Ino's Heart Was Troubled

Looking at Hyuga Hinata's shy and adorable expression, even someone as indifferent and desireless as Lu Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness. He smiled slightly and said, "It's alright, Hinata. I'll need you to keep an eye on the teacher for me from now on."

Seeing that Hinata was once again in danger of blushing until she fainted from his smile, Lu Yu hurriedly wiped the smile from his face, slumped over his desk, and began to sleep.

Hyuga Hinata peeked at Lu Yu as he lay lazily on the desk, her eyes sparkling with stars, her heart filled with immense satisfaction.

She would never tell Lu Yu that she knew his name because she had specifically gone out of her way to ask about him yesterday.

Nor would she tell him that she had actually been hiding at the school gate for a long time, waiting specifically for Lu Yu to arrive before rushing in, spending half an age psyching herself up at the entrance just to find the courage to come in and sit next to him.

Heaven knows how much courage it took for her to greet Lu Yu just now.

And no one knew how satisfied she felt when Lu Yu smiled at her twice just a moment ago.

Hyuga Hinata was just such a simple and pure little girl.

Clearly, Lu Yu, who had already drifted off into dreamland, knew none of this.

Before long, all the students had arrived.

It was then that Iruka walked in slowly. He reached the podium, glanced around the room, and gave a light cough to signal for silence.

Seeing Iruka enter, Ino, who was sitting directly in front of Lu Yu, subconsciously glanced back at the evenly breathing Lu Yu. She pulled her chair back and leaned against Lu Yu's desk, perfectly blocking Iruka's line of sight toward him.

Shikamaru was woken up by Choji and let out a yawn, looking sleepy. He subconsciously glanced back at his older brother.

When Shikamaru saw Ino's actions, he couldn't help but mutter, "My brother really is my brother; he's truly impressive..."

Seeing that her little maneuver had been discovered by Shikamaru, Ino's pretty face flushed slightly. She then glared fiercely at Shikamaru with her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, causing the latter to shrink his head back in fear, not daring to say another word.

Iruka, standing on the platform, looked at the students who had quieted down and said with a smile, "Welcome to the Ninja Academy. I am your teacher, Iruka. I will be spending the next six wonderful years with you. Now, let's start by introducing ourselves."

Iruka took a roster from his chest pocket and looked at the first name:

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

The future Hokage stood up with a righteous air and shouted, "Hello everyone, I am Uzumaki Naruto! I'm seven years old, and my dream is to gain everyone's recognition and become the greatest Hokage in history!"

Naruto said these words with quite a bit of spirit, but the class didn't buy it at all. After a moment of eerie silence in the classroom, a roar of mocking laughter erupted.

"What an idiot!"

"Hahaha, with his entrance exam scores, I don't even know how he got in, and he wants to be Hokage? It's laughable."

"Sigh, what a pathetic guy. He has no idea what kind of trash he is..."

Lu Yu was woken up by the loud laughter. He looked around in confusion, quickly grasping the situation from the surrounding snide remarks and the embarrassed look on Naruto's face. He curiously observed the few people around him.

Haruno Sakura was completely ignoring Naruto, shyly gazing at the cold and indifferent Sasuke.

Choji was busy munching on potato chips, his younger brother Shikamaru was zoning out, and as for Hinata, she was stealing curious glances at him from the corner of her eye.

The moment she felt his gaze, Hinata looked like a startled little rabbit, her pretty face showing signs of turning bright red again.

Lu Yu helplessly withdrew his gaze and looked at Ino, who was sitting leaning against his desk. He whispered, "Thank you, Ino. You don't need to block for me anymore; I'm awake."

Upon hearing Lu Yu's voice, Ino's body trembled imperceptibly. She turned her head subconsciously, her beautiful eyes sweeping over Lu Yu, and just as she was about to say "you're welcome," she was stunned by the smile on his face.

Handsome guy, who are you?

Unlike the lazy Lu Yu she was used to, the smiling version of him possessed a strange charm—a feeling of warmth, comfort, and heart-fluttering excitement.

Ino inexplicably felt her heartbeat accelerate and her breathing grow rapid. Her mind went completely blank...

"Yamanaka Ino? Yamanaka Ino?"

Just as Ino was lost in her infatuation, Iruka's voice pulled her back to reality.

"Ah? Here!"

Ino hurriedly turned her head. Seeing Iruka's puzzled expression, she immediately stood up:

"Teacher, I am Yamanaka Ino, I'm seven years old..."

Ino gave her introduction mechanically. In truth, she didn't even know what she was saying; she only knew that her heart seemed to be in complete disarray...