Naruto : Bastard Sytem

Ino and Sakura squeezed into the classroom at the same time. They were always difficult to deal with. Even something as trivial as who entered first could turn into a daily competition between them.

However, the non-confrontational atmosphere quickly shifted the moment they stepped inside.

"Ino Pig, I won again today," Sakura said with a smug smile.

Ino didn't respond right away, forcing Sakura to start the conversation. But before she could continue, she noticed something.

A rival knows you best. Ino's unusual behavior made Sakura feel like something was off. She glanced at Ino and saw that the girl was staring at Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto, who were sitting ahead of them.

More precisely, Ino seemed to be focused only on Naruto.

Sakura smirked. "Don't tell me the rumors are true? I never expected you to be secretly interested in Naruto."

Over the past few days during the break, rumors had been spreading among their friends. Allegedly, on the day of their ninja registration, Ino and Naruto got into a fight in the street, and Naruto ended up beating Ino. Many villagers had witnessed the incident.

Some said Ino had asked why Naruto left her, but she ended up fainting after getting slapped.

Others claimed Ino had cheated on Naruto, then confronted him, only to be beaten instead.

There were even rumors that Ino had begged Naruto not to break up with her, but he kicked her so hard that she coughed up blood.

These stories sounded absurd. At first, Sakura didn't believe any of it, but now, seeing Ino's reaction, she started to think that something must have happened between them that day. Maybe not as dramatic as the rumors claimed, but definitely something.

"Ugly forehead! If you keep spreading gossip, I'll rip your mouth apart!" Ino snapped, her face turning red with anger.

She was furious. Just because she fainted after trying to stop Naruto, how did the rumors become this ridiculous? People were truly ruthless.

When someone spreads gossip, they talk freely. But when asked to clarify, they stay silent.

Even Shikamaru and Choji were discussing it in front of her, making Ino even more upset. They had grown up together—couldn't they at least tell the truth?

Ino was about to step forward and clear things up, but to her surprise, Naruto spoke up first.

"You two shouldn't accuse people without proof. What you heard is just a bunch of rumors. Ino and I have nothing to do with each other," Naruto said, sounding impatient.

"I'm not interested in some love-struck little girl."

Hearing those words, Ino felt a strange sting inside her. Since when had someone so openly expressed their dislike for her?

Naruto had humiliated her, knocked her unconscious, and now, he was outright rejecting her in front of everyone.

"Wah, so it looks like no one really wants to deal with you, Ino."

The conversation immediately drew Shikamaru and Choji's attention. They turned to glance at Ino and Sakura.

Ino glared at Naruto, her eyes slightly red.

Shikamaru and Choji exchanged looks. Naruto had firmly denied any connection with Ino, but the way she reacted made his words seem questionable.

Naruto fell silent for a moment.

It was pointless to explain.

Sighing, he sat back down and leaned into his chair. Choji and Shikamaru immediately flanked him on both sides, their eyes burning with curiosity.

Sakura gave Naruto a thumbs-up, while Ino scoffed in frustration and stormed off to the back corner of the room. Even though she sat far from Naruto, her gaze remained locked on him, shooting daggers as if trying to kill him with her eyes.

"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!" she cursed in her mind.

Behind Naruto, Hinata, wrapped in a thick sweater despite the April weather, quietly listened to the entire conversation. Her fingers fidgeted with each other nervously, her expression shifting between happiness and worry.

Naruto-kun said he has nothing to do with Ino…

Naruto-kun said he isn't interested in little girls…

Despite all the thoughts swirling in her head, Hinata remained the same—shy and reserved. She simply lowered her head, listening in silence, without saying a word.

Meanwhile, Naruto was completely unaware of what Hinata and Ino were thinking. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts. As he had told Shikamaru and Choji earlier, he wasn't interested in girls his age—at least, not for now.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed as a fist slammed onto the desk in front of Naruto.

BAM!

Naruto looked up to see Kiba standing there, his face filled with anger.

"Naruto! Fight me again! I was careless last time! This time, I'll definitely defeat you!" he challenged, clenching his fists.

His previous loss was the biggest humiliation of his life. Because of that, he had stayed home for days, training non-stop. Now that he saw Naruto again, he was determined to reclaim his pride.

"No," Naruto replied casually. "I refuse."

"Why?! Are you scared?"

"You're too weak," Naruto said coldly.

Kiba's face turned red with fury. "What did you say?!"

He was completely enraged. Being mocked by someone he once considered a loser? Unbelievable!

"You're going to fight me today, whether you like it or not!"

"Hey, Kiba, don't cause trouble. We're still in the middle of an academy briefing," Shikamaru sighed.

"This has nothing to do with you!" Kiba waved him off dismissively, glaring at Naruto. "You're going to fight me, no matter what!"

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata watched the scene anxiously, her hands clutching together.

Naruto let out a small sigh. "You're really annoying."

His eyes grew cold. Kiba, who had been brimming with confidence, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Even so, he refused to back down. He couldn't let himself be branded as a coward for losing to Naruto.

By now, the entire class was watching. Excited murmurs filled the room.

"Come on, Naruto! Accept the challenge!"

"Are you really too scared to fight?"

"Naruto, don't tell me you're afraid of Kiba?"

Everyone cheered, eager to see another fight. Even though Naruto had won last time, many still believed it was a fluke.

Kiba had seemed so relaxed before—maybe Naruto's victory had only been possible because Kiba let his guard down.

"It's not good for everyone to fight… Please, stop," Hinata said softly.

But her voice was too quiet, drowned out by the noise of the class.

Naruto, however, heard her clearly. He turned to look at Hinata and gave her a small smile.

"Don't worry," he said.

Hinata's heart skipped a beat. Her pale cheeks flushed pink, and she immediately ducked her head, hiding her face in her hands like a startled deer.

Naruto-kun… His smile is so sweet.

Ino, sitting at the back, felt inexplicably irritated by the scene.

That damn Naruto! He clearly disliked her, yet he could still smile at Hinata?

Meanwhile, Kiba felt completely ignored. Naruto wasn't even acknowledging him and was instead chatting with a girl.

"Naruto! If you're scared, just say it!" Kiba shouted.

Naruto glanced at him and finally stood up.

"Fine. If you're so eager to get beaten, I'll grant your wish."

But just as the fight was about to begin, a cold voice rang out.

"Naruto is right. You're too weak. The one who should be fighting him now is me."

Uchiha Sasuke stood from his seat near the window, his eyes burning with determination as he stared at Naruto.

[Passive selection triggered!]