With a soft click, the light was turned on.
Ino was stunned and stood motionless.
She was wrapped only in a towel, fully exposed under the light, her pale thighs on display. The boldness she had felt moments ago vanished in an instant.
When Naruto realized that Ino was even more adorable than he had imagined, his mind went blank. He was almost certain that Rino must have taught her daughter some dangerous tricks.
History has proven that human beauty begins when clothing is put on. Like mountains obscured by mist and water hidden by mountains, people always praise the majestic and mysterious high peaks shrouded in fog and the rivers cloaked in clouds.
The same goes for young girls.
Shakespeare used sonnets to praise a close same-sex friend, but that didn't stop Naruto from applying the sentiment to Ino.
He couldn't take his eyes off Ino at all, and it wasn't because of the large towel she wore, but because of everything beyond it. The girl's blushing face, the way she bit her lower lip, her timid gaze, and her awkwardness.
At this moment, it was clearly an endless midsummer night outside the balcony glass window, a summer that even the Gods boasted about, but it couldn't compare to the beauty of the girl before him.
Ino, still holding onto the sofa, couldn't look away either. She had originally just wanted to play a little trick, but when she noticed Naruto's intense gaze, who was holding a coat, her breathing quickened.
It was an indescribable look, nothing had happened, it felt as if a lifetime had passed in his eyes. And when he finally looked away, it was as if a rainy day funeral had just concluded in his heart.
"Here's your clothes."
"… Thank you." Ino reached out to take them, feeling a strange sense of loss.
Their eyes met again, and they both instinctively looked away.
After a long silence, Naruto stood up and said awkwardly, "I'm going to take a bath."
Bathing three times a day, even the Toad Sage would have shed three layers of skin by now, so he just wanted a simple soak, enough to rinse off the sweat on his body.
"You're not going to drink my bathwater, are you?"
"Hmm? Don't imagine me as that kind of pervert! I'm still a normal person!" Naruto said with some dissatisfaction, "Am I that kind of person in your heart?"
"Yes." Ino said, holding her face, "Some people even prepare maid outfits. I don't even know how to wear something like that."
"I don't know either."
"You're lying! You clearly…" Ino, unable to hold back any longer, clenched her fists, "You'd better not bring that up again!"
"I'm really sorry for not peeking while you were bathing."
"What are you saying?! Peeking is what's abnormal!" Ino was on the verge of a breakdown, "Anyway, if you want to bathe now, you'll have to wait a while for the water to heat up again."
"If you don't mind, you can use mine…"
"I don't mind at all. Strictly speaking, I just need a quick rinse." Naruto said, "I've already bathed twice today, but it's just too hot."
"No sneaky drinking." Ino said, trying to stay serious, though her ears were slightly red.
"If your bathwater was swapped out for milk or chocolate or something, it might be worth considering. But just plain water? Essentially, the taste is no different from the water boiled in the kitchen."
Naruto stood there, stroking his chin with a serious look on his face, and began to express his outlandish thoughts.
When Ino heard the word 'taste' from his mouth, she was too shocked to even remember what she had been planning to scold him about.
"Hmm, if the bath was filled with something solid rather than liquid, that would be a different story. For example, petals or jelly would probably be widely accepted… No, to be more precise, they'd likely be very popular."
"From a general standpoint, the desire to drink bathwater is usually a pleasant fantasy that arises in small, confined, and highly private spaces."
"Stop talking! Ahhh!!" Ino shrank into the sofa, clutching her head as if her very soul had been tainted, her eyes completely losing their luster.
"Oh, by the way," Naruto, retrieving his clothes from the balcony, passed by the sofa and spoke to Ino, who was questioning her life choices, "There's no need for me to imagine anything because you're already beautiful enough, Ino."
"… Beautiful?" Ino's eyes gradually regained their luster.
With a bang, the bathroom door closed.
Ino took small, shallow breaths, straightening up and glancing toward the bathroom. Then, with a soft groan, she collapsed back into the sofa, her face deeply flushed.
She remembered Naruto's unwavering gaze from earlier, and immediately felt a certain part of her heart was being fulfilled. Though her technique had been clumsy, the outcome was surprisingly effective.
Lying on the sofa, Ino's heart raced, her eyelids drooping slightly as her body temperature slowly rose. The mix of embarrassment and exhaustion overwhelmed her, making her feel a bit lightheaded.
Click.
Naruto was covered in steam when he came out of the bathroom. He wanted to continue teasing Ino, but found that the latter had fallen asleep on the sofa.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, he noticed it was already past two in the morning.
The Yamanaka Flower Shop wasn't particularly close to Naruto's place, and Ino had made three trips back and forth tonight. It's no wonder she was exhausted now. Once the surroundings grew quiet, it was easy to fall asleep suddenly.
Honestly, Ino's sleeping posture was surprisingly stunning, with her mouth slightly open as she breathed softly. In the silent, brightly lit living room, her gentle breathing could be heard clearly.
The sight of the girl, wrapped in a towel, asleep on the couch without a hint of defense, had a significant impact on Naruto. He took shallow breaths, adjusting his heart rate several times to calm himself down.
He made an effort to divert his gaze from the tempting sight of her pale legs and avoid focusing on any key areas, mentally chanting 'Thomas the Train' to put himself in Sage Mode.
If he loses his composure at a time like this, the consequences will probably be very disastrous.
Naruto didn't believe that if he did something inappropriate, Ino would trust his less-than-noble character when she woke up. The odds were high that she'd throw him out like trash.
The towel was already showing signs of loosening, and after some contemplation, Naruto decided to carry Ino to the bed.
After mentally preparing himself, he carefully slid one arm around her bent legs and the other behind her neck, gently lifting the curled-up, sleeping Ino.
Fortunately, Ino seemed to be in a deep sleep, her breathing was still even, and there was no sign of waking up. Naruto's movements were very gentle, and he laid her on the bed, but he did not leave immediately.
This is his room. It has been dark from the beginning, but it is very familiar and simple to him, so there is no need to turn on the lights.
The faint glow from the living room provided enough illumination to see by, but only the rough outline of things was visible. Naruto stood by the bed for a while, staring at Ino's vague sleeping figure for half a minute.
Suddenly, he sighed softly for no reason, turned around, and fumbled in the wardrobe for a thin blanket, which he draped over Ino before quietly leaving the room.
With a click, the door closed, and the last sliver of light in the room vanished.