Chapter 73 73: Ino's Longing.

"Kaito? Good! Good! I'll remember you! You actually made that guy feel a little fear! I will definitely kill you!" Gaara growled darkly. "What's your name? You're strong enough for me to remember it," Gaara turned to look at Uchiha Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke answered coldly. "I'll remember you." Gaara nodded, then snapped at Kankuro, "Let's go! You loser. What a disgrace." Just like a joke, the situation ended because of Kaito's unexpected intervention. In the forest behind Konoha, a man stood smoking as he watched three young ninjas training intensely below. There was a rare trace of approval in his eyes. Since Kaito's departure, the trio seemed to have received a wake-up call. They trained with renewed determination—especially Ino. Her effort made even Asuma, a seasoned Jonin, feel slightly ashamed. I'll register them for the Chunin Exams in a few days, Asuma thought silently. Just then, Ino, who had been training, suddenly froze. Her body trembled slightly, as if overwhelmed by something. Asuma, always observant of his students, frowned and called out with concern, "Ino? Are you okay? If you're tired, take a break." Whoosh! A sound like thunder tore through the air. In the next instant, a figure appeared in front of Ino. He held her in his arms. "Okay, okay. Don't cry, little Ino." As he spoke, he pulled out a tissue and softly wiped the tears from her eyes. When Asuma saw who it was, a knowing look crossed his face. Only this guy could make Ino react like this... Shikamaru and Choji were initially happy, but then Shikamaru's expression turned sour again. They're flaunting their relationship already... he thought gloomily. "Hey! Asuma-Sensei! Shikamaru, Choji! Long time no see!" Kaito greeted them casually. "Ino and I have some things to handle, so we're leaving for today." Without waiting for a reply, he carried Ino off in a flash, vanishing from their sight. Asuma, Shikamaru, and Choji: "..." "...We'll end training here today," Asuma muttered, chewing on his cigarette, eyes following Kaito's disappearing figure thoughtfully. You all better get ready. I'll talk to the Third Hokage about signing you up for the Chunin Exams. "Make sure to inform Ino tomorrow and meet me back here. I'll hand out the application forms then." With that, Asuma headed toward the Hokage Building. --- At Kaito's home. He gently placed Ino's legs down, intending to let her go and find Hinata. But Ino clung to him tightly, as though afraid he'd vanish again. She wasn't wrong. Ino had suspected the truth behind his sudden departure. Though no one had told her directly, she pieced things together. That night—Kaito fought off two mysterious ninja, a lightning storm erupted, her father returned with a dark expression, and then Kaito vanished. Hinata had quietly told her that two men had tried to kidnap them but were stopped by Kaito's shadow clones. Ino wasn't as brilliant as Shikamaru, but she wasn't dumb either. When she lined everything up, the answer was clear: someone had targeted her and Hinata to threaten Kaito, and he had struck back—hard. Her father had claimed Kaito had gone off to train with Lady Tsunade. A flimsy excuse at best. Ino knew better. Tsunade had been gone from the village for years. Kaito had mentioned her a few times in stories, but she only returned recently. That story didn't add up. No—Kaito hadn't left to train. He'd been exiled. Or worse. Even if she couldn't prove it, she knew the truth. And with no power to do anything, all she could do was train harder—push herself beyond limits. She also noticed Hinata doing the same, pushing herself with the kind of desperation only someone who knew the truth could feel. So when she finally felt Kaito's chakra today, she couldn't hold back the tears. For the last two months, she'd lived in fear—worrying something terrible had happened to him. She had poured all that longing and sorrow into training. The moment she saw Kaito again, everything in her world lit back up. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go—not even for a second. Then, without warning, Ino let go of his waist, cupped his face in both hands, and stared into his eyes. She bit her lip, then kissed him full on the mouth. Kaito was stunned. Ino had never been this bold before. Then surprise gave way to delight. The girl he liked just made the first move. There was no way he was going to turn her down. One minute passed. Then another. Half an hour later, Ino finally pulled away, face flushed, lips a little swollen. She looked like she wanted to scold him—but couldn't help smiling. "I'm going to kill you," she muttered, cheeks burning. Kaito grinned proudly. "Hmph! We wasted half an hour already. Go grab Hinata so we can have a proper lunch together." "Got it," Kaito said with a soft kiss on her forehead. After sensing Hinata's chakra, he vanished in a blur of motion. Ino watched him go, a glowing smile on her lips. Then she picked up the broom by the wall and started sweeping like it was second nature. --- At a private Hyuga training ground... Hinata practiced the Gentle Fist with unwavering intensity. Her strikes were precise. Her eyes were locked on her target, the wooden dummy riddled with acupoint markers. She hit each one with pinpoint accuracy, faster than the eye could follow. ---- 60+ Chapters on Patreon. Patreon.com/Zphyr_