Chapter 27: Of Course, I'm Familiar with Your Scent, Sister Yugao

Sakura and Ino no longer set their sights on Sasuke. Instead, they were now fighting over Naruto, once known as the dead-last in class. This sudden shift in attention shocked everyone.

For the girls who were obsessed with Sasuke, the fact that two of their fiercest competitors had moved on brought them much joy. Some even began paying more attention to Naruto and soon realized that, well, Naruto wasn't so bad either!

Of course, Sasuke remained their top choice, but his popularity made him nearly unattainable. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed like a more approachable option. And just like that, before anyone realized it, Naruto had become the second most popular boy in the academy.

Aside from Sakura and Ino, a whole new group of fangirls emerged. People tend to follow trends, and in this case, Sakura and Ino had unknowingly started one. Now, Naruto was at the peak of that trend, turning heads wherever he went.

Kiba, who loved competing with Naruto over everything, looked so jealous that his face almost twisted out of shape. Even his tone was sour whenever he spoke to Naruto.

"It's all your fault, Pig Ino! Now so many girls are after Naruto, I barely get a chance to be alone with him!" Sakura huffed, holding onto Naruto's arm in frustration, clearly blaming Ino.

Ino, clinging to Naruto's other arm, stuck her tongue out playfully at Sakura. "Forehead girl, you're just being selfish! Think about it—Naruto was always alone before, wasn't he? Isn't this much better? I'm the one who's actually considering his feelings!"

Sakura's face reddened with anger. It had only been a few days, but she already deeply regretted making that bet with Ino. Thanks to that, not only had she attracted a swarm of other girls interested in Naruto, but Ino herself seemed to be getting more serious about competing for his attention.

Back when they fought over Sasuke, he would always respond with cold indifference, pushing them away with a disgusted look. Naruto was different. He played with them, joked around, and even said nice things to make them laugh.

When you compared the two, the winner was clear!

The only thing keeping Sakura proud was that, so far, she was the only one who had managed to get close enough to Naruto. During their free time, they would sometimes sneak off to private spots for little moments together—her secret advantage.

It was as if she had opened Pandora's box. Ever since their first time, she had grown more addicted to the thrill of it all. The more she was with Naruto, the more daring she became.

As for Ino, no matter how bold she acted, she was still the daughter of a respectable clan. Holding onto Naruto's arm was as far as she'd go—anything more daring would be unthinkable for her.

"Alright, alright, why do you two always fight the moment we meet? Aren't you supposed to be best friends?" Naruto laughed, trying to ease the tension between them. "I think it's more fun when we're all together. As long as we're happy, what's the point of arguing?"

"Naruto, you're so forgiving!" Ino grinned and flashed a victory sign. To her, Naruto's words meant he agreed with her, a personal win.

But for Sakura, if Naruto said it, she would always follow. So, despite Ino's provocation, Sakura just huffed and pretended not to notice.

"Naruto, do you have any plans for later?" Ino leaned in closer, her voice turning sweet. "How about we grab some dango together?"

Her favorite pastime now was spending after-school hours with Naruto, chatting and enjoying their time together. Somehow, Naruto had become so much more charming and funny lately, and she adored that about him.

"Naruto, come over to my house!" Sakura wasn't about to back down, matching Ino's tone. "My parents aren't home today, and I can cook noodles for you myself!"

The two girls glared at each other, sparks flying from their eyes.

"Actually, I've got something to do today, but maybe next time," Naruto said, smoothly pulling his arms free and placing a hand on each of their heads to calm them down.

"Seriously?!" Both Sakura and Ino looked disappointed.

Naruto chuckled. "How about this—Sakura, why don't you go with Ino to eat dango? Or maybe, Ino, you could hang out at Sakura's place?"

"No way!" The girls pouted, turning their heads in opposite directions at the same time.

But since Naruto had something going on, they both had to give up for now. After exchanging farewells, they went their separate ways, leaving Naruto behind.

Once they were gone, a figure appeared in front of Naruto in a flash.

"Sister Yugao!"

Naruto's eyes lit up instantly as he dove into her embrace, rubbing his face against her like a child.

Yes, the 'something' Naruto had to do was meet up with Yugao. He had been waiting forever for her to get a day off, and now that the day had finally come, he couldn't contain his excitement.

If it weren't for Yugao insisting that he still attend his classes, Naruto wouldn't have even shown up to the academy today.

Yugao had already taken off her ANBU mask and changed into a simple white outfit, looking every bit like a beautiful and elegant older sister.

"How did you know it was me?" Yugao smiled softly as she hugged him back, playfully rubbing her face against his head to show affection.

In fact, this was the first time Yugao had shown her real face to Naruto. All their previous interactions had been with her wearing her ANBU mask and gear.

"Heh, you're going to be my future wife, Sister Yugao! Of course, I recognize your scent!" Naruto grinned mischievously, taking a deep sniff of her before sighing with admiration, "You smell amazing!"

Yugao blushed slightly and let go of him, playfully flicking his head. "You've got quite the nerve! I hear you've been pretty lucky with girls lately. Just now, you were sweet-talking two of them, and now you're here flirting with me?"

She pinched Naruto's cheeks with both hands, her expression clearly saying, 'I've got you all figured out.'

"I'm telling the truth!" Naruto mumbled through his squished cheeks, his voice sounding muffled and pitiful.

Seeing his pouty face, Yugao couldn't help but burst out laughing and finally released him. Taking his hand, she said, "Alright, let's grab something to eat first, then head to the training grounds. I promised to help you with your basic ninja skills. So, what do you want to eat?"

Naruto, naturally intertwining his fingers with hers, thought for a moment before replying, "Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen. It's been a while since I last went."

Though he hadn't actually been there since coming to this world, his shadow clones had gone a few times while taking his place in class. He knew what it tasted like, but it wasn't the same as eating it himself.

"Ichiraku Ramen?" Yugao paused, a trace of sympathy in her eyes, then smiled warmly. "Alright, let's go there."

As an ANBU, she knew all too well about Naruto's difficult childhood. After they became close, she had dug deeper into his past and understood why Ichiraku Ramen held such a special place in his heart.