Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"Sakura!"

At home, Sakura heard a voice shouting from outside.

This voice… Ino? What is she doing here at this time?

Curious, Sakura opened the door and saw Ino smiling brightly at her.

While inviting Ino in, Sakura asked, "Ino, is something up?"

"Of course! I have two great pieces of news. At first, it was just one, but I heard something else on my way here!" Ino said with a grin.

"Oh? What good news?" Sakura asked, a hint of anticipation appearing on her face.

"The first piece of news is that Lady Tsunade might take us as her disciples!"

"Huh? Really?!" Sakura's eyes widened. Lady Tsunade was the Fifth Hokagem, would she really take them as her disciples?

"Of course! I heard this directly from Natsuro," Ino said, smiling as she explained everything he had told her. She didn't hide the role Natsuro had played in the matter.

"I see. We really need to thank him, then," Sakura said earnestly.

At that moment, Sakura's expression became slightly off. She glanced at the radiant smile on Ino's face, feeling a twinge of envy.

Ino had already confirmed her relationship long ago, and her partner was so remarkable. In contrast, Sakura still saw no hope in her own situation, and perhaps even...

"And the second piece of good news?"

Ino, not noticing Sakura's forced smile, continued.

"On my way here, I heard that both Shikamaru from our class and Sasuke from yours have passed the Daimyo's selection and become Chunin!" Ino said cheerfully.

"This time, I'm definitely making sure Choji is in his best condition for the barbecue celebration. I'll make Shikamaru spend a fortune!"

It was obvious. With Shikamaru becoming a Chunin, there would definitely be a celebration. While it hadn't been officially announced yet, based on Ino's understanding of Asuma, there was no way he'd skip such an occasion.

"Sasuke… became a Chunin?" Sakura said, surprised.

"Yes, it's pretty much confirmed." Ino glanced at Sakura. She initially wanted to ask how things were progressing between Sakura and Sasuke but decided against it when she noticed Sakura didn't seem particularly happy.

"Is that so? That's wonderful." Sakura smiled, but in Ino's eyes, it seemed fake.

"Sakura, what's wrong? Did Sasuke bully you? Tell me! I'll teach him a lesson. If I can't handle him, I'll ask Natsuro to help!"

Seeing her friend like this, Ino grew concerned and spoke up.

"No, no," Sakura said hastily. If something like that happened, everything would be over. At that moment, Sakura explained her feelings.

It turned out she hadn't seen Sasuke recently. She hadn't even seen Kakashi-sensei. She'd heard they were out on missions. Even Naruto, who usually hovered around her, had been absent lately…

This made Sakura feel lonely, and as if she were drifting further and further away from Sasuke.

She couldn't help but envy Ino, who had long found someone she liked, that also liked her back. Moreover, her partner was so strong, so handsome, the ideal person in every way.

Ino listened to Sakura but didn't know what to say. From her perspective, Sasuke hadn't done anything wrong.

Missions were a ninja's duty, and more importantly, it didn't seem like Sakura and Sasuke had officially established any kind of relationship. As an outsider, there wasn't much she could do.

"Sorry for burdening you with all this negativity," Sakura suddenly realized and apologized.

"It's fine. Aren't we friends? But… I don't think I can help much with this," Ino replied.

"I understand. Thank you for the news. I'll do my best to become Lady Tsunade's disciple!" Sakura said earnestly.

"Alright, then. I'll head off now. I still need to inform Hinata."

After sending Ino off, Sakura looked at the gifts she had prepared for Sasuke but couldn't give him and sighed.

Her face then took on a determined look. If Sasuke and Naruto were working so hard to become stronger, then she needed to refocus herself as well.

Now, there was the perfect opportunity to grow stronger. If she became Lady Tsunade's disciple… recalling Natsuro's words, maybe she could finally help them.

Perhaps, at that time, she could have deeper interactions with Sasuke.

So, she couldn't afford to stagnate anymore!

After leaving Sakura's house, Ino couldn't help but worry about her friend's state.

When it came to matters of the heart, the most she could do was listen. There wasn't much she could do for Sakura, especially since her own experiences didn't seem suitable to share.

Ino thought about her own history with Natsuro and his personality. She couldn't help but feel a bit lucky.

Thankfully, she and Natsuro had formed a bond due to their family ties early on. Otherwise, based on what she knew of him, pursuing Natsuro would have been no easier than Sakura pursuing Sasuke.

Despite his seemingly gentle and helpful demeanor toward everyone, Natsuro maintained a polite yet distant attitude. Building a deeper connection with him was the hardest part.

Ino recalled how Natsuro treated most girls: polite but utterly aloof. Without the bond formed in their childhood, she would definitely have been just one of the many.

Fortunately, there was no "what if," and she didn't have to face that kind of frustration.

Still, Ino felt slightly troubled. There was one more thing she wanted to talk about, but seeing Sakura in that state, she decided to bring it up later when her friend was feeling better.

With that in mind, Ino arrived at the grand, orderly Hyuga residence. She explained her purpose to the gate guards.

As she waited, Ino looked around the sprawling Hyuga estate and couldn't help but marvel at its size. It really was enormous, and the strict hierarchy was palpable. Living here must feel quite stifling.

After a short wait, Ino saw Hinata walking out from the gate. Seeing Ino, Hinata looked surprised but happy.

"Ino, what brings you here?" Hinata's soft, delicate voice rang out. However, without Naruto around, her speech was smooth and steady.

"Of course, I've got great news to share with you so you can start preparing," Ino said, getting ready to tell her about Lady Tsunade's discipleship offer.

"Um… this isn't the best place to talk. Let's go inside," Hinata said gently.

"Huh? There's no need. It's just one thing. I'll say it here and leave," Ino replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable about entering such a grand house.

"My father would scold me if he knew I didn't invite a guest in to properly host them," Hinata said shyly.

Hearing this, Ino hesitated before agreeing. She hadn't expected such strict family rules, and since she and Hinata weren't as close as she was with Sakura, she didn't want Hinata to be reprimanded because of her.

Soon, Ino followed Hinata into the Hyuga estate.

As soon as they entered, Ino saw two figures training in an open courtyard. She recognized one as Neji Hyuga, but the other…

"That's my father. He's sparring with Neji," Hinata said with a smile. "Ever since Neji's match with Naruto, he seems to have grown closer to Father."

"Naruto-kun, huh~"

Ino didn't know much about the Hyuga family dynamics, but she could clearly hear the shift in Hinata's tone when she mentioned Naruto.

Hinata's face immediately turned red. Bowing her head, she said softly, "This way."

Soon, Ino followed Hinata to a reception room and watched as Hinata busied herself preparing everything. Ino couldn't help but marvel again at the sheer number of formalities in a noble family.

After Hinata was done with her tasks, Ino shared the news with her.

"Really? That's amazing. I'll do my best. Thank you so much!" Hinata exclaimed, her face filled with both surprise and gratitude.

"No need to thank me. We're classmates, and I'd say we're friends too, right?" Ino replied after thinking for a moment.

"Friends?" Hinata's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.

Seeing Hinata's enthusiastic response, Ino felt a bit at a loss for how to continue the conversation. After some thought, she figured that gossip—especially about relationships—might be the best way to bond.

"Hinata, you like Naruto, don't you?" Ino asked with a playful smirk.

"Um… that… um…"

Ino watched as Hinata's face turned redder and redder, eventually resembling a ripe tomato. Unable to hold back, Ino covered her mouth and giggled.

"Hinata, you can't keep acting like this. That guy is actually pretty easy to win over. You can't just freeze up every time you see him," Ino said after some thought. "If you keep doing that, he might even find it a bit strange."

"Uh…" Hinata grew anxious at this and stammered, "But every time I see Naruto-kun, my heart starts racing, and I just can't speak."

"Wow, you've really got it bad," Ino said, surprised by just how deeply Hinata had fallen for him.

"Um… yes…" Hinata practically buried her head in her chest out of embarrassment.

"But precisely because of that, you need to spend more time with Naruto. You can't go on like this," Ino said seriously. "Don't worry. I support you, and I'll help you come up with a plan."

"Um, thank you… but…" Hinata was about to decline when Ino continued.

"No need to be so formal. Hinata, your taijutsu is pretty good, right? Can I spar with you sometime?"

"Uh… sure," Hinata nodded.

"Great, it's settled then. I'll help you get closer to Naruto, and you'll be my sparring partner," Ino said, finalizing their deal.

"Huh? Oh… okay…" Hinata felt a little dizzy and absentmindedly agreed.

At that moment, Hiashi Hyuga and Neji finished their sparring session. As they passed by, Hiashi glanced at Ino and gave her a small nod before leaving.

Ino smiled back politely but let out a sigh of relief as he walked away. She couldn't help but feel that Hinata's father was incredibly intimidating.

"Hinata, that training area should be empty now, right? Let's go over there and try sparring," Ino said, feeling a bit eager herself.

"Ah? Sure," Hinata replied.

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Currently on Chapter 229 - The Announcement