Night.
After getting news about Shikamaru, Sasuke and Naruto waited early for Shinju to return.
Naruto clenched his fists excitedly and asked, "Sasuke, what do you think the result is? I really want to hurry over and see!"
Sasuke showed a knowing expression.
"Seeing how Shinju still hasn't come back after so long, you should already know the answer. (◔◡◔)"
Naruto suddenly understood.
"So that's it! Shinju came back so late because he took Ino to eat Ichiraku Ramen together!"
Sasuke: "…"
"Seriously, lucky you're so dense and yet the proactive Hinata likes you." Sasuke patted Naruto's shoulder with emotion.
Just as the two were talking, creak~ the doorknob turned, and Shinju pushed the door open and walked in.
Two big faces immediately leaned right up to him!
Shinju stumbled in fright and said irritably,
"Why are you two not sleeping in the middle of the night and waiting at the door?! (ꐦ ಠ 皿 ಠ) "
Instead of answering Shinju's question, Sasuke and Naruto wore meaningful expressions: (๑❛ᴗ❛๑),Ծ ̮ Ծ
Seeing this, Shinju instantly got it, but he refused to say the result, just to keep these two guessing!
Soon, Shinju showered and went upstairs.
Sasuke and Naruto stood at the bottom of the stairs, unable to quite read Shinju's thoughts.
"No, I'm too curious! I have to go to Shinju's room and ask!" Naruto, overwhelmed by curiosity, felt unbearably itchy with impatience.
Just as he took a step, Sasuke reached out and stopped him.
"Wait. Shinju is also dense when it comes to feelings. Maybe he doesn't want to show his cards this early… give him some time."
Naruto felt Sasuke made some sense and looked surprised.
"You're not curious?"
Sasuke: "I'm dying of curiosity! ＜(￣3￣)＞"
Room.
Shinju was absentmindedly playing a game, but what filled his mind was Ino's picture-perfect smiling face…
"I don't even know if I made the right choice…" Shinju said.
...
In the forests of the Land of Fire.
Ao, after discovering the airship had been moved, planned to carefully search the surrounding area.
Not long after, in a border town, he learned that the airship that crashed near the Land of Fire's border had already been taken back to Konoha's research lab by the Sixth Hokage, Shinju…
At this moment, Ao was completely breaking down! (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ)
"He told me to find the important cargo on the airship… and to take care of everyone who saw the airship…"
"What am I supposed to do now?"
"The entire Konoha knows about the airship's existence. Am I supposed to wipe out the whole village?! (｡í _ ì｡)"
"And most importantly, the Sixth Hokage… I can't beat him either! ꒦ິ^꒦ິ"
"But luckily, the important cargo he mentioned wasn't discovered by the Hokage. I'll look for it first…"
...
The next day.
Hokage's office.
Shikamaru was probing obliquely about last night.
But Shinju kept a mysterious look the whole time and didn't reveal a single word.
Even usually rational Shikamaru was starting to crack.
"Quit hiding it. Just tell me already…"
"Don't worry, I'm the most tight-lipped. You tell me, and I absolutely won't tell anyone else…"
Halfway through Shikamaru's words—
click!
The door to the Hokage's office swung open, and in walked Ino, dressed fresh and bright.
"Yo, Shikamaru's here too. I came to bring Shinju some snacks… ( ˝ᗢ̈˝ )" Ino smiled, lips pursed, and greeted them.
Having grown up with Ino, Shikamaru noticed she was especially radiant today…
Very strange!
After putting down the snacks, considering it was Hokage working hours, Ino didn't stay long, said goodbye, and left.
In the room, the stunned Shikamaru, thinking of Shinju's silence and Ino's delight, suddenly had a bold guess pop into his mind!
"Don't tell me… you gave it to her?! (≖╻≖;)" Shikamaru asked carefully, afraid he'd stepped on a landmine.
To this question, Shinju's lips curled.
"She insisted.（ --0027▿ --0027 ）"
Shikamaru was shocked. "You really gave it to her?ヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!"
Shinju pouted. "I already told you, she insisted. ┐(´-｀)┌"
Shikamaru: "She insisted, but you still didn't have to be that decisive about it—and you two only just…"
Remembering Ino's blissful expression, the rest of Shikamaru's words stuck in his throat.
It was someone else's private business; he shouldn't say more.
Judging from Ino's performance today, it didn't seem like a bad thing anyway.
Shinju should be someone reliable…
Who would've thought that kind of thing could change a woman so much—maybe someday he and Temari could also…
Shinju noticed Shikamaru's expression getting stranger and asked, "What are you imagining? What I gave Ino was a promise. →_→"
Shikamaru showed an all-knowing face.
"No need to explain, I get it! (◍ ´꒳` ◍) I've read books—after making a promise you'll definitely marry her someday. Guys always say a few empty lines afterward… but Shinju, you'd better not let Ino down…"
Shinju waved his hand. "What are you even talking about. (ー_ー)!!"
"Last night I just briefly shared my thoughts with Ino—told her I do like her quite a bit, but I haven't thought through marriage yet…"
"Then Ino asked me for a promise, so I told her she's my first choice for my future wife…"
Shikamaru: "So it really was just a promise? (꒪⌓꒪)"
"No, wait, Shinju—you've never been indecisive, so why…"
Shinju had already guessed what Shikamaru was about to say and raised his hand to stop him.
"You and I are not from the same world."
At first hearing this, Shikamaru only thought Shinju was showing off.
"Yeah, yeah, your strength really is on a different level from ours…"
Shinju didn't argue—he just lowered his head and silently continued correcting documents.
Shikamaru took the hint and left the Hokage's office, helping Shinju close the door on the way out.
click—
At the moment the latch fell into place—
Shikamaru suddenly felt something, eyes widening, his heart trembling, goosebumps rising all over!
A terrifying guess appeared in his mind.
"Not the same world."
...
Inside the office—
Not long after Shikamaru left, an Anbu member appeared, kneeling respectfully before Shinju's desk.
"Hokage-sama, I'm with the border patrol unit. In the northwestern border forest we found a suspicious person, and around him we also found these things…"
As he spoke, the Anbu presented a robot head.
Shinju looked closely and realized it was exactly the head of the mechanical puppet he had encountered yesterday beside the airship!
"How's that person now?" Shinju asked.
The Anbu replied, "When we found him, he was unconscious in a deep crater likely made by a jutsu. A powerful chakra fluctuation was emanating from his body. We didn't dare act rashly and reported to the Hokage's office immediately, awaiting your decision."
"You did well." Shinju stood up and took the Hokage cloak hanging on the coat rack. "Lead the way!"