NARUTO- CH-169. Ino has grown up

The exam would last a day, so there was no need for her to go.

Of course, the main reason was that her identity had changed.

She had to keep an eye on the Uchiha clan at all times to prevent any accidents.

Mikoto stretched out her hand, wanting to touch Sasuke's head, but he dodged.

"I'm not a child anymore," Sasuke emphasized.

In his opinion, Mikoto was too clingy.

It would have been fine if he were still a kid, but now that he was about to graduate and become a full-fledged ninja, he felt a little embarrassed by her affection.

Mikoto bit her lip.

The child had grown up.

He wasn't as cute as before.

Her gaze shifted, and she reached out toward Shiki instead.

Seeing that he didn't move away, she smiled in satisfaction.

"…"

Shiki was speechless.

Forget it. For the sake of your lunch box, I'll let it slide this time.

"I'm heading back now," Mikoto said, waving as she turned to leave.

"Women are such a hassle," Sasuke muttered, thinking about Sakura and the other girls who often harassed him.

"After graduation, you'll be assigned to a team," Shiki said jokingly. "What if you're placed with Sakura?"

"I'll just return to the Uchiha clan," Sasuke said flatly.

Shiki paused for a moment.

He had forgotten about that option.

Being part of a prestigious clan had its privileges.

Sasuke didn't need to join a Genin team. He could just follow the clan's arrangements.

"Who do you want as your teammate?" Shiki asked as they walked.

"You'll do, I suppose," Sasuke said, glancing at him indifferently.

"And the third member?" Shiki smirked.

"Doesn't matter," Sasuke said confidently. "With you and me, even if the third teammate is a dog, we'll still win."

Win with a dog on the team?

Shiki recalled the nicknames Sasuke and Naruto had in the Naruto mobile game—Purple Dog and Yellow Monkey.

It was hard to say who would be the actual dog in the future.

"You're the Hokage's student," Sasuke suddenly said. "Do you have any ideas about the team assignments?"

Shiki's teasing had made him uneasy.

If he ended up with a teammate like Sakura, it would be annoying.

How should he put it?

Although Sakura was among the best of the civilian ninjas, in his eyes, she was still just a pretty face.

Especially compared to Shiki.

Sasuke still couldn't understand how, even after awakening his Sharingan and mastering Fire and Lightning Release ninjutsu, he still couldn't defeat Shiki.

Maybe that move would work.

Kakashi had promised to teach him an S-rank Lightning Release jutsu after graduation.

And it was a technique that worked well with the Sharingan.

"As Hokage, my master values fairness above all else," Shiki said seriously. "How could you even think of rigging the team assignments?"

'Tch. Acting all high and mighty.'

Sasuke turned his head away, looking annoyed.

"Shiki-kun!"

A familiar voice called from a distance.

Shiki instinctively looked up.

It was the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

Ino immediately left Choji and Shikamaru behind, jogging toward him.

At this point, she had grown into a graceful young woman.

Her golden high ponytail, combined with her bright smile, radiated an indescribable youthful charm.

She wore a round-necked top, revealing her fair arms, with white sleeves covering part of them.

Her top was short, exposing her waist, but instead of bare skin, bandages were wrapped around her midsection.

There were also bandages on her legs, ending just above her slender calves.

At her ankles, she wore open-toed short boots.

Shiki couldn't help but be curious.

'Are bandages considered underwear now?'

He took a deep breath and quickly pushed away such thoughts.

The bandages were… a bit too distracting.

"Good morning, Shiki-kun," Ino greeted with a smile.

"How's your preparation for the exam?"

Shiki waved at Choji and Shikamaru, who had stopped a few steps away, consciously keeping their distance.

Seeing this, Sasuke scoffed and moved further away from Shiki and Ino.

Women would only get in the way.

"There shouldn't be any problems," Ino said before sighing. "It's just a shame I won't be on the same team as you, Shiki-kun."

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was a classic formation in Konoha.

No one would dare split them up.

Even if Ino wanted to, she couldn't change that.

"That's fine," Shiki said casually. "From now on, our teams can have dinner together more often."

"True," Ino said, a hint of envy in her voice. "I wonder who your teammates will be."

In her opinion, Shiki was the perfect teammate.

He could heal, sense enemies, and fight—a rare all-rounder.

Having someone like him on your team would give a great sense of security.

And most importantly… he was handsome.

Ino glanced at his side profile, wanting to stick out her tongue playfully.

'Wait.'

A sudden thought hit her.

'What if Shiki ended up on the same team as Hinata?'

'No way!'

"Uh…" Ino hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Shiki asked, noticing her expression.

"Who do you think Hinata's teammates will be?" Ino asked, trying to sound casual.

But it was way too obvious.

Shiki looked at her for a moment and then said, "Shino and Kiba."

Hearing this, Ino's eyes lit up.

As long as Hinata and Shiki weren't in the same team, that was a win for her.

"Why?" She asked curiously.

"Tracking specialist team," Shiki replied, making up an excuse.

Honestly, it was a weak reason.

In the original timeline, it made sense, but things had changed.

Especially with Shino.

A year ago, his parasitic insects had finally learned to absorb Senjutsu Chakra.

Because of that, Shiki had gained a passive achievement—Insect Raising Immortal.

The achievement reward? A water-based defensive poisonous insect.

Its name wasn't important. What mattered was that it fused with the White Jade Gu, creating a new Gu, Tianpeng Gu.

Tianpeng Gu, a third-level Gu worm, gave the user a thick layer of white crystal-like skin, offering extremely high defense.

In short, an enhanced version of the White Jade Gu.

The Insect Raising Immortal achievement hinted at something interesting.

Could there be an insect-based Sage Region somewhere?

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Thank you all for supporting me.