Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

In a training ground in the Konoha forest, marked by three wooden posts, fallen leaves spun down in the wind and were swiftly sliced by sharp tools.

Thunk, thunk, thunk! Three kunai hit the target's bullseye precisely. A girl with twin buns couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"All on target! Neji, you're amazing," she said.

"This level doesn't count as amazing," replied Neji Hyuga, keeping a cool expression.

Nearby, Rock Lee was doing one-handed push-ups, gritting his teeth. "Three thousand one hundred and twenty-one! Three thousand one hundred and twenty-two!..."

"It's already impressive. After all, Neji is a genius," Tenten comforted.

"Genius?" Neji tightened his knee guards and looked over at Lee. "Uchiha Sasuke is the real genius. You can only know the difference by facing him in battle."

"Neji, what do you think about this 'God of Shinobi' business?" Tenten asked suddenly, her voice tinged with worry. "Saying something like the Hokage will die during the Chunin Exams… and now even Guy-sensei has been called back by the Hokage."

"No idea," Neji replied with a blank expression. "The higher-ups will handle it. It's not for us to worry about."

"True, but it's bound to affect the Chunin Exams," Tenten said with concern. "It involves the Hokage. They might even cancel the exams."

"Cancel?" Lee, sweating heavily, looked over while still balancing on one hand. "Didn't Guy-sensei tell us? It's unlikely to be canceled, so we should train hard."

"Hard to say under these circumstances… that so-called 'God of Shinobi' might actually…," Tenten trailed off.

The last two times, this mysterious figure revealed secrets about the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, affecting Neji, a "caged bird" victim from the Hyuga branch family.

"It's fake," Neji said calmly. "The village already denied it. We don't need to pay attention to the 'God of Shinobi's' words."

"Yeah, they're the enemy after all," Tenten sighed. "Still, who is this 'God of Shinobi' anyway?"

"Must be someone in the village. Didn't Guy-sensei say outsiders can't receive those sudden thoughts?" Lee continued, dripping with sweat.

Neji remained silent, deep in his training, his gaze growing calm. 

A "Hyuga genius"? No, he thought. From birth, he was already marked with a curse—nothing but a caged bird. The Hyuga's only purpose for him was to be the main house's slave, merely to survive like an ugly beast if needed.

...

On a grassy slope, Shikamaru lay idly, staring with half-closed eyes. "What's all that about?"

Asuma had left, likely to the Hokage's office due to concerns for his father, the Third Hokage. With Team 10 temporarily free, Shikamaru relaxed, Ino kept training, and Choji munched on chips nearby.

"The village already said it's fake," Choji replied, munching loudly.

"Who believes that?" Shikamaru grumbled. "It was real for the Hyuga clan incident, wasn't it? Last year's top rookie was from the branch family, right?"

"Who told you that?" Ino, stopping her training, walked over.

"My dad," Shikamaru replied, chewing on a grass stem as he gazed at the clouds. "The Hyuga genius probably has the 'caged bird' seal on him."

Ino sighed. "There's not much we can do about family stuff."

"Yeah," Shikamaru agreed, lost in thought. "By the way, Ino, do you have a problem with Naruto?"

Ino paused, startled. "No… why do you ask?"

"Last time, you seemed to avoid him. I just thought it was strange that, when I submitted our application for the Chunin Exams, only Sakura and Sasuke from Team 7 were there."

"Naruto seemed so eager for recognition before, but now he doesn't seem motivated at all."

"I don't really know," Ino laughed, "Not that we haven't had conflicts before."

"Who knows what Naruto's up to." Shikamaru shrugged.

"Naruto?" Choji turned to them, remembering something. "Last time I saw him, he was with a little girl."

"A little girl?" Ino looked surprised.

"Probably an orphan from the village," Choji said, munching chips. "I saw them at the barbecue shop."

"Naruto doesn't seem much like a ninja anymore," Shikamaru muttered. "I saw him in the street recently without even his headband on."

"What? No way!" Ino looked shocked. "Naruto wanted that headband so badly—why would he…?"

"Who knows." Shikamaru got up, gazing from the slope. He scanned the grassy fields, wind-swept blades, and the small black dots in the distance.

"Are those Sand Village ninjas?"

Ino and Choji turned in the direction he pointed, feeling a chill as they noticed a ninja with a gourd on his back and two others glaring at them.

For a moment, Team 10 felt like prey under a predator's gaze. Luckily, the Sand ninjas turned toward the Hokage's building instead of approaching.

"Scary, that guy with the gourd," Ino shivered.

"Hope we don't run into them during the exams," Shikamaru said, his face pale.

"Crunch, crunch," Choji, visibly shaken, dumped an entire bag of chips into his mouth.

...

"Kankuro, I heard this village also has a Jinchuriki," said Kankuro, walking with his sister Temari.

"Yeah, the strongest one—the Nine-Tails," Temari replied, carrying her large fan with a slight frown.

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