The next morning, in the classroom, Naruto propped his cheek up with one hand and listlessly flipped through Mastery of Sealing Techniques on his desk. Around him, the students gathered in small groups to chat, and the air was filled with the relaxed atmosphere of a new semester.
Just then, the classroom door was gently pushed open, and a familiar figure walked in. It was Satsuki.
As usual, her long black hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and her fair face carried a faintly aloof expression. She walked straight to the seat beside Naruto and sat down, saying lightly, "Good morning."
Looks like she really thought that skiing excuse had fooled everyone...
Naruto could not help mocking her in his mind, though outwardly he replied as if nothing had happened. "Morning, Satsuki."
Satsuki gave a slight nod before opening her textbook, looking as though she were diligently previewing the lesson. However, Naruto keenly noticed that the tips of her ears seemed a little red. It seemed her "mistake" last night had not left no trace at all.
Still, after a night to calm down, she seemed to have forcibly suppressed her embarrassment...
Naruto secretly sighed in relief. If Satsuki had truly become shy and awkward because of that remark, he would not have known how to handle it. At least things could continue as usual this way.
However, just when Naruto thought the morning would pass peacefully, an unexpected voice suddenly came from beside him.
"Um... you're Naruto, right? Do you have a moment?"
Naruto turned and saw a little blonde girl standing before him, a somewhat nervous smile on her face.
Ino Yamanaka?
Of course he knew her. In the original story, she was the "Ino" of Ino-Shika-Cho among the Rookie Nine. She liked Sasuke, but now... Sasuke had