Of course, Sasuke Uchiha had no clue about the connection between Indra and Asura's chakra. To him, aside from the man he swore to kill, only two people in the world stood out as special: Naruto Uzumaki and Hirofumi Ito.
Hirofumi had noticed it too—Sasuke's attitude toward him had shifted slightly. And then there was Naruto, who'd mentioned twice in the past two days that he'd been feeling some strange, indescribable changes. Even Madara's demeanor toward Hirofumi seemed a bit different from when he'd first been summoned.
This got Hirofumi thinking. Could it be… his Indra chakra? In the original Naruto storyline, the reincarnations of Indra and Asura's chakra created two iconic duos: Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, and Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. Both pairs were classic cases of love-hate relationships, constantly clashing yet deeply connected.
Now that Hirofumi had Indra's chakra, was he… what, the third wheel? Had he just barged into Naruto and Sasuke's epic bromance?
He glanced at Naruto and Sasuke, then quickly shook his head. Nope, not getting involved in that kind of drama! He was a guy who liked girls, thank you very much!
Speaking of which, his eyes landed on Ino Yamanaka, who was holding a small bouquet of flowers. Their gazes met, and Ino's cheeks flushed as she shyly looked down.
See? Now that's more like it! Hirofumi thought smugly. He still had some charm!
He'd noticed Ino's little crush on him for a while now. But since they were still in the Ninja Academy, he wasn't planning to act on it just yet. There'd be plenty of time after graduation.
Ino was, objectively, a catch. She was beautiful, with a slender figure, and easily one of the prettiest girls in the Leaf's new generation. Plus, her background was impressive—her father, Inoichi Yamanaka, was the head of the Yamanaka clan. She was the definition of a "rich, beautiful heiress." Marrying her would practically be a one-way ticket to the top!
And it wasn't just the Yamanakas. The Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans were as tight as family. If Hirofumi ended up with Ino, he'd have the backing of all three clans—a major boost for his long-term goal of taking control of the Hidden Leaf.
As he mulled this over, Ino nervously approached him, clutching her flowers. "Hirofumi… these are for you," she said softly. "I grew them myself. I hope you like them…" She handed him the bouquet, her face flushed and her eyes fixed on the floor, too shy to meet his gaze.
Hirofumi blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't expected Ino to make a move like this! He reached out and took the flowers. "Thanks, Ino! These are great!" he said warmly, then paused for effect. "But, you know…"
Ino's heart skipped a beat at the hesitation in his voice. She'd always had a crush on Hirofumi, but giving him flowers was a huge step for her. She'd gotten the idea after overhearing her parents talk about how her dad used to win her mom over with flowers. So, she'd picked the prettiest ones from her garden to give to Hirofumi. But now… was he about to reject them?
"But," Hirofumi continued with a grin, "as beautiful as these flowers are, they're nowhere near as beautiful as you, Ino. In my eyes, you outshine them by a mile."
Ino's face turned bright red, her body practically radiating heat like a furnace. Steam—actual steam—started rising from her forehead.
Hirofumi's jaw dropped. He'd always thought that steaming-up thing was Hinata Hyuga's signature move whenever she got flustered around Naruto. He'd even been a little jealous of Naruto for having a "Steam Princess" moment like that. But now… did he have one too?!
Ino was so flustered she could barely speak. Stammering, she wobbled back to her seat, her face still burning.
Hirofumi watched her go, feeling pretty pleased with himself. The sweet, budding feelings of young love were pretty nice, weren't they? But, like he'd decided, he'd wait until after graduation to make any moves.
As Iruka-sensei entered the classroom, the chatter died down. "Alright, everyone," he announced, "today we're holding a practical combat training session. This is your final year at the Ninja Academy, and once you graduate, you'll be real ninjas. Combat training is essential! We'll review cultural studies this morning, and this afternoon, we'll start the practical training!"
The class erupted in excitement. Combat training meant no boring lessons! Sasuke's eyes gleamed with determination as he glanced at Hirofumi. In past training sessions, Hirofumi had always been his biggest rival. This time, Sasuke was determined to win.
Hirofumi, meanwhile, was already slumped over his desk, seemingly asleep. But in truth, he wasn't sleeping—he'd slipped into his summoning space.
Iruka sighed as he surveyed the classroom. His students were talented, but managing them was a headache. The "sleep squad"—Naruto, Shikamaru Nara, Kiba Inuzuka. Then there was Choji Akimichi, who was always munching on snacks. Sasuke, with his icy, standoffish attitude. And the lovestruck duo, Sakura Haruno and Ino, one obsessed with Sas personally, and one constantly stealing glances at Hirofumi.
Oh, and Shino Aburame, whose presence was so faint Iruka sometimes forgot he existed. That kid's low-key vibe was almost too perfect for a ninja.
Wait, who was he just thinking about? Eh, whatever. Time to get on with the lesson.