Ino didn't even think about it before saying, "Of course, I like handsome guys!"
Jiraiya really wanted to say that he was also handsome, but Ino didn't give him a chance. She pointed at Sasuke's cover photo and said, "Look at Sasuke-kun, his lips are red and his teeth are white. What about you, old man? The greasepaint on your face is quite red, and your hair is quite white. Is that the same? Look at Sasuke-kun's eyes again, they're like bright stars. What about you, old man? There's a lecherous glint in your eyes, tsk tsk. Sasuke-kun has a big house at home. Do you, old man? What do fifty-year-old women need? A sense of security! Old man, you have nothing!"
Her words made Jiraiya want to bang his head against a wall. The greasepaint on his face was his trademark, his white hair was natural, and as for his eyes? Could he compare his eyes to those of the Uchiha Clan? A house was easy to solve; he had money, but the essence of the problem was that he didn't want to stay in Konoha Village.
Compared like that, it seemed he had been completely defeated.
Ino ignored him, knowing that too much was as bad as too little. She paid for and bought a copy of sasuke's youthful story.
She waved at the dejected Jiraiya, took the book, and walked out of Shueisha.
As she walked, she flipped through it.
The literacy rate in this world was very low. People who could read and afford to buy books were mostly in the prosperous areas of various countries. Shueisha planned to promote this book worldwide.
However, they ultimately played it safe. The title was "sasuke's youthful story" and not "Uchiha Sasuke青春物语." Only the given name was mentioned, not the surname, leaving some room for maneuver.
You say your name is Sasuke, so we must be talking about you? What a joke!
There were many people named Sasuke these days! The Third Hokage's father was named Sasuke. Did that old man, who died decades ago, stand up and object?
You say this is your photo? There are plenty of people who look exactly alike.
Shueisha also had experts, such as... Jiraiya! They didn't want trouble, but they weren't afraid of it.
Ino casually flipped through the contents and was very satisfied with the removal of "Material kindly provided by the Uchiha Sasuke Protection, Care, and Companionship Association" from the cover, specifically highlighting the words "Written by the great author Haruno Sakura."
As long as one wasn't blind, they would know who this "Haruno Sakura" was through some physical descriptions. This blame wasn't too big, after all, there were only a few love-struck girls these days. But if it spread and accumulated over time, the blame on her wouldn't be small either.
Ino had walked for about ten minutes before Jiraiya finally returned to normal. His lecherous heart began to flutter again. Since women liked Sasuke's face, he, the old man, could naturally make use of it. Consider it compensation for accompanying Sasuke to open his Sharingan these past few days!
No sooner said than done.
Half an hour later.
"Hahahahaha—I, Uchiha Sasuke, am Konoha Village's number one genius! Let me tell you a story!" Jiraiya, transformed into Sasuke using the Transformation Technique, was surrounded by women in the tavern, occasionally telling a dirty joke, which made the two scantily clad women beside him giggle.
At the same time.
"Hahahahaha—I, Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, am a famous author! Pretty ladies, let me tell you a joke..." Ino, transformed into Jiraiya using the Transformation Technique, was drinking with two well-endowed women in another tavern.
After drinking, Ino saw the slowly increasing energy in the black pot and was very satisfied. She had developed another "resource point" that could provide energy long-term. However, this blame could only be cast while Jiraiya was in the Village. If he left Konoha, casting blame would easily backfire.
The alcohol content wasn't too high. Ino bid farewell to the two pretty ladies and, upon leaving the tavern, reverted to her original appearance.
She strolled to the academy. There were less than three weeks until the graduation exam, and to maintain her position as the top student, she still needed to work hard. At the academy, she was surprised to find that Sasuke hadn't been attending school these past few days.
No way? He couldn't have been unable to handle the stimulation and defected early, could he? Where would he even run off to?
Shikamaru and Choji hadn't arrived yet, so she asked Hinata.
Hinata softly said, "I heard... I heard Sasuke-kun was severely injured, and the Village sent Jonin to help him heal."
Hinata, like a puppy, sniffed at her collar: "...Ino, did you go drinking?"
"No, no! What nonsense are you talking about? Don't make things up, I'll take you next time!"
After brushing off the drinking topic, Ino began to think about Sasuke. Severely injured? How severe? Was he close to death?
During her previous fight with Sasuke, she had sensed what she suspected was Indra's Chakra. This Chakra had even taken advantage of the situation to absorb and assimilate some of her Chakra. However, at the hospital, she could no longer sense this Chakra, and at the time, she thought everything was fine. Now, it seemed... the matter wasn't over yet?
"Oh, no! What the hell... Is Konoha Village cursed? I'm fine outside, but why do I get dizzy as soon as I come back?" The next day, Ino again struggled with her blanket. With immense willpower, she finally managed to climb out of her seal.
She felt as if she had another dream, but still couldn't remember its content. Although it wasn't shown on her status panel, she felt her Yin Release level had improved significantly. What was originally a Chunin-level Tier 2 Yin Release was now not far from a Special Jonin-level Tier 3 Yin Release.
Did this body of hers have such a talent for Yin Release? If her Yin Release improved quickly, she might even be able to try befriending the Shinigami with the Mind Disturbance Technique during the Konoha Crush.
Ino had now mastered the Shadow Clone Technique. Considering her limited Chakra, she created two Shadow Clones: one to practice hand signs and the other to practice Earth Release Chakra nature transformation. Earth Release had many uses; if she couldn't defeat an enemy, drilling into the ground was also a way to escape.
Her main body continued to attend school and, incidentally, cause trouble.
As soon as Ino arrived at school, she noticed that Sasuke had also appeared in class today.
If one word could describe Sasuke at this moment, it would be 'calm.'
He sat quietly in his seat, his gaze fixed straight ahead, not even looking at the girls who tried to chat him up or ask him riddles. His expression was very composed, as if he had reverted to being the school idol he once was.
"Hey, what do you think is going on with this guy?" Ino asked Shikamaru.
Shikamaru, still slumped on his desk, didn't even look up: "You're a sensory Ninja. If you don't know, how would I know?"
Ino shook her head: "Do you think his Sharingan has awakened?"
Shikamaru slowly said, "Then you should ask Hinata to check for you."
Ino simply ignored him. What kind of terrible idea was that?
The Byakugan's penetrating ability was so strong that clothes were like not wearing anything. Unless it was a special situation, their Clan would not casually activate the Byakugan in the Village.
"We're all classmates, not enemies. You're too narrow-minded," Shikamaru muttered.
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