Young Love Is Not Good

Iruka said this, subconsciously scanning the crowd. When he realized the two little slackers were missing, he couldn't help but grit his teeth in secret.

Honestly, Iruka truly couldn't understand what the Third Hokage was thinking. Why indulge Lu Yu and Shikamaru so much? If it were anyone else, he would have already beaten them until their heads were covered in bumps.

Although Iruka had his complaints, he still smiled at the students on the surface:

"Before that, do some warm-up exercises. I'll explain the details later."

Once he finished speaking, Iruka walked over to Ino and Choji, patted their shoulders, and signaled for them to follow him.

The three reached a deserted corner, and Iruka said with a serious expression:

"Ino, Choji, you two go and bring those two brats back right now. Tell them there's an exam. If they don't return, I'll tell Nara Yoshino-senpai everything they've been up to for the past two months."

Ino, hearing the first half, was about to play dumb and claim she didn't know where they were, but her face changed drastically upon hearing the second half.

If Iruka really told Aunt Nara Yoshino about the last two months, Lu Yu would surely be skinned alive...

Thinking of this, the young girl nodded hurriedly:

"Alright, Iruka-sensei, Choji and I will go bring them back right now."

Without waiting for Iruka to say anything more, she took Choji and ran hurriedly toward Konoha Back Mountain.

"Choji, you go find Shikamaru. That guy should be sleeping halfway up the mountain. I'll go find Lu Yu."

Choji nodded and then dashed off in the other direction.

Ten minutes later, Ino arrived at a large lake in Konoha Back Mountain. Standing in a tree, she could see a fishing rod nearly ten meters long dipping into the lake from far away.

Ino truly couldn't fathom why someone as lazy as Lu Yu had such a soft spot for fishing.

Sighing helplessly, Ino walked over out of curiosity.

As she got closer, Ino realized that Lu Yu was living a life of pure luxury.

A massive sun umbrella blocked all the scorching sunlight for him, and he was lying comfortably on a recliner he'd made himself, legs crossed and wearing sunglasses.

Lu Yu was lazily chewing on a toothpick, humming an unknown tune, and every so often, he would pick up the milk tea he'd bought from the wooden table on his right to take a blissful sip. It was a life of absolute comfort.

Ino also noticed a campfire not far from Lu Yu, with several thick branches and fish bones beside it; clearly, that was Lu Yu's makeshift kitchen.

Thinking of how she had been stuck in the classroom listening to dull, boring lectures while this guy was here leisurely enjoying life, Ino pouted and walked up to Lu Yu.

"Hey, you! How can you be living so leisurely here? Tell me, why didn't you call me?"

Watching Ino pout in that adorable, slightly aggrieved way, Lu Yu said helplessly:

"Hey, hey, hey, you're the big sister of our class, after all. If I kidnapped you, I imagine a lot of people would blow a fuse..."

"Wh-what are you talking about? What... what 'kidnapped'?"

Ino's face flushed slightly, and just as she was about to retort, Lu Yu interrupted her.

He carefully pulled a beautiful hair accessory from his pocket and handed it to Ino:

"Here, I wove this especially for you. It's a gift. Put it on and see if it looks good."

Taking the delicate accessory from Lu Yu, Ino's eyes sparkled with an extraordinary light.

At a glance, Ino realized this exquisite piece was woven from seven different colors of flowers.

Ino's family ran a flower shop, so she naturally recognized these seven types. Gathering them was certainly no simple task; one would have to scour several mountains to collect them all. The hardship involved was easy to imagine.

Thinking of how Lu Yu had climbed several mountains just to weave this for her, Ino felt incredibly moved. The slight annoyance she had felt toward him earlier had long since vanished into thin air.

Lu Yu smiled and ruffled Ino's hair, chuckling:

"Alright, alright, it was just a small effort. By the way, Ino, have you eaten? How about I grill some fish for you to try?"

"R-really?"

Ino looked at Lu Yu in pleasant surprise. She had left in such a rush this morning that she hadn't eaten, and hearing there was food, she couldn't hold back.

Seeing her expression, Lu Yu quickly rose from his recliner, handed her the milk tea, and smiled:

"It's too hot out; drink some milk tea to quench your thirst. Rest here for a bit while I go grill you some fish."

Watching Lu Yu busy himself nearby, Ino felt a strange sense of shock.

For someone as extremely lazy as Lu Yu, to take the initiative to cook for her—she must be incredibly important in his heart.

Because she understood his personality so well, the expression on Ino's face was incredibly complex, and her heart was in complete turmoil...

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen watched everything happening by the lake through his crystal ball. Especially when he saw the complex expression on Ino's face, a playful smile rose on his aged face, and he couldn't help but mutter:

"Puppy love is never a good thing..."