Chapter 09 Konoha Nine Little Strongmen, All Their Personalities Collapsed

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"Hey, look, what is that?"

"Ah!! Sasuke-kun, how is this possible?"

"Who are those two girls? How dare they hug Sasuke-kun!"

Arriving at the Ninja School, the three of them soon caused a commotion.

Sasuke was a prominent figure at the school. Wherever he went, all the girls would fixate their attention on him.

In the past, Sasuke had been aloof, focused only on training, and dismissive of all the girls.

Because of this, those girls were extremely excited and became even more infatuated with Sasuke.

But now, he didn't reject being hugged by a cat or a fox? This drove the girls who had fantasies about him wild.

However, Sasuke's character remained unchanged. He simply didn't reject the cat and the fox, nor did he initiate such actions. At least, no one saw him take the initiative.

So in the eyes of the other girls, it wasn't Sasuke's fault; it was entirely the shamelessness of those two sluts!

Sakura and Ino paid no heed to this. Facing the envy and jealousy of the other girls, they held their heads high with the demeanor of winners.

Sasuke-kun, it's theirs!

Sasuke silently surveyed his surroundings and quickly determined from the looks and chatter of the girls that his public persona wasn't much different from the original, which reassured him.

In this situation, as long as he continued to act cool and aloof like in the original story, he wouldn't attract undue attention.

If he were to suddenly embrace and kiss all his little admirers, his Aquaman points would surely skyrocket, and he certainly wouldn't refuse these sweet girls.

Unfortunately, his identity as an orphan of the Uchiha clan was still too sensitive. Until he had sufficient strength, he shouldn't draw too much attention to himself.

But he didn't need to ignore them entirely; he simply wouldn't initiate or reject advances.

Coincidentally, the cat-eared girl and the fox-eared girl provided him with a convenient excuse. Even if there were slight deviations from the original story, others would chalk it up to his unique experience, without much sense of discord.

Despite the chattering and longing looks from the other girls around them, no one dared to disturb him.

After all, this world was mostly inhabited by civilians, and most people were self-aware.

Regardless of their desires, they wouldn't casually cross social boundaries, except for Sakura, who was an exception.

Their noisy entrance caused all eyes to be on them when Sasuke and the others entered the classroom.

"Wow!!"

Aburame Shino, who had little presence in the original story, was the first to exclaim, whistling at the cat and fox girls exaggeratedly. "This outfit is adorable! Ever consider dressing as bugs? It could be an interesting twist!"

Sakura and Ino shuddered simultaneously and exclaimed in unison, "Rather die!"

Shino deflated instantly and muttered weakly, "In case you're wondering, bugs are my favorite."

Sakura and Ino snapped back simultaneously, "Who asked you to like them!"

This only deepened Shino's gloom.

"...," Sasuke facepalmed internally.

This is so discordant! So discordant!

"Oh, what a drag!"

Nara Shikamaru, who was lounging lethargically on the desk, perked up. He glanced up, comprehended the situation, yawned, and lay back down, showing he was utterly disinterested!

Stuffing potato chips into his mouth, Choji Akimichi eyed the cat and fox girls, then his chips, and decisively chose the latter.

The reactions of these two were just like in the original story, and Sasuke felt much more at ease.

"So, Sasuke is really like this!"

"I thought he didn't care for girls, but it seems that's just his unique quirk. Turns out we're kindred spirits!"

"Don't say that! Seriously, don't say that! They're so cute like this, I want to take them home!"

Other students began commenting upon seeing Sasuke and the two girls enter the classroom.

However, they only dared to whisper among themselves and avoided direct eye contact.

Sasuke didn't pay much attention to these reactions.

He discreetly scanned the classroom and identified nine notable classmates.

Naruto and Inuzuka Kiba hadn't arrived yet, while Hinata sat in a corner, shy and timid as ever, just like in the original.

When their eyes met, her face turned red, and she quickly looked away.

If Sasuke hadn't briefly interacted with her yesterday, he might have mistaken her for the original Hinata.

Realizing this, he marked Shikamaru and Choji with big question marks.

Perhaps these two were like their original selves on the surface but had unique quirks in private?

While not particularly critical, these details needed swift resolution.

An examination of the original plot had shaped his understanding of this world since, despite being a time traveler, he hadn't inherited the previous owner's memories.

Sasuke chose a desk on the left side of the second row, where few students sat, likely his original seat.

Each desk held three people; Sasuke settled in the middle, while Sakura and Ino took the seats beside him, still clinging to his arms.

Inside the classroom, however, the two girls were more restrained and refrained from casual contact.

"Ah! Here I come!"

A loud and confident voice preceded the person's arrival.

Using the Four-Legged Technique, Kiba dashed into the classroom, creating a gust of wind.

Sasuke glanced at him, his expression bemused.

Kiba stood up on all fours, Akamaru perched on his back, barking a few times.

It seemed Kiba was more Akamaru's steed than his owner. No wonder he was the top dog devotee in the Naruto world.

"Hey, Red Dog!" Choji slapped the desk, standing up, and shouted, "If you point your bend pose at me again, I'll slice you up and serve you at the barbecue restaurant!"

*Slurp!* After saying that, Shikamaru quietly wiped saliva from the corner of his mouth.

"Woo woo!" Akamaru promptly retracted his head, lay down, and scurried into Kiba's arms.

Kiba retracted the Four-Legged Technique, standing tall, teeth bared as he challenged Choji, "Fatty, wanna fight?"

Shikamaru silently stuffed the last chip into his mouth and slowly rose to his feet.

"Oh, such a drag!" Yawning, Shikamaru appeared disinterested, as if he had no interest in the unfolding drama.

Yet within moments, he leapt into action, swiftly ducking under Sasuke's desk, curling up with his legs drawn close.

From complete stillness to sudden motion and back to utter stillness, all within half a second.

Several question marks hovered over Sasuke's head. What was going on?

"Shh! I'll hide here for a bit!" Noticing Sasuke's bafflement, Shikamaru raised a finger to his lips.

Instantly, the other students scattered in a panic from the classroom.

Sasuke realized something. Did Kiba just utter a forbidden phrase?

Sure enough, Shikamaru was now incensed.

"I hate being called fat. I'm just pleasantly plump! Meatball tank!"