A gentle, polite inquiry reached Ino's ears, but she froze as if struck by a faint current.
"Eh?"
This voice... although she rarely heard it in class, this familiar tone... was it that demon... Uzumaki Naruto?!
She widened her eyes in disbelief, scrutinizing the blond boy in front of her.
After half a holiday, his hair had indeed grown quite a bit.
What shocked her most was that the six whiskers on his face, which always made her think of bad things, were gone!
And... after shaving off his whiskers, he actually looked this handsome?!
This realization made Ino's heart skip a beat.
She subconsciously compared him in her mind to her 'idol': although he was still inferior to Sasuke-kun... uh, actually... looking closely, maybe he wasn't that bad?
She found herself performing a completely new kind of assessment.
Sasuke-kun had that cold, aloof handsomeness, with a sense of distance, like ice under the moonlight; while Naruto, after tidying himself up, had relaxed brows, clear eyes, and when he smiled, he exuded an infectious cheerfulness and sunshine, like the warm winter sun.
This... these were completely different types!
One could only say they each had their own merits... Ino felt her cheeks flush, her mind a mess, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond to Naruto's simple question.
Indeed, Ino was a Sucker for Good Looks.
Seeing the panic flickering in Ino's wide eyes and her slightly reddened cheeks, Naruto understood.
In his previous life, he had heard about Ino's 'looks-oriented' trait, and now it was confirmed.
Seeing Ino stammering, somewhat at a loss for how to respond, Naruto took the initiative to speak, breaking the slightly awkward silence, and introduced himself naturally: "I am Uzumaki Naruto."
This clear self-introduction was like pressing a switch.
"So it's Naruto-kun... Naruto-san!"
Ino thought about how little interaction they had and quickly corrected her address, changing from the slightly intimate 'kun' to the more appropriate 'san' for a classmate, trying to hide her momentary lapse.
She tried to make her voice sound calmer.
"You... you've changed so much, I didn't recognize you at first."
As she spoke, her gaze couldn't help but linger on Naruto's clean face for a few more seconds, still marveling at this 'makeover' change.
"Because these whiskers always made people recognize me, and I couldn't shave them off, so I covered them up. Has the change really been that big?"
Naruto's hand, which was about to touch his cheek, paused, then moved to his chin instead.
He mustn't smudge the makeup he had painstakingly applied.
Just then, Inoichi Yamanaka, who had been meticulously arranging a bouquet behind the counter, rushed between the two with almost instantaneous speed, a 'whoosh' sound.
With a slightly stiff smile on his face, he thrust the wrapped bouquet into Naruto's hands.
"So you're Ino's classmate, customer! What a coincidence!"
His voice was eight octaves higher than usual, with a forced enthusiasm, "Today is New Year's Eve, and you're our last customer, so Uncle will give you this bouquet!"
You should also hurry and find your teacher, don't keep him waiting! We're about to close up and go home!"
He spoke extremely fast, almost wanting to 'escort' Naruto out of the flower shop immediately.
Looking like Minato was one thing, evoking nostalgic sadness was another, but... without a hint of hesitation, Inoichi Yamanaka acted purely out of a father's instinct!
Upon seeing the blond boy talking to his precious daughter, the father's vigilance towards 'little blondies' instantly overwhelmed all reason and sentiment.
His daughter, Ino, was still in the Ninja Academy!
Even if he was Minato's son, at such a young age, it was unacceptable!
Although Minato and Inoichi Yamanaka both started dating during their Ninja Academy days, that was a different matter!
This was his only daughter, the little princess of the Yamanaka family.
"Uh..."
Naruto, seeing Inoichi Yamanaka's intense reaction, as if he had entered a state of high alert, was momentarily speechless.
He instinctively accepted the bouquet, which was clearly meticulously arranged, but still insisted on asking:
"Thank you, Uncle. How much is this flower? I..."
"You called me Uncle, so this flower is on me!"
Inoichi Yamanaka didn't give Naruto a chance to finish speaking, repeating in an exaggeratedly cheerful tone while half-pushing and half-guiding Naruto towards the shop door with his arm.
"No need for money! Go quickly, don't keep your teacher waiting! Happy New Year!"
Before he finished speaking, Naruto felt an irresistible force on his back, and by the time he came to his senses, he was already standing in the cold air outside the flower shop.
Behind him was the crisp 'ding-dong' of the door closing, and faintly, Ino's disgruntled complaint from inside: "Dad! What are you doing?!"
Naruto stood in the snow, holding the bouquet that had been discounted to free, looking at the shop door that now had a 'Preparing to Close' sign, feeling a bit exasperated.
Oh my, Inoichi Yamanaka is really something.
He gave away the flowers just like that; I'll have to buy him something in return later.
Naruto had found out that Might Guy's birthday was January 1st, which was tomorrow.
This date perfectly matched Guy's enthusiastic personality, always full of new beginnings and new hopes.
After much thought, Naruto decided to make a gesture.
If he were to give ninja tools, Naruto couldn't afford any good ones, and ordinary gifts wouldn't convey enough sincerity.
Ultimately, he decided to buy a bouquet of flowers.
He knew that different flowers had different 'flower languages,' representing different meanings, and the occasion for giving them also mattered greatly.
Although Naruto usually couldn't even recognize common flowers, he could distinguish the most basic and symbolically significant ones.
For example, sunflowers, symbolizing sunshine, loyalty, and respect, were very suitable for Teacher Guy, who burned himself like the sun, illuminated others, and was incredibly loyal to the Village.
Conversely, white chrysanthemums, used in funerals and representing mourning and remembrance, he would absolutely not mistake.
If he were to give white chrysanthemums as a birthday gift, the scene... Naruto just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.
Precisely because he wasn't sure what to give, he entered the flower shop, hoping a professional could help him arrange a bouquet that was both appropriate and conveyed his feelings.
In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was using the 'Telescope Jutsu' through a crystal ball.
When he saw Naruto walk out of Yamanaka Flower Shop, holding a clearly freshly bought, beautifully wrapped bouquet, looking a bit bewildered yet content, a benevolent smile appeared on his face, and he habitually stroked his graying goatee.
He recalled a few days ago, when he visited Naruto, the boy had asked about his and Might Guy's birthdays.
At the time, he was a bit puzzled why the child was suddenly interested in that.
So... he asked about Guy's birthday with this intention!
Watching Naruto's figure carefully holding the bouquet and walking through the snow in the crystal ball, a warm current flowed through the Sandaime's heart.
This child knows how to be grateful, how to thank those who guided and helped him on his path of growth.
Even though he himself received little warmth, he is still willing to extend kindness to others.
What a good child!
He murmured, his gaze growing softer.
Perhaps the kindness and sincerity Naruto inherited from Minato and Kushina are far more resilient than anyone imagined.
Naruto's warmth, blooming despite growing up in darkness and scorn, brought a sense of solace to this old man who had witnessed too much darkness.