So before, we couldn't be sure, but now we can…?
Shikamaru's abrupt comment left Ino and Chōji completely baffled, like monks lost in meditation. The two exchanged a glance, and then asked curiously in unison:
"Shikamaru, what do you mean by that?"
"You'll see in a minute."
Seeing his teammates' puzzled expressions, Shikamaru gave them a small wink, keeping things vague. At the same time, he began patting his clothes to straighten out the wrinkles, then looked ahead—his eyes sharp and confident—as a smiling figure gradually approached.
"I thought you were going to keep hiding among those examinees… Didn't expect you to break away so soon, eager to stand out and show off."
It was obvious Shikamaru wasn't talking to either of them, which only made Ino and Chōji more confused. Their eyes met again, both faces practically overflowing with question marks.
"Who are you talking to, Shikamaru…? Ah! It's you!"
Still unsure, Ino pouted and asked as she slowly followed Shikamaru's gaze. When she saw the figure approaching from behind Chōji, she gasped and covered her mouth.
"You're that guy! The one who kept butting heads with the examiner during the test! That… that guy…! Uh… what was your name again?"
"…"
Ino's slightly scatterbrained question left not only Shikamaru facepalming, but even the smiling figure approaching paused mid-step—almost stumbling straight onto the ground.
"I-I mean, Ino, seriously…"
Even Chōji, who was already slumped on the ground, ended up face-down in total defeat thanks to her comment. Lifting his head slightly, he chuckled wryly.
"You made it sound like you knew something important."
"W-What?! S-So what if I don't know his name! Is that… is that really a problem?! Hmph!"
Sandwiched between her teammates and the newcomer's strange looks, Ino—ever the sensitive girl—blushed bright red. Flustered, she stamped her foot and huffed, though her voice quickly turned unsure and broken. After a slight pause, she still tried to question the newcomer's name, but her tone was shaky, completely robbing her of any authority.
"H-Hey! You, y-you… what's your name?!"
And the one she was questioning? Naturally, it was none other than Naruto and Hinata—who had also taken a wrong turn, just like the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
"Oh? Were you talking to me?"
Seeing her stubborn but insecure act, Naruto couldn't help feeling a wave of helplessness. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and—while gently covering the ears of the girl in his arms—flashed a mischievous grin just out of her line of sight, pulling a monstrous face and baring his teeth.
"Let me think… oh yeah. If we're going by your parents' logic, then I guess I'm… the big bad Nine-Tails who eats little kids…! GRRRRAHH!!!"
Before he could finish, however, a stabbing pain shot up from his lower belly. Caught off guard, even Naruto couldn't stop himself from crying out in pain. The terrifying face he'd just made crumbled in an instant, replaced by a silly expression distorted from the ache.
"…Huh?"
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio, who'd just started to tense up from Naruto's sudden scary expression, blinked in confusion as it vanished into clownish agony a second later. They exchanged glances, then turned away from Naruto and huddled in a circle, whispering among themselves.
"Hey, um… is that guy an idiot or something? What's he even doing? Did either of you get it?"
Maybe it was because Naruto looked so ridiculous that Ino no longer felt so embarrassed. As the redness faded from her cheeks, she snuck a glance at Naruto, who was bent over in pain while letting go of Hinata. Frowning slightly, she tilted her head and muttered.
"Hmm… Ah! I got it! He probably ate too much earlier and now he's got a stomachache!"
Naruto's squatting pose with his hands clutching his belly looked exactly like Chōji whenever he overdid it on barbecue and got stomach cramps. Because of that, as soon as she spoke, Chōji replied with full confidence.
"Totally. That's what I thought too. Classic food coma."
"Please, that only ever happens to you…" Ino rolled her eyes and turned to Shikamaru, the smart one of the group. "Right, Shikamaru?"
But when she looked over, she was surprised to see him frozen in place like a statue—his expression blank, as if his worldview had just been shattered.
"Shikamaru? Hey! Shikamaru!"
"Huh? Ah? You called me…?"
It took him a second to snap out of it. After shaking his head, Shikamaru glanced again at Naruto—still wincing in pain and clutching his stomach—then recalled the terrifying pressure that had briefly flared from the boy just a moment ago. His mouth twitched as he hesitated.
"I don't think… he's an idiot? P-Probably…?"
"Is it really okay to talk trash about someone right in front of them? I can hear you, y'know?!"
Even Shikamaru had started to doubt his intelligence. Embarrassed and irritated from how badly his attempt to show off had backfired, Naruto ignored the pain in his gut and yelled like a kid:
"You're the idiot! Your whole family's full of idiots!"
Hearing that, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio froze mid-discussion. They turned back toward Naruto in unison.
"Huh? So you can hear us?"
Trying to stifle a laugh, Ino covered her mouth with a hand and put on an innocent, wide-eyed expression.
"Wow, I didn't expect that!"
She eyed Naruto again and muttered thoughtfully:
"Hmm… in that case, maybe you're not an idiot after all."
"...???? What does me being able to hear you have to do with being an idiot?!"
If Naruto had a meme face from his past life, he'd be Nick Young right now—smiling politely but full of question marks and complete confusion.
But as it turns out, sometimes a child's natural bluntness and unfiltered honesty can hit harder than any calculated insult.
"Oh, yeah, you're right…"
Ino nodded with an innocent look, trying to hold back her laughter as she said sweetly:
"Which means… you're still an idiot after all?"
'This can't be happening… I… I actually got played by a little girl?!'
Naruto froze for a second, then collapsed like a mountain just fell on him—like he'd just taken massive emotional damage. Clutching his belly and pointing at Ino with a trembling finger, he sputtered:
"You… you… I… I…"
His mouth twitched and words failed him. Eventually, unable to hold it in anymore, he threw his head back, shut his eyes, and dramatically clutched his chest.
PFFT—!
Thus concludes this chapter, a painful lesson from the Crown Prince himself:
Pretending has risks.