"Aoba-oniichan is too biased."
The two walked on the road toward the ninja school. Karin clung to Aoba's arm, still incessantly complaining.
Karin now was already very different from five years ago. Her long red hair danced as the breeze gently brushed it, a few strands fluttering.
Although she was still small, her well-proportioned figure now appeared graceful and elegant.
Her facial features were even more delicate.
More importantly, her personality had started becoming bolder.
She had also changed into the classic outfit that only appeared in the latter part of the original series.
A purple top and black shorts.
Matched with a pair of black over-the-knee stockings. The tops of the black stockings sunk into the flesh, leaving a faint mark on her fair and slender thighs.
It could only be said that the environment really could change a person.
However, black over-the-knee stockings were still considered a rare trait in Konoha.
"Even though Tsunade-sama can clearly… mmph!", Karin was still complaining when Aoba directly stuffed an unwrapped lollipop into her mouth.
Blocking her mouth.
The sweet taste made Karin temporarily fall silent. After a while, she took the lollipop out of her mouth and held it out to Aoba, "Aoba-oniichan, do you want a taste?"
"...", Seeing the glistening layer on the lollipop, he couldn't help but raise his hand and knock her on the head.
"Ow!", Karin immediately covered her head and cried out in pain.
Being scolded by Aoba, Karin had no choice but to eat the lollipop herself, although her cheeks were puffed up like pufferfish all the way.
The two walked for a while longer.
On the road, they happened to run into two familiar people.
"Aunt Mikoto, Sasuke, good morning,".Aoba took the initiative to greet the two.
They turned their heads. Upon seeing Aoba, Uchiha Mikoto also showed a warm expression, "Good morning, Aoba, and Karin."
Since Fugaku's death, and with Mikoto's position as Hokage's secretary, she had naturally and logically become the next clan head of the Uchiha clan.
Now, five years later, her entire temperament, besides gentle, carried more decisiveness and authority.
Carrying the burden of a whole clan alone, she could be considered a strong woman.
However, when facing Sasuke and Aoba, she remained as gentle as before.
Mikoto handed them a small box in her hand and said, "This is a cake Auntie specially prepared."
"Thank you, Aunt Mikoto," Aoba and Karin habitually accepted it.
They were already used to Mikoto occasionally feeding them like this.
"Aunt Mikoto is taking Sasuke to the exam?"
"It's because Mom insisted on coming," Sasuke suddenly spoke, his expression a little awkward. He was already this old and still had to be sent by his mom, what's worse, his "rival" had seen it, which made him feel deeply embarrassed.
"Has Sasuke reached the age of being annoyed with his mom?", Mikoto's expression looked a little hurt.
"That's not what I meant!", Sasuke immediately explained.
"Really?", Mikoto reached out to touch Sasuke's head but was skillfully dodged.
"Hmph! So you really are annoyed with your mom," Seeing this, Mikoto gave a dissatisfied soft snort, then reached out to touch Aoba and Karin's heads, her expression immediately turning bright again, "Aoba and Karin are still the best."
Sasuke's expression turned resentful. The look he gave Aoba seemed to say he was a villain who had stolen something precious from him.
The tsundere had been defeated by the environment.
"..."
Aoba: 'Sorry, Sasuke.'
"Aoba, can you come to Auntie's house after the exam today? Auntie has a gift for you."
"What gift?", Aoba asked curiously.
"Can't tell you yet," Mikoto pinched his cheek and even playfully winked at him, "If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise later."
'This aunt's mentality is becoming younger and younger.'
The group walked all the way to the school gate.
"Aoba, Sasuke, Karin, do your best in today's exam!", Mikoto encouraged them with a smile.
Then she turned and headed toward the Hokage building.
She was the Hokage's secretary and still had to help Tsunade handle various documents.
———
"So troublesome!", After Mikoto left, Sasuke couldn't help but complain.
"Aunt Mikoto is just worried about you," Aoba comforted.
It would've been fine if he hadn't said anything, but once he did, Sasuke glared at him again.
After a while—
"Hmph!", With a cold snort, Sasuke dashed off and disappeared.
Leaving Aoba and Karin a bit confused.
"Aoba!", A familiar voice rang out behind them.
He turned his head to look.
Ino had already left Choji and Shikamaru behind and was running toward him.
Five years had passed, and Ino was also different from before.
As she ran over, her high blonde ponytail behind her bounced up and down, full of the vitality of a teenage girl.
She wore a round-neck purple top. Her fair arms were bare, and there was a white sleeve at her elbow.
But the top wasn't long, revealing a waist wrapped in bandages.
Her lower half was a split mini skirt, but there was no inner short beneath it, only bandages tightly wrapped.
This dressing style was a bit like Kurenai's.
Aoba didn't know what it would look like if there were only bandages.
When Ino ran up to them, she first stared for a moment at Karin who was holding his arm.
Seeing that Karin had no intention of letting go, she also clung to Aoba's other arm and resumed her smile, "Good morning, Aoba."
"Good morning," Aoba replied with a smile.
At the same time, he nodded to Shikamaru and Choji. After all, both hands were sealed, so he could only nod.
The two nodded back and then left. They weren't Akamaru, they didn't like eating dog food.
"Sigh~", At that moment, the previously smiling Ino suddenly sighed.
"Too bad I won't get to be in the same class as Aoba."
Yamanaka Inoichi had already told her the situation. This generation's Ino-Shika-Cho trio were the inheritors of the next generation.
No matter how willful she wanted to be, she couldn't break up the trio.
But anyway, she wasn't that kind of willful little girl anymore.
"It's okay, it's not like there are always missions. When there aren't missions, we can still hang out."
"That's all we can do," Ino was still a bit down. Although they could still meet, they definitely wouldn't get to see each other as often as before.
'I wonder who Aoba's teammates will be?'
The three headed toward the classroom.
The classroom was already full, but it wasn't noisy.
Because Iruka was already sitting at the podium, the exam papers for the morning had been prepared.
The ninja school exam was divided into academic written test, physical technique test, and the three basic ninjutsu test.
But the one that truly determined graduation was only the three basic ninjutsu. The others only affected rankings.
After greeting a few girls, Aoba sat down among them.
Compared to five years ago, there were now two unfamiliar faces in the classroom.
Sai and Aburame Torune.
When the Root was disbanded, the two were still very young and around the same age as Aoba and the others. Tsunade had arranged for them to attend the ninja school.
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