In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

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As the late autumn sky dimmed, it seemed to be covered by a layer of ink, growing darker almost unnoticed.

Perhaps it was the aftermath of the previous day's torrential rain, but the temperature in Konoha had dropped noticeably.

"Do you have a fever?" Naruto leaned down slightly, looking at Ino, who was sitting behind the counter on the first floor of her flower shop.

She tilted her head up, her eyes instinctively squinting.

Her cheeks were flushed like someone slightly tipsy, her eyes watery from weakness, giving her a fragile and pitiful appearance.

Three minutes earlier, Naruto had been passing by the flower shop and, on a whim, decided to stop in and say hello to Ino. It was then that he noticed her slumped over the counter.

"You don't look so good." Naruto said, reaching out to feel her forehead. It was hot to the touch, and even her breath felt warm against his hand.

"I'm fine." Ino replied weakly, her head still tilted back.

Taking a closer look, Naruto noticed that Ino’s entire face was unusually flushed. Her voice was faint, and her eyes were so tired they were about to close.

‘With your current condition, there is no way you are fine.’ Naruto frowned slightly.

"Let's close the shop. I'll take you upstairs to rest."

As soon as he finished speaking, Naruto noticed Ino's small, cat-like body tense up slightly, along with her extremely soft right-angled shoulders and the white neck covered by her golden hair.

"It's not like I haven't been inside before. What's there to be embarrassed about?" Naruto muttered.

On any other day, Ino would have immediately snapped back with a retort. But today, it seemed like she didn’t even have the strength for that.

He then sent her upstairs.

"I want some water." Ino requested weakly, her breath uneven and her face even redder. Naruto paused as he turned to open the door. His face was calm, and he turned to look at the girl who was squinting and panting on the couch.

"Alright."

Her breath was hot, and when Naruto helped her drink, he could feel her labored breathing. Her small lips parted unconsciously, revealing her pearly white teeth. The normally prideful girl was surprisingly well behaved when she was sick.

Her long lashes fluttered, her brows arched delicately, and her flawless pale skin glowed in the soft light. Even sick, she carried a faint fragrance, which seemed to intensify with her rising body temperature.

"Do you have any fever medicine at home?" Naruto asked.

"Does a fever patch count?"

"Where is it?"

He looked around the room. Ino’s room was about the same size as his, but as expected from a girl’s room, it was meticulously neat, from the bed to the desk.

"In that cabinet."

Following Ino's instructions, Naruto found the cooling patch in the cabinet beneath the TV. The packaging had a cute cartoon girl holding a thermometer.

Naruto opened the packaging and gently applied the cooling patch to Ino's forehead.

"Thanks."

Ino's chest rose and fell gently, like waves on a beach. Naruto couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination, but after applying the patch, it seemed like Ino's face turned even redder.

The blush spread down her neck to her ears, with a few stray golden strands of hair falling across her flushed skin.

"You're as obedient as a little kitten right now."

"You jerk!" Ino's voice trembled slightly, clearly flustered.

"I was just casually saying it. You should rest well." Naruto said as he tidied up and left.

About two days later, Ino had fully recovered.

Naruto ran into her in the hallway in front of his apartment. There stood a graceful figure in a knee-length skirt, as if she had been waiting for him. The pleats of her skirt were neatly arranged.

Her fair cheeks and the elegant line of her jaw connected to her slender neck. In the soft glow of dusk, the girl stood like an angel stepping out of a mural.

Ino stood quietly in the corridor, her long golden hair tied behind her head. She slightly turned to look at Naruto, who had frozen in place upon seeing her.

Naruto noticed that Ino was holding a container, wrapped in thick insulation. As he approached, she handed it over. Inside the round container appeared to be tempura, the crispy golden coating visible through the glass lid.

"Honestly, you didn’t have to go through all the trouble." Naruto said, sniffing the air as he pulled out his keys, "By the way, I like maid outfits."

"Go to hell, you pervert!" Ino’s hands clenched in front of her, and her beautiful eyebrows knitted together in frustration.

"Thanks for the compliment." Naruto said casually as he opened the door, turning back to invite her in, "Come on in and have a seat."

Looking at the wide-open door, Ino hesitated for a moment, but eventually followed him inside.

Naruto's living room was well-ventilated, with the windows open. He immediately headed to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, his usual routine.

The kettle on the table was bubbling away, and Ino stood nervously in the living room, glancing around. She had once vowed never to come here again.

The room was simple, with a soft, plush carpet on the floor. The wooden table had a natural grain, and a gray sofa lay against the wall, where a fat, orange dog, Kurama, was napping with a bottle of sake in his arms.

The air carried a faint scent of alcohol, though it wasn’t overwhelming.

The clinking sounds from the kitchen indicated that Naruto had little intention of fussing over Ino, which made her feel more at ease.

Everything around her gave her a sense of comfort, even a subtle feeling of warmth, like being home. After taking a few steps, Ino sat upright on the couch.

After waiting for a moment, she glanced at the slumbering foxhound beside her, which showed no signs of vigilance. Suddenly, Ino relaxed, and her tension melted away.

The sounds in the kitchen stopped, and a minute later, Naruto returned with two simple dishes. He didn’t place them on the dining table but rather put them on the coffee table with a heat-resistant pad underneath.

"Eat something first, and then drink this."

Naruto said as he walked over, pulling out a pink package labeled Ryukaku Powder from a first-aid kit beneath the TV cabinet.

It was a fast-acting powder that soothed the throat. After swallowing it, the scratchy feeling in one’s throat would quickly fade, leaving behind a refreshing coolness.

"Uh... okay." Ino was at a loss for words and had to focus on the cooked porridge in front of her.

Naruto waited until Ino finished drinking before he got up to clean up, removed the heat pad, and took the dishes back to the kitchen.

When he came back, Ino was still sitting on the sofa.

"If you really want to thank me, you can wear those black stockings next time, you know, the really long ones." Naruto said, leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

"I’m not wearing them!" Ino huffed, clearly annoyed. This guy always knew how to get under her skin, and her frustration bubbled over as she demanded, "Did you try to take advantage of me yesterday?"

"Yes."

Ino: "…"

The conversation took an unexpected turn, and Naruto didn’t follow the usual script. Ino blushed deeply, stammering “you, you, you” without knowing how to respond.

‘Wearing black stockings is absolutely impossible! Doesn't that mean I have to agree to something? Maybe as a gesture of gratitude, I can only let him touch my feet. Anyway, he is a pervert.’

Naruto was dumbfounded when Ino suddenly extended her foot toward him.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked in confusion.

Ino didn’t answer, her face turning red as she looked away.

Naruto hesitantly reached out and touched her foot, and when he saw that Ino didn't react, his hand started moving toward her thigh. Ino was immediately startled and kicked him reflexively.

"Pervert!"

With a loud thud, Ino made a hasty retreat out the door.