After Haruto brought his group back to the village, he returned to his own shop.
Because the store upgrade would take several days to complete, Haruto had nothing to do when he got home and could only sit on a chair and play in the indoor fishing pond that he had just drawn.
He had to admit, Doraemon's various props were truly magical. In just a short while, Haruto had caught several different kinds of fish.
"Very good, dinner is decided to be you guys!"
Haruto patted his butt and stood up. Just as he was about to go eat, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a beautiful figure flying quickly from a distance—fluttering clothes, graceful posture—it was truly eye-catching.
Bang!
The door of the Golden Egg Shop was suddenly pushed open. A whirlwind blew in, and the door slammed shut behind it, as if afraid someone outside might peek.
Looking at Ino standing there in a sailor suit, Haruto's appetite immediately vanished. He casually threw all the fish in the bucket back into the pond.
"W-Well, I'm here to smash eggs!" Ino turned around, her cheeks flushed. Her head hung low, palms pressing down on the hem of her skirt, toes scuffing at the ground nervously.
"Heh, dear customer, the store is currently upgrading. We're closed today," Haruto said with a sly smile as he admired her. "If there's nothing else, please come again later."
"You…" Ino's face was burning with shame, and her charming eyes looked up at him, full of indignation.
This bad guy clearly just wanted her to say that sentence! If she didn't say it, he'd kick her out. But if she left like this, it would be even more humiliating!
She had no choice but to fulfill this bad guy's wish.
"Brother Haruto, I came to see you… Do you think I look pretty?" she mumbled, her voice barely audible.
If Haruto's hearing weren't far superior to a normal person's, he wouldn't have caught what she said.
"Oh? My ears haven't been great lately. I didn't quite hear you clearly," Haruto said dramatically, leaning in like he really didn't catch it.
"..." Ino's hands, which were still holding down her skirt, began to tremble.
She glanced around, confirming no one was around. She was just about to raise her voice when a strong hand pulled her into an embrace.
Then Ino was stunned completely.
Snap!
Haruto flicked his fingers, and a sign reading "Closed for Two Days" hung at the entrance of the store.
Hokage's Office
Sarutobi Hiruzen and his son, Asuma Sarutobi—two heavy smokers—sat puffing away.
Having survived a brush with death, Asuma came straight to the old man to report on his mission.
With no outsiders present, Asuma appeared more casual.
"This time, it was really close," Asuma exhaled heavily. "We were ambushed halfway through the mission. I didn't even have time to react before I was taken out!"
"If Shikamaru and the others hadn't drawn a bunch of magical tools from the Golden Egg Shop, we'd all be dead by now."
"Ah." Hiruzen took a slow drag and said calmly, "That's the ninja world. As a jōnin, you must always be ready to die."
He spoke indifferently, with no special emotion even though Asuma was his own son.
He had long grown used to losing loved ones—Tobirama, Biwako, Shinnosuke—all had died before his eyes. Losing Asuma? That was no exception.
"…Really, old man?" Asuma glanced at his father blankly.
What's with that deadpan attitude? I'm still alive, you know!
Shaking his head, Asuma sighed and continued, "Later, Haruto suddenly appeared, saved Ino, and wiped out all the attackers."
Even now, Asuma still found Haruto's actions surreal.
With his own jōnin-level perception, he hadn't seen how Haruto attacked. He just carried Ino through the battlefield, and every enemy dropped like flies.
He seemed to recall seeing shattered blades spinning in mid-air…
"You said the first one he saved was Yamanaka Ino?" Hiruzen's eyes lit up.
"Yeah. He rushed there because of a life card he gave Ino. It let him sense when she was in danger."
The more Asuma talked, the more his voice faded.
He suddenly realized the whole battle lasted less than ten minutes. How had Haruto crossed that distance from Konoha so quickly?
It had taken them three whole days to travel!
"What terrifying speed…" Asuma murmured.
But Hiruzen's attention was focused on something else.
So Haruto had raced to the battlefield… purely because of Ino?
"You mean Haruto likes that Yamanaka girl?" Hiruzen asked again.
"Mmm." Asuma nodded. "He even gave her a special piece of equipment."
"What kind of equipment?" Hiruzen was intrigued.
"It's called the Guardian Angel. Revives someone instantly after death. The Fire Daimyō's envoy offered ten million ryō for it, but Haruto refused."
"Revive on the spot?!" Hiruzen was genuinely stunned.
Was there really something like that in the Golden Egg Shop?
Haruto had just handed it over to the Yamanaka girl?
Hiruzen smiled. He felt like he'd discovered the key to anchoring Haruto to Konoha permanently.
That "life card"... Didn't Hyuga carry one as well? Even Uzuki Yugao seemed to often gaze at a tiny paper charm…
"Haha…" Hiruzen's old face bloomed like a chrysanthemum in spring.
"Alright. You may leave." Hiruzen waved his hand, eyes sparkling.
"…What's with this guy?" Asuma grumbled, grabbing his cloak and heading for the door.
"Ungrateful brat!" Hiruzen called after him.
That same day, Hiruzen paid personal visits to the Hyuga and Yamanaka clans.
No one knew what was said during those meetings, but when he left, Hiruzen wore the biggest grin Konoha had seen in decades.
End of the Chapter.
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