After eight years of spending his days among the weak and the sycophantic, and his nights relentlessly pushing his limits, Sasuke Uchiha's lifelong ambition was finally beginning to take shape. Being the strongest among his peers should have been a point of pride, but it wasn't.
That honor belonged to Naruto Uzumaki.
Just a year ago, Naruto had seemed insignificant.
Yet, a month ago, Sasuke had begun to respect him, especially after their fight which pushed him to awaken his Sharingan—a step closer to matching 'that man.' Naruto had left a deeper impression, one that uncomfortably reminded Sasuke of Itachi Uchiha. Naruto's eyes seemed to read the world like an open book, his power immense yet effortlessly controlled, and his skill with Bukijutsu strikingly familiar.
It hit too close to home.
Each morning, as Sasuke awoke, the pain from the wounds Naruto had inflicted felt like a taunt, reminding him that Naruto might just be his generation's Itachi. A fire kindled within him at the thought, fueling a single, consuming desire: he needed to defeat him. Defeating this generation's Itachi would prove he was moving closer to avenging his clan.
Sasuke sat at his desk, his eyes fixed on the classroom door with an intensity that betrayed his usual disinterest.
Today was different—it was the graduation exam, and even Naruto Uzumaki couldn't afford to miss it. Sasuke's jaw clenched at the thought that maybe, just like Itachi, the ANBU had already scooped Naruto up for his talents.
That would be just his luck.
The classroom buzzed with the nervous and excited chatter of his classmates, their voices a dull, irritating background noise to Sasuke's focused anticipation.
He barely registered their existence; they were irrelevant to his goals.
Suddenly, the classroom door banged open with dramatic flair.
"And the king is back!" Naruto announced, jumping into the room with an air of expectation.
The room fell into an unusual silence. Naruto frowned, muttering something under his breath as he scanned the room, his eyes briefly meeting Sasuke's before shifting away. Sasuke's attention sharpened as he saw the blonde girl who had once challenged him rise from her seat and drag Naruto out of the room.
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As Ino dragged Naruto out, rumors exploded like a detonated seal.
"I bet Ino-chan is going to give Naruto a good talking to!"
"No way," countered another, her voice dreamy and filled with admiration for Ino. "She's probably going to give her boyfriend a pep talk before the exam." She hugged her notebook to her chest, imagining a romantic scene between the two.
"Boyfriend?! Ino and Naruto?"
"I think you need to brush up on your information gathering skills," the second girl elaborated, nodding knowingly. "A few weeks back, Naruto was badly beaten by Sasuke. Afterwards, Ino-sama rejected Naruto but then sought him out. I am 100% sure that Ino found Naruto and helped him by going on a few dates. To give Naruto some confidence, she even went and beat up Sasuke for hurting her boyfriend."
Nearby, Sakura made a face of disgust. "Gross! That Ino pig and Naruto baka dating?"
Kiba couldn't help but scoff at the ridiculousness of it all. "Yeah, like that's ever going to happen. The day that idiot finds a girl he likes is the day pigs begin to talk."
"Well, you are talking."
"What are you insinuating?"
Chōji, while munching on a bag of chips, said, "Kiba, they're saying that you're a pig."
Kiba turned to his loyal companion for support.
"No, they aren't. Right, Akamaru?"
"Arf."
Anger and opportunity flared within Sasuke.
Just as Sasuke reached for the door handle, another hand landed on it. He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he recognized Hinata Hyuga, the clan heiress. Another weakling, he thought dismissively. However, before he could dismiss her completely, Hinata's demeanor shifted; her eyes assumed the intense, veined appearance of the Byakugan.
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"Move," she commanded quietly, yet with an authority that caught Sasuke off guard.
In response, Sasuke's own eyes transformed, the red and black tomoe of the Sharingan spinning into view.
"You first!"
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Ino tugged Naruto out of the classroom, leading him down the hall until they reached a secluded spot under the bleachers. They stood in awkward silence, neither quite sure how to start the conversation. Scratching the back of his head, Naruto broke the silence.
"Uh, Ino, the exam's about to start, and I really don't want to fail this time, dattebayo. Can we talk about this later?"
As Naruto turned to leave, Ino reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Why couldn't I find you in the last month?" she blurted out, her voice a mix of frustration and curiosity.
"I was training at home," Naruto replied, his tone slightly defensive.
Ino's voice rose in exasperation. "Practically no one knows where you live!"
"So what?"
Ino took a deep breath, hesitating as if gathering her thoughts. "I wanted to talk to you about last time... when I rejected your date proposal."
Naruto coughed, surprised. "No, really?"
"Yeah, your words about me being shallow... they stuck with me. Made me question why I liked Sasuke in the first place," Ino admitted, her voice softening.
"Okay?"
"I've moved on from that... that prick."
"Good," Naruto replied, still trying to follow the conversation. Ino's eyes met Naruto's, a sincere look in them. "And I wanted to say thank you for that."
Taken aback, Naruto blinked a few times, unsure of how to respond. Acting on impulse, he gave Ino a quick hug. Ino immediately slapped him.
"What was that for?"
"For hugging me!"
"But I thought you wanted a hug," Naruto said, genuinely confused.
"Why would I need a hug?"
"I don't know, you're the one telling me your lame love story."
"It's not lame!"
"It is."
"Okay, fine, it was lame," Ino conceded with a sigh.
Naruto looked at her, still not understanding.
"Okay, but why drag me out of class for all this?"
Ino shifted her weight. "I was trying to establish an atmosphere."
"For what?"
"I needed to ask you something important," Ino said, her voice more serious now.
"You needed all this atmosphere just to ask me something?"
"Yes."
"Okay, so what is it?"
"How can I break Sasuke Uchiha's spell of love over Sakura?"
Naruto stared at Ino for a moment, then said, "Yeah, I'm going back to class."
"No, I'm serious."
"Okay, I don't know."
Ino groaned in frustration. "I thought you'd have answers."
"Why would I have answers?"
"You broke me out of the spell."
"Ino, look, I didn't do anything. You did it all on your own. Why don't you just let Sakura figure it out herself?"
"But I want my best friend back."
"Then try being friends with Sakura again."
"But she won't talk to me," Ino lamented.
"Why not?"
"I don't know... Sasuke," Ino replied, her gaze dropping to the floor.
"But aren't you over him?"
"Yeah, and Sakura isn't."
"So, what's stopping your friendship?"
"Sasuke," Ino said, almost as if it explained everything.
"Did he say something to you?"
"No."
"Then what does Sasuke have to do with anything?"
"Sakura is obsessed with Sasuke."
"And you're not, so I'm sure Sakura would be happier to have less competition."
Ino pursed her lips, considering his words. "Then why isn't she talking to me?"
"Ino, I'm not a mind reader. If you want answers, go talk to Sakura herself."
"But..."
"Ino, enough with these doubts. If you want Sakura to talk to you, go talk to her. And if she doesn't talk back, just ignore her."
"But she's my friend."
"Some people are too stubborn to listen. Look, I'm sure Sasuke and Sakura are going to be on the same team, and she'll see that Sasuke isn't interested in her. Then she'll understand where you're coming from and be your friend again."
Ino stood there for a moment digesting Naruto's advice. Slowly she realized Naruto might be right. Her face lit up with a smile. "You really are a good speaker, Naruto," she said, her voice tinged with newfound respect.
"Thanks."
The familiar scent wafted through the air, abruptly halting Ino in her tracks. It was a perfume, one she had gifted to Takaie. As the fragrance enveloped her, her brain raced to connect the dots, and her eyes widened in shock. The realization struck her with the force of a thunderclap—Naruto was Takaie.
"T-Takaie," she stuttered, her voice trembling and catching in her throat, rooting Naruto to the spot.
"I am..." Naruto began, his voice trailing off as if to weave a denial, but the sight of Ino's tears stopped him short. A softer, more vulnerable tone took over as he confessed, "I am Takaie, I am Takaie," trying to soothe her.
"You got taller."
It was an offbeat remark, so unexpected that Naruto responded with a baffled, "That made you burst into tears?
Ino's gaze remained locked on him, seeing Naruto anew. Here was the village's notorious prankster, yet also the enigmatic figure who had shifted her perspective on so many things. He was the mystery she had unwittingly been unraveling, the one who made her question her long-held crush on Sasuke and opened her eyes to a world beyond her tunnel vision. He had even saved her from the potential humiliation of confronting Sasuke.
And those deep blue eyes of his—there was so much more to them than she had ever noticed.
A curiosity ignited within her, an eagerness to discover the real Naruto Uzumaki—not the prankster or the class clown, but the observant, mysterious man he truly was.
"You look good in those clothes," Ino remarked, managing to pull a bright smile from Naruto.
That smile sent her heart racing, a fluttering in her chest she couldn't quite control.
"Naruto."
"Yes?" he replied, his body stiffening slightly as Ino traced circles on his chest, a daring move that belied her rising shyness.
"I'll say yes this time," she managed to blurt out, her cheeks flaming with a blush. Without waiting for his response, she turned and dashed away, her heart pounding furiously.
As she ran, a wry thought crossed her mind: You bastard, you didn't break Sasuke's spell. You just put me under yours.
Meanwhile, Naruto was utterly bewildered.
"Yes to what?" he murmured to himself before scratching his head in confusion.
"I don't think I'll ever understand women."