Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, summer has passed.
On the day of the winter solstice, Black-Framed Naruto walked Ino home.
"Normally, don't you go home with Shikamaru and the others?"
Black-Framed Naruto was quite helpless about Ino occasionally asking him to walk her home.
He couldn't help it; she gave him too much.
"What does it matter?"
"Don't you often walk Sakura home too?"
Saying that, Ino took Black-Framed Naruto's hand.
"How about I bring you another book tomorrow?"
"It's about history, and I finally managed to buy it!"
"I never knew before that history books were so expensive and hard to find!"
Yamanaka Inoichi: "Uzumaki Naruto!!!"
The old father saw this scene and immediately turned red with anger.
Naruto shrunk his neck, "Uncle, that's not me, I'm here."
Yamanaka Inoichi: "No need to explain!"
Yamanaka Inoichi, without another word, threw off Akimichi Chōza and Nara Shikaku's hands, climbed onto the railing, and was about to jump down.
Fortunately, at the crucial moment, he remembered that he couldn't use Chakra now.
He immediately climbed back and ran down the stairs.
"Dad... where are you going?" Ino looked at Yamanaka Inoichi hurrying downstairs, a little confused.
"It's nothing, I'm going down for some fresh air," Yamanaka Inoichi said without looking back.
Ino and her mother exchanged glances, then both smiled at the same time.
Look how anxious he is.
That's his counterpart in the black frame world, not himself in this world.
If anyone should be anxious, it's him in that world.
Tobirama Senju: Have all historical records been banned?
Ōnoki: "Isn't that normal?"
Mei Terumī: "No wonder those villagers seem to know nothing; it turns out books were banned."
Mabui: "That's true. If these real events were known to the public, Konoha's Third Hokage might find it difficult to maintain internal stability."
Chiyo: "Hmph! If you ask me, the matter of Konoha's White Fang was definitely also concealed!"
Chiyo: "Damn you, Hiruzen Sarutobi! If it weren't for you, you dead monkey, this old woman would have definitely avenged her son and daughter-in-law!"
Uzumaki Kushina: "Naruto seems to have grown taller again, Rino-neechan, thank you."
Ino Yamanaka: "Mom says, you're welcome."
Yamanaka Rino wasn't in the chatroom.
So Ino sent the message on her behalf.
Uzumaki Kushina: "It's little Ino~ I think your mom won't refuse this marriage proposal."
Ino: "..."
Aunt Kushina, don't continue this topic!
Also, why did it suddenly jump to marriage?
Ino felt a chill down her spine.
She didn't need to think; it must be Hinata's gaze.
That little girl's face was practically screaming 'resentment'.
Ino Yamanaka: "Haha~ Aunt Kushina, Hinata definitely won't refuse!"
Uzumaki Kushina: "Is that so? Hinata, are you there? You haven't said anything, I thought you weren't in this chatroom."
Hyūga Hinata: "I... I am!"
Ino looked back at Hinata, whose face was completely red, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
A slight smile played on her lips; this little girl was quite fun.
So she leaned over and whispered a few words.
Hinata's head immediately started steaming.
"Hm?"
Black-Framed Naruto suddenly stopped.
In the past few days, the feeling of being watched wasn't very strong.
Sometimes, no one even came to watch him for half a day.
And the atmosphere in the Village seemed a bit off.
Every time Black-Framed Naruto walked Sakura or Ino home, he would pay attention to his surroundings.
Today's atmosphere seemed very wrong.
"Snow, it's snow!"
"Naruto, it's already snowing!"
Ino looked at the snowflakes suddenly falling from the sky.
She was as excited as a child.
She pulled Black-Framed Naruto and ran quickly, her laughter, like silver bells, constantly echoing.
Black-Framed Naruto raised his hand and caught a falling snowflake.
It landed in his palm and quickly melted.
'It's snowing, the first snow of winter.'
After a moment of silence, Black-Framed Naruto looked up and softly said, "Go home quickly, remember to wear warmer clothes tomorrow."
"Mhm~" Ino turned her head, looking at Black-Framed Naruto with a beaming smile.
However, Ino soon noticed that the smile on Black-Framed Naruto's face seemed to be slowly disappearing.
"What are you looking at?"
Ino waved her hand in front of Black-Framed Naruto's face.
Seeing that Black-Framed Naruto didn't react, she quickly followed his gaze.
"Ah--!!"
Ino screamed and quickly hid behind Black-Framed Naruto.
Black-Framed Naruto frowned and shielded Ino behind him.
"Who's there!"
He looked at the distant alley with a wary expression.
It was very dark there.
But a tall figure could vaguely be seen.
In the darkness, that person's eyes were fixed on them.
A cold light gleamed in their eyes.
Not good!
Yamanaka Inoichi stopped.
As a doting father, he panicked immediately upon seeing this scene.
The people watching also couldn't help but worry about Black-Framed Naruto and Ino.
Such an environment, such an atmosphere, suddenly felt like watching a horror movie.
However, to everyone's surprise... "Ino, why aren't you home yet at this late hour?"
As that figure continuously approached.
Black-Framed Naruto shielded Ino and continuously retreated.
Until the person in the darkness spoke.
Ino was startled, then, she peeked out from behind Black-Framed Naruto.
"Dad?"
"Dad?"
Black-Framed Naruto was also startled.
When the person in the darkness slowly walked out of the alley, and the faint light fell upon him.
Black-Framed Naruto finally confirmed that this was indeed Ino's father.
Hm... this gaze, it has malice, but it seems different from all the malice he's felt before, and it doesn't make him feel very uncomfortable.
Instead, it made Black-Framed Naruto feel inexplicably awkward.
"Honestly!"
"Dad, why were you hiding there? And you wouldn't even make a sound!"
As Ino breathed a sigh of relief, she glared angrily at her father.
Yamanaka Inoichi's eyelid twitched.
He hadn't intended to speak, but he couldn't resist walking out of the alley and staring at the two of them in the end.
"It's your dad? You really scared me." Yamanaka Rino patted her chest, still a little scared.
"Exactly, it was terrifying." Ino rolled her eyes at Yamanaka Inoichi's retreating back.
Is it coming?
Hyūga Neji narrowed his eyes slightly.
The first snow of that winter.
He still clearly remembered every detail even now.
"Go home quickly."
Yamanaka Inoichi shook his head helplessly, suppressing the urge to give the little blonde a good beating.
He still had a mission to complete.
"Got it!" Ino said grumpily.
Then she pulled Black-Framed Naruto and quickly walked through the somewhat dim street.
Black-Framed Naruto, however, frowned at this moment.
'Ino's dad, and Shikamaru's dad, and Chōji's dad, the three families seem to have a very good relationship.'
'Chōji even told me that their three families are Konoha's famous Ino–Shika–Chō.'
'Ino Yamanaka, Nara Shika, Akimichi Chō.'
'It seems their status and position in Konoha should not be low...'
'Ino's dad's expression just now seemed a bit off, did something happen?'
....
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