14 Yamanaka Flowers

"Shigeo-kun!" Shigeo heard a feminine voice call out from behind him. Looking back he found a platinum blonde haired girl with medium length hair.

"Ah Ino" Shigeo said as he smiled at the girl. During the last year or so he had befriended the Yamanaka heir due to her hanging out more with Shikamaru and Choji.

He had already prior knowledge that their clans were all close and they were all being trained together by their fathers in the Ino-Shika-Cho formation. Last year after their practice she started to follow both Shikamaru and Choji, leading to the meeting between Shigeo and Ino.

"Aren't you supposed to be training along with Shikamaru and Choji?" Shigeo asked as he raised a brow.

"We do have practice but today's individual practice meaning we're all being trained separately by our fathers instead as a group. I finished quickly since it was just a lecture on my clan's techniques." She said as she walked beside him.

"How about you Shigeo-kun? You look happier than normal these past few days" She asked

"Hm, that's because I am. I moved out of the orphanage and now live in an apartment all to myself" He said happily.

"Really?! Wow, but don't you get lonely?" She asked sadly, since she knew he didn't have parents.

"It's fine really, besides I already know how to do chores like laundry or cooking" He said as he reassured her.

"Besides I had actually been planning to move for a while now, though I thought I needed to wait until I was a genin. So when I saw the chance I took it" Shigeo said before turning to Ino.

"So what are your plans today? Don't you have to help out in your family shop?" Shigeo asked.

"Hmm, that's right" Ino said as she thought before nodding.

"I see. Then can I ask you for a favor?" Shigeo suddenly asked gaining Ino's curiosity.

"Sure thing! What is it?!" Ino said. She would be happy to help her crush after all.

"Is...uh, Is your shop in need of help? I'm looking for a job, other shops wouldn't hire me because I'm too young." He said embarassed.

"A job?" Ino said as she thought for a while.

'We do need some extra man power, though I don't know if daddy would hire Shigeo-kun due to his age' She thought

'But I should at least try to ask for him, and besides I would get to see him more if he did ended up working there' She thought before she became determined.

"Sure thing! I'll ask my parents" Ino said "But, I don't know if they will be willing to hire you though"

"Alright thanks." Shigeo said as he nodded.

Due to his age he would probably not get paid a lot but it was still something. It's also not a stable job due to that fact so the hokage should still pay for my apartment.

"Then let's go then, we can ask now" Ino said as she pulled Shigeo towards the direction of the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Mn" Shigeo nodded as he let Ino lead.

---

"Here we are, Yamanaka Flowers" Ino said as they arrived in front of the flower shop

"Let's go inside, my parents are probably inside" Ino said as she opened the door.

"Welcome to Yamanaka flo- oh? Ara Ara, Ino care to introduce me to who your friend is?" A woman of her late 20's said as she eyed her daughter who was pulling a cute boy her age.

"Ah, Kaa-san. This is Shigeo-kun! He wanted a job so I brought him here" Ino said.

"Ara?...aren't you a little too young to get a job, Shigeo-kun?" Ino's mother, Inami Yamanaka asked.

"MOM!" Ino said quite panickily earning a questioning look from her mother until Shigeo put a hand on her shoulder and reassured her.

"it's fine Ino" He said with a smile before turning to Inami. "I'm actually an orphan" Shigeo said as Inami understood her daughter's panic.

"Oh my, my please forgive me" She said as she felt bad for the boy.

"It's fine Mrs. Yamanaka, you had no knowledge of it after all" He said "Anyway, I came here to see if I could get a job. You don't even have to pay me too seriously as I would probably only work for a few hours just for some extra money in turn I'll help out around the shop" Shigeo proposed

"Very well then you start tomorrow"

Just as Inami was about to reply they heard a male voice sound off. Turning around they were greeted with Inoichi Yamanaka, the current clan heard of the Yamanaka clan as well as Ino's father.

"Daddy!" Ino said happily

"Ah, dear your back. Also are you sure about this?" Inami asked.

"Yes, Shigeo Murakami right?" Inoichi said to the boy in front of him.

"Yes sir" Shigeo nodded

"I heard good things from Shikaku and Choza from you, so I'll hire you since they seem to have a good impression of you. Are you free tomorrow morning?" Inoichi asked

"Yes I'll be free by then" Shigeo said as he nodded.

"Mn, then you can start tomorrow morning and end your shift just when it's about to be lunch" Inoichi said.

"I see, then thank you again Yamanaka-sama" Shigeo said as he bowed "I'll be heading out now"

"Oh I'll see you out" Ino said as she followed.

Watching the two kids leave Inami turned to Inoichi before she asked. "So Shikaku and Choza know about Shigeo-kun?"

"Yes, apparently the boy is someone that had frequently visited their houses since he was six due to being friends with Shikamaru and Choji" Inoichi said as he paused "From what they tell me, he's actually quite gifted and is the top of his class even compared to the clan kids"

"Is that so, but is that really the reason you hired him?" She asked raising a brow.

"No... actually I hired him because I owe him one" Inoichi said

"Owe him one? Have you met Shigeo-kun before?" Inami questioned as Inoichi shook his head.

"No, I heard from Shikamaru and Choji, that it's actually because of that boy that Ino finally stopped fawning over that Uchiha kid and started to take her training seriously. I was worried since in the ninja world Kunoichi have it harsher, but since she finally started training seriously I felt relieved" Inoichi said.

"Oh so that's why..." Inami nodded before she remembered her daughter pulling the boy 'Actually Ino probably just switched her target, though I have to admit. Shigeo-kun is much more pleasant than that rude Uchiha kid' Inami thought as she smiled a little.

'I'll be rooting for you Ino, just make sure your overprotective father doesn't find out about it' She thought inwardly.

---

a/n:

Remember Ino is not the shy type. Though she won't be openly telling people she likes Shigeo like she did with Sasuke since uh how do I explain this, her heart actually goes doki doki ya know. With Sasuke it was more of an achievement to whoever gets his love against all the other fangirls more than anything, while she actually has a legit reason to have fallen for the mc compared to sasuke.

anyway:

I wrote this chapter because I recently reread 'Flower Shop Romance' so I was inspired to make a chapter on mc getting a job at the flower shop. Though don't misunderstand, I know jack shit about flowers so I won't be writing chapters focused on his part time job.

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Appreciate all of you helping point out mistakes or correcting me. Please continue to do so since my knowledge of Naruto is pretty rusty.