The wind chime in the flower shop tinkled as the breeze brushed past it. Sunlight streamed in diagonally through the glass window, casting bright, shimmering spots on the floor.
Makoto reached out and ruffled Ino's little head. The golden hair under his palm was soft as cotton candy, carrying the warm touch of sunlight.
Ino, instead of dodging at all, slightly raised her face, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons, the tip of her nose gently nuzzling his wrist.
Like a kitten being petted, a soft 'mmm' sound even escaped her throat, full of contentment.
Today, Ino wore a little goose-yellow camisole, her exposed arms dazzlingly white, as if soaked in milk.
Her short golden hair was pinned back with two jade-green hair clips, making her small face look both sweet and perky. Her whole person was like a freshly peeled lychee, bright and dazzling.
Just as he was enjoying this intimacy, Ino's eyes suddenly shifted, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Her peripheral glance swept towards the innermost corner of the flower shop… a little pink-haired girl stood there on a rattan chair.
Holding a spray bottle in her hand, the nozzle pointed down, water droplets dripped one by one onto the floor, staining a small dark patch.
The little pink-haired girl's eyes were glued straight onto Makoto, her little mouth slightly open as if she had even forgotten to breathe.
Seeing this, Ino's heart sank, 'Not good!'
This little pink-haired girl was 'raised' by Ino. Back then, she used to cry due to insecurity about her wide forehead, and it was Ino who gave her a red ribbon to tie it up, encouraging her and helping the little pink-haired girl, Haruno Sakura, become more confident.
They had grown up playing together, were very close friends, and knew each other very well. Ino knew Sakura was a little fangirl.
And now, just as expected, seeing Makoto had her staring, eyes wide, almost drooling...
Seeing this, Ino suddenly leaned closer to Makoto, wrapping her arms around his, her cheek gently rubbing against it, her voice sweet.
"Makoto-nii, I'm busy today. Next time I'll go to your house to find you to play. I miss Aunt Mikoto's cooking."
As she spoke, Ino deliberately glanced towards the corner, her chin slightly raised, like a little peacock that had just claimed its territory, not planning to give Sakura any chance to interact with Makoto.
Makoto followed Ino's gaze to the corner. The little pink-haired girl, Haruno Sakura, suddenly seemed scalded by his glance and sharply looked down.
The spray bottle in her hand fell to the ground with a 'clang', making a clear sound.
Her ears turned red enough to drip blood, even her neck flushed pink. She scrambled to pick up the bottle, almost knocking over a nearby flowerpot in the process.
Uchiha Makoto glanced at Sakura in the corner, then looked at Ino before him. These two, in the original plot of the Naruto World, were like a pair of geniuses, the two great fangirls.
And as everyone knew, the Shinobi World was one that spoke of friendship and bonds, but only these two sisters who grew up together were purely plastic sisters. (T/N: Plastic in this usually means fake, like plastic surgey.)
Hearing Ino say she was busy, and seeing Sakura, Makoto instantly understood her little scheme.
"Alright, then come find me at my house to play when you're free." Makoto patted the back of Ino's hand, smooth as warm jade, "I'll have your Aunt Mikoto make a few more of your favorite dishes."
He happened to have things to do himself right now. As the words fell, Makoto directly used his face to take the carnations that Kabuto had been eyeing and walked out of the flower shop.
He hadn't taken more than a few steps outside the flower shop when the sound of two little girls quarreling reached him from behind.
Makoto's steps, holding the carnations, didn't stop.
A real man never looks back at girls quarreling over him.
The sunlight warmed the streets, the wind carrying a hint of cherry blossom sweetness.
Makoto, holding the carnations, walked straight up to Kabuto at the street corner.
Kabuto wore a gray tunic washed until it was faded, standing by a utility pole, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes, his gaze still stuck on the flower shop entrance.
He had been hesitating in his heart about whether to buy a bouquet and go see 'Mother'. He had left Root now and could return to the orphanage.
Hearing the footsteps, he suddenly snapped out of it. Since leaving his spy life a few days ago, his vigilance had dropped a lot. After all, he was still just a kid.
A flash of panic crossed his eyes, and he instinctively straightened his back.
Makoto shoved the carnations into his arms, his voice straightforward and direct: "Kabuto, if you want to go see the orphanage director, then go. In life, the most important thing is to have no regrets."
Knowing that Kabuto would most likely follow Orochimaru and defect from Konoha soon, Makoto casually fed him a spoonful of inspirational soup.
Kabuto's path ahead, though arduous, would at least not lead him to kill his foster mother, Nono, with his own hands.
Hearing this, Kabuto's whole body jolted, his hand clenching tightly, knuckles turning white.
He kept his head down, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes, his expression unclear. He had actually seen Makoto earlier today.
As a 'former' Root's member, Makoto's portrait was posted everywhere throughout Root. The Leader of Root, Danzo, had personally ordered it.
Whenever this inherently evil Uchiha brat was seen outside the Uchiha Clan's compound, he was to be captured and brought back to Root immediately. If he resisted, he could be eliminated on the spot.
But a few days ago, for some reason, this order was suddenly revoked, though the portraits weren't removed. It seemed the mission was just suspended, waiting to be restarted in the future.
But none of that mattered anymore, because he was no longer a member of Root.
And more importantly, a few days ago when Orochimaru took him out of that sunless place, he specifically mentioned:
"It was Uchiha Makoto who recommended you to me. That kid's judgment is quite excellent."
Just this one sentence made the stone in Kabuto's heart finally settle. He knew that being able to climb out of the mud pit that was Root was entirely thanks to Makoto.
Earlier, he just didn't know how to step forward and greet him. Now, seeing Makoto standing before him, the sunlight fell on the youth's hair, plating it with a golden edge.
Though clearly young, he exuded a composure that inspired trust. Respect welled up from the depths of Kabuto's heart.
Bending over to receive the carnations, his movements were as light as holding fragile glass.
"Makoto-sama."
Looking at the respectful Kabuto, the corner of Makoto's mouth lifted slightly. He waved his hand: "Just call me Makoto-nii."
He pointed in the direction of the orphanage, where the roof shone with a light brown hue under the sun, "Go on, talk more with the Director. You don't have to hide from her anymore now, you can go openly."
Hearing this, Kabuto's eyes suddenly felt a bit hot, his nose a bit sour. After all, he was still just a young boy.