章節 338: Chapter 338 Wishing The Young Man Eternal Peace
Naruto didn't hesitate and took the bite of grilled meat she offered him, swallowing it in one go.
Amid the flickering lights and bustling noise of the street, the bright glow of the town stretched out like a ribbon. Ino covered her mouth with one hand, her almond-shaped eyes curving like crescent moons.
Her smile was warm and pure, filled with a sense of simple joy, as she watched him with a look of triumph.
"Tasty?"
"Yeah." He lowered his gaze and a faint smile appeared on his face.
Naruto is not the kind of person who cannot humble himself to please others. Even if he has done nothing wrong, he does not mind admitting his mistake. It is just a matter of words.
For him, admitting fault and teasing someone weren't mutually exclusive. Ino had a soft heart and a few words of comfort would easily make her happy. Young love was fleeting and carefree, like clouds drifting by.
What mattered more was that Ino always responded to him. Every word he said received a reply, like tossing a stone into a deep pond and waiting for the echo. She never brushed him off or left him hanging.
Her sincerity made everything more comfortable, and her occasional temper was nothing to worry about.
"So why were you transferred to the Hokage's Office?" Naruto leaned back in his chair, watching the flicker of the nearby flames reflected in his eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he spoke.
"I was cast aside." Ino huffed, stuffing her mouth with grilled meat, her lips glistening with oil as she chewed angrily.
"Who could ever cast you aside? You're so popular that people are lining up outside the shop to see you." Naruto glanced at Ino sideways and said lazily.
"You're still holding onto that?" Ino felt a little guilty, but when she thought about what had happened, she puffed out her chest and said confidently, "It's not my fault! I already made it clear I wasn't interested."
"Mm." He acknowledged her with a simple nod.
Ino watched as Naruto reached for his drink, his long, slender fingers gently curling around the cup. The motion inexplicably sent a shiver down her spine, as if those fingers had grazed her heart.
She quickly averted her gaze, but her thoughts wandered uncontrollably, spreading like ivy, 'His hands looked so graceful. If those fingertips were to caress me, it would surely feel incredible.'
She imagined them tracing a delicate path down her spine, from her shoulder blades to her collarbone, and then lower…
"What are you thinking about?"
"Ah!" Ino nearly toppled from her chair. After realizing what she had just thought, she was too embarrassed to meet his eyes, or look at his hands.
"No!! Nothing!! I mean... I just zoned out, that's all, haha…"
"It's normal to get distracted when you're overworked," Naruto replied calmly.
"Y-Yeah." Ino chuckled nervously, feeling a bit guilty, "It's definitely because I've been working too hard. It's all my dad's fault for pulling me out of the Intelligence Department."
"Are you not working seriously?"
"No way!" Ino retorted, raising her chopsticks in defense before taking a big gulp of her drink and slamming the cup down on the table, "He had the nerve to say I'm too popular and that standing there would distract others from work!!"
"He just transferred his own daughter without a second thought! How old-fashioned!"
Hearing this, Naruto's lips twitched slightly.
He thought to himself, 'It was obvious that your father was helping you brush up your qualifications while Sakura was on leave. After all, the Hokage's Office wasn't just a place anyone could get assigned to.'
"So, how long are you going to be in the Hokage's Office this time?"
"I don't know, at least until Sakura comes back from her break. But I haven't seen her around much lately." Ino muttered, looking over at Naruto.
"Have you seen Sakura lately?"
"We just had lunch together this afternoon." He had nothing to hide, so he answered it truthfully.
"Why didn't she have lunch with me?" Ino pouted and frowned, "I'm the one filling in for her, so shouldn't she be treating me?"
"Oh, she owes me a meal."
"She paid?" Ino was stunned for a moment, "She's been very stingy lately. She said she wanted to save money for something big. Every time we eat, I'm the one paying."
"I paid. She doesn't have money." Naruto replied calmly.
"Then why would he invite you?"
"I never expected her to treat me anyway. You two are a perfect match, one is the 'Flower of the Intelligence Department and the other is the 'Flower of the Medical Department'." He said casually.
"Really? So, which one do you like more?" Ino asked, resting her face in her hands.
"Hmm?"
"Oh, right, including Hinata… who do you like more?"
"You."
"How perfunctory." Ino scoffed, then blew carefully while holding the drink, "But I'm still very happy to hear you say that. Do you think I'm..."
She looked up, only to freeze.
Naruto was watching her with a smile, his eyes reflecting the warm glow of the nearby lights. The moment their eyes met, Ino felt as if nothing else mattered.
Promises may change, and hearts may waver, but the sincerity of their youth never would. At that moment, she realized that whatever the answer was, it didn't matter anymore.
She remembered seeing Naruto years ago, slumped in his old apartment, looking worn out and isolated. She'd witnessed his dark, moody gaze as he wandered the streets, a wounded beast hiding his scars.
It wasn't until Tsunade's arrival that things started to change for him. What once seemed impossible to solve slowly resolved over time, and he finally became the person he was meant to be.
Watching him now, with that peaceful and warm smile in his eyes, Ino genuinely wished for a world where all discrimination and injustice vanished, and all hatred stayed far away from him.
She hoped he would always walk down the bustling streets, free from sickness and misfortune, crossing over every sorrow and separation. And in the crowd, she would be there, saying she liked him.
If the person she fell for had been an ordinary boy, she might have wanted to possess him. But with Naruto, all she wished was for the world to treat him with the same kindness she felt.
And she knew, whether or not she ever moved toward him, as long as he stood there, someone would always love him. No one asked him to be some dazzling beacon of light, only that he could live a peaceful life.
"I'm so full." Ino leaned back in her chair, rubbing her slightly rounded belly while gazing up at the starry sky, "You'll pick me up from work tomorrow too, right?"
"If you want, I can pick you up every day." He replied nonchalantly, "Considering how many people are after you, it's probably a good idea to be prepared."
"Really? Then you have to come every day!" Ino's mood brightened instantly at his words. She grinned as she sipped her drink, gently kicking him under the table with her bare feet.
The warm evening breeze carried the scent of grilled meat, mingling with the sweet remnants of the day's heat.
The noise from the lively street drifted over, close enough to hear but far enough not to intrude. Neither of them spoke, and Ino's pale feet softly grazed Naruto's pant leg.
They exchanged long, lingering smiles, a silent understanding building between them. It was like carefully piling sand into a tower, delicate but with an eager desire to build it higher and higher.
In that moment of mutual gazing, their eyes holding unspoken thoughts, Ino finally gave in with a long sigh, "How many girls' hearts have you stolen with that look? Your eyes are practically pulling strings!"
創作者的想法 
Iampoorguy
Iampoorguy Support me at Pat reon
https://www.pat*reon.com/IamPoorGuyToo
remove the *
章節 339: Chapter 339 Akamaru is Injured
The next day.
Early in the morning, Naruto was getting ready to go out and buy groceries, bending down in the entrance as he changed his shoes. When he looked up, he saw Kurama poking his head out from behind the sofa, then quickly retreating.
Naruto couldn't help but smirk, thinking to himself, 'The bait is set. You might resist the first day, maybe even the second, but eventually, you'll take the bait. Sooner or later, you'll be hooked.'
"Do you need something?" Naruto, who had put on his shoes, stood at the entrance and deliberately asked Kurama, who was lurking in the living room.
"Oh, nothing. Where are you going?" Kurama's head popped up again from behind the sofa, answering with a somewhat awkward tone.
Normally, he didn't care where Naruto went, but today it was acting like he had ulterior motives. His attempt to act casual almost made Naruto burst out laughing.
"I'm going to buy some supplies for the ritual. The ritual starts in a few days," Naruto replied seriously.
He knew Kurama was aware he was setting a trap, but he didn't mind letting him know. This was a naked conspiracy. And with his long experience, Naruto knew Kurama wasn't easy to fool.
"Ritual? How does it work?" Kurama stood on the sofa with a conflicted expression.
"You pour it on the ground, soaking the soil with the sake."
"Wha... what??? Pour it on the ground?!" Kurama stood directly on the sofa, looking utterly shocked and heartbroken, "Isn't that a waste?!!!"
Seeing the distressed expression on Kurama's face, Naruto suspected that, on the day of the 'ritual', he might lie on the ground with his mouth wide open, ready to catch the sake he poured.
In truth, there was no ritual at all, and it was just an excuse to bait Kurama.
"You silly dog, since when giving offering on a ritual considered wasteful?" Naruto glanced at him coldly, then grabbed the door handle and said, "I've got things to do, so I'll leave first."
With a bang, the door closed.
Naruto wandered around town for a while, grabbing the groceries he needed. Seeing it was still early, Naruto also picked up some drinks and a batch of fine sake.
Using inferior sake as good ones to lure Kurama only a temporary plan. After all, he couldn't be so shameless as to ask Hinata to get ten bottles of Hyuga Clan's sake. But a single bottle clearly wouldn't be enough, so he had to resort to this trick.
However, he'd still need to compensate Kurama afterwards. His goal was to get Kurama on board for a showdown with the Akatsuki. After all, with him being stuffed on Jashin's Dog, even if Kurama were defeated, he'd at most get a good beating.
As he thought about it, Naruto couldn't help but sigh, 'There were only a few gods in the Shinobi World. Even the so-called God of Shinobi was merely an offshoot of the Otsutsuki.'
'At the end of the Otsutsuki path, there were gods as well. But in the end, they were just part of another civilization.'
'And as a stranger from another world, I wield both the powers of Jashin and Shinigami, and also Ninjutsu. Does this count as NTR-ing the gods?'
But after calming down and thinking it through, Naruto realized he had only borrowed a fraction of their power. Since he couldn't absorb Natural Energy, he hadn't mastered Sage Mode.
To put it bluntly, Jashin's Dog and Kurosuki Raiga's funeral were essentially tools modified by the system, and the sacrifice-free version of the Impure World Reincarnation was basically a cracked version of the Shinigami's technique, courtesy of the system.
But Naruto didn't care much. After all, he had no aspirations to become a god.
'What kind of god is it if the system can crack it?'
'Ptui, pathetic.'
After spitting on the ground, Naruto left with a look of disdain on his face.
"Naruto!"
Just as he walked a few steps, someone called out to him. He turned around and saw that it was Kiba, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, running up to him while out of breath.
Naruto and Kiba had always been on good terms, though they loved to bicker whenever they met. As they grew older, though, their encounters had become less frequent.
Even when they did meet, their exchanges were more playful jabs, unlike the old days when they'd spend the whole day trying to one-up each other. After all, those carefree, easygoing days are long gone and will never come back.
"What's with your outfit?" Naruto asked, slightly taken aback.
From a distance, Naruto hadn't noticed anything, but upon closer inspection, he realized Kiba was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. His face was bruised and swollen, which looked a bit scary, but fortunately, his face was not disfigured.
"Did you get caught peeping at the bathhouse?"
"Get lost! I'd never do something like that!" Kiba had initially been happy to see Naruto, but as expected, Naruto's words were sharp as ever, killing his mood instantly. He felt like turning around and leaving right away.
"So, what happened? Did humans stop being enough for your tastes?" Naruto then feigned shock, "Wait, where's Akamaru?"
"You've got a filthy mouth!" Kiba wanted to beat him up, but when he thought that he would most likely lose in his current condition, he gave up.
"Akamaru is more seriously injured than me. My sister said he's still not out of danger." Kiba said with a gloomy look, "Can you ask Tsunade-sama for help?"
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Naruto's teasing expression disappeared, and he asked solemnly, "What happened?"
"It's nothing... not something you should be worried about. Knowing too much isn't good for you." Kiba said hesitantly, avoiding details, "Anyway, can you ask Tsunade-sama for help?"
"I'm really worried about Akamaru now, Naruto. I've never asked you for anything before."
"Cough!" Naruto interrupted him with a cough and subconsciously took a step back, "I can ask Tsunade-sama, but you'll need to tell me what happened first."
Hearing this, Kiba hesitated for a moment. Perhaps weighing Akamaru's life, he then gritted his teeth and spoke, "They were Shinobi from the Root. I had a conflict with them while on a mission. If I wasn't a member of the Inuzuka Clan, I'm afraid I would have already..."
"Got it. A dog's life is important, so I'll help." Naruto said as he stood on the street with groceries in one hand, "But Tsunade-sama may not have the time, so don't get your hopes up."
"Sakura is not busy recently. If Tsunade-sama doesn't have time, I could get Sakura to help."
"I understand. Thank you anyway, Naruto." Kiba said sincerely, "You might be a pain most of the time, but I didn't expect you to be so reliable when it counts."
"…" Naruto's face was full of black lines, "If you don't know how to compliment people, just keep quiet. And from now on, address me as Clan Head."
"Clan Head? What Clan Head?" Kiba was a little surprised.
Naruto patted Kiba heavily on the shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. Carrying groceries while standing in the sunlight, Naruto's figure was bathed in a golden glow as he spoke earnestly.
"Uchi… Cough, I'm the Clan Head of the Konoha branch of the Uzumaki Clan. I'm currently recruiting fresh blood. Interested in joining the glorious Uzumaki Clan?"
"No way! I can't betray my ancestors. Maybe next time." Kiba quickly declined.
Naruto sighed with regret, 'It seemed the glory of the Uzumaki Clan would remain mine alone.' However, as he watched Kiba limping away, Naruto suddenly had an immature but intriguing thought.
'I might not be able to topple Danzo, but at the very least, I could annoy him.'
For now, though, Akamaru's life was in danger, and as Akamaru's godfather, it was his duty to help Kiba. After all, it was just a matter of asking Tsunade for help, nothing too troublesome.
創作者的想法
Iampoorguy
Iampoorguy
Support me at Pat reon
https://www.pat*reon.com/IamPoorGuyToo
remove the *
每周推薦票狀態
200+ 推薦票
榜單 
21 推薦票 
段落評論