In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Naruto turned his head and saw Ino standing on the stone steps that were about one and a half meters above the road.

Under the dim streetlights, the soft glow outlined the girl's figure completely. Her loose blonde hair fell over her forehead, and a casual ponytail was tied at the back of her head.

She was wearing a form-fitting orange short-sleeved shirt and gray capri pants, revealing a small section of her fair and slender legs. Her entire presence radiated youthful energy.

"Not thinking about anything." Naruto said, his gaze settling on Ino as he smiled and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Ino brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, then looked down at Naruto and said, "Asuma-sensei treated us to dinner, and I was about to head home when I saw you from a distance."

As she said this, Ino jumped down from the stone steps, landing gracefully in front of him.

"I've noticed something about you~" She said in a drawn-out tone, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness, "You've been doing missions with Tenten, Neji, and Lee a lot lately, haven't you?"

"Yeah, Tsunade-sama arranged it."

"Wasn't it your choice?" Ino's words didn't sound resentful at all. Rather, there was a hint of cuteness.

"You're obviously closest with our team, yet it seems like you've never done missions with us even once."

"No, that's not it." Naruto shook his head and added, "It's because the missions I get paired up for with other Genin Teams tend to have higher danger levels, mostly A-rank missions."

"So…"

Team 10, Team 8, and Team 7, which Naruto and Sakura are part of, graduated last year, but Team 3, which includes Tenten and Lee, graduated earlier and had more experience.

Whether it is Naruto or Tsunade, they naturally prefer to assign missions with higher risk factors to Team 3.

"Alright then." Ino said, pursing her lips.

"Are you going home?" Naruto changed the topic appropriately. The possibility of him partnering with Team 10 seemed far off, and he couldn't make any promises at the moment.

Besides, carrying out a mission is a serious business, not a game. During a mission last month, Team 3 was in danger and Naruto almost used the Impure World Reincarnation on an ungrateful Shinobi Village.

If he had resurrected all their ancestors, it would've been a bloodbath.

"Well, it's getting late. I was just thinking of heading home when I spotted you." Ino's voice pulled him back from his thoughts.

"Let me walk you home."

"My house is really far from here, and your place is completely in the opposite direction, right?" Ino seemed a little hesitant. "Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

"It is indeed quite a hassle."

"Although it's the truth, hearing someone hesitate just because they want to go home and sleep… It feels a bit disappointing to be prioritized after sleep."

"Because after that, I'd have to walk home alone. It would be lonely."

"Who cares about you!" Ino huffed, "Don't even think that such a clumsy and dirty trick will work on me."

"Eh? You noticed?"

"How slow do you think I am?" Ino glared at him.

"Ino-sama is truly impressive."

"Hehe, of course." Ino said, clearly pleased with his words, her eyebrows arching in satisfaction, "It's rare to hear something sensible from you. If you could keep that attitude all the time, that'd be great."

"Sure, just keep me company during the vacation." Naruto suddenly suggested.

"Company!! Company? Why would I want to keep you company?" Ino stammered in response.

"Then I'll keep you company."

"No way!" She refused without hesitation. "Besides, I'll probably have to help out at the shop. If you show up, my parents will definitely get suspicious."

Naruto rubbed his chin, taking a deep breath, and said, "But… Auntie seems to like me more."

Ino: "…"

He seemed to be telling the truth. Ino felt like she'd been hit right in the knees, her whole mood plummeting.

'Forget it, I should just go home quickly and cry secretly for a few minutes while hugging the quilt.'

"Anyway, you're not allowed to come!"

"But I'm so bored at home. I'm basically half a customer, right?" Naruto asked, sounding a bit cheeky.

"Why only half?" Ino had already turned and started walking toward the Yamanaka Flower Shop. The two walked shoulder to shoulder, slowly making their way down Konoha Street.

"Because I didn't go there to buy flowers." He turned and stared at Ino.

Feeling his gaze, Ino shrunk her shoulders slightly, but she couldn't help but glance at him quickly, her eyes sparkling. Her cheeks reddened, and she muttered softly, "Don't say such weird things."

"Well, it's summer now, so it's normal to say things like that, right?" Naruto said lazily as he walked beside Ino. The streets of Konoha were still brightly lit, stretching endlessly into the distance.

"It has nothing to do with summer. Stop making weird excuses."

"I'm just explaining. You only have one true summer in your life, and all the others are just memories of it. It's like saying it's the best summer, or something like that."

As he spoke, he quietly took Ino's hand. She struggled briefly, but when she couldn't pull free, she simply averted her gaze.

"You…"

"What's wrong with me?" Someone asked shamelessly.

Ino said nothing more. She looked away, and spoke in a muffled voice, "Don't squeeze randomly."

Naruto was holding a half-empty soda in one hand and Ino's hand in the other, and he wasn't exactly being honest. Ino's face turned bright red, and she finally couldn't stand it anymore, yanking her hand away from his.

Perhaps feeling that the atmosphere was getting a bit dull, Ino began to try to find topics to talk about while walking.

"What are you holding in your hand?"

"Half a bottle of soda. I saved it for you."

"… Drink it yourself." Ino sighed, feeling exasperated, 'I knew I shouldn't have had any expectations from someone like him. The long seven-day holiday was bound to be spent dealing with him.'

She thought begrudgingly to herself, already feeling tired just from minding the shop.

Under the big green tree in front of the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

The two of them stopped in tacit understanding. Although this place was still a street away from the Yamanaka Flower Shop, they always considered the job done once they reached this point.

"I'll come to the shop to see you tomorrow," he said.

"Oh." Ino lowered her gaze, staring at the tips of her shoes, and said nervously, "It's going to rain tomorrow."

Right now, she hoped Naruto would say, 'Then let's pick another day', or Naruto would even decide not to come at all. But her heart betrayed her, and started racing faster and faster. She was anxious.

She had said similar things in the past, like when her parents asked if she wanted to celebrate her birthday separately. Her birthday often coincided with the Fireworks Festival, and they always had to rush through the celebration.

She had shaken her head, saying it was too much trouble, and back then, her heart had raced just as quickly.

Even though she genuinely found it troublesome, she still hoped her parents would respond differently.

Naruto glanced at her and frowned slightly, "Is that so?"

Ino's heart suddenly sank, but she still managed a smile.

"Yes, after all, it's summer, and the rainy season will last for a while. It's very troublesome when it rains, and it's also far…"

"I'll come early."

"Huh?" Ino looked up at him, confused for a moment.

"How about before dawn?"

"There's no need to go that far! Just... come a little early, not that early."

"But I'm treating this as a date."

"A date? No! It's not like that! Don't say such things!" Ino seemed a little flustered, "Do you really need to be so excited?"

"Of course."

"Since you're so eager of it, I'll agree to it with reluctance. But this isn't a date!" Ino emphasized, "You're just accompanying me to look after the store."

"It's really boring, you know. Usually, there aren't many customers, so all you can do is nap."

"I see…" Naruto nodded, "It doesn't matter. I'll find my own fun."

"Hey! What you said sounds so sleazy!" Ino hugged herself tightly and glanced at him with contempt, "You'd better keep your damn fetishes in check tomorrow and not scare the customers."