Naruto: Mastered Your Strategy?

At the dango shop

Ino slouched over the table, letting out a bored sigh.

"This is so dull."

Shikamaru and Choji were busy training with Ren-sensei, so she had no reason to tag along.

"I finally get a day off from helping my mom at the flower shop, and here I am, with nothing to do."

"What's so bad about that?" Sakura, seated across from her, asked quizzically.

"Isn't having free time nice?"

"When you're busy, you wish for downtime. When you finally have it, it just feels boring," Ino lamented.

Sakura chuckled softly, taking a bite of her dango. "I think it's a perfectly relaxing afternoon."

Suddenly, Ino perked up, spotting a familiar figure outside. "Hey, Hinata!"

Hinata, dressed in her pale blue jacket, was standing on the street. Hearing Ino call her name, she approached shyly.

"You're out of the hospital already? Feeling better?" Ino asked as she pulled Hinata to sit beside her.

"Y-yes, the doctor said I just need to rest a bit more," Hinata replied, her voice as soft as ever.

"Do you want some dango? My treat," Sakura offered.

"Oh, anything is fine, thank you," Hinata said politely.

"What were you up to out there?" Ino asked.

"I went to see Kurenai-sensei and check on Kiba and Shino's training. I was heading home."

Ino wrapped an arm around Hinata's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze before letting go.

"It's such a shame that the three of us girls didn't make it to the final round of the exams," Ino said wistfully.

As Sakura placed an order for Hinata, she glanced at Ino but said nothing.

"Maybe the boys were just a little better this time," Hinata said kindly.

"Still, I never thought Naruto would beat Kiba," Ino mused.

"Naruto's really strong, you know!" Sakura chimed in, rolling her eyes.

"Y-yes… Naruto-kun is amazing," Hinata murmured, her cheeks tinged with pink as she played with her fingers.

Ino noticed the change in her expression and grinned mischievously. She nudged Sakura, who caught the signal immediately.

"Hinata," Ino began, leaning closer with a teasing smile.

"W-what is it?" Hinata asked nervously, startled by Ino's sudden approach.

"You like Naruto, don't you?" Ino asked, her grin widening.

Hinata's face turned bright red. "I-I-Ino! What are you talking about?"

Sakura, munching on her dango, simply watched the exchange with amusement. Hinata's feelings for Naruto were as clear as day to everyone except the oblivious blond himself.

"I didn't say anything specific," Ino teased. "But look how red you're getting!"

Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably, her head lowered, unable to meet their eyes.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Ino said, laughing.

Just then, the freshly ordered dango arrived, interrupting their playful banter.

"Boys really don't understand girls at all," Ino remarked as she reached for a skewer, her tone playful again.

"Well, if you don't tell them, how are they supposed to know?" Sakura countered.

"Why should we have to be the ones to say anything?" Ino retorted.

"If you don't speak up, your feelings will never reach them," Sakura replied.

Hinata, head still lowered, remained silent, her cheeks still faintly pink.

Seeing Hinata's shy demeanor, Ino decided to drop the subject and sipped on her drink instead.

"By the way, that Hyuga Neji guy—he's pretty handsome, isn't he?" Ino said out of nowhere.

"Neji-nii-san?" Hinata looked up in surprise.

"Yeah, but he seems really harsh. He didn't hold back on you during the exams either," Ino said, her tone tinged with concern.

Sakura thought back to the pale-eyed boy. He certainly had a striking appearance, though his aura was starkly different from Sasuke's.

And now that she remembered, Naruto would be facing him in the next match. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry.

"Neji-niisan… he's a difficult person," Hinata said quietly.

"You're cousins, right? You don't seem very close," Ino observed.

Hinata hesitated, unsure how to explain the complicated family dynamics of the Hyuga Clan.

"Man, I wish I had a bunch of handsome guys chasing after me," Ino sighed dramatically, slumping over the table.

"For what?" Sakura asked, rolling her eyes.

"To fight over me, bring me tea, and pamper me every day!" Ino replied, grinning dreamily.

Hinata blinked. "…That sounds… exhausting."

"You're daydreaming," Sakura said bluntly.

"Come on, Ino, plenty of guys like you," Hinata said earnestly.

"Yeah, but they were all ugly," Ino replied without missing a beat.

Hinata: "…"

"Your sensei is really handsome, though," Sakura said suddenly, a sly smile on her face.

Ino froze for a moment before her expression turned unreadable.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Sakura asked, puzzled by her reaction.

"But Ren-sensei and Kurenai-sensei are dating, right?" Hinata interjected.

"What?!" Sakura nearly dropped her dango.

Ino suddenly burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as she leaned against Hinata for support.

"Hahaha! Hinata, you're so serious! You make it sound like I'd actually try to go after Ren-sensei!" Ino said, laughing uncontrollably.

"I just thought…" Hinata trailed off, embarrassed.

Sakura watched Ino's exaggerated reaction, her expression gradually shifting from confusion to curiosity.

After her laughter subsided, Ino propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand.

"He's my teacher, you know," she said softly, her voice distant.

Her fingers absentmindedly twirled the straw in her drink.

Sakura ordered another round of drinks, her mind drifting.

"Kurenai-sensei and Ren-sensei live together?" Sakura asked.

Hinata nodded. "We even visited their house once."

"Wow, they're already living together? I didn't know that," Sakura said, glancing at Ino.

"Why would anyone bring it up?" Ino replied flatly, sipping her drink.

"Though Kurenai-sensei is older than him, right?" Sakura mused.

"By six years," Ino said. "She's 27; Ren-sensei is 21."

"Ren-sensei is that young?!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Only eight years older than us…" Ino murmured.

Sakura suddenly froze, realization dawning on her. She glanced at Ino, her eyes wide with suspicion.

Ino turned away, her face calm, her gaze fixed on the table.

The tension was interrupted by Hinata, who had just discovered how delicious the dango was.

"This is really good," she said, reaching for another skewer.

The shop was quiet, a serene contrast to the bustling street outside.

Sunlight filtered in, warming the three girls as they shared the moment.

"Um…" Hinata spoke hesitantly.

"Could I… order another serving?"

Sakura and Ino exchanged a glance before breaking into laughter.

"Three more orders, please!" Sakura called to the shopkeeper.

"One is enough!" Hinata protested.

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