Chapter 430 Guess? Guess what!

"I didn't talk about friendship. I was talking about the romantic perspective. Do you have that kind of liking for Hinata? What about me?" Ino asked directly.

She bit her lip, pouring all the questions in her mind out at once. She knew the character of this guy, as he always liked to beat around the bush and avoid things.

'If I didn't ask now, and if he suddenly disappeared again, who knew when I'd get another chance? This guy… he could be so frustrating.'

"Hinata is really great. If we're talking about the standards for a romantic partner, then yeah, I'd say I like her." Naruto admitted, "But I liking someone doesn't mean I'm ready to get married and have kids right now, Ino-chan."

"Who are you calling Ino-chan?" She shouted, instantly exploding with frustration as she instinctively began chasing after him to playfully hit him.

After a while of playful chasing, Ino grew tired, panting as she called for a truce. She sat down on a stone bench by the roadside, catching her breath, slowly processing everything.

"What about me?" She suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Naruto, sitting lazily beside her, sprawled out in a relaxed manner. He looked up at the streetlight, its glow partially blocked by the green leaves above, then turned to face Ino.

"If... by the standards of a romantic partner, you wouldn't want to marry me and have kids either, right?" Ino blushed, but she mustered the courage to ask.

"You're different." Naruto replied.

"How am I different?" Ino pressed. She was clearly stirred by Shikamaru's wedding news, that she's unwilling to drop the subject.

"Well..." Naruto reclined back on the stone bench again. His body type was one of those that looked lean in clothes but muscular underneath. Lying there, his slim figure contrasted with his relaxed demeanor.

The streetlight's glow reflected in his eyes, and his expression remained as carefree as ever. His loose white shirt slipped off one shoulder, revealing part of his collarbone.

Ino looked at the effortlessly handsome guy beside her, thinking how striking he could be if he put some effort into his appearance. With his height of at least 180cm, he has an advantage, and he would stand out without even trying.

Konoha was a big village, full of Shinobi, and it wasn't short on good-looking people. Plenty of handsome guys with various looks walked around.

But somehow, whenever anyone stood next to Naruto, Ino felt they seemed to pale in comparison.

"If you're up for it, we can get married right now. Beat that scoundrel Shikamaru to it." Naruto said, his tone still lazy.

"Anyway, I wouldn't mind. It'd be like getting a free wife to bring back home." He added cheekily.

"Humph! Dream on! Who'd want to marry you?" Ino retorted with her usual pride, "I've got things to do. I don't have time to play house with you."

"That's a shame. I guess I'll just..." Before Naruto could finish his words, Ino pinched him.

"Ah! What now?"

"Not allowed!"

"What's not allowed?" He asked knowingly.

"Everything! Nothing is allowed, and don't say another word!" Ino huffed, "Just don't say anything more, I know whatever you have to say can't be good, and that's it!"

'That's it?' Naruto smiled faintly. He knew that Ino probably wouldn't believe his blunt answer. Half-truths often carried the most allure, making her feel more at ease.

Some things weren't so easily changed by words alone. A little bit of probing, a gradual change, and edging closer to the truth was often the best approach.

"Where are you going?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"Where? Home, obviously." Ino was confused for a moment, then turned to look at him.

"Which home?" He asked.

Ino pursed her lips and smiled, as bright as a flower. She turned towards him with her hands behind her back, her eyes full of happiness.

"Guess."

…

At Yamanaka Flower Shop, Naruto stood at the door of the flower shop, feeling a little depressed, 'Guess? Guess what!'

As usual, he stood by the big green tree for a while until he saw Ino's window open with a rustling sound as she waved to him.

This was the secret code between them. Normally, it marked the official goodbye, meaning that Naruto could head home. But this time, Naruto did not turn around and leave directly. He's thinking back to the scene where Ino had teased him just now.

Suddenly feeling mischievous, Naruto decided to get even. He couldn't let her happily hum while carrying her clothes to the bathroom.

Naruto raised his hands above his head and formed a heart towards Ino, who is standing by the window. At the next moment, Ino let out a startled yelp and hastily closed the window.

"Uzumaki Naruto, are you crazy?!" Ino hid behind the window, her heart pounding, secretly worrying whether her father had seen what happened just now.

Hearing Naruto's carefree laughter outside, she grew more frustrated. She vowed that the next time she saw him, she'd give him a good punishment. Maybe she'd wear a stinky sock, then step on him with it for teasing her!

'Hmph!'

Under the big green tree, Naruto laughed for a while before heading home.

Walking alone down Konoha's streets, the night breeze swept over him, causing him to stop abruptly. He looked up at the night sky, frowning as if trying to recall something.

"Did I forget something?" He muttered to himself.

…

Konoha Hospital, duty room.

Sakura had a rough day. Perhaps it was because of that person's attitude yesterday, promising to come again today. So she, who never made mistakes, just couldn't stay focused.

Luckily, she wasn't involved in anything crucial and had requested to stay in the duty room to sort through documents. Even then, a difficult patient had lodged a complaint, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

It was lunchtime when she remembered that she had forgotten to eat.

When she finally bought some food in the afternoon, she tripped on the stairs, sending her meal scattering everywhere. She only frowned slightly and silently cleaned up the mess in the hallway.

By nightfall, after an entire day without eating, Sakura felt numb. Holding a pen, she sat blankly in her seat, letting time pass by little by little. She waited until midnight, and still, no one showed up.

Late at night, she realized she'd been stood up. Her mood remained oddly positive. Smiling at herself in the mirror, she went downstairs, bought some food, and sat under a streetlamp to finish it.

She vividly remembered the sound of the freshly fried tempura crackling, but she couldn't recall the taste of the dipping sauce. She patted her stomach, confirming she had eaten.

A voice in her heart whispered, 'Stop hiding, stop hiding, there's really nothing to fear. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? Now that you've driven him away, disappearing quietly on your own won't be a problem.'

But why was the day so messed up, why was it so uncomfortable? Sakura sat under the light for a while, then walked to her cabinet, using a key to unlock her private locker, where she retrieved her intimate clothing.

Her face remained expressionless as she pursed her lips and stepped into the bathroom. After undressing and neatly folding her clothes, she began adjusting the water for a shower. As she washed her hair, dirty water got into her eyes, making them itch the more she rubbed.

Instinctively, she reached for water to rinse her eyes, but in her flustered state, her hand touched the hot water pipe. The sudden pain caused all the emotions she had been bottling up to explode.

There was no need to rinse her eyes anymore. Tears flowed uncontrollably, streaming from her eyes. Naked and vulnerable, she crouched down in the small shower, biting her wrist as she sobbed.

She cried until she was out of breath, yet she kept the sounds restrained in the small shower. The steam gradually filled the space, slowly obscuring her figure.

Until she could no longer be seen from outside the shower, and until there was no sound left at all.