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Naruto had perfected the art of being a devoted follower.
As his teammate, Mizunami could only shake his head inwardly!
He'd truly taken it to another level!
It was just a shame Sakura remained fixated on Sasuke; Naruto didn't seem to have much of a chance.
Fortunately, the three of them weren't all grouped together, otherwise the team's atmosphere would surely be... lively.
What Mizunami didn't know was that if it weren't for Kazuki's intervention, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto would have been placed together on a team, embarking on a tumultuous journey of love, rivalry, and growth.
"Sasuke."
Arriving at the camp, Sakura's face was already lit up with delight and a beaming smile from a distance.
Her smiling face held a faint blush, her large eyes seemingly ignoring everyone else in the camp.
Finally, her gaze landed on Sasuke, who stood somewhat aloof within the camp, leaning against a fence by himself.
"....."
'They're not going to start fighting, are they?'
Mizunami glanced at Naruto.
Damn it!!
Again!
What's so great about that show-off Sasuke anyway?
Seeing Sakura's heart flutter at the mere sight of Sasuke made Naruto grind his teeth in frustration.
Why does Sakura like Sasuke and not me?
"Sasuke, you..."
Sakura excitedly ran forward, but before she could get close, she was jostled aside.
Ino had beaten her to it. Just like Sakura, Ino was thrilled to see Sasuke, her heart full of joy as she rushed to greet him first.
In the process, she inadvertently bumped into Sakura.
"Ahhh!! That wretched woman, Ino!"
Sakura froze on the spot. Her inner, second personality began to rage, ready to explode.
Unfortunately, Ino didn't manage to get in front of Sasuke either, because Karin stood guard in front of him like an old mother hen protecting her chicks, leaving no opening for anyone else.
"Heh heh heh..."
Watching the atmosphere begin to turn sour, Kazuki couldn't help but laugh at the scene unfolding like a battlefield.
"Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Karin... they're starting to glare at each other with murderous intent."
Standing nearby, Hinata raised a hand, wanting to mediate but unsure how to stop everyone.
"Who are you? Why are you blocking us from getting close to Sasuke?"
"Yeah! Where did this strange red-haired woman come from?"
Sakura and Ino temporarily formed an alliance, directing their hostility toward Karin.
Judging by their aggressive postures, it seemed entirely possible they might tear Karin apart.
Inside the command headquarters, Kazuki watched this drama-filled scene and couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Itachi, I never expected your little brother to be so popular. It's far more exaggerated than you were back in the day."
"...."
Itachi's mouth twitched slightly. He wanted to say something but ultimately chose silence.
Truth be told, he had been more popular than Sasuke. He just handled it better—if there was no hope, he didn't give any false signals.
Getting too entangled wasn't good for anyone involved.
But Sasuke wasn't like that. Sasuke's attitude was: What's it to me?
You're the ones who like me, not me liking you. Why should I have to deal with this hassle?
And so, even as several girls seemed on the verge of fighting over him, Sasuke remained like an outsider, leaning against the fence.
He looked up at the overcast sky, as if completely detached from the situation.
"They really have too much free time."
Chuckling, Kazuki said to Shisui:
"We still need to intervene. Let's have these energetic kids go chop some more trees. It's better than them having nothing to do and stirring up all this nonsense."
Several girls were about to come to blows, and the others weren't any better, all eagerly watching the spectacle.
Since they had so much energy, they could go chop wood for the camp, stockpile some firewood!
It worked out perfectly, as the camp's population would keep increasing, and firewood consumption would rise significantly.
Kazuki felt that if no one stepped in, Ino and Sakura really might start a fight with Karin.
Are girls these days really this wild over so-called 'love'?
Or is it just Hinata who's the normal one?
Glancing at Hinata, who stood to the side with a worried expression, playing the role of the well-behaved girl, Kazuki couldn't help but give her a mental thumbs-up.
"What are you glaring at each other for? Hit her! If you don't fight, how are you going to win over the person you like? Hurry up and start. I'll have someone build you a sparring platform later."
Stepping out of the command headquarters, Kazuki began to fan the flames.
"Ha ha ha..."
Many of the ninja in the camp watching the show burst into laughter.
The three girls locked in their tense standoff froze for a moment, expressions of anger flashing across their faces.
Who is this guy, coming here to stir up trouble? Doesn't he know it's best to stay out of young ladies' affairs?
Three pairs of fierce eyes glared over.
"....."
Karin hadn't turned her head fully when her subconscious made her shrink back, lowering her head and shrinking her body as she slipped to the side.
She pretended to look at the scenery outside the camp, as if everything that just happened had nothing to do with her.
Ino and Sakura were slower to react.
This person looks a bit familiar... Before Sakura could fully process it, Ino, standing beside her, froze as if struck by lightning.
'I'm done for. I'm finished.'
At this moment, Ino's mind buzzed. Especially when she saw Kazuki smiling and beckoning her with a crook of his finger, her heart sank to the pit of her stomach.
Sorry, 'sisters.' We'll each have to fend for ourselves now.
Wahhh~~~ It's over. Dad will kill me if he finds out.
Her head drooping, on the verge of tears, Ino moved toward Kazuki with a heart full of trepidation.
Seeing Ino's reaction, even Sakura, with her slower reflexes, finally realized—Isn't that the Lord Advisor?!
Oh my god, I actually glared fiercely at the Lord Advisor!
At that moment, Sakura felt like she might faint at any second.
"L-Lord Advisor."
Ino nervously swallowed, cautiously looking up and offering an ingratiating smile.
She hoped Kazuki would be merciful and let her off.
"Not bad. Where did all that fierceness from just now go?"
Kazuki smiled and reached out to ruffle Ino's hair.
"Huh...?"
Her head ruffled, Ino's body stiffened like a rusty machine, staring blankly at Kazuki.
So the Lord Advisor is this handsome...
Suddenly, a strange thought popped into Ino's mind. As someone who valued looks, unlike Sakura's single-minded devotion to Sasuke, she liked handsome guys. The more handsome, the more they caught her eye.
"???"
Why did she go from scared to death to blushing in an instant?
Kazuki gave Ino, whose face had turned bright red, a puzzled look, then withdrew his hand.
"It's fine to like handsome guys, but keep it within limits. Otherwise, your father will scold you again. Alright, go on back. Your new mission as a group is about to be assigned."
"Mhm, mhm."
Ino quickly lowered her head and scurried away.
"???"
What was that about?
Ino's reaction was a bit odd, but Kazuki didn't dwell on it. He addressed Sakura, who was still rooted to the spot.
"I can understand liking good-looking boys. But please remember your position. This isn't a place for romance. And also..."