The next day, Ino could feel the tension in the room as her mother observed her eating her breakfast. Her father knew what was happening but kept it to himself. Ino was not the type to wait, so she said her parents were weird, causing her mother to sigh loudly.

"Do you like this Naruto boy?"

Oh, that's what it is about.

Ino feels her cheeks warm at his name. "Yeah, I do. You don't hate Naruto like the other villagers, right, Mum?"

The two parents looked at each other, startled. "What gives you that impression?"

"I know many kids pick on Naruto, egged on by their parents because he looked like the Yondaime and was born on the same day as the Kyuubi attack. The older generation seems to think he's a bad omen or something."

Iniochi grips the edge of his seat, gritting his teeth. So this was how the villagers explained their behaviour to the kids? No wonder Naruto was always alone.

He turns to his wife, and the compassion on her face is evident, "I do not dislike Naruto. With all your 'additional' lessons, you might be too eager to jump into a relationship.

Ino's face reddened so quickly into a lobster that her parents couldn't believe their eyes. She spoke so fast that they could barely understand. From what they could gather, she just wanted to admit her feelings and explore those feelings more with Naruto. He was kind, a little silly, and maybe slow, but friendly and sweet. She wanted to spend time with him, so what's wrong with that?

For the first time since he thought about his daughter and the prospect of her dating, Iniochi realized how demure Ino blatantly admitted she cared very much for Naruto's character as a gentleman. With Naruto coming to him the night before to ask his permission to date his daughter publicly, it proved that Naruto was growing up to be a fine lad.

"You can date Naruto, honey, but don't even go anywhere near second base. Am I clear?"

Ino accuses him of being embarrassing while his wife reiterates his point.

Ino was growing up way too fast.

After morning training was finally over, Sasuke marched up to Naruto and demanded why he showed up out of the blue without explaining the day before.

Before Naruto could even think of what to say, he heard running footsteps and turned to see Ino rushing up to him. He steps forward, and Ino stops before him, panting as she tries to catch her breath. He takes his water bottle from the backpack he shares with Karin and passes it to her.

"I'm okay!"

The whisker-cheeked blonde smiles, gently insisting she drinks her fill and explaining it was alright if she finished the bottle. She does so gratefully. Naruto observed minor bruises or scratches on her arms and legs and guessed she just finished a mission.

"You were with Tora, huh?"

"H-how you know?"

You smell of him a little, plus we all tend to get those scratches when we do get him."

Ino smiled at his expression, a little giggle bubbling out of her mouth as she brushed the hair strands in her face. "Look, Naruto, I came over because-"

"Ino-pig! What are you doing here?"

The girl scowls, turning to see Sakura approaching them and smirking. Then she finally notices Sasuke behind Naruto with his usual stoic face. She sees Karin with Kakashi and Rina further away, observing everything quietly.

"Forehead girl. How's your training?"

"It's going all right, what about you? Why are you here suddenly?"

Ino bit her lip, "I'm here to talk to Naruto a bit."

"Huh, why would you talk to him?"

Ino's mouth twitched, irked by the pinkette's tone. Before she could say anything, Sasuke took Sakura by the arm, dragging her out of there quickly and toward where Karin and the others were waiting.

Hmm, he can read a room, after all.

"Ino? You came over to talk to me, right?"

She nods her head numbly and turns to smile at Naruto, "Yes, I erm, I admitted to my parents that I like you so-"

"Wait, sorry your dad told you about yesterday?"

Ino blinks, confused, "What do you mean? He knew I had a crush on you, but what are you talking about?"

Naruto smiles lopsidedly, shyly rubbing his head, "Well, erm, after you told me how you felt, I spoke with your father later and asked his permission to date you."

Ino was gobsmacked, "You asked his permission? Naruto, we're not in ancient times; you didn't have to. It's so sweet of you to do that, but I can decide on my own whom I want to date, and I don't need my father's permission to do anything! If I want to be with you, then I bloody will! I like you! I-"

Naruto doesn't let her finish. He steps forward and presses his mouth against hers without a word. Ino was surprised, but his lips were so warm and soft that she relaxed as soon she felt his hands move to take hers in his callused ones. The kiss is so sweet that Ino kisses him back fondly, the fluttering in her stomach intensifying. Slowly, he breaks away first, the redness in his ears clear as day as he looks at her shyly.

"I should have asked first, but I just couldn't help it?"

Ino hugs him tight around the neck, causing him to chuckle and wrap his arms around her. She hears wolf whistles and opens her eyes to see it is the two jounin that are watching. Karin was cheering along with them while Sasuke and Sakura stared, gaping, and damn, she did not care.

Ino pecks Naru on the cheek; her new boyfriend smirks, twirls her around, and hugs her from behind. He presses his lips on her other cheek, making her giggle.

Now, this was what fairy tales were like.

Kakashi and Rina did not miss that the new blonde couple was getting subtle dirty looks from mostly villagers as they walked to Ichiraku for lunch.

Kakashi mentally considered all the people who looked at the couple in such a manner. He had already decided to get his dog Nin to pull some pranks on them, but it was nothing too disastrous. Damaged property was highly likely.

Kakashi looked over at the other genin. Sakura is talking with Ino. Ino notices the looks, but she busies herself while conversing with Sakura and ropes in Naruto, too, to distract him.

Karin was quietly speaking with Rina, but she had noticed the looks, too. Every so often, she would shoot a wave of killing intent to scare them off. Rina did her best to ignore them but patted Karin on the head whenever she used her killing intent.

On the other hand, Sasuke noticed the looks they were getting, but he somehow avoided eye contact and started writing down the villagers' names in his notebook. Kakashi made a mental note to swipe that notebook later. He reaches out his hand and ruffles the kid's hair, only for Sasuke to give him a questioning side eye, but Kakashi only smiles.

The jounin wondered whether Sasuke was still thinking about what happened yesterday.

Sasuke had trembled like a leaf, and it worried Rina. She had hugged him back tightly, and Kakashi watched on, not keen to interrupt. Eventually, ever so slightly, Sasuke pulled away and told the two older nin that he had remembered something from when his parents were alive. When Sasuke didn't elaborate, they did not press. Instead, Kakashi nudged Sasuke to shower while Rina made them breakfast. They silently decided together that they would avoid probing him on the issue. Sasuke would come to them when he was ready.

Jiraiya was forthcoming when he told Tsunade about his observations of Konoha's villagers after Naruto and Ino made their relationship public.

Tsunade had kept Iniochi up to date on this, but Iniochi had expected this to happen and told Tsunade that he did not blame the kids. It touched her that Inioichi was so emphatic about Naruto's struggles.

Tsunade contacted Shikaku for his advice as her Jounin Commander, and he did not mince his words. He felt Tsunade needed to change the law to include that bullying against the blonde boy that the Sandaime, dubbed Konoha's Hero, would not be tolerated.

Shizune fully agreed, but Tsunade knew that almost 80 per cent of the villagers had grievances with Naruto. She was unsure how the villagers would react. Being the Kyuubi vessel, Naruto was an S Class Secret, and she felt the villagers did not correctly understand the consequences of the bullying. There was only one way to find out: she had to find out the extent of the abuse and get to the bottom of it.

She had to talk to Naruto.