Return to Konoha

At dusk, a weary-looking Shikamaru and the others returned to Tazuna's house one after another.

However, the moment Shikamaru unlocked the door, he sensed something was wrong. An incredibly enticing aroma wafted from the room, causing the group, who were already starving, to exchange bewildered glances.

Could it be...

Shikamaru didn't hesitate any longer and pushed the door open. He was immediately greeted by the sight of Lu Yu looking at them with a smile, surrounded by an incredibly lavish spread of various delicacies.

Shikamaru rubbed his eyes in disbelief and muttered:

"That's rare. Big Brother actually cooked a meal himself. Hmm, it looks delicious. Haha, I won't stand on ceremony then..."

Lu Yu looked at the disheveled Shikamaru with a chuckle:

"Heh, you brat, go ahead and eat. I figured your training was tough, and since I was idle anyway, I thought I'd treat you all to a meal."

Hearing Lu Yu's words, the group nearly burst into tears. "Tough" was an understatement; it had been downright inhumane.

Following that, Shikamaru, Choji, and Asuma dove onto the dining table and began to wolf down the food without a moment's delay.

Only Ino remained, staring blankly at the "bad guy" she had been missing day and night.

Lu Yu noticed Ino's daze and, with a gentle smile, used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of specially prepared beef. He blew on it carefully and looked at her tenderly:

"Come on, have a taste. This is special beef I brought back from a very long way away. See how you like the flavor..."

Seeing Lu Yu—the man she thought about day and night—appear before her in such a way, and even feed her with such tenderness, Ino was completely stunned.

This scene before her was something Ino wouldn't even dare to dream of...

Everything felt so surreal. Her heart began to race wildly, her pretty face gradually flushed red, and her beautiful eyes were filled with shyness.

Ino opened her mouth slightly and took a gentle bite of the beef held to her lips. The meat was tender and fragrant, oily but not greasy, and had a delicate, refreshing texture. This unique flavor was far better than anything she had imagined.

In an instant, a feeling called happiness flooded Ino's entire heart.

Lu Yu looked at the slightly thinner Ino, stroked her cheek with a pained expression, and said softly:

"Ino, you've lost weight..."

"Emmm..."

Ino felt like she was going crazy. Heavens, what on earth had this blockhead been doing during the months he was away? He had changed so fast.

Thinking back a few months ago, Lu Yu's only response to anything would have been, "Do you want some beef jerky?"

Now, he was suddenly cooking and feeding her with such tenderness. Heavens, you've suddenly become so charming—did you ever stop to ask how I felt?

Ino's heart was in a state of utter turmoil. She stole a shy glance around, seeing that everyone else was buried in their food and paying them no mind.

The young girl looked up at Lu Yu bashfully and whispered:

"Lu Yu-kun—"

Lu Yu didn't give her a chance to speak. He affectionately ruffled Ino's hair and whispered:

"Come on, let's go to my room. I made something special for you. Remember to keep your eyes closed."

Ino's body trembled at his words, and her heart was in complete disarray...

There was a surprise, too?

This bad guy, did he really have to change so much? First, he was feeding her, then came the head-pat, and now he was delivering a surprise—it was all so thrilling...

And, he even told her to close her eyes...

Oh heavens, how romantic...

Ino looked at his handsome, sunny face with complex emotions, letting Lu Yu take her hand and cover her eyes as he led her into the room.

"Alright, Ino, take a look at what's in front of you."

Ino opened her beautiful eyes in curiosity, and what greeted her gaze was a gorgeous cake with the words written on it:

"Ino, Happy Birthday!"

The cake's design was exquisite, the patterns were beautifully crafted, and Lu Yu had even specially carved a figurine that looked exactly like Ino.

Ino couldn't help but cover her mouth, looking at everything before her in pleasant surprise.

She truly hadn't expected Lu Yu to remember her birthday. Looking at the two cute dolls next to the birthday cake, the young girl felt her heart melting...

"Heh, Ino, happy birthday. Go ahead and make a wish."

Ino nodded her little head obediently, closed her eyes to make a wish, and then blew out the candles.

Afterward, Ino turned to look at the smiling Lu Yu. Unable to control herself any longer, she hooked her arm around his neck and stood on her tiptoes...

"Mmm..."

A few days later, Tazuna's bridge was finally completed. Due to the wind pressure from the punches Lu Yu had "accidentally" unleashed during his fight with Zabuza, the construction of the bridge had been delayed by more than three months.

However, compared to Gato's death and the successful completion of the bridge, the villagers remained incredibly grateful to Lu Yu and his team.

This bridge, which symbolized hope, was named "Lu Yu Bridge"!

Before they left, the villagers saw the four members of Team 10 off to the pier, where a boatman was waiting for them.

And just like that, the five of them boarded the boat and left the Land of Waves along the waterway.

A few days later, Team 10 arrived safely at the gates of Konoha Village.

The moment they reached the entrance, Asuma, who had been in high spirits throughout the journey, suddenly saw his expression shift drastically.

Lu Yu looked at Mrs. Murakami, who was holding Ahu at the gate, and teased Asuma with a mocking grin:

"Tsk tsk, a devoted woman and a heartless man. Asuma-sensei, I never imagined you were that kind of person..."

Asuma shot Lu Yu a resentful glare, a flicker of inner struggle flashing in his eyes, before finally gritting his teeth and bracing himself to walk over.

Mrs. Murakami, on the other side, spotted Asuma at that moment, muttered something under her breath, and sashayed toward him in a flamboyant display...

It took Asuma a full half-hour to arduously convince his female fan.

Asuma wiped the lipstick marks off his face, speechless, feeling completely drained.

Ten minutes later, Asuma led the group to the Hokage's Office and relayed the "truth" of everything to the Third Hokage, causing Team 10's first mission above D-rank to be upgraded from a C-rank to a B-rank.

Although they had completed their first B-rank mission, Team 10 only received C-rank compensation.

The extra money had long since been spent by Tazuna on food and drink during the journey...

Fortunately, Lu Yu and the others didn't mind, especially Lu Yu, who currently had so much money in his possession that he didn't even know how to spend it...

For Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, the experience was far more important than the money.

After collecting their payment, Team 10 disbanded at the base of the Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage gazed through his window, his eyes lingering on Lu Yu for quite a while as he murmured to himself:

"The Chunin Exams are in a few days. I wonder what kind of performance this kid will put on. I truly look forward to it..."