As the gentle inquiry left his lips, Naruto gradually turned, his gaze following the sound that had interrupted him. His eyes landed on Ino, who stood silently to the side, her head bowed, too ashamed to meet his gaze.
"I... I think Shikamaru is right. All of this happened because of his joke... But that doesn't mean he should bear all the blame alone! If you're going to punish someone, I should take at least half the responsibility!"
On Ino's slightly chubby, youthful face, her lips pressed tightly together as she clutched the hem of her robe, her earlier resentment and reluctance had vanished without a trace. After a moment of hesitation, her clear, bright eyes regained their sparkle.
No longer avoiding Naruto's gaze, she slowly lifted her head, meeting his eyes directly, unwavering. As if suddenly matured, she patted her chest, subtly shifting her phrasing, and continued with unwavering determination:
Moreover, I know that punishing Shikamaru alone won't quell your anger... So, please include me as well!
Meeting Ino's clear, resolute gaze, Naruto saw no trace of forced compliance or insincerity. Instead, he glimpsed a hint of childlike vulnerability hidden deep within her eyes—the self-awareness of having done wrong, coupled with a desperate, unspoken plea for forgiveness. Subtly restraining his own movements, Naruto's lips curved into a faint smile of satisfaction as he nodded gently.
It was clear that Ino, already rendered speechless and guilt-ridden by Naruto's relentless questioning and scolding, had been profoundly affected by Shikamaru's unexpected act of selflessness. Despite her past actions, he showed no resentment, instead offering to take full responsibility for her sake. This astonishing display of magnanimity had subtly but significantly altered her fundamentally pure, childlike heart, which was as impressionable as a blank sheet of paper.
Naruto's deliberate, targeted provocations, combined with the inspiring actions of her comrades, created an immense, invisible force that gradually eroded the spoiled, willful nature of the young girl, who was already susceptible to moral guidance due to her tender age. She began to seriously consider how she could best atone for her mistakes.
This was precisely the transformation Naruto had been hoping for, and the reason he gradually abandoned his stern facade, reverting to his usual gentle demeanor.
While Naruto rejoiced at Ino's change, Shikamaru, who had already resolved to sacrifice himself, was startled by her sudden declaration.
"Tch... Hey, Ino! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Before Naruto could announce the results, Shikamaru's smile vanished, replaced by a forced, awkward scowl. He loudly retorted, his eyes twitching frantically as he desperately signaled Ino to retract her statement before Naruto made his decision, lest she be eliminated alongside him.
"Girls are such a pain... It's all my fault from beginning to end. What are you doing, sticking your nose in now? Just stay out of it!"
"Pfft", no way! This lady takes responsibility for her actions. I don't need some lazy bum like you playing the hero. Besides, out of the three of us, only Chōji was dragged into this innocently. So as long as he gets treatment and can continue the exam, that's all that matters, right?
Having admitted her mistake, Ino immediately felt the weight of guilt in her heart lighten considerably, and her mood gradually lifted. After pausing briefly to listen to Shikamaru's angry outburst, she showed no irritation or resentment whatsoever. Instead, she grinned and stuck her tongue out at him, making a silly face.
"Hehe", and besides, it's just the entrance exam, right? There are still two days left. If we fail this time, we can just study harder and try again next time!
Even after hearing Shikamaru's words, Ino had already known that the price she might have to pay was being judged a failure alongside him and eliminated from the exam. Yet, deep down, she had an inexplicable intuition that if she stuck to her original plan of stubbornly refusing to admit her mistake, the consequences would be far more severe than just failing the exam. Though this intuition seemed baseless and illogical, Shikamaru's actions spurred her to trust it.
What followed proved that Ino's subconscious choice had been the right one.
"Hiss—! You—!"
Seeing Ino's reckless, heartless remarks, Shikamaru was both furious and amused. He raised a trembling finger at her, then after a long silence, he let out a sigh of relief and rolled his eyes irritably. As if nothing had happened, he no longer seemed bothered by his impending elimination. Instead, he reverted to his usual grumpy self, grumbling at Ino.
"Tch, what a pain... Honestly, Ino, you're such a clueless idiot when it comes to timing your words... Hey, I'm already busy figuring out how to deal with my mom. Don't expect me to put in a good word for you with Uncle Inoichi."
"Hmph, hmph, hmph~ Dad would never scold me, but whether Aunt Yoshino will let you off easy is another story~"
"Ha, what kind of twisted logic is that...? Wait, thinking about it... that actually makes sense...?!"
"Heh heh heh, of course~ So, you'd better pray for good luck~"
"Hey, hey... After ignoring the threat of being eliminated, you two are just pretending I don't exist now? I haven't agreed to your plan yet. I only intended to make you two pay the price and let Chōji off the hook..."
After confirming that the faint lingering tension between the two had completely vanished, leaving no trace, Naruto finally let out a long sigh of relief. Then, deliberately adopting a stern expression while struggling to suppress his laughter, he solemnly interrupted their increasingly relaxed conversation.
"How dare you make decisions for me without my consent? Since you're so eager to pay the price, I'll indulge you. Let's double the original punishment."
"Ah, I forgot about that... Well, whatever. Even doubled, it just means all three of us are out."
Seeing that there was no way to salvage the situation, Shikamaru's face lost its earlier, furrowed-browed, contemplative look. Instead, he reverted to his usual lazy, unmotivated demeanor, a faint smile spreading across his lips as he replied with nonchalant grace, "Just as Ino said, if we can't pass this time, then next—"
"What are you doing?"
Before Shikamaru could fully embrace his nonchalant act, Naruto, still grinning, extended both hands forward, palms flat. Shikamaru's words faltered, and he couldn't help but ask the question aloud. As he caught the undisguised, suppressed smile in Naruto's eyes, a faint twitch tugged at the corner of his mouth, and an inexplicable sense of foreboding washed over him.
"Hey, Naruto... you're not going to...?"
"Hmm? Going to what? I'm just here to collect my 'payment' from you guys."
Having successfully won over the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho to Hinata's side, and simultaneously smoothed over any lingering tensions from their earlier roughhousing, Naruto had subtly strengthened the bonds of trust and camaraderie between the three youngsters.
Witnessing his two primary objectives fully realized, the deliberately maintained facade of indifference on Naruto's face naturally melted away. Instead, under Shikamaru's thoughtful, twitching gaze, a smug, "just as planned" grin spread across Naruto's lips.
"Thank you for your cooperation. The treatment fee is one soldier pill per person, doubled to two pills each... But it seems you're all out of soldier pills right now. No problem, I'll just put it on your tab for now. Remember to settle up after the exam, okay?"