Hearing this, Kiba was visibly stunned for a long moment, staring at Naruto. It took him about half a minute to snap out of it, blinking dazedly as if waking from a dream.
"Yeah, why don't I just find someone else to like?"
Naruto: "…"
Choji: "…"
"Then why the hell are you even asking?" Naruto stood up, ready to leave, 'This Kiba was really something… voluntarily letting himself get trampled on and still asking questions. What was the point?!'
"Hey, wait!" Kiba reacted quickly, pulling Naruto back with a shameless grin, "I was just confused for a second! If I didn't actually like her, I wouldn't be simping."
"Then what do you like about her?" Naruto sat back down, annoyed.
"She's pretty and has good vibes." Kiba said.
"How shallow. All you care about is looks." Choji chimed in, seizing the moral high ground as a married man to criticize them both, "A happy life isn't just about a pretty face. Once the lights are off, it's all the same."
Hearing this, Kiba wasn't convinced.
"Choji, then why didn't you marry an uglier wife?"
"Whether she's pretty or not is her own business. Am I supposed to make her uglier?" Choji complained, "Besides, I don't even understand what 'pretty' means."
Naruto, who is listening from the side, couldn't help but laugh to himself. He'd thought Kiba, as a seasoned simp, was already outrageous, but then Choji had to one-up him.
"If you don't understand what 'pretty' means, why'd you marry such a beautiful wife? There are plenty of ugly ones… why didn't you go for them?" Kiba retorted, clearly irritated.
Choji's face twitched. Even an idiot knew to pick a pretty wife. But at Choji's level, compatibility in status mattered far more than looks.
Among the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, the Nara Clan had always taken the lead, with the most external connections. For example, Shikaku and Shikamaru worked at the Hokage's Office, one as a strategist, the other as the Hokage's assistant.
"You make it sound so easy. Like I had a choice in the matter?" For once, Choji's IQ was online, and beneath his simple and honest exterior, his clapback game was unexpectedly strong.
"You're the one who's been fighting with your family over this, obsessing over that pretty girl. Why don't you try giving in now? You wouldn't even need your father to say anything… your sister could arrange a wife for you in no time. We'd be at your wedding in less than three days."
"You…" Kiba was left speechless. After all, it was true.
Finding true love was hard, but finding a suitable match from a compatible family was very easy. As long as Kiba was willing, he could have any wife he wanted. His clan's influence guaranteed it.
Larger clans might not have many direct relatives to choose from, but there were plenty of daughters from minor clans or branch families of major clans. Choji wasn't exaggerating, and if Kiba really agreed today, the wedding could happen as early as the day after tomorrow.
Naruto couldn't stand listening to these clan's heirs flex anymore. He clicked his tongue and sighed deliberately.
"I'm so jealous of you guys. Your families can arrange wives for you, and you're still picky. Not like me… no family, no support, just begging left and right to make things work."
Kiba: "…"
Choji: "…"
Both of them side-eyed Naruto, 'Did this guy even have any self-awareness? You weren't 'begging' because you couldn't find a wife… you were trying to openly steal the two princesses of Konoha.'
What's even more ridiculous is that both the Hyuga Clan and the Yamanaka Clan have only daughters. This bastard was specifically targeting their precious girls and ruining them. Disgusting!
"Naruto, do you ever look behind you when walking at night?" Kiba asked through gritted teeth.
"I don't go out after dark." Naruto replied with a grin.
"Bragging after getting what you want. If I were Uncle Inoichi, I'd hang you up and beat you." Choji muttered, shooting Naruto a look, feeling this guy was truly shameless!
"Whatever. If they want to hit me, let them. Every time they hit me, I'll treat their daughters even better. It's not like I'm the one who'll feel bad about it." Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Naruto finally revealed his true thoughts with a shameless smirk.
'Holy shit!!' Kiba and Choji both sucked in a sharp breath. This guy was pure evil.
After their chat, the three of them went their separate ways, each heading home to sleep.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Konoha, the Yamanaka Flower Shop was brightly lit. Inoichi stood by the window, which is an unusual sight, his back to the living room as he remained silent. Outside, snowflakes swirled densely in the air.
He wasn't much of a smoker, but now, with frustration weighing on him, he felt a growing urge to lose his temper. But when he glanced back at his daughter's tightly shut door and his wife sitting blankly on the sofa…
'Sigh.'
'This shouldn't have happened in the first place. It was all because I'd been too soft-hearted, too busy with work, and neglected Ino. And now…'
Logically, Ino was already an adult, and as her father, he shouldn't interfere. But the problem was, his daughter was unreliable, and the guy she liked was downright despicable.
For the first time, Inoichi truly understood the pain of having his daughter stolen by a blonde delinquent. It was like that bastard had pulled up on a loud motorcycle outside his house, revving the engine and flashing a cocky grin before shouting, "Hey, Old Geezer! Is it cool if I park my ride here?"
Right now, the only thought in his mind was, 'My daughter was pregnant. Was it too late to grab a knife and chop that guy into pieces to feed to the dogs?'
But the problem was… it had already happened. No amount of regret would change things. With normal people, he could at least hold their parents accountable. But with Naruto… Inoichi couldn't even bring it up.
He could grit his teeth and endure it, it was no problem. But he couldn't just let Ino suffer in silence like this. No matter what, Naruto had to take responsibility.
"Call Ino out. We need to settle this." He said, turning to his wife on the sofa, "Hiding won't solve anything. Just call her."
Rino's expression was complicated, as if she had just snapped out of a daze. She glanced blankly at her husband, then at Ino's room.
"Let her calm down first. We shouldn't make things worse."
"This..." Inoichi hesitated. He wasn't the type to interfere much with his children… most of the time, he was either busy with work or social engagements.
But upon reflection, even if he called Ino out now, what would he even say? Other than scolding her, there wasn't much else to discuss.
Though it's not his first time being a parent, Inoichi's own marriage and fatherhood had been arranged by his family. He hadn't put much thought into it. He focused on his work, and by the time he returned home, his wife had already taken care of everything.
Now, as the Clan Head of the Yamanaka Clan, he had moved out of the clan's main residence because his wife wanted to run a flower shop.
Looking back, he realized he lacked experience as a father. His thoughts were a tangled mess, and with a deep frown, he could only nod in agreement.