In the courtyard.
Looking at the three girls whose expressions had dimmed so much they might as well have turned black-and-white, Shirayuki Haruba couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.
He turned to Uzuki Yugao and said,"Yugao-nee, why don't we just take a break for today?"
The colors in Tenten, Ino, and Sakura's faces instantly brightened again.
Yugao narrowed her eyes at his words."Haruba, didn't I just tell you that training is very important, and you can't let others influence you?"
The way she smiled as she said it made a chill run down Haruba's spine.
Still, he decided to give it a try. With an expression of complete conviction, he spoke solemnly."Yugao-nee, training should balance work and rest, right? Let's take just today off — I promise I'll work twice as hard afterward!"
Seeing his shameless face, Yugao ground her teeth, an unexplainable spark of irritation flaring inside her.
She walked over to him, and under his confused gaze, raised both of her slender hands……and began to squeeze and squish his cheeks without mercy.
"What's this? Do you think chatting and eating with your dear sister doesn't count as relaxation?"
"Mmmph mmmph~"
"Thaf's not whaf I meant…"
His words came out garbled as his cheeks were assaulted.
The three girls' eyes lit up at the sight. All of them had imagined what it would be like to tease Haruba like this — but they were too weak. Every time they tried, they never found the chance, and usually ended up getting bullied by him instead.
Now, seeing Yugao do it, they couldn't help but rub their hands in anticipation.
But fantasy was one thing. None of them dared to act. They stood obediently in place, waiting for Yugao's verdict.
After venting her irritation for a while, Yugao looked down at the well-behaved Haruba in her hands, her mood considerably lighter.
She glanced at the three other girls — all standing still without making any suspicious moves — and sighed before letting him go."Just for today. I don't know when my sensei or I will get assigned a mission, so our time to guide you is limited. You need to make the most of it."
This time, her tone was serious.
After all, chakra training often carried great risks. One careless mistake could injure you. Having a mentor around didn't guarantee enlightenment, but at least it kept you safe.
"I understand. I'll work twice as hard from now on," Haruba said, rubbing his aching cheeks.
He suspected she had just wanted to pinch his face and had faked her anger as an excuse — but he had no proof.
"We understand too," the three girls chorused.
Then they exchanged glances, and a flicker of hostility passed between them.
"Haruba, train throwing techniques with me today," Tenten said, wasting no time. She darted up to him, pressed an explosive tag into his hand, and shot Ino and Sakura a smug grin.
The look was exactly like a child showing off a rare toy to lure their favorite playmate away from the others.
Haruba blinked at the explosive tag. Since when was this little rich girl so generous?
Ino and Sakura, however, both felt a pang of frustration.
Tenten had pulled this move before, back when Haruba spent time with them. She'd just done it again — but this time Ino was ready. Not to be outdone, she pulled out the money she'd earned recently from flower arranging.
"Haruba, there's so much snow outside. Let's go build a snowman together."
Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed his hand and started tugging him toward the gate.
Slap.
Tenten grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. She pouted at Ino."Haruba already promised to teach me throwing techniques today. And I came here first."
Ino just pressed her lips together, tugging him back toward her. She knew she wasn't in the right, and she couldn't match Tenten's financial firepower — but she still had to fight for him."No way! Sakura and I got here first. You can't just hog him for yourself.
"And Haruba, I've been waiting for you for days. Can't you spend time with me too?"
"No!" Tenten shot back, refusing on his behalf. "Today Haruba's training with me!"
Then she unleashed her trump card — pulling out several more explosive tags and stuffing them into Haruba's hands. She glanced at Ino with a look of pure triumph.
She knew Haruba wasn't the type to be swayed purely by money — but if she gave him enough, surely he'd lean her way.
Ino's face darkened as soon as she saw the tags.
And it wasn't just her — Yugao, who had been watching the two girls bicker, also looked surprised.
That pile of tags was worth as much as a C-rank — maybe even a B-rank — mission reward.
Since when is Haruba worth that much?
Still… the way it looked — like selling your looks for money — gave her a strange, uncomfortable feeling. If the genders were reversed…
Her expression soured further. A sudden sense of urgency welled up inside her. Being his "sister" gave her free rein to tease him, sure — but what if someone actually bought her precious little cabbage out from under her?
While Yugao's mind raced, Sakura wasn't feeling great either.
Outwardly she looked anxious and worried. But inside, her Inner Sakura was already cursing up a storm. Seeing Tenten pull out that many tags had broken her composure completely.
If Haruba chose Ino, Ino would definitely bring her along. But if he chose Tenten, then both she and Ino would be stuck on the sidelines.
Even Haruba — right in the middle of this tug-of-war — was stunned by the weight of the tags in his hands. He hadn't seen Tenten in days, and now she was suddenly this generous?
Still, Ino hadn't let go. She looked up at him with big, pleading eyes."Haruba-nii, I've been waiting for you for so long."
The sugary tone threw him off completely. What the heck? Is this really Ino, the tomboy? Or did someone impersonate her?
"Ino, let go!" Tenten barked, panicking. She'd never act that way herself, but she was terrified he might slip away. She turned on Haruba."Haruba! You promised you'd teach me shuriken throwing every day, and you've skipped it for several days now!"
Ino, too, was playing the pitiful act, just staring at him with tearful eyes.
"You two, stop it already!"
Hearing Tenten's sharp voice snapped Haruba out of his daze. With a little force, he pulled free from both of them.
"So? Are you going to play with them or with me?"
Even though he'd escaped their grip, Tenten and Ino spoke in unison, pressing him to choose.
"I think… why don't we all play together instead?"
Before Haruba could say anything, Sakura — who had been silent the whole time — spoke up. She looked down slightly, her eyes darting to Tenten and Ino, wearing an expression of helplessness.
As Haruba's good friend, she couldn't let him feel pressured to choose.
Tenten's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but Ino's face lit up with joy."That's right! I think we should all play together too. That way no one loses out."