Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

Although Ino had her own teammates, neither Shikamaru nor Choji was a suitable partner for her taijutsu practice.

Shikamaru didn't even need to be considered, he was the quintessential example of someone who relied on strategy in battle.

As for Choji, his style relied more on brute strength. Practicing refined taijutsu with him would be pointless. For Choji, focusing on these techniques would be less effective than just eating more snacks to extend the duration of his expansion jutsu.

So, Ino had to find someone else. She didn't want to burden Natsuro, so she wanted to find someone at a similar level who could help her improve as well.

Initially, she thought of asking Sakura, but Sakura's current emotional state made her hesitate.

She thought she'd have to wait longer, but since Hinata was willing, it was a perfect opportunity.

Soon, Hinata and Ino began sparring, and both Hiashi Hyuga and Neji glanced over in surprise.

Although Hinata had the upper hand, it wasn't a dominating advantage.

Even without using her Gentle Fist techniques, it seemed unusual since the Hyuga clan held an overwhelming advantage in close combat.

Was Hinata too weak? No, Hiashi could tell she was getting stronger, even faster than she had progressed within the family training system.

The issue lay with her opponent. The little girl was from the Yamanaka clan and her taijutsu was a bit rough, but the key was her strength and speed, which far surpassed Hinata's.

The Yamanaka clan's secret techniques were typically supportive. When did their members develop such physical prowess? Hiashi was puzzled.

Still, it seemed sparring with someone like Ino could be beneficial for Hinata, allowing her to gain valuable experience rather than wasting her time.

Hiashi's expression softened. If this practice were entirely useless, he wouldn't have interfered for just a session or two. But if it became a regular occurrence, he would've had to step in. Fortunately, it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.

As he sipped the tea Neji had prepared, Hiashi noted that his nephew's skills in making tea were quite impressive.

"Phew, Hinata, you're amazing," Ino said, wiping the sweat from her brow after their sparring session.

"Um… Ino, you're amazing too," Hinata replied shyly, unaccustomed to receiving such direct praise.

"What's amazing about me? Even though I had the advantage in strength and speed, I still couldn't match you," Ino admitted.

Ino knew her physical abilities were somewhat "cheated." If not for Natsuro frequently helping her with massages and stimulation, she wouldn't have reached this level.

Hinata grew anxious, unsure of how to respond.

"It's okay, no need to comfort me. I'm not upset. Let's call it a day for now. I'll head home, and we can practice again in the future," Ino reassured her, noticing Hinata's concern.

Through this brief interaction, Ino realized what Hinata was worried about, and a smile crept onto her face.

Previously, Hinata had always seemed out of place in their group, and Ino now had an idea why.

Hinata probably wanted to interact with others during breaks at the academy but lacked the courage to do so.

After school, she'd be taken back to her grand family estate, leaving her with few friends and making her appear distant.

But now that Ino had gotten to know Hinata better, she realized Hinata was actually a kind and thoughtful person who found it hard to refuse others. She was just a bit too soft-spoken.

Would this cause her trouble in the future? Ino wondered but decided not to say anything for now. She'd bring it up if their relationship deepened later or maybe she was overthinking it.

"Alright, alright!" Hinata nodded vigorously, visibly relieved.

"Oh, and don't forget! I'll help you pursue Naruto when I get the chance," Ino added with a mischievous grin.

"Huh? Ah!"

Watching Hinata's face turn bright red again, Ino laughed and left the Hyuga residence.

After tidying up her clothes and wiping off her sweat, Hinata knelt in front of Hiashi and explained why Ino had come to see her.

While the sparring didn't need to be reported, the matter of the Hokage potentially taking her as a disciple couldn't be overlooked.

"Lady Tsunade might accept you as her disciple?" Hiashi said in surprise, with Neji also looking equally astonished.

"Yes, Ino said that Natsuro mentioned it, so it's likely true."

"I see. In that case, it must be true. Hinata, this is an excellent opportunity. You must do your best and don't disgrace the Hyuga clan," Hiashi said sternly.

"Yes, I will," Hinata replied firmly, clenching her fists.

Hiashi nodded and said no more, watching as Hinata excused herself.

"Lord Hiashi, don't you think you're being too strict with the young lady? She's already trying very hard," Neji said after a pause.

"That's not for you to worry about," Hiashi replied. However, as he watched Hinata leave, he felt a quiet pride for her.

If she truly became the Fifth Hokage's disciple, perhaps the old traditionalists in the clan would abandon their plans to place the Caged Bird Seal on her.

If so, it would ease the pressure on him, and he might even be able to secure more suitable ninjutsu for her.

You must work hard, Hinata, Hiashi thought to himself, maintaining his stern expression while silently rooting for her.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Natsuro asked, noticing Ino's cheerful demeanor.

"Well, I finally got to see Shikamaru looking utterly defeated today," Ino said, recounting how she'd told Choji to skip a meal to get Shikamaru to treat them to a barbecue celebration.

"Chunin, huh? When did I become a Chunin again? Around ten years old, I think," Natsuro mused, unable to remember clearly since he hadn't gone through the Chunin exams but was promoted through a special exception.

"Who could compare to you? Graduating from the academy and becoming a Chunin in your second year is already extraordinary," Ino said, rolling her eyes before adding, "I just hope I can pass the next Chunin exams and get promoted."

Among their generation, everyone had silently agreed to exclude Natsuro when comparing themselves. Otherwise, it would just be too discouraging.

"You definitely can," Natsuro said with a light chuckle.

Ino then shared what had happened with Sakura and her agreement with Hinata.

"Hmm," Natsuro nodded. He knew that in the original story, Sakura's transformation came after Sasuke's defection. With that event no longer occurring, he wondered if things would change.

Still, he had already done what he could. He wasn't about to waste too much time helping them.

Natsuro had always prioritized his own goals, offering advice to the others only when he had spare time and the opportunity arose.

Whether they took his advice and worked hard was entirely up to them and had nothing to do with him.

He also understood that for these "rookies" to play a significant role in the Fourth Great Ninja War, they'd need more time to grow. The timeframe they had now was simply too short for conventional progress to make a major impact.

"Hinata, though, is quite impressive," Natsuro said after some thought. He knew Hinata was hardworking, with an excellent foundation in taijutsu. In terms of precise movements, she was even more technically refined than Neji.

Due to her personality, Hinata often struggled to fully unleash the potential of her taijutsu in combat, let alone achieve exceptional performances like Neji.

However, as a sparring partner, Hinata was undoubtedly a great choice.

"Yeah, I think so too. I never noticed it before, but Hinata is actually pretty great," Ino said thoughtfully, as if recalling something, before turning to look at Natsuro.

"Natsuro, you're close to Naruto, aren't you? Do you think there's a chance between Hinata and Naruto? I already promised Hinata I'd help her get closer to him if I could."

"Naruto and Hinata?" Natsuro gave Ino a long, scrutinizing look, making her feel a bit uneasy.

"Is it a bad match?"

"No, I think they're a great pair," Natsuro said with a smile.

"Phew, you scared me. That's good, then." Ino patted her chest in relief, giving Natsuro a slightly annoyed glance.

Natsuro hadn't expected Ino to start playing matchmaker between Naruto and Hinata, especially since Ino wasn't aware of the original storyline where they were destined to end up together.

But, on second thought, it made sense. Hinata's feelings for Naruto were far too obvious—anyone could see it. Well, anyone except Naruto himself.

He then explained the main issue between the two: Hinata was far too shy, often rendered speechless whenever she saw Naruto.

On the other hand, Naruto was completely oblivious when it came to such things. If Hinata didn't clearly express her feelings, Naruto likely wouldn't understand her intentions.

In fact, Naruto might even think Hinata was a bit strange. To him, she was someone who always fell silent and seemed to want to avoid him whenever they met.

"Hmm, that's about what I thought," Ino nodded. While Naruto had his own issues, the bigger problem was clearly Hinata's.

They'd have to take it slow, creating more opportunities for Hinata to interact with Naruto. Over time, she'd hopefully stop being so shy that she couldn't even speak, or worse, faint whenever she got close to him.

"Yeah, if it feels right, you can help, but don't force it," Natsuro advised.

"Don't worry, I know how to handle this," Ino said, then suddenly sniffed the air with a puzzled look.

"What's wrong?" Natsuro asked, confused by her reaction. Did he smell strange or something?

That couldn't be the case. Even now, Natsuro maintained a strict routine of exercising daily and cleaning up immediately afterward, so there shouldn't be any unpleasant odors.

As for worrying about the scent of another woman, Natsuro had never been in contact with any other girls, so there was nothing to be concerned about. Only those with guilty consciences would worry about such things.

Without saying anything, Ino leaned closer and sniffed at Natsuro directly, leaving him even more perplexed.

"Your scent has changed a bit, it's become more… natural, I think? Yeah, that's the best way I can describe it," Ino finally said after thinking for a while. She wasn't sure why this change had occurred.

"Oh, I thought it might be sweat or something," Natsuro replied, nodding as he realized it was likely related to the natural energy he'd been using to modify his body.

"Hehe, it actually smells pretty nice," Ino said with a giggle. She leaned in to sniff a few more times, not bothering to ask for specifics, it was probably one of Natsuro's secrets, but as long as it was a good thing, she didn't mind.

"That's good, then," Natsuro said as he reached out to pinch Ino's cheek, amused by how close she was leaning in.

"Hey, Natsuro, why don't you come over to my house for dinner today? My mom keeps saying I'm always running to your place and that I'm not being ladylike," Ino said expectantly.

Though, in truth, Ino didn't agree with her mom's opinion. Ladylike? What was the point? Their relationship was already confirmed, so why bother with that? What if Natsuro preferred her being her authentic self?

Naturally, he saw no reason to refuse Ino's invitation.

"Sure."

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Currently on Chapter 230 - Engagement