In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Chapter 297 Her Ideal World

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After wrapping up their meal, Shikamaru and Choji walked home arm-in-arm. They’d only had juice, but Choji was so full he could barely move.

As they left, Naruto glanced at Ino and casually asked, "Where are you going?"

"Home."

On the way back, Naruto asked casually, "Are you planning to take over your father’s role in the future?"

Ino turned to look at him, then, after a brief silence, answered quietly, "The Yamanaka Clan’s secret techniques are mainly used for communication and coordination. We also assist the interrogation unit with gathering and extracting information. These techniques are not passed on to outsiders."

The implication was clear: as the sole daughter of the Yamanaka Clan’s Clan Head, she had little choice.

"Do you enjoy it?" He asked again.

"Enjoy? I don't know, but I don't think I hate it." Ino seemed unsure, "I'd never particularly have passion for anything since I was a child. I just didn’t dislike it."

Naruto stared at her for a moment, making Ino feel a bit self-conscious. She gulped nervously and asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing." He said, "Since you’ll be taking over, you might as well pay more attention to advancements in communicators and surveillance tech. Although you don’t see much of it in Konoha, it’s out there."

"And, I’ve already mentioned it to Tsunade-sama. As long as the Shinobi World stays peaceful, it won’t be long before there are changes in Konoha."

"You’re thinking of me?" Ino's face suddenly became slightly hot.

"What? Am I meddling in your affairs?"

"No." Ino looked at the shadows along the roadside, her heart suddenly in a state of confusion, "I just think Shikamaru is right, peace in the Shinobi World is not that easy."

"The recent increase in missions is also due to the tension between the Great Shinobi Villages. If things continue like this, there might be a war in two or three years."

"Don't worry,” Naruto reassured her, "If the sky falls, there are people to hold it up. Who knows what’ll happen in the future? Maybe we really will have peace in the next few years."

"Maybe." Ino replied, though it was clear she wasn’t convinced.

But Naruto knew the reality: both Sunagakure and Konoha had suffered significant losses, and he had dampened the ambitions of Kumogakure. Iwagakure had long been struggling with an aging leadership and a shortage of young talent, relying solely on Onoki’s strength. As for Kirigakure, while they had some ambitions, once Naruto completed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen mission, even if Terumi Mei had grand plans, they wouldn’t be able to make much of a ripple.

The Akatsuki had suffered a setback and would probably refrain from taking drastic actions until they replenished their ranks with new members. In about a month, once Naruto found some free time, he and Jiraiya would head to Amegakure.

As long as they manage to take down the Akatsuki by the end of the year, even if they couldn’t eliminate the organization entirely, they could still drive them into hiding.

As for Nagato, Konan, and Obito, there is still a lot of time ahead. Naruto planned to take his time, and if they could be killed, he would do it.

In the days that followed, Naruto and Ino often met to discuss plans for modernizing Konoha’s communication systems.

Ino genuinely wanted to see Konoha's communication systems revamped, and Naruto just happened to know quite a bit about it. Having seen prosperous lands and even the budding technology in the Land of Snow, he was able to provide targeted suggestions.

"I'm leaving in a few days." Naruto suddenly looked up and said, catching Ino off guard.

"Where are you going?" Ino asked instinctively.

After a few seconds, she suddenly realized that this might be a secret mission that could not be told, so she immediately corrected herself, "Is it the day after tomorrow?"

"I’m not sure." Naruto replied, sitting at the edge of the low table in the living room. In winter, this table would be covered with thick blankets and warmed by a heater.

Naruto waved towards Ino, motioning her to come closer.

"What is it?" Ino didn't think too much about it and asked.

"Wait for me to come back." Naruto whispered into her ear.

Ino was startled and fell backwards, revealing her smooth feet from under the low table. In her panic, she saw Naruto crawling closer, which made her breath erratic.

"You…" Ino stammered, her body trembling slightly.

"What me?" Naruto asked as he stared at her. His body is very close to Ino, with his eyes staring at her, "Tell me, what's wrong with me?"

Ino’s eyes flickered to the wide collar of Naruto’s shirt, catching a glimpse inside before quickly looking away, her face flushed red. Every time she heard Naruto said, ‘when you say…’, Ino's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

The fact that he genuinely listened to her made her inexplicably happy.

"Naruto."

He froze for a moment, and then his movements stopped. Seeing the conflicted and restrained expression on Ino’s face, he snapped back to his senses. Feeling a little embarrassed, he stood up.

"I'll go get some water."

"Okay." Ino suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, gently stroking her chest with her hand. She breathed in small breaths with her back to him.

About half a minute later, Naruto returned with a glass of water, sitting down in his original spot as if nothing had happened. His expression was calm and composed, as though the previous moment had never occurred.

"What we discussed over the past few days has been useful. Make sure you’ve noted it all down." He held up the glass, took a sip of water, and his eyes fell on Ino's neatly folded hands on the table.

After a slight pause, he continued, "These technologies will gradually be introduced to Konoha in the future. I’ll speak with Tsunade-sama about it then. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem."

"Why are you helping me like this?" Ino suddenly asked, looking up at him.

"Are you stupid?" Naruto gave a playful smirk as he sipped his water, casting a sidelong glance at her, "Because I want to."

This was Ino's ideal… not quite a grand dream, but rather a simple thought she had since she was young. Naruto just wanted to help her a little, to build the world she envisioned.

It didn’t have to be anything earth-shattering. All it took was bringing the technological advancements already emerging in the Shinobi World into Konoha, adapting them to Konoha's needs, and crafting a plan for implementation.

Once the plan was approved and Konoha slowly began to change, as communication between people became more convenient, maybe that would be her ideal world.

It was small, but Naruto was willing to help her achieve it.

Because he liked… that's all.