DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL HAHA)

Chores Galore

- Naruto's Apartment: 5:00 AM -

Morning came and the sun was about to rise, it was a fair day in Konoha and most people were still sleeping. But not Naruto, he has been awake for a couple of hours now. Today was technically a day off for him since their team had no missions to do and their sensei had to cancel their meeting due to an emergency meeting where he was needed. He also didn't need to go to his part-time job since he only needs to be there every Monday and Friday, so Naruto decided to use his free time to do something productive.

Naruto got out of his bed and stretched for a bit to wake his body up, he gazed at his apartment and saw that it was a mess. He read from a book that a person's productivity is impeded if said person's surroundings were messy and/or cluttered. Naruto didn't really mind his apartment being messy but he decided to turn a new leaf and start cleaning up his house. Naruto decided to keep it that way from that day forward, that is if he can. But first, he decided to wash up first and then start cleaning. He took a broom and began sweeping, he also took a garbage bag and filled it with all the garbage, junk, litter, and stuff he didn't need/want anymore. This task took him around two hours tops, the sheer amount of dust he swept up boggled him, and the bag he took earlier was filled to the brim. He tossed the bag in the dumpster outside as well as the dust he collected, he went back to his apartment and began another task.

That task was to clean the dishes, Naruto is the type of guy to leave bowls lying around the house. But not anymore, at least he's trying not to be anymore. Naruto washed a butt load of bowls, plates, utensils, and cups to the point he needed to buy more dish-washing soup. After that whole ordeal, he decided to reorganize some stuff around his house. These included the contents of his cupboards which mainly contained a variety of cup ramen and packaged ramen, his wardrobe which only has four sets of identical outfits (his orange jumpsuit), five pairs of underwear, some pants, and t-shirts, a red scarf, and his old goggles. Once he finished that he then checked his fridge and examined each item to check whether it is still good or gone bad.

Once he has taken out the bad stuff and left the good stuff in the fridge, he made a list of things he needed to buy since he thought that having only ramen in his apartment should change. Though he did not know what he should buy so he set aside that thought and focused on other things he could do on his own.

Naruto's attention then turned to the plants he has inside his apartment, all of which looked rather questionable. Ino was right about him watering them excessively, most drowned and the others were wilted due to being exposed to the sunlight for extended periods of time. This left him with only one option which was to discard the dead plants and replace them with new ones using some of the seeds Ino gave him the other day. Ino told him that he needs the practice to take care of plants, she also said these seeds are rather forgiving for beginners to grow since they are easy to grow from seeds. He had some Nigella seeds, Sunflower seeds, and some Marigold seeds. Naruto read the instructions behind and understood what he needed to do, it seemed easy enough. Once he planted the seeds in the empty pots, he thought to himself that he wasn't going to make the same mistake again by over watering them and leaving them in the sun for too long. Speaking of flowers, Naruto still thinks Ino is coaxing him to work there full-time for some reason. But he shrugged off the thought and worked on something else.

- Naruto's Apartment: 9:30 AM -

Naruto finished cleaning up his entire apartment, starting from his bed up to the living room. And yes that includes the bathroom as well, overall Naruto did a great job in cleaning up his apartment despite this being the very first time he took cleaning seriously. After cleaning the entirety of it, he felt rather accomplished and was satisfied with the fruits of his hard work. Though he still had one problem, that is how the hell was he going to buy groceries? He was confident that no store would welcome him. And even if they did, they would rip him off by raising the price by an unreasonable amount. Naruto sighed and thought to himself about how he was going to tackle this problem.

"Hmmm… Maybe if I ask Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-neechan, they would help me out… Who else can I ask though? Perhaps Iruka-sensei?… Nah, I don't want to bother him with this" Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts when someone knocked on the door. He opened the door only to see Ino waiting outside.

"Oh hey Ino, What brings you here?" he asked

"Good morning to you too Naruto, my mom told me to bring these to you" she said as she handed him the three books he read the other day

"She's alright with lending me these books?" he asked

"Well yeah, she trusts you with it plus I believe you haven't finished reading it all right?" she replied

"Oh, yeah hehe. I'm still not finished with the one about botany'" he retorted

"I see, well just return the books when your finished reading it all" she said whilst smiling

"You got it!" he returned to Ino, she was about to leave when suddenly Naruto had a brilliant idea. What if he asked Ino to help him buy groceries, "Wait!… Uhhh…" he said

Ino turned around to face Naruto once more, "Hmmm? What is it Naruto?…" she raised her eyebrow

"Could you uhhh… Perhaps… M-Maybe help me with buying groceries?… It's okay if you don't want to, I complet-" he was cut off mid-sentence when Ino agreed.

"Sure" she said curtly"

"Really?… You don't mind helping me?" he asked again

"Yeah" she responded

"Ya sure? And that's it? No strings attached?…" he made sure

"Well, I don't know about that… But I am willing to help you Naruto, if you do me a favor" Ino said

"Fine… What's the favor then?"

"That I have not decided yet, but you do owe one favor" she said with a grin

"I am going to regret this later on…"

"So is it a deal or not?"

"Alright Ino, deal"

"Good, no take-backs alright?" she raised her eyebrow and placed one hand on her hip

Naruto groaned and reiterated that he agrees with her conditions, "Alrighty then, what do you need then?" she asked

"That… I do not know" he said sheepishly

"Seriously?… Alright, may I come in so that I can have a look at your fridge?" she asked and Naruto agreed without hesitating

Ino entered his apartment and saw how spotless it was compared to the last time she went there, "Wow, someone's been busy. What came over you to motivate you to clean your apartment?" she asked

"I just felt like it I guess hehe" Naruto said in a proud tone

"Well, good for you that you decided to take cleaning seriously. And I hope it stays that way from now on"

"No promises, but I'll try dattebayo!" he said with a foxy grin, Ino saw the goofy look on his face and rolled her eyes

"Let's have a looksie shall we?" she said as she opened Naruto's fridge

She was rather shocked at how meager the contents of his fridge are, all she saw were pitchers of cold water, three eggs, a tomato, and some cheese.

"Jeez… Your fridge contains little to no food Naruto, what have you been eating then?"

"Uhhh… I'd rather not say…" he said in an embarrassed tone

"Well you don't have to tell me since I think I know what it is, you got a pen and paper?" she asked to which Naruto said he did. He went to his desk and got a sheet of paper and a pen to give to Ino

Ino then sat by the table and began jotting down the things he needed.

The List

More eggs

Bread

Milk

Meat (Chicken/Pork/Beef/Fish)

Rice

Condiments

Cereal

Canned Soup

Fruits (Apples/Bananas/Oranges)

Veggies (Broccoli/Peas/Potato /Carrots/Mushrooms)

More Cheese

Butter

"Whoa, that's a lot Ino. Are you sure I need all of that?"

"What do you mean 'a lot'? This is nothing compared to the groceries my family buys, and we don't eat a lot" she replied

"Alright then, I won't question you since you're the expert on this"

"You're darn right I am, besides you need some diversity in what you eat. You can't live off of ramen alone' she said

"How much do you think this will cost?" he asked

"How much do you got though?"

Naruto responded by giving her his wallet, Gama-chan. "Yep, this is more than enough. How come your wallet is still filled to the brim? It's been so long since the last time I saw it" she said

"Well, I pay rent which is not that much considering the fact that this building is rather old and rickety. The payment also includes all my utilities and stuff, as for food… I just buy ramen in bulk"

"I see, how come you were able to buy ramen? Did the store rip you off?" she asked

"Nah, I used Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) and disguised myself. I could technically use the same jutsu to buy groceries but I don't know what to buy in the first place, that's why I asked for your help"

"Makes sense, well come on and we'll fill up your fridge for once" he nodded and followed Ino.

Ino and Naruto then went to a store that was a long way from his apartment. Naruto wondered why they were going so far even though they had passed countless similar stores, Ino said that this was a good place to get quality products for cheap. She emphasized the idea of getting the best bang for the buck, an idea that her mother passed to her.

Before they went in, Naruto performed the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) in an alleyway as a precautionary measure for him. Naruto changed his facial features and clothes but retained his blonde hair for some reason. The shopkeeper wasn't at the counter to notice the blondes enter which made it easier for Naruto to slip by.

- Moments Later -

"And I believe butter is the last item, why don't you go wait for me outside while I check these out. Hand over your wallet for a sec will you?" she said to Naruto

"Wait… What do you mean 'wait outside'? Why though?" he asked

"You clearly don't know what haggling is do you?" she asked

"Haggling?"

"It's when you negotiate for an agreed price" she said

"Okay… But didn't you say this is a good place to get the and I quote 'best bang for the buck'?"

"Well, there's no harm in further lowering the price. If I were you, I'd be begging me to haggle the shopkeeper"

"Okay fine. I'll go wait outside" he said as he exited the store

- With Ino and the Shopkeeper -

Ino approached the shopkeeper and placed the basket full of items, "Ahhh Ino-chan, shopping for groceries I see? Where's your mom though?" the woman asked

"Oh it's just my friend and me" she said pointing to the disguised Naruto

"Friend? This is the first time I saw friends buying groceries, are you sure he's not your boyfriend? Does your mom know?"

"WHA- B-Boyfriend?! He's my teammate and friend, plus that would be weird" she argued

"Awww, but I've got to say. You two would make a cute couple" the shopkeeper added

"As I said earlier, he's not my boyfriend..." Ino said in a flustered tone

"Alright alright, if you say so. I'm guessing this is the part where we begin haggling I assume?"

"Exactly my thoughts"

It took a while for Ino and the shopkeeper to settle for a price, but Ino successfully saved Naruto more money than he expected which was nice. They then returned to his apartment to stock up his fridge, "Thanks again for helping me out Ino, even if you asked for something in exchange. I really appreciate it" Naruto said

"Don't worry about it Naruto, I'm glad I could help"

"Oh yeah! Why'd you yell back there in the store, something wrong happened?" he asked. This made Ino remember the events a while ago and the word boyfriend echoed in her mind, this made her blush and be flustered

"I-It's nothing so don't worry about it"

"Alright if you say so… By the way, want to go grab something to eat?" Naruto asked

"You mean eat outside?"

"Sure I guess, any place you have in mind?"

"After that incident? No, and we're definitely not going to Ichiraku's right now. The whole point of buying groceries is for you to eat something else other than ramen"

"Well, I got nothing then…" He said as both of their stomachs grumbled, Ino sighed and decided to whip something up for the both of them to eat for lunch.

"You can cook Ino?" Naruto was shocked

"Yeah, why? I don't look like the type to cook is what you're thinking huh?"

"Honestly… Yeah, but it is nice to know more stuff about you though"

"Well there's more to learn about me than meets the eye Naruto"

"Oh yeah? Like your passion for shopping, pudding, cherry tomatoes, the color purple, and your unyielding love for Sasuke-teme"

"Like you're any better? Ramen this and ramen that, 'I'm gonna be Hokage dattebayo!', your passion for the color orange for some reason, 'The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) is the coolest jutsu in existence, and many more. Yeah, that sounds better" Ino said sarcastically as she looked around Naruto's kitchen for cookware to use.

"I'm not denying the ramen thing but first of all, I rarely ever talk about being Hokage ever since Asuma-sensei dropped that truth bomb over me before meeting the Daimyo. Second, what's wrong with the color orange? It's a nice color. Third, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) thing is a fact, it is the coolest jutsu to ever exist" he replied

"Okay I'm glad we agree on the whole ramen issue, and I guess you do have a point when it comes to the Hokage topic. I rarely hear you even mentioning the word 'Hokage' anymore, and orange is just too loud of a color. And about the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique), sure whatever lets you sleep at night. Pretty sure there are cooler jutsus out there compared to your specialty. Anyway, what do you want to eat?"

"Since you're cooking for me, chef's choice then hehe"

"Alright then, I'll knock your taste buds out and show that ramen is nothing compared to my cooking"

"Well let's see about that"

Ino then began cooking using the stuff they bought from the store, as she was cooking she was also having a conversation with Naruto about various things which are usually trivial. But despite their conversation's trivial nature, she genuinely enjoys it

- After A While -

"Alright Naruto, go pull up a chair so that we can eat"

"It does smell good, but the real question is does it taste good as well?"

"Why don't you come over here and find out" she challenged Naruto

Naruto then took a chair and sat by the table, he then asked her what the dish was called

"The main course is fried fish we bought from the store, I was going to grill it but you lack the equipment. We'll have to expand your cookware some other time, and to go with the fish I made Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice). I made some shiitake dashi using the mushrooms we bought and chopped it up too. Added some chopped carrots and some peas for more vegetables, to add mead I sliced up tuna and added it in. Go ahead and dig in"

Naruto took his chopsticks and looked at the food in front of him, "Itidakimasu" he said as he took a bite out of Ino's cooking

Flavors burst inside his mouth, it was excellent and genuinely good. As much as he wanted to not show it, his face betrayed him thus giving Ino the victory

"Wow, this is really good Ino. I could get used to this" he said as he kept eating

"You really think its good?" she asked

"Good? It's amazing Ino, wish we could do this more often though"

Ino blushed but hid it from Naruto, she is usually unsure if her cooking was good or not. She believes that her cooking is not on par with her mother's but if Naruto likes it then it is good enough for her. Ino really enjoyed the fact that her cooking received praise from someone else other than her father and occasionally her mother.

"I mean we could if you want to, you just have to ask y'know" she said

"Well then it's settled hehe, this stuff is great" he said as he was chowing down

"I'm glad you like it Naruto" she said with a smile

Ino and Naruto continued to eat their food while enjoying each other's company, Naruto ended up going for seconds and thirds while Ino only ate one and a half servings of her own cooking. In the Naruto was stuffed, Ino needed to get back home as well.

"I need to get back home now Naruto, there's more food on the stove so that you can have more for dinner. I enjoyed hanging out with you, see you tomorrow Naruto" she said as she waved goodbye

"Bye Ino, thanks for helping me, and also thank you for the meal" he said as she walked downstairs to leave the building

(A/N: Yep, another wholesome chapter if I do say so myself. I just felt like writing more heartwarming chapters y'know? Perhaps it's just me yearning to experience the same and the only way to feel it somehow is by writing it? Nah, I'm overthinking it haha (Or am I? ;)). JK, regardless though, I do hope all of you are still enjoying the fic. Almost a hundred followers and 63 faves, damn thanks for the continuous support. Sorry for the slow pacing, I did mention this will be slow and stuff so yeah, that's all haha. Show me some love and rate and review or something, cheers ^^)