Chapter 148 Green Tree

Ino's hand trembled slightly as she resisted the urge to turn around and argue.

The Yamanaka Flower Shop was closed in the afternoon, so she opened the door and sluggishly headed upstairs.

With a thud, Ino threw herself onto her bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze. It was only now that she realized she had overlooked so many things all along.

'Or perhaps, that guy had never shown those things in the first place.'

'Although that guy always looks like nothing matters to him and just lies down at home all day, he looks like he has no goals in life.'

'He was always talking about lewd things, with his mind seemingly filled with nothing but colorful thoughts. He doesn't look like an honest person at all… Well, he can barely be considered a pleasant person.'

'But regardless, he hadn't done anything wrong.'

Suddenly, Ino realized that if Naruto had never mentioned those things in front of her, it might be because he simply had no one he could trust enough to confide in.

After all, he was a guy, so it was normal that he wouldn't bring up such matters in front of her.

But when she thought about it carefully, it seemed like Naruto didn't have many friends. Even in the Academy, he only seemed close to Shikamaru, Choji, and a few others.

But at that time, Naruto was a naughty guy in the Academy, always pulling annoying pranks. Her attention had been focused on Sasuke, and she hadn't paid much attention to Naruto.

It was only later, after some unknown event, that Naruto seemed to have grown up overnight. It was only then that they began to interact, and she realized he was a better person than she had initially thought.

Though she had never been in love, just being treated kindly by that guy made her happy. However, she would never admit that she had feelings for him, and felt that it was just an impulse unique to her age.

Ino's mind was a jumble, and she couldn't sort out her thoughts. The future seemed distant, and she had no idea how to face it. In her drowsiness, Ino closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

At night.

Ino sat idly in the shop, the Yamanaka Flower Shop's door wide open, with a sign indicating they were open for business.

The lights inside were warm and bright, but the shop was silent.

Suddenly, the doorbell chimed, and Ino sluggishly got up, ready to greet the customer.

"Welcome, how can I help…"

She forced a smile that was both professional and stiff. But halfway through her sentence, she froze, her smile fading as her face turned away, slightly puffing up in annoyance.

Like any girl who was upset, she occasionally glanced quickly in Naruto's direction out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm here to buy flowers."

"I won't sell it to you."

"Then I'll just have to go to another flower shop. Next time I meet Auntie, I'll tell her how you treated a customer so rudely." Naruto said, spreading his hands.

"My mom won't believe you!" Ino glanced at Naruto with disdain.

Naruto stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before saying softly, "Why do I seem to remember that Auntie seems to trust me more than you?"

This sentence hit the nail on the head, and Ino was instantly paralyzed. She suddenly recalled the past incident with the maid outfit.

'It was this guy who admitted his fault first, but in the end, I was the one who got criticized.'

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!" Ino suddenly squatted on the ground, burying her head in her arms, feeling utterly defeated.

'My own biological mother actually trusted an outsider more than her own daughter. The worst part was, it was true!'

"What do you need the flowers for?" Ino got up from the ground and asked expressionlessly.

"I'm giving them to someone. Do you think I'd buy flowers just to keep them for myself?"

"To whom?"

"How can I tell you this? Anyway, I'm in a hurry and have to leave soon. Whether tonight goes well or not depends entirely on this bouquet of flowers."

"Hmph!" Ino looked at him disdainfully, "Which ignorant girl are you trying to deceive again?"

"Don't worry about that."

"I'm not worrying. What does it have to do with me?" Ino said seriously, "What flowers do you want? Let me see if there are any leftover from yesterday. I can dig them out of the trash for you."

"The most expensive ones."

"Huh? The most expensive ones are only the ones personally arranged by me. One thousand ryo, thank you."

Ino intentionally exaggerated, extending her pale, delicate hand. Her fingers were like green onion roots, and her palm was plump and smooth, with fine lines that seemed as though they had been carved into jade.

The Yamanaka Flower Shop was brightly lit, the warm yellow light falling on the two of them, who were separated by a counter. Ino, wearing a green apron with the Yamanaka Clan symbol printed on it, leaned forward slightly, her lips curling into a slight, defiant smile as she extended her hand.

Naruto, taller than her by a head, stood there in a loose black T-shirt and gray shorts, looking both tired and lazy. One hand was in his pocket, a playful expression on his face, with his blue eyes reflecting the determined face of the girl before him. His other hand was in his pocket, as if reaching for money.

Outside, the street was bustling with people, the old streetlights casting a yellowish glow on the worn pavement. The large green tree rustled in the wind, its leaves fluttering as the orange-yellow light seemed to dance across the entire scene.

"Pay up." Ino said with pursed lips, her hand still hovering over the counter.

Time seemed to start moving again at that moment, and across the counter, Naruto had already taken out the one thousand ryo. But after a moment's hesitation, he put the money back into his pocket and shrugged.

"I forgot to bring any."

"Then sorry, no credit." Ino said, crossing her arms over her chest, her tone slightly fierce, "And telling on me won't work!"

"Oh well."

"Hmm?" Ino glanced at him, suspicion growing in her mind, "It's rare to see someone as thick-skinned as you give up so quickly."

"Well, it's because I don't have the money." Naruto said, waving his hand in farewell, "I've got to go. I'm in a hurry."

"Go to hell, you jerk!" Ino added.

And so, she watched Naruto leave the flower shop, her brow furrowing more deeply with each step he took. As Naruto left the shop without looking back, Ino suddenly felt the urge to throw a handful of shuriken at him.

She lowered her head and pondered for a few seconds, thinking about the odds of someone being mysteriously beaten up in Konoha and the perpetrator never being found, the kind of mind game that could not find the criminal even after a little bit of reasoning.

After about three minutes, Ino made up her mind, grabbed a bunch of flowers, and chased after him.

She thought to herself, 'Even if I didn't make the money today, I would at least give that guy a good beating! He was so infuriating! He was definitely trying to rile me up on purpose. No matter what, today he was going to pay for it!

'No money? If you don't have money, I'll just beat you up!'

Under the bright lights, Ino rushed out of the shop without even locking the door. She sprinted to the corner by the big green tree, hoping to see where Naruto had run off to.

Suddenly, hand shot out from behind the green tree and pulled the unsuspecting Ino over.

With a thud, Ino's waist and head were cushioned by a pair of soft hands as Naruto held her close, pressing her against the dark side of the tree.

In the dim light, Ino saw those mischievous eyes, which seemed to be saying, "Gotcha."