"Ahh... I guess we really did get carried away, huh..."
Hearing Naruto's relentless and sharp questioning, even Shikamaru, who hadn't been directly criticized and was merely a bystander, felt a deep sense of frustration.
But no matter how much he wished to argue back, he couldn't find a single solid point to refute Naruto. After a long silence, he could only sigh and shake his head helplessly.
"No matter how easy-going he seems, it doesn't change the fact that Naruto is the proctor of this exam... Looks like we're really screwed now. Tch, better start thinking about how to explain this to mom... such a drag..."
Aside from his instinctive unwillingness to accept Naruto's decision, even Shikamaru himself hadn't realized that this conclusion brought him a strange sense of relief—as if a weight had been lifted.
Just like Naruto had suspected, this reckless behavior had already planted a subconscious seed of rejection and disgust toward Ino in Shikamaru's mind...
Back when they first ran into Naruto, regardless of his attitude, Shikamaru instinctively shielded the frightened Ino, placing her firmly behind his own skinny frame.
Sure, that kind of "protection" had zero real effect on Naruto, but at the very least, Shikamaru had fulfilled the role of a reliable teammate—he devised strategies, weighed risks and consequences, pieced together the truth from scattered clues, and even stepped up to negotiate with Naruto despite knowing he was the proctor.
And while doing all that, he still took care to protect the scared Ino, giving her the sense of safety she needed. From a teammate's perspective—and given Shikamaru's age—he had performed admirably.
Now flip the script. What had Ino done?
Without even knowing the opponent's identity, she lashed out verbally without thinking. If they had encountered someone like Tenzo, a man of action who'd attack without a second word… well, at best it could be called "outspoken," but frankly, it was reckless mouth-running waiting to backfire.
Then, once it became clear that Naruto meant no harm and wasn't planning to eliminate them—at least not yet—Ino's spoiled and bratty side fully revealed itself.
Even though Naruto appeared focused on one thing at a time, he had been carefully observing all three of them the whole time, quietly evaluating each one of them.
Compared to Shikamaru's outstanding performance, Chōji, the least noticeable member of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, didn't exactly shine either—but he had at least stayed above the passing line. When unsure of the situation, he didn't act rashly or cause trouble for his teammates.
He never held grudges when teased and instead was gentle and compliant, quietly following along with whatever the team decided. In his own way, he was also a man of action.
Unlike Shikamaru, who thought deeply and cautiously before making decisions... and unlike Chōji, who supported the team in silence to make up for his lack of social or strategic skills… Ino's behavior was, to put it bluntly, terrible.
She truly lived up to the other meaning of being the "boar" in the Ino-Shika-Chō team.
Her every action was driven purely by her own whims. She even used Chōji's precious chips as a threat, and when angry, destroyed them in front of him like a stress ball—clearly showing zero regard for her teammate's feelings.
And over a petty argument, she even chased Shikamaru so hard he nearly lost half his life. All of it clearly showed that she saw Shikamaru's earlier gesture of comfort and protection as nothing but something he should have done.
She shamelessly accepted it as her due—never once showing even a hint of gratitude.
The imbalance between what she gave and what she received was glaring. In some ways, it was practically a betrayal of kindness. Shikamaru couldn't help but feel cold and repulsed by her.
While these feelings weren't yet obvious, nor did they seem like they'd cause any major problem for now—if left to fester, they could eventually become a deeply rooted wedge.
And when that happens, it would be a ticking time bomb threatening the cohesion of this generation's Ino-Shika-Chō team.
Naruto's cold, harsh, and unsparing approach was his way of killing that weed before it could take root.
Meanwhile, nestled obediently in Naruto's arms, Hinata suddenly wore an expression of astonishment.
After all, in her memory since knowing Naruto, she had only seen this icy and terrifying expression twice. The last time was when she was being bullied and insulted.
If that memory served her right, Hinata knew—Naruto would never look like this unless someone had crossed a serious line.
Otherwise, he rarely showed such frightening coldness and anger.
But that wasn't what truly surprised Hinata.
What shocked her... was that as Naruto began his rapid-fire questioning, a chilling pressure started radiating from his body.
While both Shikamaru and Ino were struggling under the weight of it—barely able to even speak—Hinata, the one held closest to Naruto, didn't feel a single ounce of it.
There were only two possibilities for this.
One: Hinata was as strong as or stronger than Naruto, and thus immune to his pressure. Obviously… that wasn't the case.
Two: Naruto was exerting his aura to intimidate and reprimand Ino, while simultaneously splitting his focus to protect Hinata—ensuring she wouldn't be hurt like the last time he lost his temper in front of her.
As the heir to one of the Hidden Leaf Village's most prestigious clans, the Hyuga Clan, Hinata's mind was much sharper and more delicate than most girls her age.
But due to her shy, reserved nature—and being constantly overshadowed by her more dazzling peers—no one paid much attention to her.
Which is precisely why, when she realized Naruto had excluded her from the effects of his pressure, she began to consider a new possibility: if Naruto could go out of his way to protect her even now… then maybe—just maybe—he wasn't truly angry yet. Or at least, not too angry to be reasoned with.
'If... if that's really the case... then maybe I can...'
Murmuring softly to herself, Hinata hesitated a moment longer. But her kind nature won out in the end.
She pursed her lips, took a breath to gather her thoughts, and gently tugged on Naruto's sleeve. Her lips moved ever so slightly, and in the softest of voices, she pleaded with him:
"Naruto-kun… don't you think… maybe you were a bit too harsh…? Ino is a girl after all… and she's… she's about to cry… Can you give them one more chance?"
With her heart entirely focused on helping the other two, Hinata didn't notice...
…that the moment she spoke, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed across Naruto's cold, expressionless face—an "everything's going according to plan" kind of smile. But in the blink of an eye, that smile vanished, as if it had never existed at all. Leaving one to wonder—had it just been their imagination?