frame was broad-shouldered, and as the wind blew, his athletic build was outlined against the light. He looked lean and, with his deep-set eyes, somewhat more serious than usual.
Ino's heart started to beat a little faster, and she felt as though she had done something wrong. Glancing at Naruto's sharp jawline in the doorway, she quickly turned her head away.
"Tsunade-sama, what have you been busy with recently?" Naruto took off his hat with a smile, and strode in.
The atmosphere finally relaxed a little. Ino, still standing by the filing cabinet, kept her head down and continued organizing the files, as if she were a student punished to stand in the corner after doing something wrong.
"Why? You planning to help me out?" Tsunade yawned, and the exposed part of her body was snow-smooth and upright.
"No way. I'm just not cut out for desk work." Naruto placed his hat on the desk and glanced at Ino, who was standing in the corner with her back to him.
While keeping his gaze there, he said, "If there's any dangerous missions, you can call me. After all, I've got a tough life, and I'm meant for that kind of work."
"Just keep talking nonsense, we'll talk when Jiraiya comes back." Tsunade raised a hand to cover her eyes and said lazily, "Right now, only Neji and Shino have active missions."
"This summer, with their qualifications, they should be able to be the first batch of those promoted to Jonin."
"Jonin, huh? I wonder when I'll become a Jonin too?"
"Don't kid yourself. You don't even care." Tsunade replied lazily, "Stop pretending. It's after hours. If you've got nothing else, leave already. Stop standing here and annoying me."
Tsunade had already given her dismissal. She was too tired to banter with Naruto, so she just waved her hand, signaling for him to leave.
"So, it's really after hours now?"
"Um."
"Then, can I take her with me?"
At those words, Ino, who was sorting out documents in the corner, suddenly stiffened for a moment, her heart pounding wildly, 'Did he just say…? No way, but…'
"Ask her, not me." Tsunade shifted her position in the chair and continued resting on her side.
Ino wanted to continue sorting out the files, but found that her mind was already in a mess. Just as she was about to pull herself together and resume her work, she suddenly felt someone grabbing her shoulder. She shivered all over, then realized that Naruto was right beside her.
'Crazy! This is the Hokage's Office, and Tsunade-sama is still here! How could he do this…' Ino felt so nervous that her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
Warm breath brushed against her ear, and Naruto leaned in close without any hint of restraint, "Nee-chan, I'm sorry."
Boom!
Ino's mind went completely blank at this moment.
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章節 337: Chapter 337 The Joys of Youth Come And Go Quickly
Ino's whole body went completely limp. That single 'Nee-chan, I'm sorry' from Naruto sent waves of forbidden emotions crashing through her mind, pushing away all the rationality she had built up.
She had completely forgotten what she was angry about, and when she wanted to push him away, she found that she had no strength at all.
Tsunade, lying in the chair, cracked her eyes open just a sliver. Her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the two of them before she closed her eyes again. The warm evening breeze carried by the setting sun gently coaxed her back to sleep.
Naruto grabbed Ino by the wrist and led her out of the office, then softly closed the door behind them.
In the corridor, Ino, dressed in her professional suit skirt, had slender, fair wrists. After struggling for a while, she finally managed to pull her hand free, panting as she did so.
"Y-you! What do you think you're doing!?"
"Tsunade-sama said it's after hours, didn't you hear?" Naruto said with a smile, standing in front of the open window where the sunset bathed his broad back in a warm glow.
His frame appeared lean and tall, the edges of his figure outlined in a golden light.
"I haven't finished my work yet." She stammered, turning her head to the side, her face flushed. Her heart was pounding as her mind kept replaying the electrifying 'Nee-chan'.
She had no idea where he had picked up that way of calling her, but whatever it was, she wasn't going to let herself fall for it.
"Then, I'll go back in with you." Naruto looked at her with a teasing smile, "I'll help you finish up. If not, I'll just keep following you."
The mere thought of returning to the office with Tsunade still resting there made Ino panic, 'If this guy acted up again and caused a scene, I'd never be able to show my face again.'
"No way! It's after hours!" She said, almost pouting.
She didn't know why, but she wasn't really that angry right now.
Every time she saw him, she couldn't help but feel irritated, yet he always seemed to brush her frustrations away so easily.
Naruto grabbed her hand, his eyes sparkling with a youthful energy that was uniquely his. In the quiet hallway, warm evening air swirled around them, and their shadows intertwined on the wall.
He pushed Ino against the wall, leaning in close to her neck, his breath tickling her, making her squirm.
"Are you mad? You're even avoiding me, hmm? Hiding from me."
"I'm not." Ino's psychological defenses completely collapsed, her eyes brimming with mist as she trembled, trying to deny it, "I'm not hiding from you."
"If you weren't hiding from me, why didn't you tell me you were reassigned to the Hokage Tower?" Naruto let go of her, his eyes a little cold, as if he would leave at any moment.
"I… I wasn't." Ino's voice grew softer and softer.
"Really?" He asked, as if he would disappear immediately after she nodded.
"I was a little mad, but just now, when you… in the office, I wasn't mad anymore." She said with an embarrassed look on her face.
Hearing this, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Wanna go out tonight?"
"Where?"
"Well, let's just walk around and have something to eat on Konoha's Main Street." Naruto replied casually, and then asked, "Do you have to go to work tomorrow?"
"Yeah." She nodded, "It's been busy lately. I'll probably finish late again."
"Even later than today?"
"Probably… around midnight. Tomorrow is the end of the month, so I need to sort out the mission documents." Ino explained in a low voice.
After hearing what Ino said, Naruto realized it was already the end of March and April was just around the corner.
"Alright, I'll come pick you up around midnight." He said, taking her hand and leading her down the stairs.
"Why?" She asked in a muffled voice, looking at the figure who was half a step ahead with questioning gaze.
"Why so many questions? I don't want you walking home alone that late." He said, "If I didn't know, it'd be one thing, but since I do, I can't just pretend I didn't hear it."
"But… what if there are other times when I'll have to walk at night?" Ino followed him down the stairs. Her steps felt light, as if she was walking on clouds.
"Just tell me and I'll come get you."
"Mm." Ino softly responded, a small wave of happiness rising within her, like a piece of broken cookie that only revealed its sweetness after you took a bite.
On the staircase, Naruto kept holding her hand, and he walked in front of her, making his figure a little lower than hers. At the corner of the stairs, their gazes met for a brief moment, one looking up and the other down.
In the dimly lit, narrow space, Naruto's cool, restrained gaze made Ino's heart skip a beat. Somehow, she could read what his eyes were saying: He wanted her.
Naruto's gaze quickly shifted down the stairs, as if he were focusing on the path ahead.
Ino's face suddenly turned red at a visible speed, as if it was on fire. As she thought about a certain possibility, her face turned red all the way to her ears. Her teeth clenched from nervousness, and her heart was pounding loudly in her chest.
Konoha is actually quite prosperous, with a high population density, various shops, and stores selling all kinds of daily necessities. The spending power of the village's Shinobi wasn't lacking, and under Tsunade's governance, the village seemed to show signs of entering a new golden age.
The bustling streets of Konoha were brightly lit. Ino seemed a little uncomfortable with being held by the hand, but when she tried to break free, she found it was impossible to break free, so she gave in and let him lead her.
"What are you so nervous?" Naruto asked in surprise the moment he turned his head.
"I'm not." She quickly denied.
"You're a terrible liar. Next time, try to cover it up a bit better." Naruto commented casually as he glanced at her slowly. He found that she looked a little cute when she was trying to argue.
But when he thought about how her expression just now was like that of a little girl who stole the forbidden fruit for the first time, he couldn't help but frowned and asked another question, "Did you misunderstand something?"
"No." She denied at first, but then, taking advantage of the relatively quiet street, she leaned closer to his shoulder and whispered, "Are you trying to take me to that place?"
"What place?"
"You know…" Ino bit her lip, her pale hand hooking around Naruto's neck as she pulled him down closer, pressing her lips to his ear. Her hand clamped tightly over her mouth, as if to prevent the words from leaking out.
"***."
"Oh~!" Naruto pulled her hand away and looked at Ino in shock, "I really should've recorded that."
"You!" Ino punched him in annoyance, "I was just joking."
At an outdoor barbecue stall, Ino had kicked off her shoes, revealing her snow-white feet, and dangled them under the table. She took a bite of the sweet, oily grilled meat and washed it down with a drink, her face lighting up with happiness as she squinted her eyes in contentment.
"Ahh! This is great!" She exclaimed with emotion. "Thank goodness I got off work on time today. I've been so exhausted these past few days, I feel like I'm about to fall apart."
Looking at Ino, whose mood seemed to have improved, Naruto sat leisurely while slowly grilling more meat. The early summer night was lively, filled with the sound of clinking glasses and cheerful conversations.
The atmosphere made him feel a little envious, as summer was certainly a good time for drinking. But he reminded himself that there was no rush. He just needed to wait a few more years and then enjoy it properly.
"Ah~" Ino extended a piece of perfectly grilled meat toward him, smiling mischievously as she waited for him to take it.
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