Ino Yamanaka considered herself an intelligent person, even if some of her classmates insisted on viewing her as just a superficial girl.
As a member of her clan, she had received training from a young age in both shinobi arts and psychological aspects. She was taught to recognize when someone was lying, hiding something, or feeling uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with her secret jutsu; it was pure cold reading and refined intuition.
Her technique wasn't omnipotent, and like any other, it had weaknesses. But the clan ensured those limitations didn't become public knowledge. Ino knew that if she followed in her family's footsteps, she would end up in a support role within her squad or in the Intelligence Division, like many of her cousins. That didn't mean being weak; it simply meant her strength didn't lie in direct combat like the Akimichi.
However, Ino had developed a bad habit: analyzing her classmates without realizing it.
She had lost friendships for knowing things they had never told her, uncomfortable truths she read in their gestures and habits.
She was capable of molding her personality to be likable to everyone, but every time she pretended, she remembered her father's stories and the indestructible trust between the members of his old team. She wanted something like that.
The classroom door opened, and a blonde boy entered. It was Naruto.
Ino's bad habits kicked in immediately: she scrutinized his posture, his clothes, and his expression.
Naruto had changed drastically over the last month. Not just in the obvious ways, like the precipitous drop in his grades, but in his personality. Few had noticed, since Naruto was never popular; although he had been smiling and energetic at first, the mockery for being the "Dead Last" of the class had repressed him.
His tense muscles betrayed physical fatigue; he had surely returned to training before the academy. His posture was more upright, firm, and his build revealed that his diet had improved.
But the biggest difference was in his eyes. They hadn't changed color or shape, but sometimes a look says more than the rest of the body. Before, they were scattered, bright. Now they were fixed, penetrating, and heavy with deep exhaustion.
Ino, like many girls her age, liked to read. But while others preferred romance, she devoured mysteries. Her heart beat for enigmas. Something had happened to provoke such a radical change. And she was dying to find out what.
As always, Naruto sat at the back of the room, next to the window. He didn't try to talk to anyone; he seemed locked in his own world.
Ino, determined, stood up and took the empty seat beside him. Normally, Shikamaru occupied it, but she knew the Nara only did so because Naruto didn't bother him while he slept. Today, that spot would be hers.
As she approached, she saw that Naruto had pulled a book from his backpack and was frantically taking notes. Seeing the cover, she frowned: it was the fourth-year history book.
Ino blinked, confused. Why was he studying material from the previous year? Curiosity burned on her tongue, but her manners stopped her from interrupting him. It would be rude to intervene in the middle of study... even if it involved the "Dead Last."
She sat in silence, watching the precise movement of the pencil out of the corner of her eye, waiting for the right moment to make her move. She wasn't the most patient person, but she knew the best answers came from natural conversations.
Classes began, and Naruto remained in his bubble. Shikamaru, seeing her there, decided to move to the other end of the room, too lazy to argue. Ino wanted to throw something at him to interrupt his nap, but the enormous Choji blocked all her angles of fire... and she didn't want to accidentally hit him; the boy was a sweetheart.
Time passed, and Iruka's long explanations lulled her toward the land of dreams, lowering her guard.
Snap!
The dry sound made her jump. Looking over, she saw the tip of Naruto's pencil had snapped from the force with which he was writing.
Ino watched, almost in slow motion, as Naruto's hand reached for his right pocket. But before it got there, she was faster: she slid her sharpener over to his side of the desk.
He froze for a second, surprised by the small, brightly colored, clearly feminine object that had just appeared in front of him. The brute was going to sharpen the pencil with his kunai.
Turning, he met Ino's practiced smile. She noticed the instant of surprise and doubt in his blue eyes, right before a faint smile of gratitude appeared on his face. But in Ino's mind, only one indignant question resonated:
He hadn't even realized I was here!? All this time!?
When he finished using it, he slid it back across the table.
"Thanks," he whispered.
Although three rows separated them from the desk, Iruka had terrifying hearing; speaking aloud was not an option. The teacher didn't hesitate to hand out punishments.
But Ino wasn't going to leave it there. She had waited for this opportunity and didn't plan on waiting until recess. So, with an innocent smile, she murmured:
"You're welcome. I never expected to see Naruto Hakaze studying."
She wanted to annoy him. People respond impulsively when they think they're being mocked. And, as she expected, she received an immediate answer... though not the one she imagined:
"I wouldn't expect to see you sitting here either. Tired of looking at your beloved Sasuke?"
Ino blinked, bewildered. She didn't expect him to hit back. This was getting infinitely more interesting. In the end, Sasuke was nothing more than eye candy and a curious case. If not for that idiot Takeru who stuck to him like glue, she would have investigated him thoroughly already.
"I don't see you near your beloved Sakura either," she retorted.
A conspiratorial smile formed on both their faces. They spent the rest of the class trading verbal darts, whispering insults and sarcastic comments about the lesson, blatantly tempting fate.
Until their luck ran out.
Thwack!
Ino's head snapped back.
She had raised her voice without realizing it, and Iruka-sensei had thrown a piece of chalk with millimeter precision straight at her forehead.
"Yamanaka! Pay attention!"
Ino rubbed her forehead, red with shame and pain. When she recovered from the impact, she turned furiously to look at her accomplice.
But Naruto, the damn traitor, was sitting there, impassive, staring straight ahead with perfect attention, as if he were the model student.
Ino gritted her teeth. She had lost this round... but the war had just begun.