After watching Might Guy leave with Rock Lee, Uchiha Kazama turned and left as well.
"Lord Hokage."
Two familiar figures appeared before him.
One was Ino Yamanaka, whom he had gone looking for earlier without finding her, and the other was her close friend, Sakura Haruno.
"Ino, Sakura."
"You two really get along well now."
Uchiha Kazama spoke with a smile.
He had to admit that, in the original story, these two were the very definition of bickering friends.
Of course, compared to Ino, who came from a major clan, Sakura was a little more petty.
Especially when it came to Sasuke, Sakura had been the one to suggest that they go from best friends to romantic rivals.
Of course, Uchiha Kazama had no intention of concerning himself with or judging these children's affairs.
"Sakura's my best friend..."
"Lord Hokage, you're so handsome!"
Ino spoke without a trace of reserve.
A lovestruck look spread across her face.
"All right, Ino."
"You're in the same class as Naruto and Sasuke, and neither of you lacks talent."
"With more resources being directed your way, you should spend more time training."
"In the future, once you reach a certain level, you'll realize that your own strength is what matters most."
"And only then will you have the right to pursue your dreams..."
Uchiha Kazama spoke with a smile.
"Mm-hmm!"
"I'll work hard."
Ino nodded obediently.
She still gazed at Kazama with a lovestruck expression.
He had to admit that this face of his really was quite devastating to young girls...
"Sakura."
"I saw your recent test results too."
"You passed, but you don't have a dedicated mentor right now."
"Is there a particular direction you'd like to develop in?"
Kazama asked slowly.
"I get to choose?!"
"I..."
"Don't choose me. I've already left