In the courtyard, Aoba watched the three girls—Tenten, Ino, and Sakura—stand there with faces so dejected their colors seemed to have drained away entirely.
He suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
So he looked toward Yuyaka and said, "Yuyaka-neechan, maybe we should take a break today."
The colors on Tenten, Ino, and Sakura instantly brightened again.
Yuyaka narrowed her eyes at his words.
"Aoba, didn't I just tell you that training is important and you mustn't let anyone distract you?"
Seeing Yuyaka smile sweetly like that sent a cold shiver down Aoba's spine.
But he decided to give it a try anyway.
He straightened his posture and spoke with solemn determination.
"Yuyaka-neechan, training still needs balance. Let's rest today. I'll work twice as hard afterward!"
Yuyaka couldn't help but grit her teeth at his stubbornness. A sudden flare of irritation surged through her.
She stepped beside him and—while Aoba stared at her in confusion—raised both hands.
Then she squeezed and mashed his cheeks with a rough, playful force.
"What? You think talking with me and eating with me doesn't count as relaxing?"
"Aahh… I didn't mean thiiis…"
Under Yuyaka's playful torment, Aoba's speech began to slur.
Tenten, Ino, and Sakura watched Aoba being bullied, their eyes lighting up with excitement.
They'd all secretly fantasized about doing the same to him.
But they were too weak, and every time they tried, Aoba would turn the tables and bully them back instead.
Now, watching this scene, they couldn't help but rub their hands together in anticipation.
But fantasy or not, none of them dared to move.
They stayed obediently where they were, waiting for Yuyaka's decision.
After venting her frustration for a while, Yuyaka finally loosened her grip on Aoba, who stood obediently before her.
She glanced at the three girls, who remained quiet and respectful, then sighed.
"Just today. My teacher and I don't know when our next mission will come. I won't have much time to guide you, so you must make every second count."
This time her tone was serious.
Training chakra changes came with a high risk.
One wrong move could injure the user.
If a teacher was present, even if they couldn't directly help the student reach understanding, at least they could ensure safety.
"I understand. I'll work harder afterward," Aoba said, rubbing his cheek. It still stung.
He felt like she'd done it on purpose, just to mess with him—but he had no proof.
"We understand too." ×3
Tenten, Ino, and Sakura echoed in unison.
They glanced at each other, and for a brief moment, a flicker of rivalry passed between them.
"Aoba, today you'll practice throwing with me."
Tenten wasted no time. She ran up to Aoba and shoved an explosive tag into his hand, flashing Ino and Sakura a smug look.
She looked like a child showing off a prized toy, trying to make sure the other kids played with her and not anyone else.
Aoba stared at the explosive tag, stunned.
Why was Tenten suddenly so generous?
Ino and Sakura both felt a sudden unpleasant sensation.
Tenten had used this trick many times before to get Aoba to spend time with her.
But this time, Ino was prepared.
She wasn't going to lose without a fight.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the money she'd earned from flower arranging over the past few days.
"Aoba, there's so much snow outside. Let's go build a snowman."
As she spoke, Ino tried to pull Aoba toward the door.
Slap.
Tenten grabbed Aoba's wrist and tugged him back.
At the same time, she pouted and shot a complaint at Ino.
"Aoba promised to practice throwing with me today. And I got here first!"
Ino just pursed her lips and tugged Aoba again, pulling him toward her side.
She knew she was at a disadvantage. She didn't have the same money power as Tenten, but she still had to try.
"No way! I got here first with Sakura. You can't just take him for yourself."
"And Aoba, I've been waiting for you for days. Will you play with me too?"
"No!"
Tenten cut Aoba off immediately, speaking for him.
"Aoba can only practice with me today!"
Then she pulled out even more explosive tags and stuffed them into his hand, her eyes shining with triumph as she stared at Ino.
She knew Aoba wasn't the kind of person who could be bought with money alone.
But if she offered enough, he would certainly lean toward her.
Ino's expression immediately darkened the moment she saw the explosive tags.
Not only her—Yuyaka, who had been frowning at their tugging match, also revealed a strange expression.
This was almost as much money as a C-rank or even a B-rank mission payout.
Aoba was worth that much?
Yuyaka felt a strange unease in her heart.
This method of "buying" affection felt wrong.
If the gender were reversed…
Her expression darkened further.
A sense of urgency rose in her chest.
Even though she could force Aoba to obey as his "big sister," what if someone really bought her precious cabbage and took him away?
While Yuyaka was lost in thought, Sakura's mood wasn't great either.
Although she outwardly acted worried and frightened, her inner voice was screaming.
Seeing Tenten pull out a huge amount of explosive tags broke her.
After all, she and Ino were close friends. If Aoba chose Ino, Ino would pull her along too.
But if Aoba chose Tenten, both she and Ino would be left watching.
Even Aoba himself was stunned by the weight of the explosive tags in his hand.
He hadn't expected Tenten to become this generous in just a few days.
Yet Ino still wouldn't let go, and she looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Aoba-kun, I've been waiting for you so long."
Ino's sudden tone—soft and flirtatious—made Aoba's already foggy brain even more confused.
What was this voice? Was this really Ino?
Was someone impersonating her?
"Tenten, let go of his hand!"
Tenten couldn't believe what she was hearing.
She was afraid Aoba would be swayed and abandon her, so she turned her frustration toward him.
"Aoba! You promised you'd teach me shuriken throwing every day. You haven't taught me in days!"
Ino, now acting like she was being spoiled, stared at Aoba with a pitiful expression.
"Stop fighting!"
Aoba finally snapped out of it and, using a bit of strength, freed himself from their tugging.
"Just tell me… do you want to play with them or with me?"
Although Tenten and Ino had been pulled apart, they still spoke in unison, pressing Aoba for an answer.
"I think… we should all play together?"
Before Aoba could finish, Sakura—who had been quiet the entire time—spoke.
She looked down shyly, then glanced up at Tenten and Ino with a helpless expression.
As Aoba's friend, she had to help him out. She couldn't let him suffer.
Tenten looked displeased, but Ino's face lit up with surprise.
"That's right. I think we should all play together. That way, nobody loses out."