Ino Yamanaka

The long golden hair fluttered in the wind, with a few drops of water trickling down from the forehead onto the clean, delicate face. The moist skin glowed slightly red under the faint moonlight, revealing a tall and striking figure that was impossible to ignore.

With a "plop," Sandaime's nosebleed gushed out, and his body collapsed to the ground as if his soul had left him.

"Seduction Jutsu, broken!"

Naruto chuckled mockingly. He walked slowly toward the old man and said, "Old man, trash like you doesn't deserve to be Hokage. You should step down and hand over the position to me."

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the second objective. Reward (Rasengan) has been successfully granted.]

A while later...

Sandaime sat on the grass, wiping away the remaining nosebleed with a handkerchief. "Naruto, you little rascal, you're still using that wicked ninjutsu like the Seduction Jutsu."

Naruto chuckled. "Stubborn old man, you didn't even last two seconds against my technique."

"Shut up and stop talking," Sandaime grumbled in annoyance. However, deep inside, he actually felt relieved.

What Naruto had just done still reflected his former self—using strange ninjutsu to defeat his opponents and trying to humiliate them. The only difference was that his Seduction Jutsu had now become much more refined and effective, even powerful enough to momentarily disrupt the mind of a Kage-level ninja.

Even high-level genjutsu couldn't necessarily affect someone of Sandaime's caliber. However, because of its unique nature, he couldn't judge the technique too harshly.

"Enough with this nonsense. Now, let's talk about something more important."

He put away his handkerchief and looked at Naruto seriously. "Tell me, what exactly has been happening to you lately?"

The dark forest was filled with the sounds of insects and nocturnal birds, while the moonlight reflected on the lake's surface.

Naruto lowered his head, his expression grim. "I saw Yondaime-sama."

His tone was flat, but his face revealed deep emotions. Calmly, he stretched out his palm. Chakra began to flow, forming a slowly spinning blue sphere.

"Rasengan!"

Sandaime's eyes widened in disbelief. He never expected Naruto to claim he had met Yondaime. It sounded absurd, but the Rasengan forming in Naruto's hand was undeniable proof.

There must be something left inside Naruto's body through the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.

"Naruto, what did Yondaime say to you in your dream?" Sandaime asked.

"He hasn't spoken to me," Naruto replied.

Hearing that, Sandaime felt a bit relieved. He had watched Naruto since childhood and knew that despite being mischievous, the boy wasn't good at lying. His emotions were always reflected clearly on his face.

"Minato… as the inheritor of the Will of Fire and a Hokage, you must understand my decision," he murmured in his heart.

Naruto sighed. "He only taught me the Three Basic Jutsu and Rasengan, then disappeared. Since yesterday morning, he hasn't shown up again."

"Third Hokage, do you think Yondaime resents me? Is it because I'm not learning ninjutsu fast enough? But I've really been trying my best..."

Sandaime looked at Naruto, who was now gazing at the starry sky. He then picked up a fallen leaf from the ground and said, "Naruto, Yondaime didn't teach you ninjutsu to make you feel discouraged. He wants you to inherit his will and protect Konoha."

Naruto kept looking at the sky. Deep down, he was tired of pretending in front of this old man.

This man had made him suffer for years, yet he still expected Naruto to protect Konoha?

If he didn't destroy Konoha in the future, that would already be a great mercy.

Seeing Naruto remain silent, Sandaime assumed he was drowning in sorrow. He gently patted the boy's shoulder.

"Stay strong, Naruto. Don't you want to become Hokage and earn everyone's recognition? Think of this as Yondaime's legacy and work even harder."

Naruto sighed inwardly.

Damn it, when will this old man stop talking?

The next morning...

Naruto got dressed, tied his forehead protector around his arm, and left the house with a big yawn. Last night, he had been forced to listen to Sandaime's lecture for over two hours, which made him come home late and sleep-deprived.

As he was about to reach the Ninja Academy, someone suddenly blocked his path—more precisely, Ino appeared and stood in his way.

If Naruto tried to walk left, Ino moved left. If he turned right, she followed.

"Naruto Uzumaki, where were you yesterday? I waited for you until nightfall, but you never showed up!"

Ino looked genuinely furious. Last night, she had almost frozen from waiting too long. On top of that, she got scolded harshly by her parents for coming home late without permission.

Her face flushed red with anger as she shouted, "You bastard!"

Naruto: "???"

Why does she sound like a woman who just got betrayed?

Naruto was confused. As far as he remembered, he hadn't done anything that would make Ino this angry.

Meanwhile, whispers started spreading among the people nearby.

"Isn't that the lady from the Yamanaka clan? Why is she with that kid?"

"You mean Naruto? They actually look good together."

"Good together? Are you crazy? He's the Nine-Tails monster."

"Seriously? I barely recognized him."

"Yeah, he's changed a lot. But I'm sure that's him. I saw him leaving that house."

"From what the Yamanaka girl just said, it sounds like she waited for him until night."

"Could it be… she was defiled by him?"

Hearing the gossip growing wilder, Ino's expression turned panicked. She wanted to explain, but no one seemed to be listening.

Meanwhile, Naruto simply yawned and kept walking.

Ino might care about people's opinions, but he didn't give a damn.

They could talk all they wanted. To him, their words were nothing more than barking dogs.

However, before he could get far, Ino ran ahead of him again and blocked his path once more.

"You can't leave!" she declared, spreading her arms wide to prevent Naruto from passing.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, growing annoyed. "If you have a mental disorder, go to Konoha Hospital. Don't block my way."

"You bastard!" Ino fumed. "Yesterday, you humiliated me, and now you're calling me crazy? I have to teach you a lesson!"

Naruto was just about to apologize and end this nonsense, but suddenly, Ino clasped her hands together, preparing to form a hand seal—her clan's secret technique, Mind Transfer Jutsu.

As soon as Naruto saw Ino getting ready to launch her jutsu, a notification suddenly popped up in his mind.

[Passive Selection Triggered!]

[Due to your actions yesterday, Yamanaka Ino is furious and wants to teach you a lesson. She has decided to attack you. Your available choices are...]

[Choice 1 - Stay friendly: Dodge her attack, mock her again, and tell her she'd be better off waiting for you at your house at night. Reward: (Thirty-Six Binding Techniques)]

[Choice 2 - Be rational: Defeat her and make her understand why she shouldn't underestimate you. Reward: (1% Control over Kyuubi)]

[Choice 3 - Be reckless: If she dares to attack, she must be punished accordingly. Defeat her and use (Mind Transfer Jutsu) on her in the middle of the street. Reward: (Mind Transfer Jutsu)]

[Choice 4 - Be ruthless: No need for nonsense, just kill her. Reward: (10% Control over Kyuubi)]

Naruto clicked his tongue in irritation. What is this? Does a question this easy even need thinking?

Just as Ino started forming her hand seal, Naruto swiftly dodged. In an instant, he was already behind her, ready to act.