5 A Blonde Menace

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

===

My plan to make Ino uncomfortable seemed to succeed. Standing beside me in the cemetery, she looked at the gravestone before us awkwardly. She should keep her nosiness to herself next time. It was quite hard to hold back my devilish cackle.

"So that's why you bought Purple Hyacinths…"

Kneeling, I put the Purple Hyacinths on the gravestone of Uzumaki Kushina. I paid my respect to her not because she was my mother, but because I felt unfortunate how a beauty like her ended up being impaled by an oversized fox. My sorrow was for her wasted beauty. I would corrupt her if she was still alive.

"Naruto…"

A hand on my shoulder dispelled my dark thoughts. I looked up to find Ino looking at me with sympathy.

"I don't need your sympathy, Yamanaka."

My voice sounded gruffer than I intended, causing me to blink my eyes.

"Was she your relative?" she asked softly.

"Who knows?" I lied. "We have the same surname, so we may be related." Her hold on my shoulder tightened, causing me to frown. "I am fine, Yamanaka. There is no need to get sappy."

This was not how I intended her to react. She should be squirming uncomfortably for intruding on my personal life.

"It's okay, Naruto. Crying doesn't make you weak."

"What are you even…"

A scowl appeared on my face as something wet ran down my cheeks. It was only then I noticed that I was crying. Unacceptable. I couldn't believe I was crying. I was sure I didn't feel grief. It must be the instinctive reaction of the body that previously belonged to Uzumaki Naruto. It sucked. I hadn't cried for the last twenty-five years of my life.

Konoha did Naruto a number, huh? Look at how fragile this boy is!

When my tears stopped, I found my face buried in a kid's chest. I blinked and pushed the owner of the chest away. She might be quite developed, but she was still a child. I was quite adventurous, but there was a line of kink that I wouldn't cross. Even if my body was still a child, my conscience didn't allow me to enjoy a kid's body.

"Well, thank you for the comfort. I didn't know I needed it," I remarked with a defeated smile. "That was embarrassing." I stood up and stretched. Extending my hand to her, I gestured at the Lily. "I will carry it home. You may go back to the shop. It must have been uncomfortable for you."

Ino blinked her eyes upon hearing those words and then slowly looked up. Her cheeks reddened lightly, probably because she had just registered what she had done with the former resident's blond idiot.

"N- No. It's fine. I will help carry it back to your apartment."

"It is located in a quite hostile area. You won't like what you see."

"I can protect myself!"

Ino pumped her fist and smirked triumphantly. I looked at her for a brief moment before shrugging. We got out of the cemetery and walked to my apartment side by side. Passing by Ninjas glanced at us in wonder but said nothing. The villagers glared at me and whispered conspiratorially. Ino noticed that and that made her look at me in confusion.

"Did you murder their cat or something?"

"I am more than capable of just killing their cats, Yamanaka. They hate me for something that I have no control over."

"What is that?"

"You will know when you are older."

Ino clicked her tongue but didn't pressure me. The silence was preserved until we entered the Akasen. Betraying his confident declaration, Ino was quite intimidated by the gruff men glaring our way. I held her hand to prevent an unwanted thing from happening and she grasped mine as if her life depended on it.

"Stop right there, brat. I have something to talk to you."

I smelled an uninteresting trouble from the voice, so I didn't stop. Ino looked at me and the man behind us alternatingly in worry. It was a ridiculous sight. Why would a Ninja be afraid of a civilian? I wondered what she had learned in the academy.

Shiing!

Three men with wakizashi stood in our way, stopping us in our tracks. I looked up and one of the three was someone I had seen.

"Ah, you are cunt that I almost killed with a kick. Are you here to take revenge?"

"This fucking squirt!"

Creating a shadow clone, I instructed him to take Ino somewhere safe as I dodged the incoming swing from the big guy. I powered my fist with Chakra and hit him square in the jaw, knocking him out. Before he fell, I snatched his wakizashi and went for the other two. They immediately moved into action, flailing their wakizashi like a bunch of idiots.

A slash at their stomach was enough to make them keel over. I duly noted the rush of excitement that I felt upon drawing their blood before turning to the man who had called me earlier. His face remained stoic. In a profession where men die young, beware of old men. He was dangerous, as a civilian, of course.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to see if my goons were lying."

"Well, there you have it."

The man grunted. "Why would even a Ninja meddle in our business?"

"We need money too," I explained, idly twirling the wakizashi before throwing it to the ground. "Don't worry. I won't bother you guys once I go on a mission."

Turning around, I walked away and headed to where my clone had taken Ino, my apartment. When I arrived there, I found them standing before the door. It was surprising that Ino hadn't left. My clone nodded in acknowledgment before dispelling himself. Ino scrutinized my features before nodding her head and sighing in relief.

"That was… startling."

"At least, you didn't scream like a girl."

"I am a girl!"

"You are a Ninja. Being a girl will put you on the same ground as civilians."

"You sound like you hate girls."

Click!

Opening my door, I stepped inside my apartment. "I hate useless people. In our world, a girl who only knows how to scream is amount close to nothing."

"Wow…"

My remark went unheard as Ino was too mesmerized by the interior of my apartment. I didn't know what was so amazing about the interior. It was simplistic, in my standard. This world might have to upgrade their taste of architecture if they found my apartment's interior amazing.

"I thought you were lazy," she remarked.

"I am," I answered, surprising the blonde. "But I move my butt faster than anyone does when the situation demands.

After putting the flower on the window, Ino got into the bathroom and took some water. She watered the plant while humming a happy tune. I sat on the couch and wondered when she would leave. I realized that she might be afraid of what had happened earlier. Standing up, I was about to offer to take her home when she turned to me with a bright smile.

"Hey, I have helped you carry your flower here. Why don't you pay me back? I am quite famished, you see."

"I didn't force you—"

"Nuh-uh. You shouldn't refuse a lady."

Quirking an eyebrow, I smirked. "I don't see one."

"Your joke is unfunny, young man. Do better," she retorted with a cheeky smile.

Running a hand through my hair, I sighed softly. Musing on the request for a few seconds, I shrugged and walked to the dazed blonde menace. I picked up my keys and we got out of the apartment. After I locked my door, the blonde menace latched on to me like a leech.

"You are making walking annoying, Yamanaka."

"What is that, Naruto? You have been unfriendly toward me. Have I done something bad to you?"

"Well, have you done something good to me?"

"… well, I might have been quite an ass for always brushing you off. I am sorry for that."

Surprised, I quirked an eyebrow as I met her eyes. She ducked her head and hid her face behind my arm.

"Thank you for the honesty."

"T- Then, call me by my name."

"Sure, Ino."

That caused her to look up and smile brightly.

"We are friends, right?" she asked expectantly.

"As long as you consider me one," I said cryptically.

"Well, that will do, for now."

Yes, that would do. Relationships are fragile. A slight friction may end them permanently. I didn't know how long our friendship would last. I had witnessed hundreds of friendships wither and experienced it myself in the past. The world didn't need to end for it to happen.

Was I a friend of Yamanaka Ino? Yes; she claimed so. Was Yamanaka Ino a friend to me? No. I hated futile investment. But well, the blonde menace was not bad to hang around with.