Naruto: AFK System

The two walked for a while before Tanako mustered the courage to speak to Yoruha.

"Yoruha, what do you think about Ino?"

Yoruha paused, looking at Tanako with curiosity. Why would she ask such a question?

"What about her?"

Tanako's face turned as red as if she were running a fever, but she still managed to voice the question that had been on her mind.

"Do you think she's pretty?"

"And since she's a girl from the Yamanaka clan, you boys must like girls like her, right?"

In truth, Tanako was more attractive than Ino and had a quieter, gentler demeanor, which was often more appealing to boys.

However, Yoruha didn't understand the purpose behind Tanako's question.

He had always assumed that Yamada Jumoku and Tanako shared a special bond. The only reason he was walking her home today was because Yamada Jumoku had claimed he had an urgent matter.

Yoruha thought for a moment and replied, "Ino? Yeah, she's pretty."

Tanako suddenly grew anxious and turned to look at Yoruha. "Then… do you like her?"

Yoruha froze for a moment before replying, "We're friends, of course I like her."

"I don't mean as a friend! I mean, do you like her as in liking her romantically?"

Tanako asked nervously.

"Definitely not," Yoruha said. "We just met today. Why do you ask?"

Yoruha's curiosity was piqued as he looked at Tanako.

Hearing his answer, Tanako let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Because I think she acted a bit differently toward you today compared to other boys."

"I could tell—it seemed like she had a crush on you."

Yoruha chuckled. "You're overthinking it. Ino acts that way toward any boy she finds good-looking."

Tanako was momentarily taken aback.

She hadn't expected Yoruha to crack a joke.

She patted Yoruha's shoulder playfully and said, "So, you're saying you think you're good-looking?"

Yoruha laughed. "Am I not?"

"You are," Tanako admitted with a smile.

The two locked eyes and burst out laughing.

Under the streetlights, their playful interaction would have easily led any onlooker to misunderstand the nature of their relationship.

At that moment, their bond undoubtedly grew stronger.

To Yoruha, Tanako was someone he could joke around with.

And to Tanako, she saw a new side of Yoruha—he wasn't as distant and unapproachable as he seemed on the surface.

As they chatted and laughed, they soon arrived at the gates of Tanako's home.

Looking at the grand estate before him, Yoruha teased, "Wow, talk about a mansion. I guess Jumoku wasn't exaggerating—Tanako, your family really is loaded."

In the prime, expensive real estate of the Hidden Leaf Village, her home resembled a large manor, far beyond what most could afford.

It was clear her family was exceptionally wealthy.

The Hidden Leaf Village wasn't just home to shinobi; it also had many ordinary residents. After all, shinobi weren't engaged in production or trade.

The village relied on ordinary people to sustain its economy and infrastructure.

Additionally, some wealthy merchants and nobles from the Land of Fire chose to live in the village for the sake of security.

This also explained the abundance of low-level missions available in the village.

Of course, the primary source of income for the Hidden Leaf Village came from the military budget allocated by the Land of Fire.

Hearing Yoruha's remark, Tanako grew a little worried.

She was worried he might distance himself because of her family's background.

Her nervousness overcame her shyness as she grabbed Yoruha's hand and said, "Yoruha, you wouldn't dislike me because of my family, would you?"

Yoruha glanced at Tanako's hands—smooth and fair, almost mesmerizing for a brief moment.

But he quickly collected himself and asked, "Why would you think that?"

"Having a rich teammate is a good thing. Why would that make me dislike you?"

Hearing Yoruha's response, Tanako sighed in relief.

She explained, "In the past, when people learned I was from the Bunya family, they didn't want to play with me."

"The older I got, the worse it became."

"They were always afraid of upsetting me."

"Since I entered the ninja academy, Jumoku has been the only one willing to play with me."

As she spoke, Tanako's mood turned somber.

Yoruha patted her shoulder and said, "Well, starting today, you've got one more friend. Since we'll be fighting side by side from now on, I hope I can trust you all with my back."

Tanako was moved by Yoruha's sincerity and nodded enthusiastically. "Yoruha, I'll make sure not to drag you down in the future!"

She was well aware that her talent wasn't outstanding, but Yoruha seemed strong. She resolved to work even harder so as not to become a burden to the team.

Yoruha smiled and reassured her, "You won't. You and Jumoku are both great. Anyway, I should head home—it's getting late. You should go inside now."

Tanako nodded, her heart already considering Yoruha as someone important.

Children's emotions are simple—they can easily grow fond of someone, and just as easily harbor resentment.

For now, Yoruha still saw Tanako as nothing more than a child.

After Yoruha left, Tanako remained at the gate, staring in the direction he had gone until his figure disappeared completely.

"Is that your new teammate?"

The dazed Tanako was startled by a sudden voice near her ear.

She turned quickly and saw her mother.

"Mom, you scared me! Why do you walk so quietly?"

Tanako's mother, Senju Mei, bore a strong resemblance to her daughter.

She was about 170 cm tall, with waist-length golden hair tied in a ponytail. Despite being nearly forty, she looked as if she were in her twenties.

Her demeanor was elegant and composed, and her beauty was undeniable.

Most intriguingly, she bore the surname Senju.

Had Yoruha been there, he would have been astonished.

In his impression, there were no known members of the Senju clan living in the Hidden Leaf Village.

However, he didn't believe the Senju clan had been wiped out. Such a powerful and prestigious family, renowned in the village, couldn't have been eradicated in just a few decades.

If they had been wiped out, it would have been as widely discussed as the downfall of the Uchiha clan.

But Yoruha had never heard anything about the Senju clan in the village.

He speculated that the Senju clan had simply integrated into the village.

After all, even Tsunade didn't use the Senju surname, so many clan members had likely abandoned it as well.

This assumption wasn't far from the truth.

Many members of the Senju clan in the Hidden Leaf Village had indeed forsaken their surname, but not all of them.

Although some retained the name Senju, the clan hadn't produced many extraordinary talents since the days of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju.

While some merged into the village, others remained active in various key departments within the Hidden Leaf.

Yoruha hadn't noticed this before simply because he'd had little interaction with others in the village.

This wasn't unusual; even with the Sarutobi clan, he'd only ever met Asuma Sarutobi and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, over the years.

However, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, many members of the Sarutobi clan emerged.

In quieter times, these clans typically didn't draw much attention unless it was story-relevant.

With over ten thousand ninja and tens of thousands of civilians, the Hidden Leaf Village was massive, more akin to a large city than a village. Its training grounds alone spanned a 20-kilometer diameter, underscoring its true scale.

Tanako's mother was a member of the Senju clan, but she wasn't a ninja, despite keeping the Senju surname.