Land of Fire, Konoha.
Winter in this world was unusually cold. Snow fell thickly, and there were hardly any people on the streets.
"Damn it, where'd this brat come from, sticking his nose in our business?"
"He's short, but he sure has some nerve. Beat him up!"
Three tall boys, around six or seven years old, glared angrily at a lazy-looking child.
Three seconds later, the boys ran off in tears.
"Waaah... You hit me! I'm telling my mom!"
"Waaah... You flicked my balls! I don't want to live anymore..."
The lazy-looking child brushed his hands together in boredom and sighed.
"They're so young, yet they already like bullying girls. I really don't get it."
After saying that disdainfully, Nara Lu Yu turned around and glanced at the little girl standing not far behind him, watching him.
The little girl had a lovely, delicate bob. Her tender face was tinged with a faint blush, and she shyly watched Lu Yu.
Lu Yu naturally knew who she was—
Hyuga Hinata, the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family.
After glancing back at Hinata, Lu Yu turned and left.
"Girls shouldn't be out alone. It's best to have someone protect you. It can be dangerous by yourself..."
With that, Lu Yu walked off with a flourish.
Hinata watched Lu Yu's retreating figure with bright, sparkling eyes, lost in thought.
Lu Yu walked straight down the road and soon turned a corner, where he spotted his younger twin brother, Shikamaru, waiting for him.
"Hey, hey, Lu Yu, I've been waiting here for ages. Let's hurry home. It's freezing outside, and Mom's already made dinner."
Lu Yu nodded.
"Yeah, let's go home, Shikamaru. In weather like this, there's nothing better than lying around at home."
"Big brother, if you keep lying around at home, Mom's going to blow her top..."
"Ah, what a pain..."
Lu Yu grumbled, but couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from lifting slightly.
He really had been blessed in this life. An orphan in his previous life, he'd been reincarnated into the Naruto world—and had even become Shikamaru's twin brother.
Compared to his previous life, Lu Yu had felt the boundless care of his father, Shikaku Nara, and his mother, Nara Yoshino.
That alone would have been enough, but somehow Lu Yu had also gained Saitama's physical abilities.
The earthquake that had struck Konoha three years ago had happened because Lu Yu, curious about his own destructive power, had punched the mountain behind the village.
Fortunately, he'd held back a little, and only a small area of houses had collapsed.
After that, Lu Yu had fully embraced a life of idleness. If he could sit, he wouldn't stand; if he could lie down, he wouldn't sit.
Shikaku and Yoshino didn't know what to do with their eldest son. The little guy was clever, picked things up quickly, and was especially good at reading the situation.
Whenever Yoshino got angry, Lu Yu ran faster than anyone else, leaving the couple utterly exasperated.
After Lu Yu and Shikamaru got home, the family enjoyed a hot pot dinner.
As they ate, Shikaku looked at his two sons and said cheerfully,
"Lu Yu, Shikamaru, I've got some good news for you. Tomorrow is the entrance exam for the Ninja Academy. Do you remember what I told you before?"
Shikaku placed the Ninja Academy entrance notice on the table and studied the two of them with interest.
The brothers had been eagerly eating meat, but at those words, they slumped in perfect unison and chorused,
"Ah, yeah, we know. What a pain!"
Nara Yoshino's brow twitched, and she gave them a displeased look.
Feeling their mother's murderous aura, the two shivered.
With a powerful instinct for self-preservation, Lu Yu said,
"Don't worry, Mom and Dad. It's only a little entrance exam. Your son will get a perfect score and make you both proud!"
Yoshino nodded, then turned her displeased gaze on Shikamaru.
"What about you, Shikamaru?"
"Ah... I'll get a perfect score too, just like my brother. I'll make you proud!"
"Good. That's more like it."
Seeing their mother nod with satisfaction, the two let out a relieved breath.
Shikaku watched his sons and smiled helplessly before continuing,
"Get to bed early tonight. It's peacetime, so not many students fail the Ninja Academy entrance exam."
"But tomorrow's test might not be easy. You two little guys had better pass, or someone's going to get angry..."
At that, Lu Yu and Shikamaru sneaked a glance at their mother, wolfed down a couple of bites, and fled.
Once the boys had obediently gone back to their room, Shikaku leaned toward his wife and whispered,
"You shouldn't be so harsh on them all the time. If you keep this up, they won't feel close to you. They're growing up and have minds of their own..."
"Hmph. You think I want to be? You spoiled them rotten. They're lazy at such a young age. They lie in bed more steadily than I did during my confinement. We'd better send them to the Ninja Academy and let someone whip them into shape..."
As Yoshino spoke, something seemed to occur to her, and a trace of worry crossed her face.
"By the way, do you think the Ninja Academy teachers might hit our boys? I've never really laid a hand on them..."
Shikaku watched as his wife grew suspicious of everything again and sighed helplessly. Worry made people overthink...
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