Without even thinking, almost out of physical instinct, Mamoru's right hand shot out like lightning, reaching for the shadow's neck.
Just as his fingers were about to tighten, a familiar girl's voice rang out. "Mamoru, you're so late."
Mamoru stopped his movements. Once he recognized her clothing, he asked in confusion, "Oh, it's just Ino. What are you doing?"
"What else? I missed you."
Ino's movements were incredibly natural and fluid. Her right hand brushed over Mamoru's arm before he could fully retract it, her soft hands slowly stroking upward along his arm until she finally wrapped them affectionately around his neck from the side, practically hanging her entire body off him.
"???"
Mamoru was completely bewildered, his brain momentarily stalling.
What kind of technique was this? It was actually this powerful.
Just then, with a soft "thud," the bag containing the dango in Hinata's arms fell to the ground. She herself seemed completely oblivious, standing there in a daze, staring blankly at the two people pressed intimately together, her brain seemingly having stopped working.
Mamoru couldn't help but look back.
"What's wrong with her?" Ino followed Mamoru's gaze and noticed Hinata's abnormality, asking in confusion.
Mamoru blinked, a sliver of clarity finally returning to his dazed state. He was just about to gently push Ino off him when—
"Mamoru!"
From the back of the classroom, a sweet girl's voice filled with monstrous rage suddenly exploded. Like a bolt from the blue, it struck Mamoru right on the crown of his head, making him shudder instantly as a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Holy crap! How could I forget! Team Three is also taking these Chunin Exams! I'm finished, I'm dead!
Mamoru almost reflexively tried to break free from Ino's arms, even instinctively wanting to use Limitless to escape this mess.
But on second thought, that wasn't right. He hadn't done anything, so why run?
In the brief moment his thoughts raced, a figure had already rushed from the back of the classroom like a whirlwind and appeared before him. A fair but powerful hand suddenly grabbed his collar, forcing him to lean down slightly and meet a pair of bright eyes burning with a raging fire.
"Mamoru! Explain yourself, what on earth is going on?!"
The usual sweetness and cheerfulness were gone from Tenten's face. Right now, her eyebrows were arched in anger as she glared at Mamoru with eyes spitting fire, her voice rising slightly due to her agitation.
"Tenten, you... what are you doing?" Mamoru squeezed out what he thought was his most innocent and calm smile, reaching out to gently pat Tenten's hand that was tightly gripping his collar. "Calm down, just calm down."
"I am very calm right now!"
Instead of letting go, Tenten gripped even tighter, pulling his face closer until they could almost feel each other's breath.
She interrogated him word by word, "Tell. Me. Exactly. What. You. Did."
Mamoru instinctively gulped and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, maintaining his composure. "I didn't do anything."
"You still dare to make excuses? I saw it with my own eyes just now."
Tenten let go of Mamoru's collar and pointed at Ino, who was standing to the side with her arms crossed.
Her voice carried a trace of an imperceptible tremble. "Then why... why was she holding you like that..."
"Hey!"
Being pointed at, Ino immediately became displeased. She took a step forward and interrupted Tenten, her tone carrying a feisty edge. "Who do you think you are? What right do you have to come here and boss people around?"
"I... I..."
Tenten was momentarily choked up by the question, suddenly unsure of how to define her relationship with Mamoru.
Her momentum faltered, but she immediately regrouped and pointed the spearhead back at Mamoru, questioning him with a deep frown, "Mamoru! You tell me, who exactly is this woman?"
"Hah?"
With her feisty personality, Ino wasn't one to back down in front of anyone other than Mamoru.
She immediately retorted, "Before asking someone else's name, shouldn't you give your own name first? Don't you even understand basic manners?"
"You're the one! Why should I tell you first! I'm a senior! You rookie!" Tenten was in a fit of rage and didn't care about manners at all, snapping back immediately.
In an instant, the two girls leaned forward until they were almost touching, staring each other down with gritted teeth as the air became thick with the smell of gunpowder.
"Hey, don't be like this, calm down... so many people are watching, this isn't good..."
Mamoru felt a massive headache coming on and hurriedly reached out to try and separate the two, fearing they would start fighting at any second.
He instinctively glanced at Hinata behind him and found her still standing there quietly, neither shouting nor making a fuss. She just kept her head down, looking at the paper bag that had fallen on the floor, lost in thought.
In comparison, Hinata's docility made him feel even more guilty.
Mamoru truly regretted his actions now. If he had known, he wouldn't have kicked the door open so loudly earlier.
Now look at this, he was making a total fool of himself, and in front of so many ninjas from other villages too.
Just then, the three members of Team 7 walked into the classroom. Seeing this scene that rivaled a cheesy soap opera, they were once again stunned in place.
"Mamoru... what's going on?" Naruto came to his senses and scratched his bright blonde hair, his face filled with a giant question mark.
"Ino... why is she arguing with someone?" Sakura was also confused, watching Ino face off against someone.
"Boring."
Sasuke just gave a cold glance and roughly guessed the cause and effect. He shook his head in disdain and let out a short, cold snort.
"Ladies, do me a favor and stop arguing, okay?" Mamoru struggled to use his body to block the space between Tenten and Ino, trying to quell the storm he had caused.
Seeing Mamoru, who was usually so calm and composed, now looking so exhausted and embarrassed because of a few girls, even someone as thick-headed as Naruto finally understood the situation.
He couldn't help but feel secretly relieved, patting his chest. 'Phew, good thing I only like Sakura.'
Thinking of this, Naruto couldn't resist nudging Sasuke, who looked completely indifferent, with his elbow and whispered, "Hey, Sasuke, aren't we going to help him?"
"Hmph. He brought it on himself."
Sasuke let out a cold snort and turned his face away decisively, as if looking for one more second would taint his eyes.
"Go if you want, I'm not getting involved in such a troublesome matter."
He thought to himself with annoyance, 'The Uchiha clan's dignity has been completely lost by Mamoru today.'
"If even you, his own brother, won't go, why should I join the mess?" Naruto immediately squinted his eyes and put his hands behind his head, adopting a posture of staying out of it.