Encountering Ino-Shika-Cho, C-rank Lightning Style: Lightning Snake

Evening

Konoha Streets

After washing up, Sasuke wandered around with his damp, tousled hair...

He could not trigger any missions by staying home!

[*Tree Climbing training is complete. Next comes Water Walking...

However, both Tree Climbing and Water Walking are merely applications of Chakra control.

For now, Tree Climbing is enough!

Rather than waste time on Water Walking, I should first learn that B-rank Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire...

After all, Ice Style Haku will be a troublesome opponent before long!*]

Watching the bustling crowd, Sasuke's eyes flickered as he thought to himself.

With his current Chakra, techniques should prioritize quality over quantity...

With Great Fireball and Swift Lightning Arrow, plus a B-rank Fire Style technique as a trump card, that would be enough for now!

Besides, Kakashi would be teaching him an unknown ninjutsu tomorrow.

"Sasuke~~"

Suddenly, a coy yet innocent-sounding voice called out from the street beside him.

Sasuke paused and turned toward it...

"Sasuke-kun, it really is you...

Want to go on a date? Just the two of us?"

A slender girl with blond hair and purple clothes suddenly wrapped herself around Sasuke's arm, extending her invitation with warm confidence.

Her pale blond ponytail swayed in the breeze, and a faint, youthful fragrance instantly filled Sasuke's nostrils...

"You're still as passionate as ever, Ino..."

Feeling the soft contact against his arm, Sasuke gave a faint smile and played along.

But inwardly, his heart skipped a beat...

It seemed a simple invitation did not count as a suggestion. Sakura's case must have worked because they had been discussing a strategy.

There had been an actual suggestion at its core!

As he spoke, Sasuke shifted his gaze to the two boys beside her.

"I didn't expect to run into you guys here...

Shikamaru, Choji."

Sasuke greeted them with a smile in his eyes.

He could not deliberately influence rewards, but there was no problem with making friends, right?

"Sasuke, you actually took the initiative to greet us..."

Shikamaru looked at Sasuke in surprise, while Choji, chewing his food beside him, nodded repeatedly.

Back at the Ninja Academy, Sasuke had always kept to himself...

He had been an aloof presence!

"Sasuke, forget those two...

Let's go eat together, okay? I'm getting hungry!"

Seeing Sasuke in such a good mood today, Ino immediately pressed her advantage and called out coquettishly.

"In that case...

Shikamaru, Choji, you should come too."

Hearing that, Sasuke's heart stirred, and he generously invited Shikamaru and Choji.

There was no harm in spending more time around friends, and it was not like he had to pay anyway...

"Food?

Sure! Where are we going..."

Before Ino or Shikamaru could speak, the foodie Choji cried out with shining eyes.

Never turning down a treat was a principle engraved into the bones of the Akimichi Clan...

"What a drag. You got his appetite going!

Well then, I'll leave it to you...

Ino."

Knowing Choji's personality, Shikamaru scratched his head helplessly and gave Ino a look that said she was on her own.

Choji's appetite was no joke!

"Huh??

Honestly, how did this happen..."

Ino instantly felt like her head had doubled in size as she clutched it in frustration.

But she could not blame Sasuke, nor did she want to miss this first chance to eat with him!

So...

"Let's go, Sasuke-kun...

And you two as well, Shikamaru, Choji."

Suppressing her inner irritation, Ino forced a smile as she clung to Sasuke's arm.

But when she said Shikamaru and Choji's names, she practically ground her teeth...

Soon, the four of them entered a restaurant nearby.

"Sasuke, I acknowledge you now!"

Sitting across from Sasuke, Choji spoke earnestly as he hurriedly handed the menu to the owner.

"Please bring us everything on the menu, sir..."

Sasuke?

Ino??

"Sasuke, I don't know what caused this change in you...

Maybe becoming a ninja helped you grow up!

But this version of you makes me feel more like you're a companion.

I hope you keep it up and stop being so withdrawn and cold like before..."

Shikamaru gave Sasuke a deep look and spoke seriously before lowering his head to order.

"Shikamaru, what are you preaching for...

Sasuke-kun, don't get mad, okay!"

Ino hurriedly spoke up nervously, afraid Sasuke would become displeased and storm off.

Then she would truly lose on both fronts—Sasuke would leave, and she would still have to pay to placate Choji...

That would be awful!!

"Not at all, Ino.

On the contrary, I think Shikamaru is right!

If you can get in touch with Shino, Hinata, Kiba, and the others from their team, it might be nice to organize a class reunion dinner."

Sasuke spoke casually with a faint smile, making Ino and Shikamaru look at him in surprise again.

Neither of them had expected Sasuke to have such an idea...

"You're serious, Sasuke?"

Seeing that Sasuke did not seem to be pretending, Ino finally asked for confirmation.

"Of course..."

Sasuke smiled and nodded. He was not joking, of course.

The moment Shikamaru made the suggestion, a System Prompt sounded by his ear:

[Shikamaru's suggestion detected. D-rank Reward triggered.

Mission: Change your companions' impressions; Reward: ten thousand ryo...]

Sasuke did not care about the ten-thousand-ryo reward!

What he cared about was using this opportunity to make more friends and increase the chances of triggering rewards.

Whatever the reward was, he would take it without hesitation!

"Then it's settled!

I'll talk to Hinata and the others and see if tomorrow evening works.

After all, we graduated in the same class and passed the assessment together. We really should hold a class reunion."

Ino immediately patted her modest chest, clearly interested in the idea as well.

"Only the nine of us from Team 3 graduated successfully in our class, and I agree with the suggestion!"

Shikamaru nodded in agreement. Even though he hated trouble, he did not consider this troublesome.

"Great! There'll be another feast tomorrow..."

Choji slapped the table and shouted excitedly again, leaving the other three speechless.

Especially Sasuke, who was planning to treat them—he quietly worried whether that ten-thousand-ryo reward would be enough...

The next day

In yesterday's small grove

"Sasuke, you have already learned Fire Style: Great Fireball.

We will not consider Fire Style for now...

Today, I'll teach you a Lightning Style ninjutsu: Lightning Snake...

Although this is a C-rank Lightning Style technique, it has two methods of attack.

You can gather Lightning Style Chakra in your hand for close-range attacks, or transform lightning nature into a Lightning Snake for short-range attacks.

The Hand Seal sequence is Snake, Rooster, and Monkey..."

Standing before Sasuke, Kakashi began explaining the training details and experience without leaving anything out.

This C-rank Lightning Style was a Lightning Style ninjutsu he had carefully selected.

Once Sasuke learned it, studying the advanced version, Lightning Style: Chidori, afterward would be a natural progression and much easier to grasp...

It would also let Sasuke adapt to this style of attack in advance.

He had put a great deal of thought into it...

"Activate your Sharingan. I'll demonstrate it once.

The One-Tomoe Sharingan cannot copy ninjutsu, but its enhanced perception can still aid your training..."

After explaining the theory, Kakashi immediately began forming Hand Seals.

[*Kakashi is a pretty reliable teacher!

No wonder he's second only to Orochimaru when it comes to wholeheartedly supporting Sasuke.

With this, developing Lightning Release: Chidori Stream in the future will be much easier...

It will also complement the long-range Lightning Style: Swift Lightning Arrow perfectly, covering close, mid-, and long-range combat.*]

Watching Kakashi's Lightning Style flare to life, Sasuke muttered inwardly as his eyes turned scarlet...

"Sharingan... activate..."