Chapter 127: Ino, the Little Flower Seller

Konoha Ninja Hospital.

"Sasuke-kun, I heard..."

Sakura Haruno paused and didn't dare to continue. Looking at Sasuke Uchiha with a bruised face, she angrily said, "It's really too much!"

"I'm fine."

Although Sasuke Uchiha was still in a low mood, after being beaten up by Naruto Uzumaki, he finally understood his future goal.

He would train hard to defeat Itachi Uchiha and ask him why he had killed his father.

Thanks to Natsume's intervention, Mikoto Uchiha and others were missing rather than dead, so he had an additional goal to live for.

That was to find the remaining members of the Uchiha clan who had escaped last night.

"As for my injuries, they were caused by Naruto."

Sasuke Uchiha disdained to lie, even though it was quite embarrassing.

"???"

Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka both turned their heads to look at Naruto Uzumaki beside them.

"Um... well..."

Naruto Uzumaki didn't expect this would happen and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Hey! Naruto! I need an explanation!"

Sakura Haruno immediately stood up, with veins popping out on her forehead. Like a mother tiger protecting her cubs, she said, "Sasuke-kun has just gone through such a thing. How could you beat him?!"

Sasuke Uchiha wanted to laugh but tugged at his bruised face and immediately gasped in pain.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura Haruno quickly leaned forward and asked with concern, "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

"It's okay."

Sasuke Uchiha's voice remained calm. "You don't have to blame Naruto. It was my own choice."

"???"

Sakura Haruno's mind started racing at that moment.

Don't blame Naruto?

His own choice?

What on earth did you two do when I was away?

Damn it!

Can Naruto have kids in the future? No way!

Sakura Haruno angrily punched Naruto Uzumaki in her mind.

However, Ino Yamanaka couldn't hold back and the corners of her mouth curled up.

Given Naruto's personality, he would never beat Sasuke for no reason.

Moreover, Sasuke was so calm after the clan's extermination, and it was most likely related to this fight.

Naruto, though he seemed dumb, was actually very thoughtful.

"Yo, it's quite lively here."

Natsume opened the ward door, saw the four of them, and said with a smile.

Ino Yamanaka's eyes suddenly lit up. She subconsciously stood up, wanting to say something but hesitated.

It wasn't a good time to talk now.

"Sasuke, I bought you some apples."

Natsume put the fruit basket on the bedside cabinet.

"I'll peel them!"

Sakura Haruno saw an opportunity, immediately took out an apple and a fruit knife, and started peeling the apple on the spot.

"Why didn't you call a medical ninja?"

Natsume glanced at Sasuke Uchiha and asked.

"The nurse said that the medical ninjas are quite busy and will only have time later."

Naruto Uzumaki quickly replied, "And we came too early. Some medical ninjas haven't started work yet."

It was indeed early.

As soon as Sasuke Uchiha woke up, they fought.

Just as Natsume was about to use his connections to call Shizune, the ward door opened again.

"Dean?"

He stood up to greet her and asked, "Why is it you?"

Nonou Yakushi is now the deputy dean of Konoha Hospital.

Normally, for the minor skin injuries of Sasuke Uchiha, any ordinary Medical Ninja could handle them.

Even if using medicine to treat, it would only take a few days to fix.

"I should be asking you that!"

Nonou Yakushi showed a gentle smile, glanced at Sakura Haruno and the others, and said with a sigh, "You can always get along well with the kids every time."

"Big brother, who is she?"

Naruto Uzumaki asked curiously.

"Nonou Yakushi is the deputy dean of Konoha Hospital and also the dean of the orphanage."

Natsume introduced, "I grew up in the orphanage, so I'm very familiar with it."

The orphanage?

The other four people in the room all showed various reactions.

It was the first time Naruto Uzumaki knew about it.

Mainly, previously, Natsume gave him the impression of being gentle and sunny, and he couldn't tell at all.

Moreover, having such a large business, he always thought Natsume was some kind of second - generation rich guy.

Now he suddenly felt a sense of empathy.

Because they were all orphans.

Hearing this, Ino Yamanaka felt a pang in her heart.

The innate motherliness in her naturally made her feel sympathetic.

How pitiful he is!

She wanted to hug him and comfort him well.

Cough.

Ino Yamanaka blushed and quickly averted her eyes.

"Stop talking. I have to treat Sasuke quickly."

Nonou Yakushi stepped forward, stretched out her hands, and stroked Sasuke Uchiha's beaten face.

Green Chakra[b]Chakra[/b] flowed through, and soon it returned to normal.

Seeing this, Sakura Haruno wished she could take Sasuke's place.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. Why not learn Medical Ninjutsu[b]Medical Ninjutsu[/b]?

Then I can... Hehe... treat Sasuke - kun every day.

"Get ready."

Nonou Yakushi withdrew her hands and said, "The Hokage - sama will come soon."

Sasuke Uchiha remained very calm and didn't show excessive emotions because of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But there was a slight change on Naruto Uzumaki's face.

Because he heard rumors in the morning.

The destruction of the Uchiha clan was because they killed Seinosuke Sarutobi, the son of Hiruzen Sarutobi, first.

Was it true or false?

Naruto Uzumaki couldn't tell.

Actually, he quite liked Seinosuke Sarutobi.

After all, Seinosuke had taught him for some time and didn't hold back any skills. He was very serious.

It was a pity that they could never meet again.

Naruto Uzumaki fell silent.

He originally planned to visit Sasuke Uchiha first and then Seinosuke Sarutobi.

But then they had a fight, which wasted time.

Natsume didn't want to see the hypocritical look of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

So he left with Nonou Yakushi.

"Dean, how have you been lately?"

"Pretty good."

Nonou Yakushi sighed with emotion.

She didn't tell Natsume that she was a spy from Root.

She had always been at the mercy of others.

But after Natsume became an apprentice of Tsunade and transferred her to Konoha Hospital, the Hokage - sama specially permitted her to be relieved of her spy identity.

Even though Danzo Shimura was angry, he wouldn't fall out with Hiruzen Sarutobi over Nonou Yakushi.

Moreover, Tsunade was also involved.

The orphanage was rebuilt thanks to Kabuto.

In short, thanks to Natsume, she was now living a free and easy life.

"Hey, there's a little girl here to see you."

Nonou caught sight of Ino Yamanaka running out of the ward and said with a smile, "I'm going back to my office now. But I still have to give you a piece of advice. It's best to choose one, or you'll run into trouble."

She still remembered the little girl Natsume brought last time, Hinata Hyuga.

The young miss of the Hyuga main family was not someone an ordinary person could handle.

Not to mention, there was another little girl in the picture.

"Dean, you've got it all wrong. I've only met Ino Yamanaka twice."

Natsume quickly explained.

I'm not into little girls, really!

Nonou just smiled and said nothing, then turned around and left.

Natsume twitched the corner of his mouth.

Great. He felt like his image in the dean's mind had completely collapsed.

"Hi, I'm Ino Yamanaka."

As soon as Nonou Yakushi disappeared, Ino Yamanaka stepped forward quickly and said.

Although she was quite bold by nature, a blush crept onto her face due to excitement and shyness.

"Why are you suddenly introducing yourself?"

Natsume was slightly taken aback when he heard this, then smiled and said, "We've already met, right? Or have you forgotten?"

"No, no! I haven't forgotten!"

Ino Yamanaka was embarrassed by his words and quickly explained, "It was so rushed the first time we met that I didn't introduce myself properly."

"You don't have to worry about it."

Looking at the cute face of the little girl, Natsume suddenly thought of Hinata Hyuga.

However, their personalities were very different.

"My mother told me that when dealing with others, one must pay attention to etiquette."

Ino Yamanaka quickly made up an excuse for herself. Fortunately, Sakura Haruno wasn't around. Otherwise, she'd probably be furious.

She'd never seen Ino Yamanaka be particularly polite.

"No wonder you're from a great ninja clan."

Natsume didn't expose her and said, "Actually, you don't need to introduce yourself. I've heard your name before."

"Really?"

Ino Yamanaka looked up in surprise.

Wow, how good - looking!

This thought popped into her mind naturally.

"Yeah."

Natsume nodded and said, "You, along with Choji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara, are the new generation of the Ino–Shika–Cho. It won't be long before you're as well - known in the ninja world as your fathers."

Ino Yamanaka immediately beamed with joy.

He remembers me! I'm so happy!

If it were in her past life, maybe those two words could describe her state of mind.

Don't blame her for being unreserved.

Loving beauty is human nature, regardless of gender.

When girls meet good - looking guys, they react just like guys do when they meet beautiful girls.

"I'm planning to leave. Do you want to come with me?"

Natsume casually extended an invitation.

"Sure!"

Ino Yamanaka didn't hesitate at all.

It was as if being even a second late would be a disrespect to his good looks.

"Aren't you here to see Sasuke?"

Natsume couldn't help but burst into laughter and asked, "Isn't it a bit irresponsible to just leave like this?"

"I came here with Sakura. She has a crush on Sasuke."

Ino Yamanaka immediately gave away her best friend's secret.

"Then it'd be convenient to drop by your place."

Natsume's words made Ino Yamanaka's eyes widen instantly, and her face turned bright red.

Isn't this too soon?!

"Sorry, I meant to go to your place to buy some flowers."

Noticing her expression, Natsume quickly added.

"Oh, I see."

Ino Yamanaka let out a sigh of relief and then got excited again.

When it came to flowers, that was her forte. She had to seize this opportunity to show off.

The Ino–Shika–Cho clans each had their own businesses.

The Yamanaka clan sold flowers.

The Nara clan sold medicine.

The Akimichi clan had a wider range of businesses.

After all, they were all big eaters.

Without some skills, they'd have starved long ago.

Actually, most major ninja clans had their own businesses.

These businesses were mostly managed by ordinary clan members.

Those with ninja talents didn't have to engage in related businesses.

It was quite rare to see someone like Ino Yamanaka running a flower shop on her own.

The main reason was that her mother was an ordinary person.

Before long, the two of them arrived at the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Mom."

After entering the shop, Ino Yamanaka shouted towards the counter on the first floor.

"Ino, are you back so soon?"

Miisa Yamanaka stood up and saw Natsume. She paused for a moment and asked, "Did you bring a classmate today?"

"No."

Ino Yamanaka explained, "He's Naruto Uzumaki's brother and he's here to buy flowers."

Does Naruto Uzumaki have a brother?

Miisa Yamanaka blinked her eyes and carefully observed her daughter's expression. Then she asked, "What kind of flowers does he want to buy?"

"Oh!"

"You don't need to worry about it. I'll handle it."

Ino Yamanaka quickly waved her hand, afraid that her mother would steal her thunder.

"Okay."

Miisa Yamanaka gave a meaningful smile.

"Different flowers are suitable for different occasions. Who do you want to give the flowers to?"

Ino Yamanaka didn't notice her mother's expression. She looked at Natsume and asked while walking.

"They're for a funeral."

Natsume said casually, "I'm buying these flowers on behalf of my teacher."

Whether it was Fugaku Uchiha's funeral or Seinosuke Sarutobi's funeral, flowers would be needed.

Even if he didn't go, Tsunade would.

Of course, he decided to buy flowers on a whim after running into Ino Yamanaka.

"For funerals, white flowers are usually used, such as white chrysanthemums, white lilies, and white carnations."

Ino Yamanaka introduced them quite familiarly.

"Then white chrysanthemums it is."

Natsume scanned the shop and said, "I'll take all the white chrysanthemums in the shop."

"Huh?"

Ino Yamanaka looked up and asked, "Are you buying these for Sasuke?"

With so many flowers, they must be for a group of people rather than just one.

Currently, only the Uchiha clan fit the bill.

"Yes."

Natsume nodded and said, "Then could you guys deliver them to my teacher's place later?"

"Please leave the address."

Ino Yamanaka quickly took out a pen and paper and handed them to Natsume, as if she had been prepared.

"Don't you know who my teacher is?"

Natsume remembered that he was quite famous.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had even promoted him specifically.

But then again, it was three or four years ago.

She was quite young back then and might not have any impression.

"Um... sorry."

Ino Yamanaka was a bit flustered. She truly had no idea.

"You're being too polite. There's no need to apologize for this."

Natsume smiled and wrote down an address, saying, "Just don't forget next time. You can come and play with me when you're free."

"Okay!"

Ino Yamanaka's mood brightened up again.

Moreover, she was invited to play.

She looked down at the address and was stunned. It turned out to be Lady Tsunade's residence.

In Konoha, her fame goes without saying.

It was worth mentioning that almost all kunoichi regarded Tsunade as their idol.

Take Ino Yamanaka for example.

She was extremely excited now.

The combination of two happy events brought more than double the joy.

"See you next time."

Natsume paused for a moment and said goodbye with a smile.

His Kage Clone[b]Kage Clone[/b] had been dispelled and the chakra returned.

They had found Orochimaru's secret base.

Due to Natsume's maneuvers, Orochimaru hadn't defected yet.

But whether it was adopting geniuses with Kekkei Genkai or conducting various experiments, an extremely vast area was required.

And this place couldn't be in Konoha.

Natsume left the Yamanaka flower shop, found a secluded place, and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique[b]Flying Thunder God Technique[/b].

He appeared in a wild expanse.

This was the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fields.

Natsume formed hand seals with both hands and entered Sage Mode[b]Sage Mode[/b].

His Sensor abilities spread out accordingly.

Ten meters underground, there was an extremely large cavity, forming a hall or rather a secret base.

Orochimaru was not present.

But there were the auras of many ninjas.

Natsume was looking for Shin Uchiha.

After deciding to employ the luring-the-snake-out-of-its-hole strategy, he had been thinking about what was important to Orochimaru.

As of now, Orochimaru had developed Cursed Seal[b]Cursed Seal[/b], Living Corpse Reincarnation[b]Living Corpse Reincarnation[/b], Wood Release[b]Wood Release[/b], etc., so Jugo or Yamato were no longer of great significance.

All that remained was the Mangekyo Sharingan[b]Mangekyo Sharingan[/b], towards which he harbored a deep grudge.

After seeing Danzo Shimura's new arm, Natsume thought of Shin Uchiha.

This guy had even awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan[b]Mangekyo Sharingan[/b] and could be regarded as a useful resource.

Well, send him to Kabuto Yakushi.

Four thousand words, a combination of the first and second updates.

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