"I didn't ask much, I just asked if you two are living together." Jiraiya replied casually.
"No." Naruto calmly poured juice into both his and Ino's cups, "Only a Pervy Sage like you would ask such a boring question."
"I'm just looking out for you." Jiraiya said with a sheepish grin, taking a sip of his drink.
"Alright, just ask whatever you want." Naruto replied, not wanting to make Jiraiya feel awkward, so he pretended to be indifferent.
He walked over and sat beside Ino, then looked at Jiraiya and asked, "You're leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes." Jiraiya yawned. Since it was a matter concerning the village's secrets, he didn't say much.
The conversation naturally shifted back to Naruto and Ino, with Jiraiya casually asking some simple questions, like:
"Did you cook this soup?"
"No, Ino made it." Naruto answered offhandedly.
"Oh, I was wondering why it felt special. Did she make it in your kitchen? So you two visit each other often?" Jiraiya, skilled in conversation, expertly continued his line of questioning.
"Yeah, we hang out often. It's normal between good friends, right?" Naruto replied seriously.
Ino, on the other hand, was almost on the verge of tears, sitting uncomfortably as her face burned with embarrassment. She glanced at Jiraiya, then at the calm Naruto, feeling her face grow hotter by the second.
She secretly complained in her heart, 'What do you mean we are good friends?! Couldn't you just tell a little white lie? Although lying to an elder isn't good, this is just too embarrassing.'
'He's definitely doing this on purpose! Foot fetishist! Heartless flirt! Go to hell!'
"Is that so? Good friends, huh… No wonder you two are so in sync. When did you two meet?" Jiraiya asked casually as he picked up some food.
"We've known each other for a while. We got closer after graduating from the Academy." Naruto answered honestly, sipping his juice.
Ino, who was standing by, felt so numb from what she heard that she was afraid that Naruto might reveal something inappropriate, so she quickly and stealthily reached under the table, pinching the soft flesh of his waist through his training clothes.
The latter remained calm, just smiled as he gave her a quick glance, though his eyelids trembling slightly.
Seeing this, Ino smirked with satisfaction and pretended as if nothing had happened.
Under the light, Jiraiya held his cup in one hand, sipping his drink slowly. Watching the two of them interact, a smile formed in his eyes, and he suddenly felt a bit like a parent.
"You guys were talking about the New Year's Eve, so logically, we should go to the shrine together. But it's snowing so heavily outside, so there's no need for that." Jiraiya remarked.
Jiraiya never really liked lively events like this. If it weren't snowing heavily today, he might have considered it. But with the bad weather, forcing a shrine visit didn't seem appropriate.
"It really isn't necessary." Naruto agreed, turning to look out the window. The heavy snow was falling like feathers under the yellow streetlights.
They stayed a while longer, chatting about lighter topics. With Jiraiya's vast experiences from his travels, his conversations were always interesting and humorous. As they talked, the atmosphere at the table lightened up, and Ino listened with bright eyes, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Most of the conversation was between Naruto and Jiraiya, with Ino occasionally chiming in. The rest of the time, she quietly listened as an attentive audience.
This was the first time that Jiraiya found Naruto so pleasing to the eye, and he couldn't help but feel a rare sense of pride as if this usually heartless kid was finally showing some maturity.
Happy with the mood, Jiraiya ended up drinking a few more cups.
Inside the brightly lit izakaya, Jiraiya was getting more intoxicated. Naruto put down his juice cup and suddenly asked, "Pervy Sage, she has been having some trouble in her training. Do you have any good advice?"
"What kind of trouble?" Jiraiya put down his cup and asked with a smile.
"Huh?" Ino, completely taken aback, turned her head sharply to look at Naruto in shock. Realizing what he meant, she quickly grabbed his hand and denied it, "I don't!"
She turned to Jiraiya, shaking her head like a rattle.
"Jiraiya-sama, don't listen to him! He's just making things up!"
Naruto rolled his eyes and said nothing. Jiraiya's gaze softened for a moment before he smiled. He was not afraid of being troubled by Naruto at all. The biggest trouble was that Naruto never asked him for anything.
"I might not be much help, but you could ask Tsunade. She probably wouldn't mind taking on another disciple. Or you could ask Utatane Koharu. Those old folks are usually pretty idle."
"This..." Ino was speechless.
"Alright." Naruto nodded.
"Alright what?" Ino tugged on Naruto's hand and said in a low voice.
Naruto ignored her, stood up, and said to Jiraiya, "The snow is getting heavier. We should head back now."
"Go, go." Jiraiya waved them off with a smile, feeling a mix of emotions. After wandering for half his life, it was the first time he felt the bittersweet weight of responsibility.
"Be careful on the way."
"Got it."
"I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sama. He just talks nonsense sometimes! Please don't take what he said earlier to…"
Ino apologized, but before she could finish, Naruto had already pulled her away.
Halfway out, Naruto stopped again and turned back to look at Jiraiya, giving him a serious warning, "Don't die out there, Pervy Sage."
"Damn it! You little brat, I'm from Mount Myoboku…" Jiraiya started to retort, but Naruto had already led Ino far away, opening a large black umbrella at the door.
Jiraiya watched them for a while, then suddenly smiled with relief. He stood up, still slightly drunk, and muttered to himself, "Well, there's no point in drinking any more."
"Better take care of that matter first. After all, my foolish disciple rarely asks for anything, and there's not much fun in Konoha's nightlife anymore."
On the way home, the snow fell in a heavy blanket.
The two walked side by side in silence, with large black umbrellas sheltering them.
"Why did you say that earlier?" Ino broke the silence and turned her head slightly to glance at Naruto's profile.
"I just asked casually."
"I know you're doing this for my own good, but this is inappropriate." Ino said, her expression a little complicated. "That was Jiraiya-sama. I don't want him to think that I..."
"He won't think too much about it. I've never asked him for anything." Naruto stopped walking, causing the umbrella to halt as well.
"He'll be happy and, in turn, will like you too."
Ino was suddenly speechless, her feelings a tangled mess. She realized she might be stepping into a deep pit, one she might not be able to escape from if she didn't pull herself out now.
"Why are you going so far for me? I was just complaining. Even if I become an ordinary Shinobi, I'll be fine."
"I am the heir of the Yamanaka Clan. I might inherit my father's position in the future and work in the Intelligence Department or the Interrogation Department. In fact, even if I don't make any progress, it doesn't matter much."
The two stood in the snowy street, the night dark and silent. The streetlights in the distance cast a steady yellow glow, illuminating their corner.
Snowflakes fell from the sky like a giant funnel, raining down. Each flake fluttered in the yellow light, gently landing on the large black umbrella.
Heavy snow makes a sound, a soft rustling like a brush sweeping across rice paper.
After Ino finished speaking, Naruto's face remained expressionless. He didn't argue with her, just quietly watched.
It wasn't until Ino awkwardly turned her head away, avoiding his gaze, that Naruto finally spoke.
"Isn't this good?"
"I don't know." Ino stubbornly shook her head, "It's good, but I feel it's too heavy, and I won't be able to repay you."
Naruto stared at her pretty face for a while, confused by her reaction. He felt it was just a small thing.
Whether he asked Tsunade or had Jiraiya ask, it didn't matter. And Naruto just let Jiraiya act as a middleman this time.
And knowing Jiraiya's personality, he'd probably ask Tsunade first before going to Utatane Koharu.
"Are you unhappy?" Naruto asked seriously.
"No!" Ino herself didn't know what was wrong. She suddenly realized that everything had changed, and Naruto seemed to be doing just fine without her.
'Whether it was Jiraiya-sama or Tsunade-sama, they both treated him well. With their power and status, the Yamanaka Clan didn't really matter to them.'
Ino also wanted to accept his kindness calmly, but if the relationship wasn't equal... But then she thought about it and realized that when there was not much gap between them before, she had been just like him.
She knew she was being unreasonable, so she wanted to get away as soon as possible, hiding in her bed and thinking it through bit by bit. Tomorrow would be better, after a good night's sleep.
"As long as you're not unhappy…" Naruto didn't think about her thoughts and said with a smile, "I thought you'd be so upset you'd run home, dive under your quilt, and cry."
"You!!"
Ino felt utterly exposed, so embarrassed she could explode. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she pointed at Naruto, trembling with anger.
"I would never! Why do I even bother talking to you! Do whatever you want! I'm not going to worry about paying you back, you jerk!"
Hearing this, Naruto chuckled happily.
"That won't do. I bought you new clothes."
"Ah!!! Go put it on yourself! Damn pervert!" Ino punched him, her chest heaving with anger.
"I could wear them myself, but it'd be a shame if no one appreciated it." As he said that, he grabbed her hand, holding it tightly as if nothing had happened.
Ino's eyes widened as she looked at Naruto who was so close to her. She didn't know where to put her other hand. The hand he held felt hot, making her heart flutter.
She suddenly realized one thing, which is, no matter how he changed, at this age where anything is possible, it wasn't a mistake, but a blessing.
"Want me to walk you home?" Naruto asked.
"The Ino-Shika-Cho Clans celebrates the New Year together, so my parents probably aren't home right now." Ino said, biting her lower lip.
"Then let's go home." Naruto said.