Naruto: In the future world

Chapter 35

After the two girls entered the house, Ino turned on the lights while removing her shoes and said,

"By the way, I live here alone. I used to live with my brother, but he's not around anymore, so please don't tell anyone about it."

Her voice was cold, and she shot Sakura a sideways glance, her tone laced with pain.

Sakura nodded silently and followed her inside, taking off her own shoes as well.

Ino headed toward the living room, switching on the lights, her eyes hidden beneath the shadow of her hair.

"Shall we stay here for now?"

"Yeah... I'm not ready to show you my room yet," Ino replied bluntly.

"Wait here a bit, I'll make some tea," she said as she moved toward the kitchen.

"Your house is lovely. It gives off a peaceful, relaxing vibe. I feel incredibly at ease here," Sakura smiled, speaking her mind honestly. She didn't feel the need to be polite—they were beyond that now.

The strange sense of familiarity Sakura felt toward Ino was unexplainable, as if they had been close friends in another life. What she didn't know... was that they actually had been.

"Yeah... Onii-chan picked this place. He told me it was a very comfortable home," Ino said, wearing a soft white apron over her clothes as she brewed tea with a gentle smile, tinged with nostalgia.

"Your brother has good taste."

"Hahaha, right? He picked it carefully for me. But it's mine and mine alone! I won't share it with you no matter what!!" Ino laughed boldly without a hint of shame.

"Nah, whatever. Who needs it anyway? My brother's way cooler and more amazing than yours."

"Do you have a big brother complex or what?!" Ino smirked slyly.

"W-What!! I don't love my brother like that, you pervert!!! You're the one with the complex!"

"Impossible. My brother's super annoying. I'm sure he's the one with a sister complex. Besides, my heart, mind, and soul all belong to my beloved prince, Sasuke–kun." She placed her hands dreamily over her chest, imagining Sasuke holding her tightly and leaning in for a kiss.

"Don't imagine such indecent things!!" Sakura yelled in embarrassment, somehow sensing what Ino was picturing and cutting her off at the crucial moment.

"What, what? I can't fantasize a little with my beloved? I bet you've had those kinds of thoughts with Naruto–kun of yours."

(Ino emphasized Naruto–kun in the same way Sakura normally does to tease her reactions.)

Immediately, the memory of the kiss came flooding back to Sakura's mind. She jumped up in panic, her face beet red, and shouted,

"W-We never did anything indecent!! You idiot, Ino!!"

Ino kept laughing, clutching her stomach.

"Unbelievable! Were you actually thinking dirty thoughts just now?! You perverted girl, Sakura!"

"I am not!!"

"Hahaha!"

"Aaagh, you're impossible!" Sakura crossed her arms and sat back down, exhaling sharply with her eyes closed, annoyed by Ino's relentless teasing.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, Sakura–chan~" Ino said, adding the honorific deliberately.

"Don't suddenly act all sweet now," Sakura huffed and looked away.

"Oh come on, Sakura. I said I'm sorry."

Ino brought over the tea tray and sat beside Sakura with a smile, while Sakura sipped her tea quietly to calm her nerves.

"So... what about your brother? Where is he now?" Sakura asked gently, looking at Ino, whose cheerful expression shifted subtly into a pained smile.

"...To be honest, I don't know either," Ino slowly lowered her head, trying to collect herself.

"C-Can I trust you to keep a secret if I tell you?" Ino looked at her with desperate, pleading eyes, and Sakura felt just how heavy the burden on her shoulders was.

"You can. I won't tell a soul," Sakura said firmly, locking eyes with her.

Ino nodded, then began to recount what happened that day...

---

Scene Twelve

A Wish Come True

Several months ago...

On a bright morning, Deidara awoke from a deep sleep. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned—it had been a long time since he felt such peace.

He stood up, walked out of his room, and approached the room next door. He knocked gently.

After a long silence that felt like years to him, he heard his sister's annoyed voice.

"Onii-chan, it's still five in the morning. Go back to sleep and stop bothering me!"

He let out a deep sigh of relief and replied with surprise,

"Eh? Really?? I thought we overslept!"

"Stop using that excuse every day and go to bed."

"Alright, alright..."

Leaving his sister's door, Deidara headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Afterwards, he started cleaning the house, and before he knew it, an hour had passed in the blink of an eye.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and muttered,

"Damn it, now I have to shower again."

He glanced at the clock—it was a little past six.

After his second shower, he began preparing breakfast. It was almost time for Ino to wake up and leave for school.

By six-thirty, the two of them were seated at the table, quietly eating.

"How's school going, little one?" Deidara asked with a smile, watching the fidgeting Ino.

"I hate studying. Can't I just quit already?" Ino responded gloomily.

"You can't! School is really important."

"Not everyone's a bookworm like you. Just because you love studying..." she pouted, clearly annoyed, though she wasn't serious about quitting. If her brother told her to go, she would obey.

"Who said I was a bookworm? And who said I even like studying?! Back when I was your age, they used to call me the King of Delinquents. I led a 150-member gang and we controlled an entire zone outside of school!" Deidara proudly boasted of his reckless youth.

"Wow. Amazing," Ino replied with the driest tone imaginable.

"You don't sound amazed at all," he said, smirking.

"That's because it doesn't matter. And bragging about being a delinquent just makes people look down on you. Besides, you're completely disorganized and can't do anything on time. Like today—you woke up an hour early, and yesterday you woke up late!"

Every word from her felt like a bullet to Deidara's chest.

Still, he didn't take her words to heart. She wasn't trying to hurt him—she just saw her brother as a carefree soul who always spoke his mind. That's what Ino believed about him.

But in truth, he wasn't like that at all. He was clever, strategic. He worked multiple jobs while covering rent for their apartment, their food, drinks, and even Ino's school fees. On top of that, he'd saved enough to buy a house like this.

There's no way someone like that could be just a thoughtless, ordinary young man... right?

"A-Anyway, you need to study hard. If you want to achieve your dreams, you have to work for them now, don't you?"

Deidara smiled gently.

"Of course! I want to be a fashion model in the future!" Ino's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Exactly. That's why I don't need to study! I mean, I'm going to be a model—I don't need math or language stuff!" she pouted again.

"It might seem that way, but the entertainment industry requires wit and intelligence—and language skills, too. Saying you don't need to study to be a model is like throwing an egg at a rock—it's always going to break."

"You've got the weirdest metaphors. What's with this egg and rock?" she stared at him, half-lost in confusion.

"What I mean is, it's pointless. No matter how many eggs you throw at a rock, they'll always break. That's what it's like to enter the entertainment world without serious preparation."

(Just to clarify: by "entertainment industry," I mean TV, movies, music, shows, etc. 😂)

After finishing breakfast, the two began washing the dishes together.

Deidara excused himself to go to the bathroom, leaving Ino to finish up.

Suddenly, a ringtone rang out from the table where Ino stood. She knew it wasn't hers—it was her brother's.

Curious, she glanced at the caller ID.

It read... "The Joker."

When the call ended, a message immediately came through from the same number. Unable to resist her curiosity, Ino opened the phone and read it.

Her face drained of all color.

At that moment, Deidara reentered the kitchen casually.

He saw his sister frozen in place and said with a smile,

"Did you stop because you were waiting for me, little one? Let's finish the dishes together."

He rolled up his sleeves and was about to start, but was stopped by Ino's quiet voice.

"Deidara–nii-san..."

He was surprised. She hadn't called him "Nii-san" since they lived with their father. For her to suddenly say it now... did something happen?

"W-What is it, little one?"

"You got a call from someone named 'The Joker.' It rang for a while, then he sent you a message."

Her eyes were hidden beneath her hair.

Deidara's face went pale. Did she... read it?

"I-Ino... d-did you see the contents of the message?"

"...Yeah. I did."

She slowly lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes full of disappointment and emotional turmoil.

Deidara was completely flustered. How could he possibly explain what she'd seen?

"So that's why we were able to live this comfortably... It wasn't just because you worked so much, was it?"

Deidara took a step back as Ino continued staring at him sharply.

"You've been doing these horrible things—just to put food on the table?!"

"L-Listen to me, Ino, I... I–"

"No excuses. That man said he expects you to deliver a human organ! You've been trafficking organs?! And drugs too?!"

Deidara closed his eyes tightly and clenched his jaw. It had been the only way. Back then, he had no choice but to resort to that path. It was why he fled home. Why their father suddenly vanished.

Why they sold the old house and moved.

It had all been part of his carefully laid plan...

Deidara had to comply—for Ino's sake. He would've done anything to protect her.

"I know what I did is unforgivable. I deserve to die for the horrible things I've done..."

"That's enough!!"

Ino screamed, eyes squeezed shut.

"Just stop. I don't want to see you. Leave!"

"I-Ino! I..."

"Get out of here, Deidara!! I—I wish you'd just disappear right now!"

She shouted without thinking, unaware of just how powerfully some wishes can come true.

Deidara was shattered. He lowered his head and whispered,

"As you wish. I'll disappear from your life."

Ino felt the weight of those words instantly. She raised her hand, reaching out to grab his—to pull him back, to apologize, to make things go back to the way they were.

But she couldn't.

She lowered her hand again, clutching her chest as she watched her brother head toward the door.

He hesitated for a moment... but gathered his resolve and opened it.

There was no turning back after this.

Ino collapsed to her knees, tears pouring from her eyes. She understood how cruel her words had been. But discovering that her kind brother had been involved in such horrific crimes... it broke her.

All she could do now was keep his secret and remain silent.

That was the only thing she could do for him.

Her foundation—her one support in life—was gone. So now, who could she rely on? Who could take care of her the way he did?

---

Scene Twelve: A Wish Come True (End)

---

Silence fell over the living room. Sakura and Ino sat side by side, both of their eyes hidden beneath the shadow of their bangs.

"I'm pathetic, aren't I...? I threw away everything my brother did for me all those years, and wished him away without even listening to his side of the story."

Ino laughed bitterly, placing a trembling hand on her forehead as tears poured like molten sorrow from her eyes.

"I'm the worst sister in the world."

"That's not true," Sakura replied gently.

"You did what you thought was right. You protected your brother. I think... that's something truly beautiful."

"How can you say that so easily, Sakura?"

"Of course, both of you made mistakes. But that doesn't mean it's the end. I'm sure... somewhere out there, he's watching over you. Protecting you. Just like he always did."

Sakura pulled Ino into a warm hug, resting her head against her chest and gently stroking her hair.

"C-Can I... really believe that? C-Can I hold on to such a faint hope?" Ino gripped Sakura's clothes tightly, burying her face in her.

"You can. Believe in your brother, Ino," Sakura whispered with a smile.

"Waah... Waaaah..."

Ino began crying loudly, letting out all the emotions she had bottled up for so long.

In that moment, she let everything go.

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To Be Continued