"After Sasuke left…" Ino asked, "You are now forming teams with others and doing missions everywhere, right?"
"Kind of, but those missions are mostly forced on me by Tsunade-sama." Naruto sighed and said, "I'd much rather just lie around at home doing nothing."
"That's not going to happen!"
"I'm telling you, show some enthusiasm!" Ino placed a hand on her forehead and glanced at Naruto, "Shikamaru is already a Chunin, don't you want to become a Chunin too?"
For these teenagers, the allure of a Shinobi title was as strong as getting a certification in modern world. Although being recognized as a Chunin didn't necessarily make one stronger, it was a required step on the path to becoming a Jonin.
But Naruto didn't care.
"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?" Naruto was a little surprised. "The Chunin Exams aren't until next summer, right?"
"How should I put it?" Ino turned her head away, "Tsunade-sama is treating you like one of her own and trains you. You should at least try a little harder."
"Her? Forget it." Naruto said bluntly, "I've got about a week off right now, and I'm not going anywhere near that woman."
Tsunade had been handing out missions left and right recently. In private, Naruto had even nicknamed her 'Mission Princess'. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, he would avoid being in her sight.
Time for slacking off was limited, but missions were endless.
Kakashi, the candidate for the Rokudaime Hokage, had already become numb to it, constantly running missions in the Land of Snow and the Land of Wind.
Occasionally, he had to jump between different teams to clean up messes left by unreliable juniors. He is Konoha's old task master and can be regarded as a hard-working Jonin during Tsunade's early days in office.
"Well, if you're not going on missions, you'll probably be taken for training." Ino suddenly said.
"Hmm?" Naruto showed a confused expression, "What training? How come I haven't heard anything about that?"
"Of course you haven't." Ino sighed, her cheeks puffing slightly as she looked at him and said, "I heard from my dad yesterday that Jiraiya-sama is already back in the village."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Naruto said indifferently, "I'm definitely not going for any training. Pervy Sage knows that too."
"Why not? Isn't Jiraiya-sama one of the legendary Sannin?" Ino asked in doubts.
"That may be true, but it's a completely different matter." Naruto scratched his face and said, "Training with Pervy Sage is really stressful."
"I don't want to become some big-shot. Maintaining the status quo is good enough for me."
"It's really irritating to hear you say that!" Ino slumped over the counter, feeling a bit depressed.
"Why?"
"I've seen your mission completion rate… it's almost 100%, even for A-rank missions. Although your reputation isn't the best, your strength always seems to improve quickly."
"Reputation is one of those things that's better left unspoken." Naruto said, feeling a little embarrassed.
"That's why when I hear you say that you just want to maintain the status quo, it suddenly becomes a little annoying." Ino stared at Naruto's face and said, "I feel like I haven't made any progress since the Chunin Exams."
After becoming Genin, the group had spent half a year on missions, gradually recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses, and clarifying their paths.
Sasuke had defected, embarking on a path of revenge.
Hinata had solidified her resolve to become a competent Shinobi, not aiming to surpass Neji, but simply to avoid being a burden. She sought to become a reliable companion within her team.
Neji sought to break free from his constraints and find the answer to true freedom. Lee is determined to burn his Youth and keep moving towards the direction of the supreme Taijutsu.
Tenten had become a capable tool user, performing well in Taijutsu, but her versatile skills and resourcefulness made her an indispensable companion for any mission.
But there are many people who are lost among them. Sakura could be considered one of them.
Naruto had no clear goals, going through the motions with little ambition. He had no real desire to become Hokage and could easily spend days lazing around if not on a mission.
Rather than being lost, it was more like Naruto had never intended to move forward in the first place.
He was like a dandelion seed, drifting wherever the wind took him. If he landed in the sea, he'd just keep floating. Yet, despite his lack of direction, his strength continued to grow, leaving others baffled.
"Ino, I have a way to help you improve your strength."
"What way?"
"Special training." Naruto no longer had the appetite to eat. He put away the plate and put it back into the food box. He stared at Ino and said seriously, "I'll help you with special training."
"You?" Ino's expression was a little complicated, "Hearing you say that, while I am very grateful in my heart, I can't imagine that you can have any good special training methods."
"Don't underestimate me, damn it!"
"You're not asking for our bodies to be stacked on top of each other, right?" Ino asked, giving him a sidelong glance.
"… What do you take me for? I was just making a suggestion." Naruto was completely speechless, "Remember that furniture store below my apartment?"
At his words, Ino raised an eyebrow.
She had just spent a lot of time talking nonsense with Naruto, but in truth, she already felt much better now, and her anxiety about the future had also eased considerably.
Naruto was well aware of what was going on. As soon as Ino started saying those things, he began to start bluffing seriously.
The key to easing Ino's anxiety wasn't about what would happen in the future but about how to act now to make her feel better in the present.
Being a Genin much stronger than her, instead of giving lofty, long-winded speeches, small, ridiculous suggestions would actually be more helpful to Ino.
"That big furniture store?" Ino asked.
"Yeah, it went out of business. There's a lot of space there. I can buy it and use it as a training ground." Naruto said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"If you have time, we could train together."
"Idiot! No way I'm going there!" Ino made a face and snorted, "Do you think I'm a fool? You want to trick me into going to your place."
"I'm not that easy to fool!"
"Eh? I'm going to be sad if you say that." Naruto frowned, "I just want you to get stronger, Ino. If you do, won't your worries disappear?"
Ino: "…"
"For someone like you who secretly refrigerates bath water, it's totally unconvincing to say something like this! Hmph!!"
"That time was an accident, let me explain." Naruto said, reaching out to grab Ino's hand that was resting on the counter. "No, listen to my explanation!"
Ino's body froze when she realized her hand was being held by Naruto. Her reaction was very cute, like a cat that was frozen in time, with a blush spreading from her cheeks all the way down to her neck.
"Let go!" She stammered.
"You still blush after being caught several times? What a cute reaction." Naruto said naturally.
"Go to hell, you pervert!" Ino yanked her hand back and, using the other hand, pushed him away. She frowned as she stared at the yellow-haired boy, and said, "Don't suddenly grab my hand!"
"Then, can I grab it openly next time?"
"Absolutely not!" Ino rejected without hesitation, with a firm attitude, "We're not that close, so please don't act like a creep!"
Naruto was quite satisfied with Ino's reaction. He supported his head with one hand and stared at Ino with a smile, "Winter is coming soon, you..."
Thud, thud! The sound of someone upstairs accidentally falling was followed by a startled cry.