Chapter 140: Graduation Day, Danger Day
Spring, Konoha 64. The nine rookie genin began their respective graduation exams.
On this day, Akiyama Makoto, like many of the children's families and relatives, came to the school to wait for the exam results.
"If it isn't the young Mr. Makoto. Long time no see. My Ino has been in your care."
Yamanaka Inoichi saw him and took the initiative to greet him. His attitude towards him was now devoid of the previous dissatisfaction of a father whose daughter was being stolen away by a blond-haired punk.
In his eyes, through Makoto's maneuvering, a certain narrative had taken shape.
Yamanaka Fū had attacked him, and he had been saved by Kurenai Yūhi. Although this was just his daughter's deduction, the subsequent fact that Fū had cut ties with the clan to join Root basically proved it.
After being attacked, Makoto had not made a big deal out of it. Instead, he had spent a large sum of his own money to hire Kurenai as his bodyguard to ensure his book signing could proceed smoothly.
This was in stark contrast to his tough counterattack after being bullied by Shimura Taiji. Inoichi didn't think the Yamanaka clan was as influential as the Shimura, so there could only be one reason for his actions—for the sake of his friendship with Ino, he had shouldered everything himself.
With this understanding, Inoichi now felt that this young man, whether in terms of bearing or his way of handling things, not to mention his personal literary talent, was a first-class individual. It was no loss for his daughter to be friends with such a person.
"No, it's Ino who has been taking care of me. Without her, I probably wouldn't have been able to write a novel that everyone approves of."
"I heard you've been writing a new book recently. Was it commissioned by Lord Third?"
"It wasn't a commission. Lord Third just gave me a suggestion, to write the story of the First Hokage to inspire people."
As the two were chatting enthusiastically, to Makoto's surprise, Hyūga Hiashi also came over. Although the Hyūga clan was also a pro-Hokage faction, they had little interaction with the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. Therefore, Hiashi could only be here for him.
"Makoto-kun, what are you doing here? Are you waiting for someone special to graduate?"
He just had to come and break the harmonious atmosphere. Even Inoichi's expression changed slightly.
The fact that Makoto had many female friends was no longer a secret in Konoha. It was just that he himself was very outstanding, not very old, and had Sasuke and Naruto following him around, so it hadn't caused too much gossip.
But as Ino's father, Inoichi couldn't ignore this. If it was just friendship between them, that was fine. He could even accept them developing into a couple. But he absolutely could not accept his good daughter being played by some bastard.
However, as if he hadn't seen the change in Inoichi's expression, Makoto said with a smile, "That's right. Almost all of my best friends are graduating today. I naturally have to come and see how they did, although I have great confidence in them."
He nonchalantly steered the topic in another direction. He didn't believe Hiashi would be so crass as to ask which girl he cared about most.
Sure enough, Hiashi closed his mouth. But Hanabi opened hers.
"So are you waiting for my sister, or for Sister Ino and Sister Sakura?"
As she spoke, a smile played on her lips. It was clear she was still fighting on her sister's behalf. In her eyes, her sister had been forced to accept the fact that he wouldn't just like one girl. After all, even her own father was speaking up for him. What other choice did her sister have?
Therefore, as the younger sister who had to protect her older sister, she had to fight for every opportunity for her.
Unfortunately, she had underestimated the thickness of his skin.
"Of course I'm waiting for your sister. But I'm also waiting for Ino and Sakura, and even for news on Sasuke and Naruto. You don't think I'd show favoritism, do you?"
He took out a stack of free coupons. "Today, whoever passes the exam can eat for free at my restaurant for a week. Isn't that enough to show my sincerity?"
Hanabi wanted to say something more, but a couple walked over. He looked at them with some surprise, because they were Sakura's parents. They had heard him repeatedly mention her name and had naturally come over to see what was going on. After seeing it was him, the light in their eyes was barely concealed. They pulled him into an enthusiastic conversation.
On the other side, the guilty-conscienced Hiashi and Inoichi were immediately overshadowed. As Jōnin and clan heads, they couldn't just lower themselves to join the lively chat. The crisis he was facing was thus temporarily resolved.
But he knew that his bigger crisis was yet to come. Why else would he have dared to stand here today?
Before long, students began to run out of the academy, most of them with joyful faces. The content of today's graduation exam was the Clone Jutsu, the most basic of the basics. If you couldn't even learn the Three Basic Jutsu after several years in the academy, it could only mean you truly had no talent for being a ninja.
"Dad! Mom!"
Sakura was the first to rush out, throwing herself into her parents' arms. Then she saw him standing beside them. Her mind went completely blank, and she stared at him呆呆地. Did he come specifically to see her?
"What are you standing there for? Go say hello!" Sakura's mother pushed her shoulder, almost sending her into his arms.
Only then did Sakura blush and say angrily to her mother, "Mom, you're too strong!"
"Ah, sorry. Did I hurt you?" Her mother immediately looked embarrassed.
Seeing that Sakura wanted to say something more, Makoto gave her a light chop on the forehead.
"Ah, ow!" She looked at him, puzzled, not understanding why he had hit her.
But he said, "Don't get angry at your parents over such a small thing. Everyone should be happy today, right?"
"Here. Congratulations on your graduation." He took out a free coupon and even gave one to her parents. This practical gift immediately made the two of them beam with joy. Sakura, on the other hand, was faintly dissatisfied. "Why would you give me food at a time like this? Shouldn't you be giving..."
Seeing her parents engrossed in the coupon's description, she leaned in to his ear and said, "...something more romantic?"
"Actually, I have prepared something—but let's wait until tonight." He winked at her, indicating that there was a secret hidden in the barbecue coupon.
Sakura froze on the spot again, looking at his face, which was just inches away, and fantasizing about what would happen tonight. If I go and buy decisive battle lingerie now, will I make it in time?
"Hey, Sakura! Why did you run out without waiting for me—ah, you saw Makoto-kun, didn't you!"
Ino also rushed out, bypassing her own father and coming straight to his side, pulling Sakura over to start a best-friend squabble. This made Inoichi feel a little better. At least she hadn't been running towards Makoto. But how could he have known that his daughter, upon seeing Sakura almost kissing him, had felt her heart nearly explode with anger? On a graduation day like this, shouldn't we be making romantic memories? Why can't Forehead Girl just disappear from Konoha at a time like this!
Seeing that their argument showed no signs of ending, he directly gave several coupons to Inoichi. The Yamanaka family was large, and he was too lazy to calculate how many people they had. He would let the clan head distribute them.
At this moment, Hiashi, who had found his opportunity, spoke up. "We'll pass. You know Hinata's appetite. A week of free coupons would be too much for your restaurant to handle."
"Father!" Hinata shrieked as she rushed over. How could he talk about her appetite so openly? Even if she had opened up now, she only showed her appetite in front of him, her family, and her friends. But there were so many people here. What if all of Konoha found out she was a big eater? She wasn't an Akimichi!
Seeing his daughter dare to yell at him, Hiashi was taken aback for a moment. And wasn't he just trying to be considerate of Makoto? What was she so angry about?
Seeing this, all Makoto could say was that although Hiashi loved his daughter, as someone used to thinking like a clan head, he would never be able to understand their thoughts from their perspective. But it wasn't entirely his fault. Inoichi, on the side, was on the same level in this regard, even though he was the head of the mind-reading Yamanaka clan.
It was he who stepped in to smooth things over, which immediately made Hinata's expression brighten.
"Please don't worry, Lord Hiashi. Even a taijutsu specialist can't eat my restaurant into bankruptcy. After all, I even dared to invite Chōji."
He waved at Chōji and Shikamaru, who had just come out. The moment he saw the free barbecue coupons, Chōji rushed over and lifted him into the air, on the verge of tossing him up and down in celebration.
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