Game Over

Just as Naruto was hanging his head in dejection, a figure rushed over from the entrance of the Mission Assignment Office.

"Sakura!"

Sakura only felt a fragrant breeze rush toward her, and the next second, a pale yellow figure was in her arms.

Ino hugged Sakura, a happy smile spreading across her face.

"Sakura, what have you been doing lately?"

"You haven't come to see me at all~~~"

Sakura gently patted Ino on the back and laughed softly.

"Ah, I really have been a little busy lately~~"

Meanwhile, Asuma, who was in charge of Team 10, handed Hiruzen Sarutobi a mission report.

It was for the C-rank mission they had just completed.

At the sight of it, Naruto stopped dead in his tracks and cried out.

"A C-rank mission?"

Hearing that, Ino immediately pulled away from Sakura's embrace and looked at Naruto smugly.

"That's right~~"

"This was a C-rank mission."

"So? Jealous?"

Ino walked over to Naruto and smugly poked him in the forehead.

Naruto glared at Ino, who was teasing him, but he wanted to retort and had no idea how.

Then Naruto looked at Sasuke standing nearby, then at Sakura beside him, and a strange smile curled across his lips.

Naruto's intelligence exploded at this moment.

"Sasuke is in my class."

Ino's expression froze, and she immediately said angrily.

"But I carried out a C-rank mission!"

"Sakura is in my class too."

Ino turned to Sakura in disbelief, seeking an answer.

Seeing Ino's betrayed expression, Sakura suppressed her laughter and spoke helplessly.

"Yes, I really am in the same class as Naruto."

Pfft~~~

As though an arrow had pierced her heart, Ino dropped weakly to her knees, her whole body turning gray and pale.

"D-Damn it."

"Don't get cocky. E-even if Sakura is on Team 7."

"My team leader is one of the renowned Twelve Guardian Ninja!"

Knowing Asuma's identity, Ino tried to regain some ground through that.

"My teammate is Sasuke."

A bizarre smile appeared on Naruto's otherwise expressionless face, like Anya's.

"I carried out a C-rank mission! C-rank!"

Unwilling to lose, Ino leaned close to Naruto and glared at him fiercely.

"My teammate is Sakura."

Naruto continued looking at Ino with that bizarre smile.

"Shikamaru, Choji, and I are the village's most famous Ino-Shika-Cho trio!"

Ino was nearly losing her mind. Could this guy not use a different line?

"You're a pig~~~"

Naruto desperately held back the smile at the corner of his mouth, struggling to maintain that bizarre expression.

Pfft!

Ino spat out a mouthful of blood.

D-Damn bastard!

When had the young lady of the Yamanaka clan ever suffered such humiliation?

"Our Ino-Shika-Cho trio all have secret techniques passed down through our families! They're incredibly powerful!"

Ino swallowed her anger, her chest heaving as she stared at Naruto.

"Sasuke and Sakura are both my teammates."

Naruto's intelligence had completely exploded at this moment.

Ino was practically furious!

"Can you stop talking about your teammates?!"

Ino was about to explode from rage!

"Oh, you're a pig~~"

The young lady of the Yamanaka clan's health bar had been emptied!

The winner of this battle was Uzumaki Naruto!

"Alright, Naruto, stop bullying Ino."

Sakura walked over to Ino and comfortingly stroked her pale yellow hair.

Still, it was truly rare to see Ino being suppressed by Naruto.

"Waaah, Sakura~~~"

Ino threw herself into Sakura's arms, looking heartbreakingly pitiful.

Sakura looked on in amusement as Ino rubbed against her, seeking comfort.

"Alright, alright, you've had enough fun. Time to go."

Seeing that the farce had finally ended, Kakashi helplessly scratched his head.

Before leaving, Ino reluctantly said goodbye to Sakura and Sasuke.

"Damn it, Naruto!"

"If Sakura gets even the slightest injury, I'll hold you responsible!"

Seeing Naruto give her a victor's smile before leaving, Ino stomped her feet in anger.

"You don't need to tell me that."

Naruto waved without looking back.

Watching Team 7 disappear around the corner, Ino pouted.

"Seriously, why is that guy trying to act so cool?"

Shikamaru looked at the departing pink-haired figure, deep in thought.

Sakura had already graduated and become a Genin four years ago.

Given Sakura's abilities, how could she possibly still be a Genin now...

"Bwahahaha!"

"Ino was hilarious!"

The moment they left the Mission Assignment Office, Naruto could no longer hold it in and burst into laughter.

"Naruto, honestly."

"Ino is obviously easy to get along with..."

Sakura looked at the Blondie beside her with a headache.

Sometimes, his personality was unexpectedly similar to Ino's. It could be said that people of the same kind repelled each other.

"Eh, whenever you weren't at the Ninja Academy, Sakura, Ino would bully me from time to time~~~"

Seeing Naruto's pitiful expression, Sakura wisely shut her mouth.

Rather than bullying Naruto, Ino was more like teasing him.

Because Ino knew Sakura usually took good care of Naruto, she would tease him now and then so he would not feel so lonely.

And with the influence of the Yamanaka clan's young lady, the other blind fools would be wary and stop bullying Naruto.

But with Naruto's way of thinking, he probably could not figure that out.

"Forget it, forget it. Let's get going."

"Once we finish this river-cleaning mission, Teacher will treat you to a meal~~~"

Kakashi smiled at the three little ones before him.

The new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho had an unexpectedly good relationship with Naruto...

"Yay!"

"Teacher Kakashi is the best!"

Naruto immediately cheered at that.

Only Sasuke walked on silently, one step at a time.

If he kept carrying out missions like this, when would he gain enough power?

To defeat that man...

Watching Naruto and Sasuke roll up their pant legs and pick up trash from the river one piece at a time, Sakura walked over to stand before them.

"Do you know why I chose this mission?"

Facing the two boys' puzzled gazes, Sakura pointed at her feet.

"Sakura!"

"You're standing on the water!"

Naruto cried out in surprise.

"Exactly. That's why I chose this mission."

Sakura stopped Naruto from making such a fuss, then her emerald eyes turned toward Sasuke, whose eyes were filled with curiosity even though his pride kept him from asking.

"As long as you gather Chakra in the soles of your feet and maintain a steady output, you can walk on walls, trees, and water."

Sasuke looked at the pink-haired girl before him and hesitated.

"Why are you telling me this..."

"This should be something Kakashi is supposed to teach us..."

Hearing Sasuke's words, Sakura gave him a smile as though it were only natural.

"Because we're teammates."