"How can it be so easy for a Shinobi to get married?" Kakashi said, lifting his head from a pile of documents, his single visible eye staring at the blond-haired figure in front of him.
"Don't you think the life of a Shinobi is too simple, Naruto?"
"But didn't Asuma and Kurenai get married?" Naruto countered, casually finding a seat. He had come to Kakashi to get a favor done… specifically, to transfer Anko's job.
Anyway, it's something that can be done easily, oh, easily refers to Kakashi and Tsunade. As for Naruto, he has no power and his words are not taken seriously.
Even though he hadn't inherited any of the Yondaime Hokage's fortune, at least he'd inherited his connections. Being able to meet the Hokage without any barriers made certain things much easier.
With a lazy thud, Kakashi stamped Anko's transfer request with Tsunade's personal seal. Drafted by Tsunade to handle paperwork, Kakashi seemed utterly devoid of enthusiasm.
"Asuma? How can that be the same?" Kakashi shot a glance at his foolish student and explained, "They've essentially retired from active duty and no longer take missions."
"Being a Shinobi is a high-risk profession. We can die at any moment on a mission. If you'd experienced war, after seeing family and friends perish one by one, you'd understand."
Kakashi pressed Anko's application form onto the desk, then handed it to Naruto and spoke seriously, "Happiness and peace are fleeting, like flowers in the mirror or the moon reflected in water. It's better to admire them from a distance. Once you try to grasp them, they slip away, leaving only misfortune."
Leaving the Hokage's Office, Naruto pondered Kakashi's words. He suddenly understood the situation his teachers' generation faced, and he began to grasp what Anko had meant by saying, "This is fine."
After completing the task, he stowed the application away, planning to give it to Anko the next day.
As he strolled down Konoha's streets, Naruto realized that a lot of things had become easier for him recently. He no longer needed to think too hard, as he could just use his connections.
After thinking for a while, Naruto remembered that he hadn't seen Ino in a few days. After thinking for a while, he decided to swing by the Intelligence Department for a visit.
But to his surprise, when he arrived, she wasn't there. Someone told him she'd left about an hour ago and was likely helping set up a signal tower behind the Hokage Rock.
With no other choice, Naruto made his way there, casually picking up some snacks for her along the way.
By the time he arrived, Ino was fully engrossed in her work, too busy to notice him. Naruto wasn't in a hurry either, so he sat nearby and waited.
He is not worried about the project construction encountering difficulties. After all, the funding was already in place. As the saying goes, there is no problem that cannot be solved by money. If there is, then just add more money.
"There's no way to set it up over there," Ino muttered, chewing on her pencil as she stared at the blueprint, her golden hair dancing in the sunlight like strands of gold in the wind.
A famous quote popped into her head: In this world, talent is the most valuable commodity.
The workers had already returned, each reporting various difficulties in setting up the signal towers. Since Konoha was circular, the most efficient arrangement for the towers was a hexagonal grid.
Ino paused for a moment. She wasn't omnipotent, but she was smart enough to know what would work best. She calmed her team and gave her orders.
"Add more funds and hire more people. Send out the request now!"
As expected, throwing money at the problem worked wonders. Her subordinates, seeing how generous their leader was, immediately became more motivated, and their spirits are lifted as they dove back into work.
Ino had been working non-stop all afternoon, and it was well past lunchtime when she finally realized how hungry she was.
Just as she was about to go back, she was stopped by a young girl who had just joined the Intelligence Department from the Academy. She reminded her, "Ino-sama, someone's been waiting for you over there. It's been a few hours."
"Waiting for me?" Ino turned her head to see Naruto sitting comfortably in a makeshift shelter, casually waiting.
Behind him loomed a towering tree with a thick canopy of leaves that stretched out like an enormous umbrella, shading the entire area. The trunk was sturdy and rose high into the sky.
Ino ran over and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck and taking a deep breath.
"What brings you here?"
"I missed you, so I came to see you." Naruto said as he lifted her up, making Ino giggle and squirm, telling him it tickled and asked him to put her down.
Ino's waist had always been slim, no matter how much she ate. Her delicate waist had a certain charm that could only be appreciated intimately… but that's a topic best left unspoken.
"But, I don't really have much time today." She said hesitantly.
"That's fine, next time then. I just came to check on you. Have you eaten yet?" Naruto set her down and revealed the food he had brought.
"No, I haven't. You're so sweet." Ino said, still hugging him tightly, giggling like a child.
"Stop messing around, the food's going to get cold." Naruto pulled the octopus-like Ino off him, then carried her into the shelter.
"It doesn't matter if it's cold, it's all my favorite." Ino pursed her lips, taking a bite and then feeding Naruto a piece, "Next time, just let me know when you're coming. You don't need to wait like this."
"It's no big deal, don't worry about it. You just focus on your work." Naruto said, "Anyway, there will always be time to relax. Just make sure to train your subordinates well, and it won't be so exhausting in the future."
"Okay!" Ino said, clinging to Naruto. She tilted her head up and kissed him again, her eyes curved into crescent moons, "You're really good to me."
"Of course." Naruto responded, though without much confidence. He spent all his fortune just to get the communicator project off the ground early, all to keep Ino busy.
But in fact, Ino really wants the communicator project to be implemented. It had been her dream, and she had devoted years to it.
Naruto's actions, though seemingly self-serving, were simply him going along with her ambitions.
Despite his questionable motivations, he genuinely wanted to see Ino achieve her dream, to find her own purpose. To shine brightly and proudly, forever.
Loving a flower isn't about cutting it and keeping it in a room to admire. It's about finding the right soil and watching it bloom in the wind. Ino is Ino, she's not a vassal of anyone.
The two of them ate most of the food while cold mountain air swept down from the forests surrounding Konoha. As Ino rested, she glanced over at Naruto, who was sitting relaxed on the bench, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
Naruto was leaning on one arm, probably for balance, while his other hand fidgeted with her fingers, squeezing and rubbing them repeatedly.
Suddenly, Ino's mind wandered to certain thoughts, and her face flushed with heat.
"Stop it."
"What did I do?" Naruto looked at her with an innocent smile. "We haven't seen each other for a few days. Can't I even hold your hand now?"
"I didn't say you couldn't hold it... It's just... can't you be a little more decent?" Ino's response lacked confidence, and she briefly glanced up to meet his eyes.
In that instant, their gazes intertwined, creating an unspoken tension. Ino felt as if a small ember had been placed between them, heating up the atmosphere.
They were both at the age where such encounters were inevitable, especially after not seeing each other for a few days. But Naruto was deliberately holding back, simply watching her with that teasing smile, quietly provoking her.
"How am I being indecent?" His eyes locked onto Ino's, a slight possessive glint flashing as he recalled recent events.
Ino suddenly remembered that this guy was indeed a bit unruly. His thoughts had been all over the place recently… he even insisted she wear stockings, claiming she looked good in them.
'Humph, I won't wear it.'
Instinctively, she resisted, glaring back at him with a fierce look.
That maid outfit incident still haunted her as one of the biggest embarrassments of her life. Someday, she swore she'd knock his head in to make him forget all about it. Otherwise, if he ever brought it up again, she'd die of shame.
"You're just not being decent! I... I have to go." Ino said hastily as she stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm... I'm heading back. I still have work this afternoon." Ino brushed her hair back, trying to hide her flustered thoughts. She knew well enough that Naruto, with his mischievous tendencies, was capable of doing something outrageous.