The scene was so shocking that the classroom fell into complete silence.
Both Naruto and Sasuke, the two involved parties, were utterly stunned. After a couple of seconds, they quickly separated as if they had just swallowed a fly, their faces pale and both of them retching.
Sakura, who had personally orchestrated this situation, was trembling uncontrollably, her expression blank and her eyes devoid of any spark, completely unable to think.
The onlookers around them were also dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed.
Hinata's face turned ashen. She never could have imagined that Naruto-kun actually liked Sasuke. She must have no chance now. Kiba Inuzuka was wide-eyed in shock, while Shino Aburame frowned in thought. The chubby Choji quickly turned his head away; such a terrifying scene was too much for his young heart to handle. He was just a child! Even Shikamaru, who was always calm and unflappable, looked as if he had seen a ghost.
None of them could have imagined that, on the eve of their team assignments, they would witness such an explosive scene.
Sasuke's fangirls all wore heartbroken expressions, with a few even clutching their chests in pain, as if a massive boulder was blocking their ability to breathe.
Ino's gaze was also somewhat vacant, but as the mastermind behind this, she was more focused on evaluating her gains.
A huge gain! Her Pot Point acquisition had always been judged based on the influence of the event or the importance of the people involved. The bigger the event and the higher the status of those involved, the more Pot Points she would earn.
Previously, she had disguised herself as Naruto to graffiti the Hokage Rock and as Sasuke to smash someone's window. Those incidents hadn't caused much of a stir. After all, who would dare complain if the "Savior" broke your window?
This time, she had used a newly learned D-Rank Genjutsu, the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, to influence Sakura. While Sakura herself wasn't particularly important, the two individuals involved in this event and the resulting impact were of immense significance.
One could argue that this marked the beginning of Naruto and Sasuke's bond. If you dug deeper into the history of Ashura and Indra, the implications became even greater.
Ino had previously saved up one Pot Point. Recently, through writing "Sasuke's Youth Story," disguising herself as Jiraiya to go drinking, and various other minor activities, she had slowly accumulated another half Pot Point. Originally, she had one and a half Pot Points, but now, she had five! She had anticipated that this event would bring her some benefits, which was why she had specifically learned the Genjutsu, but she hadn't expected such a massive gain. It seemed that both Naruto and Sasuke placed great importance on this matter. Tsk tsk. She decided to keep two Pot Points for later use, planning to add them to her "Chakra" stat in a few days. The remaining three she immediately allocated to her "Ninja Skill," causing her "Ninja Skill" to make a significant leap from 8 to 9.
She was now just one step away from reaching the Kage-level 10 in "Ninja Skill."
Ino's current attributes were: Ninja Skill 9, Stamina 3, Genjutsu 4, Intelligence 6, Strength 2, Speed 5, Chakra 6, and Hand Seals 6, totaling 41.
Compared to before, her "Genjutsu" and "Hand Seals" had each increased by one point through diligent training.
In terms of skills, she had Yin Release at Level 3, Water Release at Level 2, and Earth Release at Level 1.
She had mastered the B-Rank Secret Technique: Mind Body Disturbance Technique, the B-Rank Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone Technique, the B-Rank Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet, and the B-Rank Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave.
She also knew the C-Rank Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch Technique, the C-Rank Water Release: Water Prison Technique, and the C-Rank Water Release: Wild Water Wave.
Additionally, she had learned the D-Rank Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique, the D-Rank Earth Release: Underground Headhunter Technique, and the D-Rank Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
Apart from not having a Summoning Beast, Ino's current attributes had already surpassed those of Sunagakure's Temari.
"Ah!! Naruto! I'm going to kill you!!" Sakura finally snapped out of her daze. She went berserk, pulling out a kunai and chasing after Naruto like a madwoman.
Unforgivable! Sasuke's first kiss should have been hers! Why did Naruto take it?!
Naruto himself was in a dazed state, dodging left and right, but in the end, he was beaten black and blue by Sakura. The whole incident ended in a farcical manner. At exactly nine o'clock, Iruka walked into the classroom with the roster, noticing the strange atmosphere, but he didn't say anything.
Just like in the original timeline, Naruto Uzumaki, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura formed Team 7, led by Jonin Kakashi Hatake.
Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame formed Team 8, led by Jonin Yuhi Kurenai.
Yamanaka Ino, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi formed Team 10, led by Jonin Sarutobi Asuma.
Ino and her teammates didn't linger in the classroom for long and soon met up with their Jonin leader.
Asuma was twenty-seven this year. In Ino's previous life, this would have been the age of a young man who stayed up all night playing games and had to pay annual membership fees.
But the Asuma standing before Ino and her teammates seemed a bit weathered, with calm eyes and a full beard. One could easily mistake him for being forty.
Asuma stood at 190 cm tall, with short black hair and a rather easygoing personality. He didn't put on airs, leaving a very good first impression.
He was the second son of the Third Hokage. His elder brother and sister-in-law had already died in battle, leaving behind an eight-year-old nephew, Konohamaru. Asuma had little chance of becoming Hokage, but within the Sarutobi Clan, he could be considered the heir to the clan leader.
Strong in skill and high in reputation, he was well-known throughout the Land of Fire and its neighboring countries.
Asuma didn't have the tradition of the bell test, but some basic assessments were still necessary.
He took the three of them to the training ground and asked Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji to fight each other so that he, as their Jonin leader, could get a clear understanding of their abilities.
Asuma said, "The combat mode is very simple. It's a three-way free-for-all. Just give me a rough idea of your levels. If you don't need any preparation, then let's begin."
No sooner said than done. None of them used their Clan Secret Techniques or even Ninja Techniques, relying solely on hand-to-hand combat.
Ino's close combat skills had always been mediocre, and Shikamaru wasn't much better. Choji's fighting spirit was extremely low. As the fight went on, it turned into Ino aggressively attacking, Shikamaru defending, and Choji just going through the motions in the middle of the fight circle. It looked like he was throwing punches with all his might, but in reality, he was just swinging at the air.
Ino raised her right hand like a blade, aiming for Shikamaru's neck. Shikamaru countered by grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him. Ino took the opportunity to knee him in the stomach, but just as she was about to execute the move, Shikamaru pressed down with both hands, blocking the attack.
Before the two could change their moves, Asuma called out, "Stop."
What happened? Ino and Shikamaru followed Asuma's gaze to the side, where they saw Choji flailing at the air like a boxer.
Ino realized the issue and quickly spoke up, "Choji, you should spar with us too. Only by knowing our strengths can Asuma-sensei provide targeted training for us."
Shikamaru also nodded in agreement.
However, Choji hesitated. After Ino repeatedly urged him, he finally said in a low voice, "I... I have a lot of strength. I'm afraid... I might hurt you."
"Huh?!" Both Ino and Shikamaru were a bit puzzled, but upon reflection, they realized he wasn't wrong. Choji's strength was indeed formidable, and this gentle giant had a personality that disliked conflict.