Ino sat up straight—not because she was worried that Uzumaki would do something weird, but because something about him felt... off.
It was like he was a completely different person.
"You've changed so much," Ino muttered, her bright blue eyes narrowing in suspicion. "It feels like your soul has been swapped or something."
Her gaze swept over him from head to toe, trying to figure out what had happened.
In the past, when they spent time together, Uzumaki was always reserved. He rarely took the initiative to speak, and most of their conversations were led by her, with him occasionally chiming in.
But today? He was acting completely different—relaxed, confident, even playful.
Shinomiya Uzumaki grinned at her, half-jokingly saying, "I've always been like this. It's just that you were younger before. I was afraid that Uncle Anbu might take you away if I acted this way."
Ino rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Who can pretend for over ten years?"
She didn't believe a single word of it. But what Uzumaki knew in his heart was that this change came from confidence.
Before, when he had no "plug-in" to rely on, he was nothing but an average student in the academy—a true jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
Meanwhile, Ino was the golden daughter of the Yamanaka clan. Smart, beautiful, and from a well-respected family, she was someone with a bright future ahead.
Uzumaki had always known that Ino had some interest in him. But without talent or a strong background, what right did he have to hold her back?
Things were different now.
Now that he had his chat group, becoming the king of the ninja world was no longer just a fantasy—it was inevitable.
So why should he feel nervous around Ino anymore?
"Alright, enough nonsense. Let's start practicing the Three Basic Jutsu," Ino said, standing up. She reached out a hand, trying to pull him off the couch.
Uzumaki smirked and casually placed his hand in hers. But then, instead of getting up, he suddenly said:
"Ino, watch closely."
Ino blinked, confused.
The next second—
Uzumaki's free hand moved like a blur, forming a single-handed seal in an instant.
Poof!
A perfect clone appeared right beside him.
Ino froze.
Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
She stared at Uzumaki's calm, self-assured expression. Then at the flawless clone standing next to him.
Then back at him again.
Her mind took a few extra seconds to process what she had just witnessed.
"Did you just... use a one-handed seal?"
One-handed hand seals were something only the most elite shinobi could perform—ninjas who had trained relentlessly and mastered a jutsu to an extreme degree.
But Uzumaki...
Hadn't he always been one of the lowest-ranking students in their class?
Before she could wrap her head around it, she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder.
She turned around instinctively.
What greeted her was Uzumaki's smiling face, staring at her from behind.
"Huh?"
Her head whipped back toward the couch—only to find that the hand she had been holding had turned into a wooden log at some point.
"A substitution technique?!"
Ino's eyes widened in shock.
"When did you do it?!" she gasped. "I didn't even see you form a hand seal!"
She spun around, trying to make sense of it, but Uzumaki was gone.
Then—
Her palm suddenly felt warm again.
She turned back.
The wood was gone, and in its place, Uzumaki's real hand had returned, resting in hers.
He was still lying there on the couch, looking up at her with a sly smile.
"Hiss—"
Ino sharply pulled her hand away, rubbing her face in disbelief.
She had just witnessed Shinomiya Uzumaki master the Three Basic Jutsu with insane proficiency.
"You can perform Clone Jutsu, Substitution Jutsu, and Transformation Jutsu this smoothly?!"
Uzumaki leaned back against the couch and casually said, "Of course."
He had simply spent a couple of hundred gold coins in the chat group shop to max out his proficiency.
"No need to act all smug!" Ino huffed, smacking him lightly on the forehead.
"Then why were you pretending to be a loser this whole time? Do you enjoy being laughed at in class?"
Uzumaki spread his hands and shrugged. "You misunderstood. I don't care about what those idiots think. I was just keeping Naruto company."
Ino frowned. "Naruto?"
"Yeah. He's always been lonely. I didn't want him to be the only one getting made fun of in class, so I stayed by his side." Uzumaki's gaze became distant. "As for those who mock us… let them talk.
"In the future, when Naruto and I shake the entire ninja world, those same people will still be stuck in their meaningless little lives."
He had to be careful. He couldn't just say, "I have a system chat group that gives me insane rewards for changing the future."
So, he came up with a reasonable excuse—he was a hidden genius who had been deliberately suppressing his true talent.
It was a way more believable explanation.
And surprisingly, Ino actually believed it.
She had known Uzumaki and Naruto were close, but she never expected that he had been holding back for Naruto's sake.
Her gaze softened as she looked at him.
"You really are something else..." she murmured.
But then, she smirked.
"Still—"
Before Uzumaki could react, her foot shot out and kicked his butt.
"—don't get so full of yourself!"
Uzumaki nearly fell off the couch.
"Come on!" Ino huffed, hands on her hips. "Since you don't need to practice anymore, let's go out and have some fun. You can't just sit at home all day."
---
Later That Day – Naruto's Apartment
Jumping down from the rooftop, Uzumaki grabbed Ino's hand and went straight to Naruto's home.
"Hey, Naruto!" he called out, peeking through the window. "Let's go out!"
Inside, Naruto was hunched over a cheap instant ramen cup that looked questionably close to its expiration date.
Hearing Uzumaki's voice, he immediately lit up.
"Uzumaki! What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to drag you out."
Uzumaki glanced at the sad excuse for a meal on Naruto's table and frowned.
"Why are you eating instant ramen again?" he groaned. "Come on, forget that. I'll take you out for some real food."
Naruto's eyes sparkled. "For real?!"
He instantly tossed the ramen cup aside and jumped out of the window.
"Long live Uzumaki!"
As Naruto landed, he turned and spotted Ino.
"Oh, hey, Ino!"
Ino crossed her arms. "Naruto, you need to start eating better. You can't live on instant noodles forever."
"Heh, well… it's cheap," Naruto muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "I can get a whole stack for just 500 yen..."
Uzumaki sighed and gave him a serious look.
"Naruto, stop eating that junk. From now on, just come over to my place for dinner."
Before getting the chat group, Uzumaki had always been extra cautious about how close he got to Naruto.
After all, Danzo and the Third Hokage were ruthless. If they ever suspected that Uzumaki had any kind of hidden agenda in getting close to Naruto, he'd be in serious trouble.
Maybe one day, while walking alone at night—
He'd simply 'disappear.'
But now?
With his system, his growing power, and his newfound confidence—
He wasn't afraid anymore.
---––--––-------------------------------
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