The seven soon arrived at a well-known barbecue restaurant on Konoha's commercial street. Shikamaru eyed his older brother suspiciously and said quietly:
"I'm telling you, big bro, this barbecue place isn't cheap. Do you have enough money? If not, I've got some allowance I can give you."
"Heh, don't worry. I squeezed Dad for money last night. I can afford one meal."
"Oh, good."
The seven entered the barbecue restaurant and ordered a huge amount of food. The main thing was to avoid seafood, especially fish.
After eating grilled fish every day for years, everyone except Lu Yu had had more than enough.
The restaurant served food incredibly fast. They had barely finished ordering and exchanged a few words before everything was ready.
Across from them, the three boys watched enviously as Hinata and Ino diligently grilled meat for Lu Yu. They were practically on the verge of tears.
Thinking that they might not see much of one another in the future, and knowing they were all among friends with no need for formalities, they soon worked the atmosphere up to a fever pitch.
Naruto looked at Sasuke and said earnestly:
"Sasuke, no matter where you are, you'll always be my rival. Next time, I'll definitely surpass you!"
"Hmph. In your dreams!"
"Damn it, Sasuke! Just you wait!"
"Idiot!"
The others watched with amusement as the two bitter rivals started bickering again. They burst out laughing, but a faint sadness at their impending separation hung in the air.
"Hmm, these may be the most troublesome kids in Konoha. But I'm envious of their carefree lives. What about you three? Have you decided which teams you'll take?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Lu Yu and the others through his crystal ball, then glanced at the three capable subordinates across from him.
Just watching Naruto carry on gave Yūhi Kurenai a headache. If she had to lead someone like him, she'd probably be so exasperated that she'd develop forehead wrinkles in a matter of days.
As for Lu Yu and Shikamaru's famously lazy personalities, she decided she'd rather not.
Yūhi Kurenai's gaze soon settled on Hinata. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she addressed Sarutobi Hiruzen respectfully:
"Lord Hokage, I'll take Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Shino."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
"Very well. Go prepare, then."
"Yes!"
After Yūhi Kurenai left, Sarutobi Hiruzen lit his pipe and looked at Kakashi and Asuma, both wearing troubled expressions. He took a deep puff, his eyes full of amusement.
"Well, have you two made up your minds?"
Asuma looked at the lazy Lu Yu and Shikamaru, then at Naruto and Sasuke, who were about to come to blows. Gritting his teeth, he said:
"Lord Hokage, leave the new Ino-Shika-Cho team to me."
"Oh?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Asuma a meaningful look.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Very well. I'll leave the new Ino-Shika-Cho team to you. Go get ready as well."
"Yes!"
After seeing Asuma off, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled at Kakashi, who still looked conflicted.
"Kakashi, it seems you have no other choice. I'll leave Naruto, Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura to you."
"Ah, what a pain. They look like a group of thoroughly unlikeable little brats."
Looking at Kakashi's glum face, the Third Hokage rose and stepped in front of him, his expression serious.
"You have a heavy responsibility, Kakashi. You already know Naruto and Sasuke's identities, don't you?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
"Good. You'll have to put in a lot of effort to guide these children down the right path."
"Yes!"
"All right. Go back and think it over."
Kakashi nodded, then took his leave, looking rather troubled.
With the team assignments settled, Sarutobi Hiruzen was in an excellent mood. Watching the group having fun in the crystal ball, he couldn't help murmuring to himself:
"Hmm, things are going to get interesting. I wonder if Kakashi and Asuma will be shocked when they have to take the bells from them. Heh, this should be fun..."
The next morning, Lu Yu watched his busy mother with an exasperated look and couldn't help complaining:
"Mom, I'm going to school, not on a blind date. Do you really need to make such a big fuss?"
Shikamaru chimed in from the side.
"Mom, the clothes you bought for Big Bro look better than mine. I'm seriously starting to wonder if I was adopted."
Nara Yoshino ignored their complaints, helped Lu Yu into his new clothes, and nodded in satisfaction.
Lu Yu was dressed quite simply: a white, high-collared T-shirt and a pair of gray trousers, with his Ninja Headband tied around his arm.
"Mm, that's my boy. You take after me. You look handsome even with just a little effort. All right, go to school."
Shikamaru looked at his handsome older brother and muttered:
"Mom, I want the same treatment."
"You? You look the same whether you make an effort or not. Now hurry up and go to school."
Shikamaru swayed, feeling as if he'd taken a critical hit. He looked at his mother with a wounded expression, suddenly questioning his whole existence.
The two said goodbye to their mother and headed for the Ninja Academy. Along the way, Lu Yu drew an astonishing number of glances.
Even when he didn't dress up, this guy caught the eyes of plenty of girls. Fortunately, he was lazy by nature and liked nothing better than lying by the lake, fishing and enjoying the breeze, so not many people knew him.
Now, thanks to Nara Yoshino's careful styling, the girls along the road gazed at the handsome stranger with stars in their eyes.
Shikamaru looked at his older brother in frustration and couldn't help grumbling to himself.
His brother's eyes were only a little bigger and brighter than his own, his nose a little straighter, his face a little softer, and his eyebrows a little thicker. How had all those little differences combined to make him so much better-looking?
Lu Yu and Shikamaru soon reached the Ninja Academy classroom. The moment Lu Yu stepped inside, many of the girls glanced over—and then couldn't look away.
Ten seconds later, the noisy classroom gradually fell silent. Everyone stared at Lu Yu in shock.
The boys and girls all began furiously ranting in their heads, until their thoughts boiled down to one question: Who's that handsome guy?
Hinata and Ino saw Lu Yu too. In an instant, they both froze—
Lu Yu was so handsome!
It was the first time in his life Lu Yu had been stared at by so many people. Under countless gazes, he forced himself over to his seat, his old face turning a little red.
Fortunately, Iruka arrived just then and took some of the attention off him.
Iruka coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention to himself. Looking at his students' expectant faces, his eyes filled with pride and sadness. He offered them his heartfelt congratulations:
"Congratulations! Starting today, you're all ninjas capable of standing on your own."
"However, since you're still Genin, you'll need to form teams of three and work under the guidance of a Jonin to carry out missions."
"Now, I'll announce the team assignments."
"..."*
Before you continue