47: Chapter 47 Flowers and AmbitionIt was dusk at the port of the Land of Waves.
A passenger ship from the Land of Fire slowly docked.
The Ino-Shika-Cho team descended the ship's gangway, led by Asuma.
Shikamaru yawned, Choji munched on potato chips, but Ino stood on the pier, the sea breeze blowing her golden ponytail, her gaze lost in thought as she looked at the imposing headquarters of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild, built against the mountainside.
"That's.where Naruto is right now?"
She muttered to herself, her heart racing.
Those little moments in the flower shop in Konoha, that kiss on a rainy day.the images uncontrollably surfaced in my mind.
"Ino, don't just stand there."
Asma instructed, "Let's find a place to settle down first, then go to the person who commissioned the mission to confirm the situation."
"Ah?Okay, Asuma-sensei!" Ino quickly snapped out of her thoughts, a blush creeping across her face.
Their movements had already been spotted by the lark.
That evening, a welcome dinner was held as scheduled in an elegant reception room of the Tianqi Chamber of Commerce.
The dishes were exquisite, and the wine was fine and fragrant, demonstrating the host's sincerity.
Naruto, as the host, sat in the main seat, with Tsunade beside him, and Shizune and Sakura accompanying him.
Tesshu and Hibari were in charge of security from the shadows, while Suigetsu and Karin were not present.
The four members of the Pig-Deer-Butterfly team arrived.
Asuma is composed, Shikamaru is lazy yet wary, and Choji is focused on his food.
When Ino walked in, she tried to appear natural, but when she saw Naruto, who had blond hair and blue eyes and a completely different aura, her breath caught in her throat for a moment.
He was dressed in well-fitting dark clothing, and his brows conveyed a sense of authority.
"Mr.Asuma, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, welcome."
Naruto stood up and smiled, his gaze sweeping over Ino for a moment longer.
"Naruto, it's been a long time."
Asma responded with emotion, "I never expected you to achieve such great things here."
"I was lucky," Naruto said modestly, inviting everyone to sit down.
Sakura kept her head down, trying to minimize her presence.
Especially when Ino's curious gaze swept over her, she became so nervous that her palms sweated.
Ino did notice Sakura.
She felt that Sakura had changed; she was quieter, and her figure seemed to be more.fuller?Moreover, the way she sat next to Naruto, so cautiously obedient, was completely different from her previous broad forehead.
"Broad forehead, how are you doing here?" Ino asked bluntly.
Sakura stiffened, then looked up and smiled, "It's.it's alright.Lady Tsunade taught me a lot."
"Is that so?" Ino wanted to ask more, but Naruto interrupted her.
"Ino, how's business at the Yamanaka Flower Shop lately?The special flowers our chamber of commerce ordered are very popular."
Naruto naturally shifted the focus to Ino.
Mentioning the flower shop and business, Ino perked up: "Of course!Those are flowers we've carefully cultivated!But Naruto, when you were working at the flower shop, you didn't say you'd open such a big trading company someday!"
His tone carried a mix of complaint and curiosity.
Naruto smiled and swirled his wine glass: "Life is unpredictable.Just like I never expected that the lively Yamanaka girl from back then would now be able to handle B-rank missions on her own."
His admiring gaze made Ino's cheeks flush slightly.
Shikamaru poked at the food while observing, thinking to himself, "Trouble.This ambiguous atmosphere.Ino clearly still has feelings for Naruto."
Choji was so engrossed in the delicious food that he was completely unaware of what was happening.
Asuma and Tsunade chatted about Jiraiya and Konoha, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
The dinner proceeded in a harmonious yet subtly tense atmosphere.
Naruto handled the situation with ease, sometimes discussing the situation with Asuma, sometimes chatting about strategies with Shikamaru (who seemed rather uninterested), and mostly reminiscing with Ino about the fun at the flower shop, revealing his nostalgia and special attention towards her.
"Some people are like specific flowers; you don't think they're special when you meet them, but after you part ways, you realize that no other scenery can catch your eye."
Naruto's seemingly unintentional remark made Ino's heart skip a beat.She held up her cup to cover it up, her cheeks burning even hotter.
Sakura watched all this, her fingers tightening.
The feeling of being ignored, and Naruto's different attitudes towards Ino, made her feel bitter.
After the dinner, Naruto escorted the Ino-Shika-Cho trio to their guest rooms.
"There's no rush with the task.Tomorrow, Yun Que will take you to meet the client."
"The Land of Waves has nice scenery; we can take a look around," Naruto said to Asuma.
"Thank you for the hospitality." Asma nodded.
The others went back to their rooms, but Ino deliberately lagged behind.
Only the two of them remained in the corridor, the atmosphere ambiguous.
"Naruto." Ino spoke softly, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, "How have you been since you left Konoha?"
Naruto took a step closer, and could smell the floral fragrance on her: "You're more comfortable here than in Konoha.How about you?Does anyone bully you in Konoha?"
His approach made Ino's heart race."N-no.it's just.sometimes I feel bored."
"Oh?What's wrong with it?"
"Every day is filled with training, missions, and minding the shop."
Ino looked up at his blue eyes."Unlike here, everything is new and very challenging."
Naruto smiled and reached out to tuck a strand of her golden hair behind her ear.
This intimate gesture made Ino tremble, and her ears turned bright red.
"If you find Konoha boring, you can come to the Land of Waves anytime." Naruto lightly brushed her earlobe with his fingertips."The Apocalypse Merchant Guild will always welcome Miss Yamanaka."
His words stirred Ino's heart.
She was almost lost in his gaze.
"I." Ino opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
The door to the guest room next door opened, and Shikamaru poked his head out with a look that said, "I didn't see anything." He said, "Ino, it's late.You should rest.We have a mission tomorrow."
Ino's cheeks flushed bright red: "I.I know!Shikamaru, you're so long-winded!" She hurriedly said goodnight to Naruto and ran back to her room, closing the door behind her.
Shikamaru helplessly shrugged at Naruto and closed the door.
Naruto stood there, a smile playing on his lips.
He turned around and saw the door to Sakura's room at the end of the corridor gently closing.
A knowing glint flashed in Naruto's eyes as he walked toward the study.
There's another scene to be arranged tonight.
In the study,The lark is already waiting.
"Chairman, as you instructed, we have guided Konoha's informants to deliver a vague intelligence report about Danzo's contact with Orochimaru to Jiraiya's desk."
"Very good." Naruto nodded.
"Let's keep our Hokage busy.The more chaotic Konoha is, the better it will be for us."
He walked to the window and gazed at the starry sky.
Ino's affections, Konoha's internal strife, the threat of Akatsuki, Orochimaru's remnants.
As night deepened, the sea breeze remained gentle, but many people found it hard to sleep tonight.
Ino lay on the bed, tossing and turning, Naruto's words echoing in her ears.
Sakura, meanwhile, hugged her knees tightly in the darkness, her body aching slightly, her mind in turmoil.
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