Ino, who was trembling with anxiety, felt inexplicably excited and curious Shikamaru... With the completely different reactions shown by the two, Naruto, who slowly approached step by step, finally stopped gradually and stood in a position that was only one or two positions away from the two, almost as close to the face to face. Then he leaned over a little, slowly placed Hinata, who was covering her face in his arms, stood firmly on the ground, and wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged her tightly.

"Oh—! That's right, I remembered it. You just asked me a question..."

As he spoke, Naruto turned his gaze a little, crossed Shikamaru's shoulder, looked at Ino, who had tried to curl up behind Shikamaru's back and tried to cover up his presence, and smiled with a curved look that made the smile on his face brighter.

"I remember you asked me and want to know who I am?"

After hearing Naruto's words turn and his attention is obviously focused on himself, Ino can't help but curl up more and more subconsciously. He looked around in a panic, as if he wanted to find a crack on the ground that was enough to let him get into, intending to hide from Naruto's gaze.

“…! No, no no no—! I’m not, I don’t!”

In the panic response, Ino, who shook his head and was unable to deny it, not only lost his previous erotic naughty spirit, but also was so scared that he almost sat on the ground and cried out in Naruto's whispering inquiries.

"No, of course you have... You just asked me not long ago. It's impossible for you to forget so soon, right?"

After seeing Ino's panic and incoherent appearance, Naruto's smile became more and more intense. Then he tilted his head and blinked his eyes, making an innocent look, while continuing to speak with confidence.

"At least, after you left such a deep impression on me, I remember this question clearly..."

As soon as the words were finished, Naruto spared his right hand from Hinata's waist, and slowly stretched out his hand to the two of them as he looked at Ino's desperate, helpless little eyes...

This move, in conjunction with the "problem" that was deliberately raised before and the dull pressure that gradually spread out invisibly. Shikamaru and Ino subconsciously thought that Naruto was planning to get serious and settle the score with them.

"Tsk, please... can't you escape after all?"

Although he spoke of his usual catchphrase because of his fear of trouble, Shikamaru still stood firmly in place, keeping Ino's panicked petite figure firmly blocking and protecting him behind him. As his eyes became more resolute, he stared at Naruto's gaze from beginning to end. While he did not retreat at all, even his originally trembling legs gradually returned to calm without realizing it, making his body firmly stand firmly in place like an iron nail.

"Oh? I haven't let go until now... Are you planning to protect her all the time?"

The road ahead was blocked, and Naruto's hand naturally stopped in the air. Then he raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at it, and asked word by word.

"Well, that's it... I'm sorry, although I've always been afraid of trouble. But under the education of my father, I still know more..."

As he spoke, Shikamaru seemed to have made up some determination, and the burden in his heart was completely wiped out, and he could respond calmly when facing Naruto's inquiry. After the corner of his mouth was raised a little, he gradually showed a shrewd smile that was neither humble nor arrogant.

"Even if the situation is already extremely bad, and it can't even be worse. But as a dignified man... I must not allow myself to leave my partner and be an inescapable coward!"

"A man... well...so that's it."

After hearing Shikamaru's response, Naruto's words that were spoken again were still lukewarm and calm, unable to hear any joy or anger. As he was asking, he raised his head a little while slid his relief and praise that flashed through his eyes, and slowly stretched out his pause palm again.

"Since you are so persistent, I will fulfill your wishes... Let's start with you!"

"Hmph, it's just my wish."

After confirming that his group of people was about to end up being eliminated, Shikamaru's pressure was reduced a lot. While his expression returned to his usual lazy appearance, he began to secretly think about how to deal with his mother who was waiting for the good news at home after returning home. In order to avoid being able to face the generous treatment of "extra meal" and having a meal of fried meat with feather duster.

However, just when Shikamaru thought everything was over, Naruto's next actions surprised him, and he felt the thrill of rising from hell to heaven!

The closer Naruto's palm was, it was not used to attack Shikamaru and Ino for revenge... Instead, it caught one of Shikamaru's stretched out hands, and its strength was quite soft and gently shaking up and down slowly.

The unexpected action of the person in front of him naturally interrupted Shikamaru's thoughts and brought his consciousness back to his body little by little.

After personal close experience, Shikamaru could clearly confirm that Naruto looked at him, and even then bypassed his body to cover the gaze projected on Ino, there was no malice. But because of this, Naruto's actions like repaying grievances made Shikamaru feel a little dazed and unreal, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was in a strange and weird dream.

"Ah..."

When his body shook his arms lightly under instinctive control, in response to Naruto's active handshake, Shikamaru felt that his mind was a little unsteady. After a moment of dumbfounding, the courage that had been brewing like a broken jar disappeared in an instant, and he stuttered and subconsciously sought the answer from Naruto.

"What's going on? Are you planning to...eliminate us?"

"Puchi...hahahahahaha! Where do you want to go? Eliminate you? Why should I do that?"

After hearing Shikamaru's incomprehensible words, Naruto, who was already smiling in his eyes, could not suppress the smile hidden in his heart. After a thud, he raised his head and laughed.

"I've said that you just asked me, don't you want to know who I am?"

After a while, he just took back the right hand that had released the right hand holding Shikamaru's palm, and then lifted it up a little while, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. While shaking his head at the dazed Ino and Shikamaru, they smiled and shook their heads. Then they continued with a smile.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto... Please give me some advice when I meet for the first time."
Chapter completed!