The Language of Flowers (NaruIno/Naruto Fanfic)

The Language of Flowers (NaruIno) Chapter 1

Ino Yamanaka tapped her long-manicured nails on the table in front of her as she blew her platinum blonde fringe out of her eyes.

It was only midday, but she knew that today would be quiet. It was the beginning of the week, meaning that lots of her usual customers would be at work.

Her store, Yamanaka's Blossoms, was situated in the centre of town, around many of the other ninja and civilian buildings. Ino had tried to be a ninja herself, but dropped out during the last year of the Academy - it just wasn't her thing, so she inherited her family's flower shop instead.

She rubbed her shoulder as it tensed from the constant hunching and standing.

Gazing at the book on the counter, she sighed and turned the page, it didn't have a great story line, so after she had read two pages, she was already bored.

Abruptly, the door swung open and the handle on the inside slammed against the wall with an ugly clang. Ino let out a small yelp and nearly jumped out of her skin - her pleasant and bored ponder suddenly being replaced by sudden surprise and shock. Her eyes widened as her gaze landed on the man at the doorway.

The blond-haired man stomped inside and huffed, slamming a couple of yen notes onto the counter.

"Good afternoon Miss, how do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?"

Ino stared up at the man and imitated a fish for a few seconds. He stared back with a small angry flush on his cheeks, he clearly had rushed over.

Then, Ino charmingly beamed. "Would you like a small or large bouquet for that?"

The blond man crossed his arms, letting Ino study him. He was wearing a smart, lightly coloured cloak with a distasteful orange hem. The man's bright blue eyes blazed at her, enraged, and strangely he had three familiar whisker-like lines on each cheek. He leaned forward on the counter.

"Large, money isn't an issue." He grunted, eyes wandering to her name tag. "Thank you, Miss Ino."

"Just Ino is fine, Sir." Ino sauntered around the counter and tapped her chin in thought. A light bulb went off in her head and she stepped forward to pick up a single pink multi-petalled flower. "Geraniums, for stupidity." She smiled. She extended her hand again and picked another flower, "Foxglove," She turned and glanced at the blond man, "for insincerity." She then laughed, "Yellow carnations! Can't forget those."

"And what do those mean?" The man cracked a small, amused smug expression as he watched the shop keeper standing in front of mountains of bunches of different flowers and reeds.

"That she has disappointed you." She grinned. She turned back around and plucked another couple of stems. "Orange lilies, they symbolise hatred."

"Perfect."

Ino then walked back to the counter and arranged them symmetrically, adding some leaves and wrapping it in dark paper.

"So, what did she do?" Ino asked curiously, tying the elastic around the bottom of all of the stems.

After working in customer service for so long, she was very perceptive in knowing if something was wrong with someone. As well as that, her family was well known in mind reading and analysing.

The man clenched his teeth together in response and narrowed his eyes. "She cheated on me." He sighed and rubbed his temples in exasperation. "Three years, and she threw it all away for some asshole who just used her as a quick fuck."

Raising a brow, "That's dumb, and does she know that you know?" She questioned.

"Nope." Naruto replied curtly.