So here it is. More interaction between the two now.

Also, server still ain't fixed… and three chapters a day is a new record for me. Wow…

(Finding Love)

Naruto flops down onto his bed, still dressed in his Jounin attire, but minus the flak jacket. It has been a week since the battle with Kakuzu and he's received a lot of questions. "Who he really was" was one of the questions asked.

He answered in such a sarcastic tone that you'd think he was joking if he said it in a short answer, but he gave a long one so it was true. "Oh, who, me? Oh, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. The dead last during the Academy, currently Jounin, former ANBU Supreme Commander, and Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I was the one that brought back Sasuke to Konoha and still got treated like shit. Who might you really be?"

Of course, no one bothered to ask any more after that. It was because he said "former ANBU Supreme Commander" that got them to just let it go.

Naruto raises his head after hearing a knock on his door. "Who the hell would visit me in the middle of the night?" He mutters to himself before getting off his bed to open the door and see who the person is. He hears the knock again and he calls out. "Give me a moment!" He rubs the back of his neck as he mutters something about impatient people disturbing his sleep. He raises a brow after opening the door and seeing who it is. "Ino?"

Yes, there stood Ino Yamanaka, dressed in her purple Shippuden attire. "H-Hey, Naruto." She says a little shyly. "Uh… um… I know it's the middle of the night and all, but I was wondering if we could talk a little." She was ready to be told off.

"Sure."

But she wasn't. "Eh?" She was surprised. She didn't think Naruto would allow her. "Ahh, are you sure? I mean, it is—"

"Yes, Ino. I am." Naruto says before motioning her inside. "Besides, if you weren't sure, you shouldn't have come in the first place."

"R-Right." Ino says. That reply of Naruto made her feel like an idiot, but he was also right. When she enters, she's surprised to see that the lights were out but the apartment still glowed a midnight blue thanks to the windows. "Woah… it looks amazing at night. Instead of scary, it looks really magical." She says more to herself than to her fellow blonde, but Naruto replies anyway.

"Yeah, it looks like this only when the moon's out though." Naruto says before going to his bed which was just by a window. He flops down onto it with his back as Ino follows him inside. He rests his hands below his head as he stares out the window. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Eh?! Oh! Uh… I was wondering where you were for the past week. I mean, you just seemed to have vanished unless it was for a mission." Ino says and then her brow twitches as she sees Naruto close his eyes. Before she could say anything, Naruto tells her to continue. She clears her throat before speaking. "Also, I thought you'd be here at night considering you take missions during the day."

"So? What's your… point in all this?" Naruto asks, eyes still closed.

"Uh…"

Naruto sighs before opening his eyes to see Ino still standing. "You can sit on the bed you know."

"Uh… thanks." Ino says a little timidly and does as Naruto said.

The male then speaks. "I know you didn't come her because you were concerned. So, what's the real reason?"

Ino hangs her head in shame. It seems like she couldn't beat an ANBU when it came to things like this, and Naruto no less. "First, I was curious. I heard your answer from Shikamaru after he confronted you. Second, I was…"

"Look at me." Naruto says and looks Ino in the eye. He sighs soon after. He props himself up with his elbows before he positions himself against the window sill. The window was open to begin with so the cool air that blows in makes Ino shiver a little. "Second is that you're feeling alone."

Ino raises a brow at that. "How'd you—"

"I'm usually right when I make a guess after looking at someone in the eye." Naruto replies. "And before you say I'm an ass for not making you finish your sentences, this is payback for what you did when I said thanks." He said with a smirk making Ino pout. "I'm not gonna ask why you feel lonely since I'm assuming it has something to do with your parents not being home." He smirks when he hears Ino give a small "hmph". "I was right, wasn't I?"

"Shut up." She says looking away. Her face shows curiosity as she hears Naruto laugh. "Why are you laughing?"

"Gomen." Naruto says with a smile before he turns to look at the mood. "I just never thought you could act like that. The Ino I knew was always more… dominant."

Ino's smile turns teasing. "Why? You're into those kinds of girls?" She blushes when Naruto smirks and lifts her face to meet his eyes.

"Who knows? Maybe I'm just into you."

"B-BA-BABA-BAKA!" Ino shouts making Naruto laugh. She give another "hmph", but Naruto's laugh was contagious. It made her laugh as well. Once the two calmed down, she spoke again. "I was thinking of joining ANBU." She flinched after Naruto looked at her like she was mad. "W-What's wrong?"

Naruto's gaze was serious. It rooted Ino to the spot. "Ino," He starts. "ANBU is not for you." He raises a hand showing he'd explain before Ino could protest. "I was there. Female ANBU are sent on seduction missions almost eighty percent of the time. Most of those times involve them having sex or being raped. When they get back, they're either scarred for life, or they get used to it, losing all emotion in the process."

Ino looks down in shame. It was clear she didn't think things through as she was having second thoughts. Finally, unable to think of anything else, she asks Naruto, "Then what else can I do? What else can I do to become stronger?" She didn't notice how teary her eyes were now.

The Uzumaki shakes his head, partly in amusement, partly in pity. "Ino, you train. I didn't get stronger because I joined ANBU, I joined because I was one of the best in killing, torture and interrogation, and stealth. I trained outside of ANBU before I even joined them. When not on missions, which is a pretty rare occurrence, I trained. Hell, I trained more on speed than anything else which is why the only person who could probably be faster than me right now would be the Raikage."

Ino looks down in shame. She was stupid. Why did she think ANBU would make her stronger after seeing Naruto beat Kakuzu; almost effortlessly she might add.

Naruto sighs before standing on the roof just below his window, and he sits on the window sill. "You can stay the night if you want. Take the bed." He offers as he gazes at the night sky.

The Yamanaka heiress didn't know what to do except… "Thank you." She said as she hugged Naruto from behind. She hugged him more as she felt him tense. She didn't look at him, but at his pillow and asked. "Is having another person touch you really that alien?" Her only answer was for Naruto to relax. "I'll take that as a yes."

Naruto just shakes his head. He didn't want to bother anyone with his problems.

"Let's try and fix that."

"Heh? EH?!" He lands on his bed with an "oof". He opens his eyes with a small smile as Ino giggles beside him before lying down next to him. He shakes his head before getting out of bed. "Baka." He says jokingly before standing. He leans on his wall as he watches Ino drift off to sleep. "Oyasumi." He says before going to where he planted the roses.

They were beautiful during the night. The moisture they had on their buds made them look like they were glowing their colors. "I'll get through this, one way or another." Naruto says to himself before going to the window sill by his bed. He sits on the window and leans against the window frame allowing him to look at both Konoha and Ino. "I will not back down." He mutters before closing his eyes.

(TBC)

How'd you guys like it? And yes, I still can't see the reviews. This happens once every few months and it can last for months, which is sad since I saw some in my email.

Anyway, hope you guys like it.

As you saw, I'm not speeding things up here. That can't be said for my smut stories though, and this is why I'm writing this. I'm trying to balance out between the two, and as tempting as it is to make this a smut story, I won't.

As I said, I'm gonna try and keep this clean. Even if my perverted self just wants Ino to be Naruto's sex slave, I'll hold back and settle for some true development, hopefully.

Until next time.

Finished on November 4, 2016| Philippines| 14:05 hours