The two wandered through the streets, eating and browsing. It was broad daylight and there weren't many people around.
As they talked, Naruto naturally reached out and held Ino's hand without a care about who might see them.
Ever since that incident, Naruto had adopted a 'come what may' mindset. Aside from being wary of running into the Yamanaka couple or Hiashi, he feared nothing.
See someone he knew? Well, the ones who should know already knew, and the ones who didn't wouldn't find out. You can't hide a cough, and you can't cover up the truth forever.
So instead of skulking around like he had something to hide, he might as well be upfront. Big messes need big lids. If you can't handle the fallout, then don't play these messy games.
That's just how it worked. The more guilty your conscience, the more likely you'd attract disaster. Be open and confident, and nothing unexpected would happen.
The thrill was in the gamble, and life was all about playing the odds.
He had already figured that out. They held hands the whole time, with Ino smiling the whole time. Naruto didn't avoid or dodge anything, and patiently accompanied Ino as they strolled through store after store.
"Does it look good?"
"It looks great." Naruto nodded without hesitation and followed it up with a few words of praise..
"Then I'll take this one!" Ino said to Naruto.
The clothes were a little expensive, 50,000 ryo, but the quality was among the best in Konoha's clothing stores. Even though Naruto didn't have much money, but he still didn't hesitate to pay.
To him, money was just a necessity for living. If he really wanted to make money, he has plenty of ways to get a large amount of money.
As he was paying, Ino glanced at him and said, "I noticed Hinata had a necklace that looks a lot like mine. I asked her about it, and she said you gave it to her. So I don't want to wear mine anymore. Since you're buying me this clothes, I won't bring it up again."
The moment he heard that, Naruto broke out in a cold sweat. His hand nearly trembled as he paid, but fortunately, he had a strong enough mental state to keep it together.
His memory was too fuzzy, and he couldn't remember if he had given out similar necklaces before. In order to avoid any accident, he specifically gave one a necklace and the other a bracelet.
But later on, things got complicated later. He'd given out too gifts, so he might've made a mistake during one of those chaotic times. At least their return gifts were always different, unlike Naruto who treated it like mass production.
After paying, Naruto finally let out a breath of relief. Suddenly, for the first time, he truly felt that money was a beautiful thing.
There's a saying that a good gift can fix anything, and if one doesn't work, just give another. But for someone like Ino, who is the princess of a prestigious clan, some troubles just couldn't be solved with gifts.
This time, it was purely because Ino was in a good mood and chose to forgive him.
"Maybe... we should buy a few more. There are a few sets over there." Naruto's heart skipped a few beats and he felt a little guilty. He thought that he should buy a few more sets, otherwise, he would not be able to feel at ease.
"No." Ino rejected him without hesitation.
Instead, she dragged Naruto along for a shopping spree. She didn't buy much for herself, but mostly for Naruto. She probably knew Naruto had storage scrolls or some kind of Space-Time Ninjutsu, as she bought him seven or eight outfits in one go.
She grabbed shoes as soon as she liked them, picked out two or three sets of hats and scarves, as if she was buying his entire wardrobe for the next few years.
Only now did Naruto realize how shockingly wealthy this little heiress really was. She swiped her card again and again without a flicker of hesitation. In less than an hour, she had spent 600,000 ryo.
And that was just on clothes and shoes. As they continued shopping, Naruto began to feel increasingly uneasy. Ino was being too good to him, and that made him feel even guiltier.
"Why are you buying so much?" He asked.
"Because I want to. What's the problem?" Ino, who is still sipping on that same carton of milk she'd been carrying all along, tilted her head and looked at him seriously.
"I bought you all these clothes and shoes, so she won't have anything left to give you."
"Uh... alright."
This reason is indeed impeccable. Hinata's go-to gift ideas were always personal, as most of them handmade. But now, Ino had bought piles of clothes, shoes, bags, even scarves and insoles.
All top-quality and expensive. And chances were, she'd insist Naruto rotate them daily.
With that kind of exposure, Hinata would definitely notice, so she wouldn't be able to give anything in the same category.
With how Hinata's brain worked, she was probably going to be stuck stressing about gift ideas for a long time.
"But... this is too much." He mumbled. Even someone as shameless as Naruto felt embarrassed after receiving so many gifts at once.
"It's not too much… it's just right." She counted on her fingers and said, "Those few are for sunny days, those darker ones are for when it rains, and we haven't even gotten to winter clothes yet."
"Huh? We're still buying? Isn't this getting a little expensive?" Naruto backed off a bit, "Just these few sets of clothes costing tens of thousands each... isn't that kind of..."
"It's not expensive at all. They're good quality and they also look great." Ino pulled him along by the arm, "Besides, I'm buying them for you because I want to."
"It's none of your business!"
Hearing this, Naruto broke into a cold sweat, 'Well, it seems I can just bear with it. After all, she is my girl, so the money was staying in the family. I could always return the gesture later with a thoughtful gift.;
The two continued walking. At first, Naruto had his hand on Ino's waist, and they whispered sweet nothings as they strolled. But as they talked, his hand slowly began to drift lower.
Just as he was about to use his skillful hand, Ino's communicator suddenly rang. Ino took it out of her bag and glanced at the screen, then looked at Naruto with a helpless expression.
"It's my mom."
She'd originally planned to keep shopping with Naruto, but she seemed to guess what this was about and answered the phone dejectedly.
"Moshi moshi."
"Go home." Rino's tone was calm, but also carried an unmistakable tone of command.
Ino froze as she suddenly realized that her mother might be watching not far away. Her body stiffened, but she didn't dare look around. She simply pressed her lips together and answered softly, "Okay."
After ending the call, Ino's face turned pale.
"What's wrong?"
"My mom saw us. She told me to go home now." Her voice trembled, as if she was about to cry. She looked at Naruto with tears in her eyes.
"It's okay. Go ahead and go home first." Naruto didn't care if Rino was still watching from somewhere. He gently pulled Ino into his arms and patted her back in comfort.
"I will explain the situation to Auntie. Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
"No! Don't go." Ino panicked, completely losing her composure.