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"Morning! Let's go!"
"Mm!"
"Aunt Keiko! Goodbye, Uncle Inoichi!" Before leaving, Kaito didn't forget to say goodbye to Ino's parents.
"Goodbye, Kaito! Please take good care of Ino when you get to the Academy!"
"I got it, Aunt Keiko! I will!" Kaito's young face was full of seriousness.
"Pfft!" Seeing Kaito's expression, Yamanaka Keiko smiled.
"Alright, let's go! Otherwise, we'll be late!"
"Mm!"
Their conversation completely ignored Yamanaka Inoichi, who stood nearby. In the family dynamic, the mother always had the upper hand. As long as you won her favor, the father-in-law could be dealt with later.
As the two kids walked off, Yamanaka Inoichi clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead. "This brat!"
As if that wasn't enough, the next scene made his face darken even more.
Kaito bent down, hoisting the still-groggy Ino onto his back, and carried her as he walked off.
"Pfft! You're so old, and you're still jealous of a child? Kaito's a good boy—gentle and thoughtful. He'll make a great husband in the future."
Yamanaka Inoichi: "_"
…
Kaito had no idea that his future mother-in-law had just given him a glowing evaluation.
He simply didn't want Ino, half-asleep and stumbling, to walk like that. He figured she should sleep a little longer.
When Kaito and Ino arrived at the classroom, it was still early. Only a few students sat chatting inside.
The moment Kaito walked in with Ino on his back, all eyes turned to them.
He ignored the stares. After a quick scan of the room, his eyes lit up.
"I didn't expect her to arrive so early."
With a gentle smile, Kaito let Ino lead him to a seat.
He carefully set her down, then turned to look at the girl sitting nearby.
She had short lavender hair, fair skin blushing slightly, and those unmistakable white eyes—the Byakugan.
That's right. She was Hyuga Hinata—Kaito's tentative second wife candidate.
In the original series, Hinata was the most beloved female character among fans. She far outshone the actual heroine, Sakura.
To most ordinary men, Hinata was the perfect wife—kind, gentle, strong, soft on the outside but determined within, and deeply loyal.
Kaito honestly couldn't find any flaws in her. If there was one, it was that she was too kind.
Hinata looked at the boy staring at her with curiosity, and her cheeks turned bright red. It's him! Did he recognize me?
She felt nervous and happy at the same time, momentarily forgetting that Ino was sitting right behind him.
Her expression was so nervous it was adorable. That shyness felt completely natural.
"Hi! My name is Ayanami Kaito. I hope we can get along!" Kaito extended his hand with a sunny smile.
"Y-you too! I'm Hyuga Hinata!" she stammered, bowing her head as she timidly shook his hand.
Their fingers brushed lightly, and Hinata's face turned crimson—like a ripe apple.
Kaito knew what was happening, but he still asked gently, "Hinata, are you alright? Your face is really red—are you feeling sick?"
He reached out to touch her forehead.
And like a thermometer reaching critical temperature, Hinata's eyes rolled back and she fainted.
Kaito caught her and gently laid her on the desk.
He gave a wry smile. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have tried to test whether she fainted from shyness or not.
Now he was stuck.
Ino, on his left, was still asleep. Hinata, on the right, had fainted. He couldn't move.
Forget it. He laid his head on the table and decided to nap too.
——
No one knew how much time had passed, but a sudden burst of noise jolted Kaito from his sleep.
When he opened his eyes, the once-empty classroom was now bustling with children. Every seat was filled.
The "Konoha 9" and several other background students from the original series were all there.
Ino and Hinata were both awake now.
Ino was chatting with a pink-haired girl—Haruno Sakura.
Hinata sat quietly with her head lowered, just like her usual self.
Just then—
A figure walked into the room.
The moment he appeared, the classroom fell silent.
"Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Ninja Academy. I'll be your teacher for the next six years—Iruka!"
Iruka stepped up to the podium with a warm smile.
Seeing how attentive the students appeared, he nodded in satisfaction.
This class seems very well-behaved. Should be easy to manage!
"Alright, let's not waste time! Since we're all classmates, we should get to know each other."
"Our first lesson today is introductions. Each student will stand, say their name, hobbies, and dream!"
"We'll start with the first row. You there—go ahead!"
"My name is…"
…
Soon, it was Naruto Uzumaki's turn.
He stood up and shouted, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I love ramen, and I hate waiting three minutes for it to cook! My dream is to become Hokage—and get the whole village to acknowledge me!"
The moment Naruto finished, murmurs spread across the room—disdainful and mocking.
"Hahaha! What a joke! The demon fox wants to be Hokage!"
"Yeah! Someone like him should just disappear already!"
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