Hinata always felt that Ino's gaze was particularly aggressive, her eyes like hooks, exuding a sense of danger. It seemed as if there was a strange eagerness hidden in her expression, and Hinata couldn't shake the feeling that Ino was up to no good. Subconsciously, she wanted to keep her distance. After softly mentioning the Third Hokage, she gave a slight bow and prepared to leave.
Ino felt it wasn't right to let Hinata inadvertently take the blame for her. If the opportunity arose, she wanted to make it up to her.
Looking at how thin the girl was, how long had it been since she'd had a proper meal? At home, she probably just nibbled on rice balls. Ino sighed, one of the notable characteristics of Japanese cuisine was that it looked good but was often served in small portions!
She had personal experience with this. Yamanaka Rino's dishes were always exquisitely crafted and visually appealing, but when eating, one had to maintain that damn ladylike demeanor. Even she couldn't wolf down her food.
As a ninja who relied on meditation, contemplation, and sheer willpower to train, Ino often felt hungry. Hinata, who woke up at three in the morning and went to bed at eleven at night, practicing body techniques all day, must be even worse off.
Ino's excellent performance had recently brought Inoichi a lot of attention, and her mother had given her a generous allowance. She decided to use some of it to treat Hinata to a good meal. This time, they wouldn't have barbecue—it was too heavy. Something lighter would be better.
She grabbed the hood of Hinata's sweatshirt: "Wait, don't go yet. Let's go out to eat after school. We'll go to Kankitsu Kan for some yokan. My mom has a membership card there, so we get a 10% discount."
"Ah? Um... yokan?" Hinata hesitated. At home, she could only eat rice balls. But going out for yokan... Just the thought of it made her mouth water involuntarily.
Hinata quickly covered her mouth. She hadn't even agreed yet, but Choji, as if he could teleport, appeared instantly on Ino's left side, his chubby face staring at her with wide, eager eyes.
Ino scratched her head: "Well, you can come too. Just so you know, Kankitsu Kan doesn't serve barbecue."
"Great!" Choji didn't mind at all, his chubby face beaming with joy. As long as he was being treated to a meal, he wasn't picky about what they ate.
After inviting Choji, Ino then called Shikamaru, followed by Kiba Inuzuka. Just before class was about to start, she noticed Shino Aburame standing nearby and immediately extended an invitation, which he happily accepted.
The six of them naturally formed a small group. Watching them take leave to go home for training and then return one by one, only to go out for dinner together in the evening, Uchiha Sasuke, the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, felt deeply uncomfortable.
Today, he was wearing white shorts and a high-necked, dark blue short-sleeved shirt with the Uchiha clan's ping-pong paddle emblem on the back.
The Uchiha clan had dominated the ninja world for so many years, accumulating vast wealth and knowledge. Unfortunately, after the clan's massacre, aside from the assets left by Sasuke's parents, the rest of the clan's possessions had been absorbed by the village under various pretexts.
They claimed it was for safekeeping, but Sasuke wasn't a fool. Those so-called "safekeeping" measures were nothing but appropriation. The village had no intention of returning anything.
Watching his classmates receive guidance from their family elders and utilize family resources for training, while he could only go home alone to practice shuriken, a fire burned in his heart—a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment.
His gaze was cold and sharp as he scrutinized these clan ninjas.
To prove himself, he had to defeat them.
First, he looked at Hinata, who was being held by the hood of her sweatshirt by Ino. Regardless of her combat ability, her demeanor alone was lacking. What would defeating such an opponent prove? Then he turned his attention to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Ino, being a girl, was immediately dismissed. Shikamaru, the lazy one, was ignored. Choji, the seemingly foolish fat boy, was also ignored.
His eyes fell on Kiba Inuzuka. The recent intense competition had taken its toll, and Kiba's ninja dog, Akamaru, had fallen ill. Now, the dog lay listlessly on the table, sipping medicine in small gulps.
Sasuke let out a "hmph." The Inuzuka clan's secret techniques required the cooperation of their ninja dogs. With Akamaru in such a state, challenging Kiba now would be a disgrace even if he won. Proud by nature, Sasuke disdained such an act.
Finally, Sasuke's gaze swept over Shino Aburame. He felt a pang of confusion and couldn't help but take a second look. Who was this guy? Was he even in the same class?
Six people, and none seemed like a suitable opponent.
With a cool expression, his eyes circled back to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Maybe he should try taking on all three at once?
No sooner said than done, he walked up to them. "Fight me. I'll take on all three of you."
Shikamaru: "???"
Ino: "???"
Choji continued to munch on his snacks.
Ino and Shikamaru exchanged a glance and spoke simultaneously.
"Not interested."
"I surrender."
Choji kept crunching on his snacks.
Sasuke clenched his fists, irritated by their dismissive attitude.
But with none of them willing to fight, there was nothing he could do.
The situation became awkward.
Shino, however, seemed eager. He stepped forward, signaling that he would be Sasuke's opponent. Yet, whether it was Ino, Sasuke, or even the anxious Hinata, no one noticed him.
"Ino, fight this kid. Just practicing ninja techniques isn't enough; you need some real combat experience," Inoichi's voice suddenly echoed in Ino's mind.
This was a derivative of the Mind Body Switch Technique, the Ninja Art: Telepathy, which allowed one to directly input their words into the target's mind without any device.
Ino formed the "Mi" hand seal and activated her sensory abilities, scanning the area around the academy.
With just a glance, she detected seven or eight high chakra energy signatures.
Among them were Inoichi, Shikamaru's father, Choji's father, and several others she didn't recognize.
These are all jonin, right? Why are you jonin always hanging around the Ninja Academy instead of working? Ino knew she couldn't avoid the fight. With so many people watching, if she showed fear or reluctance, it would surely affect her future prospects.
A ninja needs patience, but also courage.
She was a familiar face among the higher-ups, and now she needed to prove that she was a capable one among the familiar faces. How to prove it? Through combat! Defeat a strong opponent, and you become capable. Only then will the village elders think of you when there are benefits to be had.
Ino stared at Sasuke, the white armband on his elbow catching her eye. The original Ino had also kept an armband in her closet, planning to wear it after graduating from the Ninja Academy to show everyone that she and Sasuke were a pair. Now, it seemed that chance was gone.
She took a step forward, pointing her thumb at herself: "Want to challenge the three of us? That's a bit much. How about this? I'll fight you one-on-one."