The Last Prayer

Part 26 :: The Dining Table

INO

"Someone's excited," Ino teases with a beautifully easy smile.

"Yeah, Karin and I are going over some clan stuff," Naruto explains before asking, "what's up?"

He pauses at the sight of the beautiful blond in her casual royal purple thigh-high skirt that matches her purple, wide-strapped, buttoned crop top that meshed with her long white gloves. He instantly understood, 'easy to take off,' however, her face wasn't blushing like she usually does with impromptu visits. Nor was she looking at him with hungry, sensual eyes.

Naruto's obvious gazing was interrupted with Ino's embarrassed, "what are you looking at?"

Standing straighter, he smiles broadly as he happily answers, "you."

It's such a simple answer but adding to it his bold blue eyes and self-assured posture and a blushing Ino twists a little in place. She can feel her body soften under his gaze and shakes her head when the physical memory of their arousing time together raises her heart rate. After a few weeks without him and carefully managing her cravings with her toy, Ino felt confident these flashes of sexual arousal wouldn't happen, but here she is, getting wet just by being in his presence. It's humiliating for someone with her mental fortitude, but that only adds to her excitement.

Shaking her head to physically clear away the sex-provoking thoughts she contends, "I'm here to see my friend, not my... I thought you might want to hang out." Spotting the red hair coming up behind him, she responds before he can, "but I can see you're busy."

Peering Karin over his shoulder, Naruto waves away Ino's reservation. "It's okay. We were just waiting for visiting hours before we see Iruka-sensei. Do you want to come? He should be out any day now."

Smiling seems to only enhance Ino's beauty as she nods before saying, "I'd love to."

"Hi," Karin says from behind Naruto, adding with a bow, "I'm Uzumaki Karin, which you'd know if my cousin had any manners."

"Sorry, sorry," Naruto expresses with a chuckling grin. "Karin-chan, this is Yamanaka Ino."

"Hi, it's nice to officially meet you and welcome to Konoha," Ino responds, returning her own bow. Karin expresses her gratitude before Ino asks, "I hope I'm not intruding?"

"No, of course not," Karin returns shaking her head. "Except for Naruto and Haku, I don't really know anyone here."

"If it's alright with you, I'd love to take you shopping," Ino proposes with an easy smile before adding, "I know all the best spots with the cutest outfits."

"Really," Karin gasps happily, though, after a second she realizes she has no funds here, nor does her cousin seem to make much. Naruto and Haku seem to pool their income to support themselves. Haku has even told her that Naruto works several jobs to make enough to buy ninja gear. Considering the amount of funds their clan needs to become official, Karin smiles weakly as she admits, "um, well, I'd love to, but, there's still so much to do. Would it be okay if we go at a later date?"

"Of course,"

Turning to her with a curiously quirked brow, Naruto asks, "but don't you need to buy things?"

Karin squints her eyes while she smiles a fake smile as she wraps a stiff arm around Naruto's neck and tells the beautiful blond girl, "just give us a second." Karin pulls Naruto back inside a few steps as she whispers to Naruto, "did you forget we have to spend a lot of ryō—that we don't have—on buying property? I have everything I need, so I don't need to go shopping."

"But if there's something you want, I can pay for you," Naruto argues. "I want you to be comfortable here."

"I am," Karin responds. "Being here is already a hundred times better than where I came from. And when we establish our clan, it'll be even better."