"When do you get off work tonight?" He asked, still holding onto her.
"It'll be late, and I have to go home." Ino explained, sneaking a glance at him. His sharp, direct gaze sent a shiver through her, making her knees feel weak.
After gulping slightly, her mind becoming a whirlwind of thoughts. Her heart pounded twice, and she lost her composure.
"Eight o'clock. But... you probably won't make it in time. I don't even know when I'll finish work tonight. You don't need to come, it's too much trouble."
'Trouble? Not in a million years. Even if the sky rained swords, I'd still show up. A statement like that was clearly meant to be taken the opposite way. Only a fool would believe otherwise.'
"I'll come to pick you up in the evening. When you're about to finish up, I'll be there." Naruto said, easily finalizing their plans for the night.
"We can grab a bite together, and then I'll stay with you while you work. That way it's all settled all."
"Huh? Isn't that too much trouble?"
'Well, it was indeed troublesome… but as the saying goes, no pain, no gain. Without a bit of hassle, the satisfaction of enjoying a reward later wouldn't be as sweet.'
People are like that: the harder something is to obtain, the more valuable it becomes.
Ino had to be home by eleven, which meant even if she got off work on time, they'd only have three hours. Three hours was hardly enough, and the commute would eat into that time as well.
"I don't mind the trouble. I'd be thinking about you if I were at home anyway, so I might as well spend time with you." Naruto said straightforwardly, unabashedly expressing his affection.
Ino turned to look at him, meeting his earnest gaze, which was bright and clear, like a gleaming full moon. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt touched.
Truthfully, ever since that one time, she had been a bit worried. Both Shikamaru's and Choji's wives had complained to Ino about the same thing after they got married.
'My man had become lazy once they'd 'won the prize'. When the deeds, they wouldn't even bother getting the appetizer first, just hoping to eat the main dish right away.'
They took turns venting their frustrations, leaving Ino blushing from ear to ear. Married women were certainly wild. Despite their outward gentleness, when they gathered together, they spoke nothing but bold, daring words.
Ino had been worried about it too, but gradually her concerns were fading. Her heart was full of happiness, even if she didn't show it outwardly.
When it came to being honest, she really wasn't as forthright as Naruto. He never hid his feelings… when he missed her, he made it known, almost like he wanted to stuff all his longing directly into her hands.
Ino, on the other hand, liked to keep up her facade. Sometimes she couldn't help but blush, even when she missed him terribly, but she'd pretend she didn't. And when Naruto would call her out on it, she'd end up blushing even more, which only made her seem even cuter.
"Fine, do whatever you want," Ino said, flicking her ponytail as she turned away, avoiding his gaze.
Naruto found it amusing and continued rubbing her hand. He thought to himself, 'There's still tonight, but if I don't collect a little interest now, it'd be a waste.'
So, without warning, he pulled her into his arms and scooped her up.
"Ah! You mmph…"
Naruto showered her with small, delicate kisses until Ino, too, gave in and got caught up in the moment. The two parted briefly, exchanged a glance, then embraced again to continue their kisses.
Meanwhile, the communication project had smoothly moved forward, with funding secured. . From technology to implementation, it didn't take much time, thanks to the money coming through quickly.
After all, who could refuse upfront cash? As long as the work was done quickly, payment was immediate, which was incredibly appealing. Under the influence of financial power, even a Superhero from the comics would drop in to help lay a few bricks before moving on.
With his afternoon plans with Ino settled, Naruto returned to the Hokage Tower with nothing to do. He wasn't sure when Tsunade would make her move, but they already had the necessary witnesses.
Naruto's role in bringing down Danzo was limited to a few segments, while Tsunade was the one orchestrating the entire operation, hiding out in Shizune's office, waiting to take Danzo down.
It was a clash of two old foxes, and each one is more patient than the other.
As for Naruto, he knew his place. Let the professionals handle what they do best. He excelled at underhanded tactics, but this kind of formal, above-board confrontation wasn't something his usual tricks could handle.
He is not qualified, nor is he capable. The saying 'one call brings a hundred responses' only exists in dreams.
But Naruto didn't care for such superficial accolades. The Godaime is Tsunade, the Rokudaime is Kakashi. What was he striving for? To work himself to the bone, just to queue up for the Nanadaime?
By the time that happens, would he even care to stay in Konoha anymore?
Naruto had it all figured out. Instead of wasting time with village's politics, it would be better to aim for something more substantial, like the rewards from the system.
And, of course, resolving the issue between Hinata and Ino. He wanted both, but the problem is… neither of their fathers would agree to it.
This was an almost impossible dilemma. How could there be a perfect solution in this world, unless he had the kind of influence that rivaled the Shodaime Hokage? But the truth was, he had no interest in those kinds of power struggles.
If both Hyuga and Yamanaka were small clans, there might still be some room for maneuver. But as things stood, he wasn't willing to resort to underhanded methods that might break the hearts of either girl.
Naruto did have a ruthless streak, but when it came to Hinata and Ino, they were exceptions. In his heart, one of them is his 'white moonlight' and the other is his 'cinnabar mole'. (T/N: White moonlight means a guy's first love who has a pure and innocent image. While cinnabar mole means a regrettable or unfinished experience from a past relationship. In short, white moonlight and the cinnabar mole both represented deep feelings, but the white moonlight represented beautiful memories and idealized love, while the cinnabar mole represented regret and irreparable feelings.)
Of course, having both would be ideal. But even if he couldn't have it all, he would do his best to minimize any negative impact. At the very least, he'd protect the two of them from harm.
Thinking about it like that made him realize how much he still had to do.
Naruto made his way through the familiar corridors of the Hokage Tower. He paused for a moment at the door of Shizune's office, peeking his head in quietly to check. Seeing that Tsunade wasn't there, he sighed in relief.
"Naruto?" Tenten stood up from her seat and asked curiously, "What are you doing here? Are you looking for Tsunade-sama? She just left."
"Shh!" Naruto was startled, "I know she left. I saw her from afar."
"Then what...?" Tenten gave him a once-over, suspicion in her eyes, "You didn't do something shady again, did you?"