Knock, knock, knock.
There are knocks on the door.
"Come in!" Shikamaru said without even raising his head. The desk was piled with paperwork.
The door creaked open, and Naruto walked in to find Shikamaru, the genius strategist of Konoha, sporting dark circles under his eyes and looking thoroughly exhausted. Naruto couldn't help but laugh as he placed the cigarettes on the desk.
"So busy?"
"Naruto?" Shikamaru shook his head, wondering if he was hallucinating from overwork.
The blurry double vision cleared, and Naruto was still standing there. Turning his head, Shikamaru saw a few more expensive cigarettes on the table, and his eyelids twitched.
He thought to himself, 'This can't be good.'
"What brings you here? And what's with the cigarettes? Naruto, you…" Shikamaru smiled bitterly and scratched his head.
"We're brothers, right? Please don't drag me into the fire pit."
"How could I?" Naruto grinned and moved a stool to place it opposite Shikamaru, "It's just that I haven't seen you for a long time. I missed you so much that I'd thought I'd drop by."
"… We had dinner together just a few days ago."
"Even a day apart feels too long." Naruto said without a hint of embarrassment. When asking someone for a favor, one had to show the right attitude. If Shikamaru refused, he'd figure something else out.
"This…" Shikamaru was nervous.
Even if he closed his eyes and used his toes to think, he could figure out what Naruto was thinking. Naruto wanted him to gather information from the Yamanaka clan. But wouldn't that be courting death if he was discovered?
Naruto smiled politely, thinking about something, and took out a cigarette and put it in Shikamaru's hand. Shikamaru reluctantly accepted it, and Naruto lit it for him.
Seeing Shikamaru took a puff, Naruto finally spoke.
"Shikamaru, this brother of yours never asked you for anything."
"Stop!" Shikamaru put away the cigarette, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and said unhappily, "Don't start with that. Ino has returned to the Yamanaka Clan's compound, and it's not convenient for me to go there."
"The Ino-Shika-Cho trio has always been close. Everyone knows that." Naruto said, sitting down with his arms crossed, giving Shikamaru a look that said he wasn't going to be easily dismissed.
Shikamaru sighed helplessly. He was just trying to do his job in the office, but trouble had come knocking.
"Why don't you go find Choji? Choji looks harmless, so no one will suspect him if he goes."
"Choji?" Naruto shook his head. "Choji is not smart and can't lie. He'd slip up after a few sentences. And Choji and I are too close. Once he goes, it'll be obvious."
Shikamaru: "…"
"Wouldn't it be almost the same if I went?" Shikamaru rubbed his temples. He felt Naruto was like a stubborn piece of meat, neither soft nor hard, "Ino's parents would be able to guess what happened after just one look."
"That's different. You're so smart, so you'll definitely be able to find a legitimate reason." Naruto said without hesitation.
Shikamaru was even more speechless after hearing this. It was widely acknowledged in the village that he was smart.
He had been praised by many people since he was a child, and he was tired of hearing it, but this was the first time he heard someone praise him like this.
"Fine, I'll think of something." Seeing that Naruto had already buttered him up to this extent, Shikamaru had no way to refuse.
"Okay, then let's have lunch together at noon." Naruto took a snack from Shikamaru's table. He didn't like smoking and was afraid that Ino would dislike the smell of cigarettes in his mouth.
"Sure." Although Shikamaru was reluctant to help Naruto do something that went against his conscience, it didn't affect their friendship.
"Let's go to that place we went to before. It's cheap and close."
"Ah! Refreshing!" Shikamaru slammed his glass down, the cold beer sending a shiver through him. A layer of fine sweat immediately appeared on his body, "Summer is almost over."
"Yeah, the weather will get cold soon." Naruto agreed. It's nice to have a few friends to chat and talk nonsense with, as it helped him relax.
Nowadays, even the worst people had friends, let alone ordinary people. Naruto just wanted to live a normal life with the people he loved.
"Asuma and Kurenai had a daughter. Her name is Sarutobi Mirai." Shikamaru said suddenly. He lit a cigarette, squinted his eyes and looked into the distance.
"When did that happen?" Naruto was surprised.
"It was quite a while ago. You weren't in the village, so it's normal that you didn't know about this." Shikamaru said, "But Ino gave a gift on your behalf, so it can be considered a gift even though you didn't show up in person."
Hearing this, Naruto couldn't help but fell silent for a while.
"She didn't tell me."
"There are so many things Ino didn't tell you, and you never asked." Shikamaru squinted his eyes and exhaled a puff of smoke. He then squinted his eyes and reached out to knock the ash off his cigarette.
"Naruto, I won't say much more. I know you have your own ideas, and what happens between you and Ino is your business."
"I'm just an outsider. No matter what I say, it won't change anything. After all, it's your life to live, for better or worse."
Naruto remained silent, and suddenly felt a weight in his chest.
"But as someone who's married, I've seen a thing or two. As a good friend to both you and Ino, I feel I have to say something."
"Go ahead." Naruto nodded and put down his chopsticks.
Shikamaru stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette, tossed it aside, and said with narrowed eyes, "I know your heart isn't in the village. The village has been decaying for years, and the future might not get better. Your ambitions lie elsewhere, but does Ino feel the same way?"
"You mentioned the Ino-Shika-Cho trio being close. The Yamanaka Clan has always been rooted in Konoha. No woman in the world wants to be separated from the person she loves. They want to stick together and shower you with kindness."
"Before Tsunade-sama returned to the village, everything in the village was going wrong. They blamed you for all the bad luck, and cursed and resented you. Ino heard it."
Do you know what she did? She nearly killed someone in an argument. You know that Shinobi cannot attack civilians in the village. Once blood is spilled, it will become very troublesome."
"I'm not making this up. If you can love Hinata, then Hinata must be wonderful too. But as a friend to both of you, I have my biases, and I just want you to know what Ino has done for you."
"The things you've seen and the things you haven't… Ino has done so much for you, foolishly and selflessly. She might not care, but you need to know."
"If, after knowing all this, you have other plans or a better solution, then I have nothing more to say. I just… hope you don't let her down."
"You're a capable person. Whether it's Hinata or Ino, they still love you despite everything. They have good judgment, and it's their choice."
"I've said my piece." Shikamaru poured himself another drink. After saying everything he wanted to say for a long time, he couldn't help but feel refreshed.
"I see." Naruto smiled and filled his glass. The two clinked their glasses, and he said, "Ino is truly amazing. I know that."
Hearing this, Shikamaru didn't say more. Their relationship was their own to figure out. He'd done his part for both Ino and Naruto.
In the afternoon, Shikamaru cleared his schedule and visited the Yamanaka Clan's compound.
…
Meanwhile, in a distant land.
Jiraiya was summoned and suddenly looked up at the sky. The originally clear sky became overcast, and soon there were lightning, thunder, and heavy rain.
He ran away in a hurry like a drowned dog, and finally got into a pub. Dragging his wet body, he walked into the counter and asked for a private room, and also asked someone to bring him a set of clean clothes.
After he changed his clothes and handed the wet clothes to the waiter to be washed and dried, he closed the sliding door and his expression became serious.
Jiraiya put his hands together, made a simple hand seal, and pressed his palms to the ground. A sealing array appeared, followed by a puff of smoke.
A slender figure appeared, and Gerotora, the scroll toad, made a brilliant appearance.
"Jiraiya, long time no see."
"Gerotora, why is the old man in such a hurry to see me? Did something happen?" Jiraiya poured himself a glass of sake, took a sip and asked.
"Yes, it seems to be about the Child of Prophecy." Gerotora replied honestly.