Training Ground No. 10.
The rustling wind, the warm sunlight, and the cool Sasuke—for Sakura, everything here felt wonderful.
Except for Naruto... and Ino.
"Sakura-chan, these flowers are for you! Aren't they pretty?" Naruto perfectly embodied the definition of a 'simp'.
It was just... when it came to picking up girls, he was far inferior to his father, Namikaze Minato—the man who had actually won over the 'Red-Hot Habanero' Uzumaki Kushina.
"I don't want them. Get away from me!"
Sakura shot Naruto a disdainful glance before her eyes darted back to Sasuke, her expression even more lovesick than Naruto's when he looked at her.
This was a perfect example of the old saying: "When you look down on others, someone else is looking down on you."
And right now... that was exactly what was happening.
*Crunch, crunch!*
Chōji sat munching on potato chips, enjoying the spectacle—until Ino snatched them right out of his hands.
"Um..." Chōji wanted to protest against Ino's forceful action, but then he caught her 'gentle' gaze. "Chōji, is there something you need?"
Chōji shook his head frantically. "N-no, not at all! I was just going to ask if you like that flavor. If not, I've got others here."
Ino nodded, clearly satisfied with his response.
"No need. I just like to snack while watching the show. But you shouldn't eat too much of this—it'll make you fat!"
Chōji gave a sheepish grin and retreated into a corner, quietly resuming his snacking.
This time, he swore he wouldn't make a sound... or else his chips would be in danger again.
"Ino, why aren't you going over there?" Shikamaru asked curiously, glancing toward Team 7 not far away.
From what he remembered, Ino had always been a Sasuke fangirl. For her to suddenly change... that was just weird.
"Why should I?" Ino looked at Shikamaru with a puzzled expression. "If you're talking about Sasuke, then don't worry. I've realized how childish I used to be. I'll never act that way again."
Shikamaru blinked. "But Sakura's over there too. Weren't you and her…"
*Crunch, crunch!*
The chips' flavor was to Ino's liking.
"Sakura? She doesn't want me near her right now. She'd probably think I'm still trying to steal Sasuke from her. Honestly, how did I ever find him attractive? Was it just because the Academy had no other handsome guys?" Ino herself seemed confused.
Shikamaru thought: 'You must've been blind! Can't you see a handsome guy like me right here?'
Of course, he didn't dare say it out loud.
After all, Ino's taijutsu was better than his. If she got angry, Shikamaru didn't think his scrawny body could withstand her punches.
"I'm just curious," Shikamaru muttered, "how someone as lazy as Hikari-senpai agreed to let Team 7 train with us. He hates troublesome stuff like this."
As a fellow slacker, Shikamaru felt he understood Kamizuki Hikari pretty well.
After all, Hikari's way of life was basically Shikamaru's dream: a cushy job where you could slack off and still get paid. What more could anyone want?
"I didn't even want to come!"
The slightly resentful voice came from behind. Ino suddenly realized the chips in her hand were gone.
"Hikari-senpai, you're so annoying!"
She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.
"Ugh, don't scare me like that! If you embarrass me in front of Sakura today, I'll hate you forever!" Ino threatened, waving her little fist—though the gesture carried no real menace.
"Let me guess... you're upset because of Sasuke, right?" Hikari glanced at Sasuke's 'visual kei' hairstyle in the distance and nodded. On that front, Sasuke really did live up to the overblown reputation people gave him.
"Why do you all assume I like Sasuke?!" Ino rolled her eyes dramatically, looking almost like she belonged in the Hyūga clan.
"Oh, not liking Sasuke is fine."
Hikari's eyes lit up with gossip. "Could it be... you like Shikamaru instead? That wouldn't be bad either!"
"Wait! Hold it right there!"
Ino quickly cut him off before his imagination went wild. "What I'm saying is, even you—who's a hundred times cooler than Sasuke—don't interest me like that, let alone him."
"So Ino doesn't like Sasuke, huh?" Hikari mused.
Ino nodded. "Of course. The only reason I acted that way before was to spite Sakura."
Hikari's expression brightened even more. "Ah, so it's Sakura you like then! Don't worry, as your senior, I'll support you!"
Oh, what a discovery! The lilies of Konoha were about to bloom again.
"What the heck are you talking about?!" Ino was speechless.
'What kind of senpai are you?!'
'Can't you see I'm focused on becoming stronger right now?'
'Men will only slow me down. I will become the greatest kunoichi in the shinobi world!'
'I never had this chance before, but now I do. So don't distract me!'
"Kamizuki-senpai, Team 7 has arrived. Please instruct us on our training!" Sasuke said earnestly. After being put in his place by Hikari once, he was on his best behavior.
Because he knew... he still couldn't beat Hikari.
In Sasuke's mind, once he became stronger and surpassed him, then he could rise above again.
"Oh, training, huh..."
Just the mention of it made Hikari yawn.
What a drag.
"I don't know your current skill levels, so let's start with an assessment. Sound good?"
"Of course, please guide us, Kamizuki-senpai!" Hearing the word 'assessment', Sasuke immediately assumed Hikari meant he'd spar with them personally.
Not just Sasuke—Naruto and Sakura thought the same.
"And what about you three?" Hikari turned to Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji. "I was originally only in charge of you guys. Now there are three more added. Does that bother you?"
"No, not at all! Please do as you like, Hikari-senpai!" Shikamaru quickly answered. The thought of Hikari personally putting Team 7 in their place sounded great to him.
"Good, then I can rest easy."
Hikari turned away and waved. "Alright, you guys fight it out among yourselves. Just tell me the results later."
Shikamaru: ???
Sasuke: ???
Ino and the others: ???
Naruto, who had been staring dreamily at Sakura's face, couldn't hold back anymore.
"HIKARI-SENPAI, THAT'S CHEATING! YOU PROMISED YOU'D TRAIN US YOURSELF!"
"Aren't I right here? What, do I not count as myself?" Hikari bonked Naruto lightly on the head and added, "If you don't want to fight, then all of you go run laps instead. Good luck!"
After saying his piece, he tapped his foot on the ground and leapt up into the trees.
"What's he planning?" Naruto cracked his knuckles, ready for action.
He'd had plenty of teachers before, but even that Ero-sennin wasn't this unreliable.
As the future Hokage, he was determined to teach Kamizuki Hikari a lesson.
He'd show him the true power of Uzumaki Naruto!
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