"Hey, Naruto. Why are you still in the classroom?" Shikamaru asked.
Naruto turned his head and saw Shikamaru sitting at another desk.
"Oh? Is there a problem with that? Am I not allowed?" Naruto joked.
"That's not what I meant. Weren't you supposed to leave with Ino?"
"Why Ino?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you two dating? And as a couple, isn't it normal to always be together?" Shikamaru reasoned.
"Hey, hey, hold on. That's not like you at all..."
Shikamaru sighed and clicked his tongue before continuing, "It's just... Ino and I have been childhood friends. I know her well—both the good and the bad. And it's the same with you. I know you better than most people. That's why I'm a bit concerned about your relationship."
Naruto nodded repeatedly, understanding what Shikamaru meant.
But then Naruto replied, "But, Shikamaru... did you know?"
"Know what?"
"We're not dating. In fact, it's the opposite. Our relationship's kind of bad," Naruto said casually.
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected that.
"So... you're not dating her?"
Naruto paused. He smiled and looked at Shikamaru's face.
"Maybe not for now," Naruto answered confidently.
After that, Naruto walked off, leaving Shikamaru with his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Shikamaru...
"Wait, 'for now'? What does he mean by that? Is Naruto planning to later? And he sounded so sure... Does that mean Ino also—"
"Damn, what am I thinking? Why am I wasting my time on pointless thoughts like this..."
"I should just get some sleep. I need to save my energy for playing shogi against my dad later."
Time passed, and Hiruzen finally finished his speech.
"And with that, I hope you, the new generation of ninja, achieve great things and bring honor to the name of Konoha..."
With those typical words, the academy students were deeply moved and inspired.
"This old man sure knows how to play with words," Naruto thought.
"Alright, everyone, Hokage-sama has shared his wisdom with us. Let's give him a round of applause..."
The students clapped enthusiastically. Some even shouted praises for the Hokage.
On the podium, Hiruzen looked at the students with a warm expression.
His eyes narrowed slightly, scanning the crowd for Naruto.
"What's he doing? Is he looking for me?" Naruto wondered.
Sure enough, their eyes met. Naruto gave him a blank expression, while Hiruzen smiled meaningfully.
Eventually, Hiruzen left, and the students were dismissed since class was over.
"Ugh... that was boring. It reminded me of our old principal's speeches. Why do they all sound the same..."
Naruto decided to return to his apartment. He didn't have anything else scheduled for the day.
But on the way home, he saw a familiar figure.
"Wait... isn't that the old man?" he thought.
A figure in white robes with a red hood stood as if waiting for him.
Honestly, Naruto didn't want to deal with him. He wasn't sure how to act. But still, he approached—Hiruzen was clearly waiting.
"Ah, old man. What are you doing here?" Naruto greeted him cheerfully.
Hiruzen's lip twitched slightly, though he kept his smile. "Old man, huh? He's getting more disrespectful," he thought.
"Naruto, I happened to have some free time today. And I realized it's been a while since we talked," Hiruzen said kindly.
"Oh, I see. I thought something serious was up."
"Not at all. I just wanted to hear if anything interesting has happened. Ah, shall we talk while walking?" he suggested.
"Sure. Let's go," Naruto agreed.
"So, Naruto, has anything special happened recently?" Hiruzen asked as they walked.
"Nothing too special. I've just been training at the academy and tried approaching someone I like... though I got rejected in the end." Naruto scratched his head, trying to sound goofy.
"Ah, is it that girl with the pink hair—"
"Sakura. Her name is Sakura, old man..." Naruto cut him off.
"Yes, Sakura. Was it her?" Hiruzen asked.
Naruto fell silent. Hiruzen glanced at him and saw Naruto deep in thought.
"Seems like it was. And... why not her?" he finally answered.
Hiruzen nodded. "Then why did I hear you're involved with a girl named Ino?"
Naruto flinched. He had no idea how to respond.
He stopped walking, making Hiruzen stop too.
"What? What do you mean, old man?" Naruto asked loudly.
"Oh, I just heard some talk. That you were close to another girl," Hiruzen repeated.
Naruto was thinking fast. "What's going on here? Why is he bringing up Ino? Is he testing me or just making small talk?"
Naruto decided to play along.
He looked down, pretending to be embarrassed.
Hiruzen observed him. "So it's true, huh?"
"Yeah, it's true," Naruto replied.
"I guess... we do have some kind of relationship," he added.
"Well... technically, that's not wrong," he thought to himself.
Hiruzen smiled and patted Naruto's head.
Naruto wanted to push his hand away but restrained himself.
"Naruto, you know... as a ninja, we can't afford to hesitate. We have to make choices—whether they lead to good or bad outcomes..."
"Because as ninja, we must have principles. Principles that give us strength to face anything..."
"So, Naruto, I hope you won't regret your decisions. Because regret can never truly be undone..."
Naruto listened intently, but inside, he rejected every word.
"Choices? Why do I have to choose? Why can't I have both?"
Hiruzen began walking away.
"Sorry, Naruto. Something came up. I have to go. Also, I've transferred some money to your apartment—I heard you bought new clothes."
"Tch, nonsense... Honestly, your fate is in my hands. Whether I forgive you or not depends on what happens next. I just hope my choice doesn't disappoint you," Naruto muttered quietly, watching Hiruzen's figure fade into the distance.
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Sorry, I'm feeling too lazy to think or write today—just one chapter is enough.
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