Go shopping with a woman? No. Instead, you ask Ino.

Despite the inherent risks, you decide to seek out Ino, as usual, is currently manning the counter of the Yamanaka Flowers shop. As you open the door, you catch the glimpse of her very bored expression. Wisely, you decide to close the door. However, due to the chime tingling when you open the door, you feel your collar being grabbed from the back before you could escape the place.

“Welcome, excitement,” Ino greets you, her hand still holding your collar from the back.

“My name is Naruto,”

“So, for what reason is Naruto Excitement visiting me?”

“I want to buy some plants?”

“Really? Even though there’s no reason for you to change your mind if that’s the case? Not even a good try. Next excuse?”

“I want to ask for some advice.”

“Okay, that’ more like it,” she says while releasing your collar. “Let’s go inside.”

Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound; or is it in for a yen, in for a ryo? Whatever. You decide to enter the shop after her. She leads you to a nearby table and quickly serves some iced tea and a slice of cake. Upon seeing you staring at the cake, Ino explains, "Sakura brought few slices just now, telling me that it's part of an effort to make me fat."

Ah, they're still playing pretend rivals even today. Sakura probably bought extras to share with Ino in the first place, knowing very well Ino like this particular type of cake. You eat the cake and then wash off with the iced tea.

"So, what do you want to ask me?" Ino questions while giving you a scrutinizing look.

"I need an advice on clothing for..." you struggle to find a good phrase, "a dinner in appreciation of a colleague's help."

"In another word, a dinner date."

"Wha... no, it's not a date! It's just a social event."

"Date, which is defined as a social or romantic event, appointment or engagement," Ino responds. She then gives me an examining look from the top to bottom. "Well, you certainly has to lose the black and orange track suit for tonight. While okay for morning jogging, they look tacky for everything else. Including right now."

"Hey! I just want people to like me for who I am, not whether I’m wearing a nice suit or whatever," you say, protesting while at the same time recalling Shizune's response of you not wearing your normal attire.

"Wow," Ino says. "That's very hypocritical of you."

"Hypocritical?"

"You don't want to put in the effort but expect other people to put theirs while accepting your laziness," Ino says, throwing her hands in the air in annoyance. "When I ask Shikamaru, even he's the same. 'She should like me for who I am' he replies. But when I ask him his type of girl, he said Temari, the epitome of a hot girl, who evidently put efforts to make herself presentable instead of wearing a burlap and call it a day."

"But I really don't care about appearances and stuffs."

"Really?" Ino says while closing the distance between the two of us and put her forefinger on your chest in a challenging manner. "If I can prove to you that you do care, you will shut up, let me follow and doll you... I mean give consultation that you will follow without questioning."