Time crept up the counter, flowed quietly across the floor, and eventually slipped out through the door.
Another ding ling sounded, but this time it was the sound of someone leaving.
Ino stared blankly at the empty spot where Naruto had been sitting. He had already left, leaving behind a half-drunk cup of tea. In the past, he would have drunk it all.
Their conversation had been going well, but for some reason, she couldn't help but mention Hinata. It was as if some strange law dictated that she couldn’t avoid mentioning Hinata.
In truth, after Shikamaru’s wedding, the relationship between the two girls had been repaired. Ino couldn’t bring herself to dislike Hinata. And she knew exactly who was to blame.
She hadn’t wanted to bring up such an unclear topic at this time, especially since she didn’t have an answer herself and didn’t know what to do.
The relationship between the three of them was complicated and couldn’t be explained in just a few words. No matter what decision is made, it would hurt all three of them.
Ino didn’t want to hurt anyone, and Hinata was also a soft-hearted person.
‘Only that guy was a scoundrel, but given his past circumstances...’
It was unclear who had fallen silent first, but Ino was actually a bit angry. Naruto looked at her expressionlessly and pinched her cheek.
His deep blue eyes stared into hers deeply, as if trying to sink into her soul.
"Let’s talk about those things later, okay? Give me some time. I’ll find a solution that’s good for everyone. I don’t want anyone to get hurt."
"Mm." Ino responded and then fell silent.
It wasn’t exactly anger, but she didn’t want to make things too easy for that scoundrel. After all, he wanted what was in the bowl and what was in the pot too… Since when did the world work like that?!
Finally, Naruto left. Looking at the cup of tea, she suddenly sighed. She realized that she should’ve waited until after their intimate moment to get upset. Now, she was left feeling unsettled.
She had obviously been waiting for a long time, and finally, both of them had time together. However, as soon as they met, they ended up in an unpleasant situation.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
The next second, Ino opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling with her little deer-like eyes, which was inexplicably captivating.
Six years ago, Hinata once said to her that she envied Ino for being liked by others. At that time, Ino said a lot of things, but in her heart, she was happy.
She knew what Hinata meant by being liked. Back then, her place in that person’s heart was clearly the most important, something no one else could replace.
Thinking that way might have been a bit sly, but she had indeed been happy at the time.
Now, she wasn’t sure how much weight she held in that person’s heart. In the past, she had never thought about such questions, but now, whenever she had free time, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander.
Ding ling!
"Ino, you look beautiful even when you’re angry." A voice suddenly came from the doorway.
"Ah!" Ino looked up suddenly and saw Naruto leaning against the door and looking at him with a smile.
She then realized that he had seen her dazed look just now.
She suddenly felt a little embarrassed and annoyed. She bit her lip, and turned away.
"Why did you come back?"
"I forgot something. Can’t I come back to get it?" Naruto said with a smile, not embarrassed at all.
"Were you angry just now?"
"None of your business!" Ino didn't want to pay attention to him and turned away angrily.
Even though they were adults now, the two of them still acted childish when they were together, getting upset over little things. But their anger was fleeting, coming and going quickly.
"If you're not angry, just kiss me." Naruto said lazily and leaned closer to her.
"Huh?" Ino glared at him, thinking, ‘How there could be such a person?’
"No!"
"Then you are angry?"
"No!" Ino crossed her arms, "Where did you get the idea that I’m angry? I wouldn’t get angry because of you!"
"Weren’t we arguing earlier?" He asked.
"That wasn’t an argument! You’re so childish!" Ino snorted, thinking to herself, ‘What kind of apology is that? Just a kiss and it's over? How could such a perfunctory apology be taken seriously?’
Although she thought so in her heart, she still ‘reluctantly’ kissed him. Naruto stared at her and smiled, which made her face turn red and lowered her head.
…
The Hyuga Clan’s compound rarely received outsiders, but if the Clan Head invited a guest, that was a different matter.
When Hanabi heard the news, she was stunned for a moment, as she hadn’t expected Naruto to show up like this. But after thinking about it, she felt it was reasonable, since the current Clan Head was Neji.
After leaving the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Naruto first called Choji with the communicator.
After confirming that he was at home, he reminded him not to let anything slip.
To be on the safe side, he also asked Choji to call Ino and pretend that Naruto had gone to his place. At first, Choji was hesitant and unwilling to do something dishonest.
But after Naruto threatened him with his weak spot again, Choji immediately raised his hands in surrender.
"You’re really the worst, Naruto! You keep bringing that up! That's too much!"
"What? The signal’s bad, I can’t hear you! Choji, let’s talk next time!" Naruto said shamelessly, and then hung up the communicator casually.
After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped again, grinned and muttered to himself, “This secret of yours, I’ll hold onto it forever."
…
Arriving at the Hyuga Clan’s compound, Naruto didn’t rush to see Hinata. Instead, he first visited Neji. Even if it was just for a casual chat, it was a necessary formality.
The purpose was to have Neji take him to see Hinata. After all, Neji was Hinata’s cousin, and it was only natural for him to bring Naruto over to chat with her.
He was going through such roundabout methods just to avoid causing trouble for Hinata.
The Hyuga Clan is a very traditional noble clan. Forget about shotgun weddings… without the father’s approval, even meeting openly would be considered improper.
It wasn’t that Hiashi didn’t accept Naruto, he simply hadn’t paid attention to the matter.
Unless Naruto was fully committed to marrying Hinata, he wouldn’t even consider it.
Although the three of them were unmarried, they were still young.
Neither Hinata nor Ino had been pressured about marriage. After all, they were precious daughters, and no father was in a hurry to marry them off.
This gave a certain greedy blond-haired guy an opportunity. The relationship between the three of them was somewhat peculiar. The veil between Naruto, Ino and Hinata had already been lifted, making their relationships clear.
However, Ino and Hinata never mentioned the other, not wanting to ask or know. Hinata and Ino got along quite well and enjoyed each other's company, but they always tacitly avoided mentioning a certain someone in their conversations.
A triangle is the most stable shape, but in matters of the heart, the safety factor is no different from walking a tightrope. Naruto also understood that a false relationship couldn't be maintained forever.
He just hoped that before that day came, he could resolve as many troubles as possible. That way, he could find a solution that worked for everyone.
Choosing was out of the question. After all, whether it was Ino or Hinata, he wanted both.
Passing through the courtyard, Neji was standing there waiting for Naruto.
Neji greeted him and then led him inside until they both took their seats.
"Did everything go smoothly on the way?" Naruto asked.
Previously, Jiraiya, Neji, Lee, and Naruto had parted ways at the port of the Land of Fire. Neji and Lee had traveled back to the village together, while Jiraiya and Naruto had gone their separate ways.
"Yeah, smoothly," Neji set down his tea cup, paused, then asked directly, "Are you here to see Hinata?"