Naruto woke up.
The first thing he saw was half of Ino's beautiful face.
Seeing her asleep like that, he thought she looked pretty cute—maybe even… beautiful.
Not wanting to wake her, Naruto gently shifted his body and carefully leaned her against the sofa.
Then he stood up and looked at the wall clock. It was almost evening.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, a little surprised, but didn't react much.
He glanced toward Sasuke's bed, now clearly empty.
"Looks like he already left," Naruto murmured.
"I wonder... did his young master's pride get hurt or something? That's what I'm really curious about," he thought. He started thinking about Sasuke's reaction and what he might do next. One thing was certain: Sasuke wouldn't give up that easily.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Naruto glanced around the room—at the neatly lined-up books in the corner, the smell of medicine, and then... a small piece of paper stuck to the door.
A note?
Naruto quickly walked over, took the note, and read it. It turned out to be a message from Iruka informing him about tomorrow.
"To both of you, if you're reading this… don't forget to come to the academy at 9 a.m. tomorrow. That's when I'll assign your teams and announce your respective sensei. Don't be late, remember that! And also, I hope you two don't keep fighting :)"
Naruto read it slowly. It was just information he already knew, but he was still grateful to Iruka for it. And Iruka's little tease wasn't enough to embarrass him.
He folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket.
Then he decided to make a cup of coffee and read one of the books from the reading corner.
"The Unremarkable Black Knight."
That was the book's title. Kind of low-key, right?
The book told the story of a man who wanted to become a knight but kept failing the entry exams.
Not giving up, he trained hard and eventually chose to protect his homeland at night.
By night, he bravely defeated criminals, but during the day, he lived as an ordinary townsman.
Thud.
Naruto closed the book. He had finished reading it and was quite satisfied.
"To be honest, it reminds me of someone," he whispered.
He took a sip of his coffee. It tasted bitter, but when he looked at Ino's beautiful face, it somehow felt sweet.
He observed her closely—her delicate features, perfectly shaped nose, soft pink lips, and shining blonde hair... she looked like an angel.
Slowly, Ino's eyelids fluttered. Naruto noticed. He stood up, left his coffee, and sat back down beside her.
He gently took her hand in his. Soft, but not weak. Then, Ino slowly woke up.
Her vision was blurry at first, but it gradually cleared. Her awareness returned, and her senses began functioning again.
Ino looked at him—Naruto beside her, gently stroking her hand. She wanted to say something, but no words came out.
So she just looked at him with those beautiful eyes, gazing at the annoying boy who always made her heart feel so warm.
"Good morning… well, actually, good afternoon," Naruto greeted sweetly, smiling sincerely.
Ino nodded. "Yeah… good afternoon," she replied softly.
Then she looked down at the back of her hand, still being gently stroked by Naruto's thumb.
"So… how long are you going to keep doing that?" Ino asked softly.
Naruto glanced at her and shook his head slightly. "I won't stop."
Immediately, Ino's expression changed. She gave Naruto a fake annoyed look. "Let go or I'll get mad."
Next to her, Naruto saw her clearly. Ino was playing with her expressions.
And he, Naruto, wasn't about to stay still. He would play along too.
Naruto tightened his grip slightly. He looked into Ino's eyes seriously.
"Why? Why can't I hold it?" he asked softly with a melancholic tone.
Ino was instantly stunned. She was speechless. Naruto's expression looked so dramatic—like he was playing the role of a prince in a tragic play.
But Ino held back her laughter. She responded, playing along.
"Naruto, oh great conqueror… It's not that I'm unwilling. It's just that we're different. You're just a lowly noble, while I am a princess beloved by all," Ino replied, her voice dramatic and theatrical.
Naruto sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked back at her.
"Ino, princess of the kingdom… maybe our ranks are different..." Naruto paused.
He stood up and suddenly pulled Ino into a hug.
"Maybe we are like oil and water that cannot mix… or like the earth and sky, always far apart," he continued with increasing emotion, diving deeper into the role.
"But one thing is certain, my love. Even if this love is forbidden, even if it's full of challenges and only brings pain… I, Naruto, even if just a humble baron from a rural land… will show you the sweetness of love."
He finished his line calmly. His gaze was gentle, staring at Ino's face.
Ino, on the other hand, was a little shocked. Naruto's acting was unexpectedly convincing.
No preparation, yet such emotion—it was impressive.
"Naruto…" Ino whispered.
Naruto turned to her, his face slowly moving closer.
Seeing him approach, Ino grew a little nervous. The situation felt awkward, but she tried to stay calm.
Elegantly, her eyes moved from his eyes to his nose, lips, and finally his forehead. She took in every detail before returning her gaze to Naruto's eyes.
"If that's how it is…" she said softly.
"Then… I will accept it. I will stay by your side. I will take responsibility for your feelings, Naruto… let me be the lucky one to have you in my life story…"
Ino finished her words. Her voice was gentle, but filled with hope and determination.
Their eyes remained locked. In this strange yet warm moment, their hearts felt connected.
Naruto's body moved closer. The distance between them disappeared, and Ino's heart started to race.
She noticed Naruto's gaze fixated on her lips.
Her body trembled—not much, but enough to be felt.
Naruto, still hugging her, could clearly feel it. He smiled slightly because he found it adorable.
But to Ino, that smile meant Naruto was really going to do it.
A kiss…
Ino slowly closed her eyes. Naruto's breath grew warmer against her skin, until—
Smack!
A loud sound broke the moment, and Ino yelped in pain.
She opened her eyes and glared at Naruto. "You jerk! Why did you flick my forehead?!" she snapped.
Ino rubbed her red forehead, mumbling angry little complaints toward Naruto.
Meanwhile, Naruto was trying to calm himself. He had gotten caught up in the moment and nearly messed everything up.
Ino… she wasn't ready. Especially if she ever found out about everything he was hiding. Even if she was ready, Naruto would think carefully before letting anything happen.
While Naruto was lost in thought, Ino kept complaining until she noticed he wasn't listening—and that really annoyed her.
"Fine then! I'll just leave!" Ino stormed off angrily, heading toward the door. But just as she was about to open it, Naruto softly called her name.
"Ino!"
She turned slightly. "What?" she replied coldly, still upset.
Naruto smiled. "Don't forget to come to the academy at 9 tomorrow. That's when we'll be assigned our teams…"
He calmly reminded her.
Ino nodded. Naruto was about to say more, but Ino opened the door and walked out without saying goodbye.
Watching her slim shoulders disappear, Naruto chuckled quietly. Ino's attitude was really entertaining.
"Quick to anger, but quick to blush too? So weird… but so real," he murmured.
Naruto sat back in his chair and returned to his reading. For a moment, he glanced out the window as orange light streamed in, and in that gaze, he whispered:
"Troublesome girl…"