“Mmm…”
Ino Yamanaka rested her head on her desk and stared blankly at Naruto’s empty seat.
The image of him appearing at the flower shop repeatedly replayed inside her mind.
“Was that really the same person?
I still can’t believe it…”
The girl sitting beside her could no longer ignore Ino’s strange behavior.
“Ino, your expression looks ridiculous.
Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine!”
Ino shook her head and sat upright.
She looked absently at her classmate.
“Do you think… Naruto Uzumaki is handsome?”
Her classmate froze before laughing and waving dismissively.
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?
How could an unfashionable loser like him possibly be described as handsome?”
“There’s only one truly handsome boy in our class, and that’s Sasuke Uchiha.”
Ino frowned and looked toward Sasuke, who sat at the front of the classroom.
His handsome face and cold temperament made him resemble an aloof prince of ice.
However…
“I don’t think he’s as handsome as Naruto…”
“Naruto’s smile is much gentler… almost like the sun…”
Ino murmured quietly to herself.
If Sasuke’s presence resembled a frozen mountain, then the Naruto who had appeared at the flower shop was like the radiant sun.
His warm light made everyone around him feel exceptionally comfortable.
Her classmate grew concerned and reached over to touch Ino’s forehead.
“You don’t have a fever…”
“Ino, why are you saying such ridiculous things?”
“Sasuke is hundreds of times more handsome than Naruto!”
Sakura Haruno immediately became interested and loudly mocked her.
“Ino-pig, your taste is getting worse and worse.
I can’t believe you’ve fallen for a loser like Naruto.”
“I certainly won’t compete with you over him.”
“You can go chase after Naruto.
Sasuke will belong to me!”
Ino couldn’t be bothered responding to Sakura.
She lowered her head onto her desk again and continued staring dreamily at Naruto’s empty seat.
“Naruto… really was… so handsome…” Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“…”
All the students in the classroom immediately became interested.
Even the perpetually aloof Sasuke couldn’t resist perking up his ears and carefully listening to Ino’s murmuring.
After hearing everything, Sasuke frowned with slight displeasure.
He didn’t particularly care about being handsome.
But Naruto Uzumaki?
That troublemaking loser was supposedly more handsome than him?
What a ridiculous joke.
Naruto couldn’t even compare to his little finger.
“Shikamaru, do you think Naruto really became… crunch, crunch… handsome?”
Chōji Akimichi looked toward Shikamaru while eating potato chips.
“Trying to imagine Naruto becoming handsome… crunch, crunch… I can’t picture it at all.”
Shikamaru Nara leaned lazily against his chair with his eyes closed and his hands behind his head.
“Ino has probably lost her mind.”
Kiba Inuzuka nodded vigorously.
“Exactly!
How could Naruto possibly become more handsome than Sasuke?”
“Don’t you agree, Akamaru?”
The small white dog barked twice.
“Woof!
Woof!”
From beneath his high collar, Shino Aburame spoke in a low voice that only he could hear.
“Everyone should stop saying that.”
“We’re all friends.
We should have a little more faith in Naruto…”
Sakura sneered.
“I can’t even imagine it.
How could an ugly duckling possibly turn into a swan?”
“Ino-pig, you’ve definitely lost your mind.”
“…”
The classroom filled with discussion, but everyone expressed the same opinion.
There was no possibility that Naruto could have become more handsome than Sasuke.
Nevertheless, they were all curious.
Just how drastically had Naruto changed to leave Ino so completely infatuated?
Before long, the bell announcing the beginning of class rang. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Naruto finally strolled into the classroom wearing an orange short-sleeved shirt and a light-red coat.
Red eye shadow decorated the area around his eyes, while a jade necklace rested around his neck.
He stepped through the doorway and looked at the numerous students staring directly at him.
Slightly surprised, Naruto smiled apologetically.
“Sorry.
Am I late?”
Silence!
Absolute silence!
The classroom was as silent as death!
More than fifty students stared dumbfounded at the handsome blond boy standing in the doorway.
Dear heavens!
Who was this?
Was that really Naruto Uzumaki?
How could he possibly be so handsome?
There was elegance beneath his clean, refreshing appearance and gentleness within that elegance.
He resembled a noble young prince who had stepped directly out of a painting!
His smile was particularly warm, making everyone feel as though they were standing beneath the sun.
Merely standing there, he irresistibly seized everyone’s attention.
Not one student dared to breathe too loudly, afraid that they might shatter the picturesque scene before them.
The classroom, which held more than fifty students, remained deathly silent for an entire thirty seconds.
Then—
Clatter!
A crisp sound broke the silence.
Everyone turned and saw that the small mirror in Sakura’s hand had fallen onto the floor.
Sakura paid no attention to it.
She rubbed her eyes and stared blankly at Naruto.
“Are you really… Naruto Uzumaki?”
The Naruto they remembered had worn a horribly outdated mustard-yellow outfit.
His whisker marks had appeared long and untidy, while his complete lack of grooming made him resemble an unwanted street urchin.
The Naruto before them now looked as handsome as a prince.
His warm smile felt like a refreshing spring breeze, perfectly matching the image of an ideal romantic partner.
If Naruto hadn’t spoken first, no one could possibly have connected this handsome boy with the Naruto Uzumaki they remembered.
Naruto chuckled.
“Honestly, everyone, you’re being far too cruel!”
“We haven’t seen each other for only two days, yet you already can’t recognize me?”
“Of course I’m Naruto Uzumaki—the Naruto Uzumaki whose dream is to become Hokage!”