Ino perspective

Four days had passed.

Naruto's body was sore from training, his muscles aching from the constant repetition of exercises. His stomach growled in protest, reminding him that he had neglected proper meals. The hunger was unbearable.

So, despite his exhaustion, he made his way to the market district—disguised.

With a quick hand sign, he activated the Transformation Jutsu, altering his appearance into a nondescript civilian. It wasn't a perfect disguise, but it was good enough. If people recognized him as Naruto Uzumaki, he knew exactly what would happen—whispers, glares, and overcharging.

He had dealt with it his entire life.

---

A Simple Purchase Turns Sour

Stepping into a small general store, Naruto browsed through the shelves. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the air, making his stomach twist painfully. He grabbed a few simple food items—rice, instant miso soup, and some cheap vegetables.

Reaching into his pocket, he counted his coins. Barely enough, but it should work.

He placed the items on the counter, keeping his gaze low as the elderly shopkeeper slowly tallied the cost.

"That'll be 450 ryō," the man said in a bored tone.

Naruto nodded and pulled out his money—

A firm hand gripped his shoulder.

He stiffened.

"You're not very good at suppressing your chakra," a deep voice murmured behind him.

Naruto's breath hitched. His body moved on instinct, twisting away—but the grip tightened.

A flood of killing intent surged over him.

It was overwhelming.

For a moment, Naruto felt like he was drowning. His body tensed, his heart pounded against his ribs. He couldn't see the man's face, but the pressure alone told him—this was someone dangerous.

Then, just as quickly as it came, the pressure vanished.

The grip loosened, and Naruto turned his head slowly.

Standing behind him was a tall man with sharp blue eyes, blonde hair tied back, and a Konoha headband resting proudly on his forehead.

Inoichi Yamanaka.

"Jutsu like that won't fool someone trained in sensory abilities," Inoichi remarked, his voice calm but firm. "I don't know why you're sneaking around, but it's not very effective."

Naruto panicked.

His concentration wavered—and with a puff of smoke, his disguise shattered.

Silence.

For a second, the shop remained completely still.

Then—

"Tch. It's you."

The shopkeeper's voice was filled with thinly veiled disgust.

Naruto barely had time to register the words before the old man snatched the items off the counter.

"Get out."

Naruto's stomach twisted, but he forced himself to keep his expression blank. "I have money," he said quietly.

The shopkeeper sneered. "I don't care. I don't sell to your kind."

Naruto's fingers twitched. His throat felt tight, but he didn't move. He had faced this kind of rejection before. It shouldn't bother him.

But somehow, it always did.

Inoichi's gaze flickered between them. His expression was unreadable, but he didn't interfere.

The old man scoffed and shoved Naruto toward the door.

"Get lost, demon brat."

Naruto stumbled but caught himself before he fell. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His stomach churned with hunger and frustration, but there was no point in arguing.

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

---

A Chance Encounter with Ino

Naruto didn't know how long he walked before stopping at a bench near a quiet street. His hands were still clenched, his mind replaying the words over and over.

"Demon brat."

"I don't sell to your kind."

His stomach growled angrily, but there was nothing he could do. He leaned back, exhaling through his nose, trying to push the emotions down.

"…Hey."

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Naruto glanced up—and saw Ino standing in front of him.

She held a small bag in her hand, her usual smirk absent. Instead, her blue eyes studied him with an unreadable expression.

"You look like crap," she commented.

Naruto scowled. "Gee, thanks."

Ino clicked her tongue and tossed the bag onto his lap.

"Here."

Naruto blinked. "What's this?"

She crossed her arms. "Food."

He stared at her, suspicious. "Why?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Because I'm nice?"

Naruto gave her a look.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine. My dad told me what happened. I figured you were probably sulking somewhere."

Naruto looked down at the bag. He didn't want to accept pity—but his stomach burned with hunger.

"…Thanks," he muttered.

Ino smirked. "See? That wasn't so hard."

Naruto hesitated for a moment, then pulled out the food—a simple rice ball and some grilled fish. It wasn't fancy, but to him, it might as well have been a feast.

As he took a bite, Ino sat beside him, stretching her arms behind her head. "You really need to work on that Transformation Jutsu, y'know. Getting caught that easily? Pathetic."

Naruto swallowed. "Tch. Not everyone's a rich clan kid."

Ino didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she tilted her head. "Why do you even use that jutsu in the first place?"

Naruto was silent.

Ino tapped her fingers against her knee. "Because people don't treat you fairly?"

He glanced at her, surprised by how easily she said it.

Ino shrugged. "I mean, I get it. People can be assholes. But sneaking around isn't gonna change that."

Naruto stared at her for a moment before looking away. "Yeah, well… it's easier."

"Hmph." Ino leaned back. "I dunno about that. You still got caught, didn't you?"

Naruto sighed, stuffing more food into his mouth.

For some reason, though, he didn't feel as bad anymore.

Naruto took another bite, the taste of warm rice and grilled fish filling his mouth. His hunger made him devour the food quickly, but he still tried to savor every bite.

Ino, sitting beside him, kept her arms crossed as she glanced sideways at him. She expected him to be brooding or irritated about her father's interference.

But instead—

He looked up at her with the biggest smile she had ever seen.

It wasn't a smirk, nor a forced grin—just a pure, genuine smile.

"Thanks, Ino," he said, his voice lighter than before.

She blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

Her fingers twitched slightly as she looked away, not understanding why she suddenly felt weird.

"You don't have to act so happy about it," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "It's just food."

Naruto tilted his head. "Yeah, but no one's ever done that for me before."

Ino stiffened.

The words were so casual, but they hit differently than she expected. She knew Naruto wasn't exactly popular, but hearing it directly from him made it feel more… real.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Well… don't make it a habit. I'm not gonna feed you every time you forget to eat, idiot."

Naruto grinned. "Eh? But I was gonna start calling you Ramen Angel!"

Ino snapped her head toward him. "You call me that, and I'll shove that rice ball down your throat."

Naruto laughed, the carefree sound echoing through the quiet street.

Ino, still looking away, found herself smiling just a little.

But as she watched Naruto continue eating, something nagged at the back of her mind.

Why wasn't he mad?

Her father had caught him, broken his disguise, and indirectly led to him being thrown out of the store. Most people would hold some kind of grudge over that, even if it wasn't intentional.

But Naruto… just smiled.

She wasn't sure why that annoyed her.

With a frustrated sigh, she finally spoke. "You know, I thought you'd be pissed at my dad for outing you back there."

Naruto stopped mid-bite, blinking. "Huh?"

"You heard me," Ino said, tapping her knee impatiently. "I mean, he didn't do it on purpose, but you ended up getting thrown out of the store because of him. Shouldn't you be, like, I don't know… mad?"

Naruto was silent for a moment.

Then, with a small chuckle, he shook his head.

"Nah. He didn't do anything wrong," Naruto said simply. "He was just doing his job. I was the one sneaking around like an idiot."

Ino stared at him, expecting some kind of sarcasm, but there was none.

He really meant it.

"...You're weird," she muttered.

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe."

She frowned. For some reason, his answer left her more confused than before.

Was it really that simple for him?

---

A comfortable silence settled between them as Naruto finished the last of his meal. He patted his stomach with satisfaction before turning to her again.

"Seriously, though… thanks," he said, softer this time.

Ino sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't get used to it."

Naruto grinned. "Too late."

She rolled her eyes but didn't push him away when he leaned back on the bench beside her.

As the sun started setting, the two of them sat there quietly—one grinning like a fool, the other pretending not to enjoy his company.

And for the first time in a long while, Naruto felt like he wasn't alone.