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Chapter 34: Conditions
🕑 Added 2025-05-08 02:37:22 +0000 UTC"Why is Sasuke’s face so red?! Did he just confess?!"
"Oh my god—he even brought love letters!"
"TWO letters?! Is he that desperate?!"
"Hizashi’s smiling… Did she say yes?!"
Sakura and Ino, the resident romance-obsessed duo, fed off each other’s delusions, spiraling deeper into their fantasy until they were practically shipping the pair.
Meanwhile, Naruto felt like the sky had fallen.
Every word from Sakura and Ino hammered into his chest like a sledgehammer.
Watching Hikari and Sasuke talk so amiably, their smiles mirroring each other, twisted something inside him.
Damn you, Sasuke!
Why?
You already have Sakura and Ino fawning over you—why go after Hikari too?!
I was the one who met her first!
I was the one who—
Naruto/Ino/Sakura (internally): Uuuuuuuuu—
The three of them wilted, their faces etched with despair.
Shikamaru, however, squinted skeptically at Sasuke’s stiff posture and barely contained fury in the distance.
According to Sakura and Ino, this is a "romantic confession."
But…
Since when do people look like they’re about to throw hands during a love confession?
Shikamaru had zero experience with romance, so against the "expertise" of two hardened fangirls, he kept his doubts to himself.
Chōji and Kiba, meanwhile, munched on chips like this was their favorite drama.
With Sakura and Ino providing live commentary, why bother thinking?
Meanwhile, at the "confession" scene…
Sasuke (teeth gritted): "What’s so funny?! Are you mocking me for overestimating myself?!"
His eyes burned crimson with humiliation as Hikari’s laughter made the challenge letter and apology note in his hands feel like hot coals.
He had no idea why she found this amusing.
The only explanation? She was looking down on him.
Hikari (calmly wiping tears): "The ‘overestimating’ part is true, but that’s not why I laughed."
She had leaves to collect and training to do—no time for this.
Hikari: "I’m rejecting your challenge."
Sasuke (provoking): "Why? Scared?"
Hikari (raising a finger): "My time’s valuable. What’s in it for me?"
Sasuke froze.
He… hadn’t considered that.
Sasuke: "What do you want?"
Hikari (eyes gleaming): Hmm…
Suddenly, the future head of the Uchiha clan didn’t seem so useless.
She needed Fire Release training methods—and here he was, a walking Uchiha library.
Hikari: "One Fire Release jutsu. One challenge. Payment upfront—no discounts, no IOUs."
Sasuke (outraged): "That’s robbery!"
His intelligence finally kicked in.
Even as the clan heir, he couldn’t just hand out Uchiha techniques. Their Fire Release was legendary—no way he’d trade it for a spar.
Hikari (smirking): "Robbery’s risky. Beating you up is safer."
Sasuke: "…%#@&!"
Speechless. Humiliated. Broke.
In the end, he could only rage-quit, tossing the letters on the ground before storming off.
Hikari sighed.
Of course he gets smart NOW.
Oh well. Some things take time.
She turned to gather leaves for training.
Back with the peanut gallery…
Ino/Sakura (teary-eyed): "Why’d Sasuke run off?! And throw away his love letters?!"
Naruto (grinning): "Obviously, Hikari rejected him! Hah! Serves you right, bastard Sasuke!"
THWACK!
Sakura’s fist met Naruto’s skull.
Naruto (howling): "OW! What was that for?!"
Sakura/Ino (in sync): "Deserved."
The boys dragged Naruto away before things escalated.
Sakura (seething): "We’ve liked Sasuke for years! How dare she swoop in and steal him?!"
Ino (nervous): "Uh, Sakura—maybe don’t—"
But Sakura, love-drunk and reckless, yanked Ino toward Hikari, who was still picking leaves.
Sakura (declaring): "Hizashi!"
Hikari looked up.
Sakura (fake-casual): "Ino has something to say to you."
Ino (pointing at herself): "…Me?"
Then it hit her.
If Sasuke got rejected, and I get hospitalized by Hikari…
Sakura wins by default.
YOU SNEAKY FOREHEAD-HEAD—!
Sakura whistled innocently, ignoring Ino’s death glare.
(Inner Sakura cackled: "Go on, Ino-pig! Get wrecked so I can have Sasuke-kun all to myself!")
Hikari (pocketing leaves): "Yes, Yamanaka-san?"
Ino’s toes curled in panic.
She really didn’t want to join Hayate-sensei in the hospital.
Ino (blurting): "I—I brought you a gift! To welcome you to the class!"
She shoved her reserved-for-Sasuke snack box at Hikari.
Hikari (taking it): "Thanks."
(Perfect. Now she could finally repay Chōji for the snacks she’d promised—before Guy burned her house down.)
Ino, relieved by Hikari’s calm reaction, regained some courage.
Ino (testing the waters): "So… was Sasuke really confessing earlier?"
Sakura (leaning in): "He gave you two letters!"
Hikari (deadpan): "…Confession?"
He looked ready to strangle me.
She pointed at the discarded letters.
Hikari: "Read them yourselves."
The girls did.
And their faces fell.
Ino/Sakura (internally): We cried over… this?!
Sakura (desperate): "But… do you like Sasuke?"
Hikari (genuinely confused): "Why would I?"
Ino (floundering): "Because he’s… uh…"
She glanced at Hikari’s blindfold.
Handsome? Pointless.
Sakura (quickly): "He’s UGLY!"
Ino (catching on): "Yeah! And arrogant! And rude! We hate him!"
(If we trash him enough, she’ll never want him!)
Hikari stayed silent.
Not because she saw through them—but because Sasuke was now standing right behind them, having returned to retrieve his discarded letters.
Sakura (rambling): "Honestly, his flaws are endless—"
Ino (nodding): "If you fight him again, go all out! Just don’t break his face—"
A cold snort cut them off.
They turned.
Sasuke’s murderous glare burned into them before he spun on his heel and left.
Ino/Sakura (paling): …We’re dead.
Sakura (chasing him): "Sasuke-kun—!"
Ino moved to follow, but—
Hikari (sweetly): "Yamanaka-san? A word."
She leaned in, her smile fox-like.
If Sasuke won’t pay up… maybe his fangirl will.
Hikari (whispering): "You like Sasuke, right?"
Ino (hesitant): "…Yes."
Hikari: "He needs something from me."
Ino: "Meaning?"
Hikari: "Meaning I can help you… if you help me first."
Her voice dropped.
Hikari: "All I need is a little… Yin Release training knowledge."
Ino stiffened.
Ino: "The Yamanaka clan’s secrets—"
Hikari (holding up a pinched finger): "Just a crumb. Otherwise…"
She glanced at Sakura’s retreating back.
Ino (panicked): "W-Wait! I’ll… think about it!"
Hikari (grinning): "Take your time~"
Love makes people blind.
And Konoha kids? So gullible. So rich.
…I love it here.
