The next day happened to be a school holiday.
After finishing his usual morning workout, Naruto returned home, washed his face carefully, and began applying makeup in front of the mirror, skillfully concealing the six trademark whisker-like lines on his cheeks.
This had become a necessary step whenever he left the house for "serious business".
Then he changed into clean clothes, stepped out with composure, and headed straight for the Yamanaka flower shop.
Tomorrow was the eighth of February—the Third Hokage's birthday.
Naruto already had a plan for celebrating the old man's special day.
Same as always: a bouquet of auspicious flowers and a small birthday cake—simple, heartfelt, and sufficient.
It wasn't stinginess or indifference; his finances simply wouldn't allow more.
He had little cash on hand, his parents' estate was sealed away somewhere—or held by the Village under some pretext—and his only steady income was the monthly allowance the Third Hokage gave him.
That allowance was probably just a sliver skimmed off the inheritance left by the Fourth Hokage and his wife before being passed to him.
Thinking about it gave Naruto a headache.
Truly, a single coin can humble the mightiest hero!
Hey… maybe he could write a book and earn some cash? Hadn't Jiraiya made a fortune with his novels?
His first "serious" book, The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, had flopped, but make-out tactics had been an instant bestseller.
In a wartime Ninja World, stories about grit and self-improvement didn't sell.
But something like make-out tactics flew off the shelves.
The quickest ways to make money are all written in the law!
The faster the verdict, the faster the profit; the more charges, the bigger the purse.
Jiraiya wrote books that even a seasoned jounin like Kakashi was too embarrassed to mention, so of course the money rolled in.
Naruto could use the Transformation Jutsu to assume another face and publish under a pen name—steady income with zero risk of exposure.
As he approached, he saw Ino Yamanaka alone behind the counter, chin propped in her hand, gazing absently out the window, lost in some girlish daydream.
A crisp wind-chime jingled, shattering the quiet.
"Welcome~" Ino greeted by reflex in a languid shop-girl tone, then turned toward the door.
Naruto stood framed in sunlight, smiling and giving her a small wave.
"Hello, Ino."
"N–Naruto?!"
A flicker of flustered delight crossed her face, as if he'd caught her at something.
She quickly lowered her hand and straightened up, trying to look natural—though the rising blush betrayed her.
"I'd like to buy a bouquet."
Naruto stated his errand.
"Oh?"
Ino blinked curiously. "Who's it for this time?"
She remembered the last time he'd bought flowers for his teacher.
Seeing no other customers, Naruto grinned mischievously. "How about you?"
"Eh?!"
The words caught Ino off guard; two bright red spots bloomed on her cheeks.
"I–I work in a flower shop—why would you give me flowers?"
She protested shyly, pretending confusion, but the spreading flush had already given her away.
Knowing when to stop, Naruto chuckled and waved it off. "All right, no more teasing."
He turned serious.
"It's for the Third Hokage. Tomorrow's his birthday."
"Oh~ for the Third Hokage?" Ino's tone dipped, an inexplicable little emptiness opening inside her.
"Yeah, Grandpa Third's always looked after me." Naruto, oblivious, went on. "I couldn't think of anything better, and since Might Guy-sensei loved the flowers here last time, I came again."
As he spoke, he checked the surroundings.
Glancing at the stairs to be sure no one was watching, he quietly gathered a thread of vibrant Wood Release Chakra behind his back.
Self-created Ninjutsu—Wood Release: Bellflower Jutsu!
A bouquet of dewy, pale-purple bellflowers materialized like magic before the downcast Ino's eyes.
At the familiar scent of bellflower, she blinked—then her eyes lit up.
She looked up to see Naruto holding the flowers, smiling brightly.
"Mainly they're for Grandpa Third."
"But you looked a bit down, so this bunch is for you. Like it?"
Ino accepted the bouquet carefully and studied it—certain now.
These flowers had definitely been prepared in advance.
Every bloom was the pale-purple bellflower she'd once picked along the River Naka—none of which the shop carried.
Where had he conjured them from?
Meanwhile, inside the Sealing Space…
The Nine-Tails watched, lifted a massive paw, and slapped it over its face.
"Using Wood Release to pick up girls? Who taught the brat that?"
It flicked its tail in exasperation: "Still so weak and already pulling stunts like this—once he gets stronger he'll probably fly to the moon!"
Naruto, of course, paid no attention to the fox's grumbling.
"I do like them."
Cradling the thoughtful bouquet, cheeks pink, Ino murmured, "But for an official arrangement for the Third Hokage, I'll have to get my mom."
Talented as she was, she knew her skill couldn't match her mother Yamanaka Rino's experience with arrangements for the Hokage.
She looked up earnestly: "You gave me a bouquet, so I'll give one back! And I'll convince Mom not to charge you."
With that she turned to head upstairs and call her mother.
"Can't allow that."
Naruto shook his head, voice gentle but firm.
"The flowers you give me are from you—our bond—and I'll treasure them.
But the bouquet I'm buying now is to show respect and gratitude to the Hokage. That's a separate matter; I can't mix the two or pass on your gift."