"What are you all planning for the summer break?"
Ino asked with curiosity.
"Sleep."
Shikamaru yawned.
After all the combat drills and Shadow Imitation Technique refinement, he was drained, this summer, he planned to recover as much chakra as possible by staying horizontal.
"Eat."
Chōji said while crunching on a bag of chips. Short, simple, accurate.
"Don't you two have any ambitions?"
Ino stared at them, speechless.
"What ambitions do you need?"
Shikamaru replied sagely, "Life is troublesome and short. The only thing that matters is enjoying it."
"You're six. Why are you talking like some old man?"
Ino sighed.
"I'm turning seven in two months," Shikamaru corrected. "Besides, after Kitazawa-sensei's special training, I've already grasped the meaning of life."
"What about you, Ino?"
Chōji asked after finishing the chips. "Any plans for summer?"
"Training!"
Ino clenched her tiny fists.
"You've become addicted to training… tragic."
Shikamaru shook his head.
"What's tragic?! I'm just going to settle things with Sakura!"
Ino declared. "This summer I will make Sakura's homework double!"
"A scary woman…"
Shikamaru muttered, suddenly understanding everything.
Ino always trained with Haruno Sakura , one girl who seized consciousness, and one who healed the body. Whoever lost… doubled their homework.
And because Sakura's talent in medical ninjutsu was monstrous, Ino lost far more often.
"I'm home. Let's meet again later!"
Ino waved and headed for the Yamanaka Flower Shop.
"See you, Chōji."
Soon after, Shikamaru reached his house.
He took out his key, opened the door, and stepped inside.
"You're back already? You didn't say a word."
Shikaku turned on hearing the door.
"No energy."
Shikamaru answered lifelessly.
"You're so lazy you can't even say 'I'm home'?"
Yoshino walked out, arms crossed.
"It's only noon… why are you both home?"
Shikamaru quickly changed the topic.
"I finished my work early."
Shikaku stretched his hand forward. "Hand it over."
"Hand over what?"
Shikamaru flopped onto the sofa. He was about to lie down when Yoshino shot him a sharp glare. He instantly straightened up.
"Your report card," Shikaku said. "Wasn't today the end-of-term exam?"
"What else could it be?"
Yoshino huffed. "Another sixty points, obviously."
"Not necessarily."
Shikaku smiled. "I trust Kitazawa-sensei's teaching."
"Wait."
Shikamaru widened his eyes. "Kitazawa-sensei threatening me was that YOUR idea?!"
"What threat?"
Shikaku blinked.
"…Forget it."
Shikamaru took out the report card. "Anyway… no one is allowed to bother me this summer!"
"So confident?"
Shikaku looked at the card , and froze.
"How did he do?"
Yoshino leaned over, secretly nervous despite her words earlier.
"First place… and fifth place?"
She rubbed her eyes. "Did I fall into a genjutsu?"
"This is really your report card?"
Shikaku asked.
"It's mine."
Shikamaru replied casually.
"This isn't you!"
Yoshino demanded, "How did you go from sixty to a perfect score?!"
"What's so hard about that?"
Shikamaru said matter-of-factly. "I'm a Nara. Being smart is normal."
"Then why did you score sixty before?"
Yoshino glared.
"I was immature."
Shikamaru said quickly. "From now on, whatever you say, I'll do!"
"…I'll trust you this once."
Yoshino softened , after all, he had done well.
"But if you mastered the Shadow Imitation Technique, how did you only get fifth in the combat exam?"
She asked again.
"Why else?"
Shikamaru twitched. "My class is full of monsters!"
Shikaku briefly introduced Shikamaru's classmates.
Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, Aburame Shino, Yamanaka Ino…
"No wonder…"
Yoshino sighed. "Getting fifth with those opponents is already impressive."
Except for Naruto (who everyone thought was weak), the rest were heirs of elite clans.
And she, as the Nara clan leader's wife, knew Naruto's true identity. As the Fourth Hokage's son, he could never be ordinary.
"Still, I have to say… having Kitazawa as a tutor was worthwhile."
Yoshino nodded.
"That was thanks to the Hokage's insight."
Shikaku laughed. "He recommended Kitazawa to me. I never would've thought of hiring him otherwise."
"What?!"
Shikamaru was stunned.
So the real culprit behind all his suffering… was the Third Hokage?!
"…Next semester you must continue with Kitazawa."
Yoshino declared.
Shikaku nodded instantly.
Shikamaru wanted to protest… but feared if he spoke, they'd hire the tutor tomorrow and his summer would be annihilated.
Better to enjoy peace while it lasts. Let future-Shikamaru suffer instead. Trust in the wisdom of future generations…
On the other side.
"Rice balls… they're all rice balls…"
Hinata hummed her own "Onigiri Song."
Suddenly she changed the lyrics:
"Sensei, Kitazawa-sensei is the best!"
She only stopped humming once she reached the Hyūga compound. Though she was braver now, she never forgot the rules of the clan.
Hinata stepped quietly into the courtyard. She looked around, no sign of Hyūga Hiashi.
Unlike the Uchiha, the Hyūga clan didn't run any village department directly. And worried about the Byakugan leaking out, the Hyūga Main House seldom left the compound except during major wars.
Is Father in the study?
Instead of going to her room, Hinata walked to the study door and knocked.
"Enter."
Hiashi's voice sounded.
"Father."
Hinata knelt respectfully before him.
"You're back?"
Hiashi nodded. "How were your results?"
Ever since Hinata awakened her Byakugan, his attitude toward her had changed greatly.
"Third place."
Hinata answered softly.
"Only third?"
Hiashi raised a brow.
With her current mastery of the first forms of Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, she should be dominating the Academy.
"The top two were Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke…"
Hinata said shyly. "I was a little weaker."
Uzumaki? Uchiha?
Hiashi instantly understood.
Naruto, son of the Fourth Hokage and the previous Nine-Tails jinchūriki. Sasuke, son of the Uchiha clan leader, and younger brother to prodigy Uchiha Itachi.
It was natural she couldn't beat them yet.
"Your talent for the Eight Trigrams style is excellent, but your training time has been short."
Hiashi said. "Don't be discouraged. With enough practice this summer, you may surpass them next term."
Even the Uchiha and Uzumaki names weren't enough to intimidate a Hyūga.
"I understand."
Hinata nodded. "With Kitazawa-sensei guiding me, I'll work hard to catch up."
"He's an outsider. What would he know about Gentle Fist?"
Hiashi chuckled faintly. Still just a child, he thought.
"Kitazawa-sensei understands very well."
Hinata replied seriously, recalling his insights.
"Starting tomorrow, you will stay home during the day. I will personally supervise your Eight Trigrams training."
Hiashi declared.
"I… I have to attend Kitazawa-sensei's summer training during the day."
Hinata hesitated , but refused.
"...What did you say?"
Hiashi frowned. "Training under an outsider is meaningless. I forbid it."
"No!"
Hinata lifted her head immediately.
Hiashi froze.
This… is the first time she has defied me.
Hinata realized it too, her heart pounded nervously.
But… she had to attend the training.
"I promised Kitazawa-sensei. I can't go back on my word."
Hinata said firmly. "You taught me that, to speak with honesty."
"…"
Hiashi fell silent.
Truthfully… he was happy she could assert herself.
A future clan head couldn't be timid.
But defying him for the sake of an outsider felt strange.
"…You may go."
Hiashi finally said. "But if your Eight Trigrams training suffers, you will stop immediately."