"Ah, Auntie, why is the barbecue..."
Suddenly, a figure holding a plate walked out of the house. Before she could finish her sentence, she froze upon seeing the figure she had been longing for. Her hand gripping the plate relaxed involuntarily.
Just as the plate was about to fall to the ground...
The plate vanished, and Natsuro appeared before her, holding both plates. He looked at the person in front of him with a hint of surprise and asked, "Ino, what are you doing here?"
Ino didn't respond immediately. She looked at Natsuro with a hint of fear and took a step back...
Natsuro fell silent, his smile gradually fading. He opened his mouth and could only say with resignation, "Sorry, did I scare you?"
"No, no..." Ino snapped back to reality and saw the bitterness on Natsuro's face. What had she done?
Ino had learned the secret techniques of the Yamanaka clan, making her sensitive to mental states just like Inoichi. When Natsuro appeared in front of her, she had felt an overwhelming wave of bloodlust and had been frightened.
However, Ino felt some guilt. At that moment, she realized that Natsuro's bloodthirsty aura was a sign of his experiences, and he hadn't deliberately cut her off.
At first, Ino had thought he wasn't coming back because he had someone else in his life. She had been heartbroken for days and decided to seek him out to confirm. If it was true, she would have to move on and stop moping.
After some investigation, she found out that he had been away from home for a long time, realizing her earlier assumptions might have been wrong. She had also started to worry about his safety.
Over time, Ino had occasionally come by, but Natsuro was always absent.
Finally, she had seen him today, but she had ended up... retreating in fear when he was in such a bad state and needed comfort the most.
At that moment, Ino's emotions overcame her fear. She took a step forward and hugged Natsuro's arm with a smile, saying, "Of course not! Don't underestimate me, Natsuro. I passed the ninja academy exam and became a ninja!"
"Ino has been coming here to look for you, but you were never around," Shinai said with a smile upon seeing this scene.
Natsuro looked at Ino's smile and her concerned eyes, feeling warmth in his heart. He said, "Sorry, I took a long-term mission and couldn't come home."
"It's okay, as long as you're safely back. Besides, you've been sending me things regularly, so I knew you were alright." Shinai smiled.
Shinai wasn't truly dissatisfied because, from her perspective, it was normal for a ninja to be busy. As long as she didn't receive a sudden death notice, she would be fine. If she did, it would be devastating.
"However, you do owe Ino an apology. She waited for you a long time and helped me a lot," Shinai continued.
"Auntie, what are you talking about?" Ino's face turned bright red, no longer thinking about her fear.
"Yes, I understand. Now that I'm back, I won't be going on missions for a long time. I'll spend time with Mom and Ino," Natsuro said seriously.
"No need, just spend more time with Ino," Shinai said with a smile.
Ino's eyes lit up at this. She wouldn't have to endure such long separations anymore. Although... she had become a ninja, too, and might have missions of her own. She worried they might end up apart again.
"Alright, no more hugging. Natsuro, go get a new plate from the kitchen. I've decided to show off my cooking skills today because Ino's here!"
Ino blushed even more, feeling a bit shy as she headed to the kitchen to get a new plate.
"Natsuro, go buy some more barbecue. What I bought might not be enough with just Ino and me, especially with you here." Shinai glanced at the barbecue on the table.
"Okay." Natsuro finally understood why he saw her grilling meat upon entering. He thought maybe her taste had changed after he left. He remembered she didn't eat much barbecue even when they were financially comfortable.
Natsuro agreed and then thought about how he had seen Shinai at the barbecue shop before. He had left a teleportation mark there, hidden beneath a tree bark...
That should be enough. Natsuro sensed the general location of the mark and, in the next moment, his figure vanished from Shinai's sight.
She blinked in surprise and then smiled. It seemed Natsuro had become even more skilled, as this teleportation technique looked quite powerful.
At this moment, Ino came out of the kitchen and noticed Natsuro was missing. She asked, "Auntie, where's Natsuro? Did he go out on a mission again?"
"He went to buy barbecue. He'll be back soon," Shinai said, pulling Ino over and smiling, "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't flirt around outside."
Ino's blush deepened as she heard this, her cheeks growing even redder.
Seeing this, Shinai couldn't help but laugh. Over the past few days, she had grown more and more fond of Ino. Though not yet to the point of insisting on her as a daughter-in-law, if given the choice, she would definitely choose Ino.
"Hm? What's going on?" At this moment, Natsuro reappeared, holding a pile of barbecue. He looked at Shinai and the blushing Ino with some confusion.
"Nothing, nothing at all," Ino quickly said.
"Alright, I've brought the barbecue," Natsuro said, placing the barbecue in a nearby basket.
"That was fast," Shinai remarked, surprised at how quickly he returned.
"Of course, your son has become a jōnin now, quite impressive," Natsuro said, sharing the good news with his mother and girlfriend.
"Jōnin?!" Both Shinai and Ino's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're not lying, right? Twelve years old. I remember only the genius from the Hatake clan became a jōnin at that age..." Shinai said, trying to recall specifics.
"Of course not, I wouldn't lie about this... I wouldn't lie about this. Here's my jōnin appointment letter. Although it's a special jōnin rank, I'm officially a jōnin from today," Natsuro said with a smile. Some things were better left unsaid for everyone's benefit.
Taking the appointment letter, Shinai and Ino were momentarily stunned.
Shinai was couldn't believe it. Her husband had spent his life striving for this goal, and now her son had achieved it at twelve?
Ino, who had just become a genin, was unsure how to catch up to Natsuro's achievement.
Soon, Shinai recovered, her face beaming with pride. Her son was a twelve-year-old jōnin! She was so proud!
"Even as a jōnin, you're still my son and Ino's boyfriend. Come over and help with the barbecue," Shinai said, pulling Ino to sit nearby, allowing Ino to react and smile.
Yes, even if Natsuro was a jōnin, he was still her boyfriend. Having such a strong and impressive boyfriend gave her a sense of security and pride!
"Hmm? I'll be the one grilling…" Natsuro scratched his head, having expected to try his mother's cooking.
"Of course, Mom and Ino want to see what a jōnin can cook differently," Shinai said with a smile. She had noticed Ino's state and was trying to alleviate any concerns.
"Alright, it's time show off the skills of the next Hokage!" Natsuro said with a smile, fully relaxed. His mother worked at a barbecue shop, so he naturally knew how to grill meat, though his skills weren't as good as Shinai's.
Shinai and Ino had small appetites, so Natsuro didn't need to grill for long before they were full.
Then, Shinai stood up to grill meat for Natsuro , inviting Ino to help, "Ino, come and give it a try."
"Ah? But I don't know how…" Ino hurriedly waved her hands.
"You can learn. After all, it's for Natsuro. Isn't that right?" Shinai looked at Natsuro.
"Yeah, no problem. Ino, go ahead and grill. I'll eat whatever you make," Natsuro said with a smile.
"Okay then." Ino nodded and began to grill under Shinai's guidance.
Natsuro had a much bigger appetite compared to Shinai and Ino combined!
"Mmm, Mom's barbecue is still the best. Ino's grilling is also quite good. It will definitely be great in the future," Natsuro praised, holding his stomach.
"Well, Ino should grill for you often in the future," Shinai said suddenly.
Natsuro and Ino were both taken aback, and Natsuro looked at Ino, saying, "Sure."
"Does Ino agree?" Shinai asked Ino.
Ino, who usually seemed confident, now looked shy and said in a barely audible voice, "I agree."
Sneak Peak: Next Chapter Title - Naruto was tricked?
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