Chapter 40

With nothing to do for the moment, Travis wandered through the village, taking in the familiar sights. The streets bustled with life, vendors calling out to customers, shinobi moving swiftly from one mission to another, and children running around playing ninja games. He stretched his arms behind his head, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

As he walked, his eyes landed on a familiar storefront—Ino's flower shop. The scent of fresh blooms drifted through the air, a mix of lavender, roses, and other delicate fragrances. Feeling a bit curious, and honestly just wanting to kill some time, he decided to step inside.

A small chime rang as he entered, drawing the attention of the blonde behind the counter. At first, she looked a little bored, her chin resting in her palm, but as soon as she saw him, her expression lit up. A bright smile spread across her lips, her blue eyes sparkling with interest.

“Oh! Hi! You must be the new guy, Travis, right?” she greeted, standing a little straighter.

Travis smirked. “Yeah. Ino, I assume?”

“Yep, that’s me. So, how may I help you?” she asked, tilting her head slightly, her gaze trailing over him in obvious curiosity.

Travis noticed it immediately. Ino was the type who appreciated a good-looking guy, no doubt about it. He had seen her type before—the kind who once fawned over Sasuke and somehow ended up settling for Sai. He never quite understood that decision, but it wasn’t his business.

Still, he couldn’t deny that she was easy on the eyes.

“Hmm, not sure really,” he said casually, tapping his chin in thought. “I was thinking of asking you out, but it looks like you’re busy.”

Ino blinked.

‘What?! He wants to ask me out? Why? He barely even knows me! …Wait, did he fall for me the moment he saw me a few days ago? That wouldn’t be surprising. I mean, I am gorgeous. And damn, he is fine.’

A playful smirk curled on her lips. “Oh sure, why don’t we do that later tonight?”

Travis chuckled, impressed by her quick answer. “Alright, see you by the Hokage’s Tower.”

He gave her a quick wink before turning on his heel and walking out, leaving Ino standing behind the counter, watching him go with an intrigued smile.


He walked out of the shop, stretching his arms above his head as he continued his casual stroll around the village. The streets were still lively, but he didn’t run into most of the main cast—probably out on missions or doing their own thing.

A small smirk tugged at his lips as his thoughts drifted.

‘Damn, I wanted to find Hinata and give her some of my cock. Get rid of Naruto from her system once and for all. But I guess that’ll have to wait,’ he thought with a shrug.

With nothing better to do, he made his way back to his apartment. As he stepped inside, he looked around at the bare space. It was functional, sure, but boring.

‘Yeah, I need some new furniture. Can’t just live like some broke-ass drifter forever. Not that money’s a problem—I can pretty much make infinite cash if I want to.’

Without wasting time, he headed back out and started shopping. He picked up everything he needed—couches, a bedframe, a dining table, and even a damn fridge filled with food. The workers assured him everything would be delivered later, so he didn’t bother thinking about it any further.

As he walked through the village, he let his mind wander again.

‘Kinda boring here, no lie. I know Kakuzu and Hidan are lurking around in the Land of Fire right now, but I don’t really feel like fighting them. When does Pervy Sage get jumped again? I need to make sure he survives that shit—Naruto needs to learn Sage Mode.’

With that thought in mind, he leaped onto the Hokage statues, perching himself on top of the Fourth’s head. From there, he had a perfect view of the village, bathed in the late afternoon glow. He let out a deep breath, hands resting on his knees.

‘If I wanted to, I could wipe this whole place out in an instant… and I wouldn’t feel a damn thing.’

His eyes flickered toward a certain area of the village, pinpointing a hidden underground section.

‘Danzo’s base is right there. I’ll make sure to pay him a little visit after my date with Ino. No way in hell I’m letting that bastard do whatever he wants.’

His thoughts shifted briefly to Naruto and Sakura.

Naruto, as expected, was trying his hardest at his training—his face scrunched in concentration as he struggled to stop the flow of water in a makeshift waterfall Yamato had created. His stubbornness was admirable, but Travis already knew the guy had a long way to go.

Sakura, on the other hand, sat nearby with the book of martial arts he had given her. She was focused, flipping through the pages while occasionally glancing at the Hokage building, waiting for Lady Tsunade to finish her work.

Inside her mind, an internal debate raged.

‘I wish Travis was here… wait, I don’t mean it that way. I just… miss his company. Yeah, that’s all.’

Her inner persona laughed.

‘Come on, girl, we all know that’s not true.’

A pause. Then, a quiet, reluctant thought.

‘…Yeah, I know.’


Back with Travis

‘They’re probably fine. Naruto should befriend Kurama right after he fights Pain. Sakura, on the other hand… she’ll be alright once she becomes the Slug Sage,’ he thought, resting his chin on his fist as he continued staring over the village.

…

Several hours passed, and Travis was now dressed up nicely, leaning against a wall in front of the Hokage’s tower. His arms were crossed, and he kept glancing at the sky, waiting.

A soft pattering of feet caught his attention. He turned his head and saw Ino rushing toward him, her blonde hair bouncing slightly with each step. She was dressed in a stunning outfit—form-fitting yet elegant, showing just enough skin to turn heads but still maintain class.

"Sorry, did I make you wait long?" she asked, slightly out of breath.

"Yeah," Travis answered bluntly.

Ino blinked. ‘Aren’t you supposed to say not at all even when you actually waited? He needs to learn a thing or two about women. Good thing I’m here to help.’

"Well, let’s go. What did you have planned?" she asked, brushing off his response.

"I thought maybe we could have a nice stroll and get to know each other before getting food."

"That’s fine. So, tell me, how’s the Leaf been so far? I heard from Shikamaru that you don’t come from any other village. Is that true?"

"Yeah, that’s true. I was born and raised in the middle of the woods."

Ino’s eyebrows raised. "That must have been hard, with all those wild animals and… well, everything else."

Travis shrugged. "I mean, as you can imagine, a kid growing up in the middle of nowhere wasn’t exactly ideal. But I pushed through it."

"That’s really admirable."

They continued walking, passing by Ichiraku Ramen. Travis eyed the restaurant, tempted to step inside, but he decided to wait—he wanted Ino to get everything off her chest first.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I grew up… very normally, like any other kid. There wasn’t a time in my life where I’d say I struggled, so I don’t have much to say about myself."

"What about your journey in becoming a ninja?"

"Oh, that was very hard," she admitted. "Especially since I’m not as strong as everyone else. I even failed to qualify as a Chūnin when I was younger. At the moment, I’d say I’ve grown a bit stronger, but my rival, Sakura, has effortlessly surpassed me in ways I never could. That does piss me off sometimes, but unlike her, I never had such ambition."

"And what ambition is that?"

"You know… to be on equal terms with her teammates. She’s always thought of herself as a burden to them, which is why she trained so hard these past two years. I, on the other hand, didn’t do much. I just grew slightly stronger when it comes to my abilities."

Travis stopped walking and looked at her, his gaze sharp. "Doesn’t that anger you?"

Ino let out a short laugh. "Not as much as it used to."

Travis sighed, shaking his head. "I’m not gonna lie to you—I’ve never been a fan of people who choose to be weak."

"Huh?" Ino looked at him, slightly confused.

"What are you gonna do when your teammates are in danger? When they need you? Will you just let them die?"

Ino’s breath hitched. ‘I’ve… never thought of that, honestly. One of the reasons is because we’ve never been on a near-death mission before.’

"I… I don’t know," she admitted.

Travis gave her a blank stare. Then, without another word, he vanished.

Ino stood there, completely dumbfounded.

‘Did I just… get dumped?’ she thought, staring at the empty space where he once stood.


TO BE CONTINUED