Ino slowly woke up.
The first thing she saw was the old, worn-out ceiling.
Wait, where am I?
She quickly sat up and looked around. Then she remembered. Oh no, how embarrassing... I really said it... She shut her mouth tightly, her cheeks turning red.
Yes, Ino had truly said it. It made her so embarrassed that she buried her face under the blanket.
Come on, Ino, pull yourself together... She shook her head, trying to accept reality.
But still...
That was when she noticed Naruto was there, sleeping with his head resting on the bed.
Ino stared at him. She moved closer and began ruffling Naruto's hair.
It's so soft, she thought.
Then she touched his face. Wow, I didn't realize his skin was this fair up close, she squealed in her heart.
Until—
Plack!
Naruto grabbed her hand, startling her.
"Ino, stay still," he said loudly.
But when Ino checked, it turned out Naruto was just sleep talking. Thank goodness... She patted her chest in relief.
Then she saw Naruto smiling, dreaming of who knows what.
Is he dreaming of me? Ino thought playfully.
"Could it be? Hahaha, silly Naruto," she mumbled.
She continued to play with Naruto's face. Sometimes it seemed like he might wake up, but strangely, he didn't.
It only made Ino bolder...
She gently pinched his cheek, as if it were a piece of mochi. "Look at you, Naruto, your cheeks are so squishy," she said cheerfully.
But when Ino started playing with his lips—
Cuppp!
Naruto bit down. In other words, Ino's finger slipped into his mouth and got caught between his lips.
Naruto's eyes opened, revealing bright blue irises.
A smile spread across his face.
Ino froze, unsure how to react. Her oxytocin levels shot up and she instinctively smacked Naruto.
Swuttt.
Tack—
Naruto caught her hand.
And...
Ino felt a strange sensation on her finger...
"Naruto, stop!" she screamed loudly.
Her shout was so loud it could probably be heard from outside.
Naruto finally let go, and now Ino's face turned even redder, a thin transparent string connecting her finger to Naruto's mouth.
"You..." Ino glared at him furiously.
"You pervert, hentai, idiot, jerk, shameless pig..." She continued throwing insults at him.
Until she ran out of breath and started panting.
"Finished?" Naruto asked casually.
"Finished what?" Ino frowned.
Naruto moved closer to the bed, causing Ino to back away. She kept backing up until she hit the wall, and Naruto stopped right in front of her.
Ino tried to push him away, but Naruto easily countered her.
"No, Naruto, I think this is too fast... We haven't even confessed our feelings yet... I'm scared, I'm not ready for this, so please, wait at least five more years..." Ino blurted out quickly, her voice a mix of fear and embarrassment.
But Naruto said nothing, making her surrender.
"Naruto..." she whispered as she closed her eyes.
But—she felt nothing except a hand touching her forehead.
She opened her eyes and saw Naruto looking at her plainly.
It seemed like Naruto was just checking her temperature, while she had been thinking all sorts of crazy things.
Then a teasing smile appeared on Naruto's face, as if mocking her earlier behavior.
Ino felt so embarrassed she wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear.
She let out a deep sigh. "Damn it... you scared me," she said harshly.
Naruto still smiled. "Scared of what?" he asked calmly.
Ino glared at him, a flash of irritation in her eyes. "You! I was scared you were going to eat me," she declared.
Honestly, Naruto understood. She was just venting.
"Oh yeah? Then what if I actually did?" Naruto said nonchalantly.
Ino's eyes widened, but when she looked at his face again, she calmed down.
He wore that mischievous, annoying look on his face.
Ino huffed. "If you do, you'll regret it."
"Oh yeah?" Naruto replied.
"Yeah, that's right," Ino answered.
"Ahhh, wait! Why did you do that earlier?" Ino suddenly remembered something.
She almost forgot. Naruto had been acting indecent earlier.
But Naruto, of course, played dumb. "Do what?" he asked innocently.
Now it was Ino's turn to move closer to Naruto.
Her face scrunched up with frustration.
"Hey, don't wrinkle your face too much, you'll age faster," Naruto said casually.
"Shut up!" Ino snapped.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."
Ino stared sharply at him. She took a deep breath and asked again, "So... why did you do it?"
Naruto scratched his head. "Do what?" he said seriously.
"You... you sucked my finger," Ino said softly, looking away.
Naruto just smiled. He then grabbed her hand.
"Really? Lucky me... I didn't know I did that while sleeping," he said, still pretending.
This only made Ino even angrier, and she pushed him off the bed.
"Ouch, why did you push me? I really don't remember. Maybe we should do it again so I can remember," Naruto teased.
His words made Ino realize something. This boy... he's just teasing me.
"Get lost! Don't even dream about it, you pervert," she snapped.
"But... if you want, you can lick my foot," she said, trying to embarrass him.
"Alright," Naruto replied casually.
"Eww, no!" Ino tried to pull her foot back, but Naruto was faster. He grabbed her foot, causing her to fall.
Bugghh!
"Oww, what are you doing, Naruto..." Ino complained.
Meanwhile, Naruto only shook his head. "Did you really think I'm that low, Ino?" his voice sounded deeper.
"Ahh, stop it..."
"Naruto, please stop, don't make me angry..."
"Heii..."
Ino laughed and squealed as Naruto tickled her.
But after a while, Naruto finally stopped and sat back down on the bed.
"Heii, how long are you going to lie on the floor?" Naruto asked gently.
But Ino only glared at him and bit her soft pink lip.
Naruto started chuckling, which only made Ino angrier.
They ended up staring at each other, with Ino's sharp gaze and Naruto's playful eyes.
"Alright, you better go home," Naruto said after a sigh, remembering something.
"Ahhh, Dad! Mom!" Ino stood up and quickly fixed herself.
She had completely forgotten. It wasn't her day off today, and her dad might already be looking for her.
"What time is it?" Ino asked quickly.
"Maybe around seven in the evening," Naruto answered briefly.
"Ahhh, you idiot!"
Ino rushed out of the room, ready to leave the apartment.
"Heii, Naruto," she called out.
Naruto stepped out. "What is it?"
"Um, in the paper bag I brought, there are some clothes for you. But don't get the wrong idea. I'm giving them to you because I don't have any reason to give them to Sasuke anymore," she explained before he could ask.
"So these are the clothes we bought back then?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah, some of them. Anyway—see you later," Ino said before opening the door and leaving the apartment.
She was gone, but her presence had left an unforgettable mark, one that would never fade.
After Ino left, Naruto let out a deep breath.
He felt a little guilty for missing his training, but after thinking about it, it wasn't such a bad thing.
"Ino... you troublesome girl. How can a rough girl like you be so beautiful..." he mumbled softly.
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Today is special for Ino, kyaa ino chan I want to marry you
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