12 Stirrings of the Heart

Chunin Exam Venue.

"The heart-flutter value has changed! It’s changed again!"
"Their destiny has absolutely shifted!"
[Current Heart-Flutter Value: 35]

Seeing this astonishing numerical change, the ninja assigned to monitor the Sky Screen, while filing his report upward, felt his eyes practically shooting out sparks of gossip.
Could it be that this young couple is actually a match made in heaven?
Despite the previous scene on the Sky Screen where the two were bickering over a divorce as if they were mortal enemies, just a little bit of inspiration had caused them to gain 35 points of heart-flutter value on the very first day.
If this isn't a case of two hearts beating as one, what is?

Sigh, one really can't blame everyone for gossiping. It’s only when a grand event adds a bit of romantic scandal that the public’s enthusiasm is truly ignited. If Konoha had a trending search list, the names Haruna and Naruto would have been at the top for days. Whether they were the staff left behind or those preparing for battle, everyone was now highly invested in the future of Haruna and Naruto, eagerly awaiting the second broadcast.

Not just the ninjas—even Jiraiya was shocked when he received the news. He had originally planned to write a pure romance spin-off titled "Reaching You." As it turned out, Naruto’s warp-speed progress made his own mockery seem entirely redundant. The novel should really be renamed "Doki Doki~ Love Signals from the Uzumaki Boy Next Door!"

He had previously said that this brat Naruto was nothing like his father, but looking at it now, it was clearly a hereditary talent—he was a master of romance even at such a young age. Hmph, he would have to grill the kid tomorrow about what he did with Haruna to make her heart flutter in the middle of the night.

Unexpectedly, when he questioned Naruto the next day, he was met only with the boy’s blank, bewildered expression.
"No way! I was being grilled by Haruna at the time, I was panicked to death," Naruto complained bitterly. "I’ve explained what happened that day in my head a thousand times, but for some reason, I always forget when I see her."
"How could I possibly be feeling 'heart-flutter' in a situation like that? The Sky Screen's counter must be broken."
"No, there is another possibility," Jiraiya said, raising an eyebrow mischievously. "That someone else is the one whose heart is fluttering."
"Wait—eh?!!! Haruna is fluttering for me—eh?!!!"
"Stop shouting! Can you show some hero-like composure?"

Naruto tried to straighten his expression, recalling how cool and handsome Sasuke looked when he was being confessed to. But this was Haruna. Even if it were Sasuke, he couldn’t possibly remain indifferent if Haruna’s heart were fluttering for him, could he? Oh, wait, Sasuke probably *would* be indifferent. After all, he was so cold and arrogant, and he didn't like Haruna at all.

What about Shikamaru?
Inexplicably, the face of another lazy boy surfaced in Naruto’s mind. Shikamaru and Haruna used to be inseparable and were quite close. The time Haruna was upset because of a prank, it was Shikamaru who stood up for her. How would Shikamaru feel knowing that Haruna was even closer to him now?
Haruna wasn't as unpopular or friendless as she claimed. At least, Naruto had the intuition that Shikamaru cared about her—just like he did.

...

Another check-in at the Hokage building.
For the past few days, Haruna’s life had been largely normal, save for her Chunin Exam being put on hold; she had to report to the Hokage building at fixed times every day. Because of her outstanding contribution regarding the Sky Screen incident, the Third Hokage stated that as a reward and compensation, she would be specially granted the title of Chunin once the exams concluded. For now, she needed to cooperate with the village’s security efforts as much as possible.

Haruna had no objections. It was just a daily sign-in to show she was safe and to record the heart-fluttering moments between her and Naruto. Compared to the help she received, this minor trouble was nothing.
The tip of her pen tapped lightly against the paper.
"So, the Sky Screen change last night—it wasn't Naruto, but you who felt that flutter?" the young advisor asked casually, his tone languid.

Shikamaru possessed extraordinary intelligence and, being in the same year as the two protagonists and on good terms with them, he had been promoted to advisor for the "Dating Operation," currently rotating through an internship at the Hokage building. It was also his father, Shikaku Nara, paving the way for his future.
In the past, Shikamaru would have steered clear of such troublesome matters, but now...
Haruna came to the Hokage building to punch the clock every day, and he met her every time. He was the one currently responsible for registering and analyzing their heart-fluttering moments and providing suggestions.

Haruna nodded. She was always more at ease in front of Shikamaru than with strangers. Of course, it was also because she had a clear conscience regarding last night, so her tone was natural and even poised as she recounted it.
"It was most likely me," Haruna said. "Naruto said he didn't feel anything at the time—he was just nervous."
But for some reason, the advisor didn't start writing for a long time after hearing her account.
"Nervous? He never looked nervous when he pulled those pranks in the past," Shikamaru muttered. Shikamaru had also been a witness to the Naruto prank incidents.
"I thought so too, but after spending time with him these past few days, I feel like Naruto is actually a pretty decent guy."
"You're already calling each other by your first names?" Shikamaru frowned slightly. "Was it the eye contact that caused the flutter? Are you into Naruto now?"

Haruna could understand Shikamaru’s confusion. To most ninjas, such an action didn't carry any extra meaning. Ninjas were tools; in the moment of making eye contact, beyond assessing an opponent's intent and strength, there was no other meaning.
But in that instant, Haruna simply felt that there were stars in Naruto’s eyes. His eyes were unexpectedly beautiful. Later, what he said was very sincere, and the atmosphere was lovely, so she smiled. She didn't feel she had any ulterior thoughts, but if the Sky Screen counted it as a moment of heart-flutter... that was fine too.

Listening to her describe his eyes as having stars and being beautiful, Shikamaru couldn't help but think of his own eyes. They seemed to be the more narrow, elongated type. It was hereditary; all his family members had them. His mother praised them for looking smart and sharp, but girls his age might not appreciate them as much. She liked big eyes with stars, to the point where it would be certified by the Sky Screen as a moment of heart-flutter.
But—Naruto wasn't even that good-looking, was he?

"What about Sasuke and Neji?" Shikamaru said. "The Uchiha and Hyuga are both clans of ocular jutsu, and don't all the girls think they’re handsome?"
He stared at the girl’s profile, observing her expression closely without even realizing it himself. "Don't you think their eyes look good?"
"Why the sudden question about them?" Haruna was puzzled, unable to see the connection between these two names and heart-fluttering moments.
Come to think of it, she hadn't thought of Sasuke for several days. The events involving the Sky Screen and Naruto had kept her so busy she couldn't afford to let her mind wander. Her future had been confirmed by the Sky Screen to have no trace of Sasuke, and though only a few days had passed, thinking of him now felt like a lifetime ago.

As for Neji... "Didn't I vent to you about Neji before? That guy is super scary."
Haruna never spoke ill of people behind their backs, except for Neji Hyuga.
"Oh, I remember now," Shikamaru said unhurriedly.
Mentioning these two boys known for their outstanding appearances, Haruna’s reaction was perfectly normal. Were there any other standouts in their year? Apparently not. If she really had to count, it would just be him and Naruto. But while Naruto might be handsome in the future, he didn't compare to him right now—he just had bigger eyes.

After analysis, Shikamaru concluded that Haruna’s heart-fluttering moment last night wasn't love, but a sense of relief after clearing up a misunderstanding.
And then there was... he really did care why Naruto was the male lead in the future Haruna shown on the Sky Screen.
"If the male lead on the Sky Screen were me, it would save a lot of trouble, right?"
By the time the boy realized what he had said, this sentence—which was not rational at all, carried a hidden sense of reluctance, and would most likely bring him trouble—had slipped out as if it were nothing.
Shikamaru regretted it the moment it left his lips.

Should he call it luck or misfortune? The girl didn't notice anything unusual at all, even nodding in agreement: "Yeah, because Shikamaru is a smart person. Partnering with you would be very reassuring."
...As expected. This kind of dense girl who couldn't hear the subtext at all was the most troublesome type.

*

Correspondingly, there must be a group of people moving forward under heavy burdens while others are living in peace and tasting the bitterness of youth.
Kabuto Yakushi was the one bearing the heaviest load. Because their Sunagakure allies had all defected, and the Otogakure ninjas—aside from Lord Orochimaru himself and Kabuto—had been completely wiped out by Konoha!
Lord Orochimaru was currently a wanted man; he would be captured the moment he showed his face. Therefore, the only one among them who could still move freely was Kabuto, disguised as a Konoha Genin.

Konoha was relatively lenient with its own people. Because they were "their own" and all qualified elite Genin with the necessary ninja qualities, the Jonin merely warned them to keep strict secrets or face severe punishment. After being monitored for a full day and night, the twelve Konoha candidates were all released. Strangely, the Sunagakure and Otogakure ninjas were also released.
"Are they just letting us go like this?"
"Including the proctors and logistics, there are fifty people; they can't lock everyone up for a month. The village doesn't have the manpower."
"Lord Third is cautious and wise; he must have his reasons. We should just follow the village's orders."

Listening to the chatter of the Genin around him, Kabuto’s expression remained calm as he walked out of the Chunin Exam venue. He knew his top priority was to contact Lord Orochimaru while under Konoha’s strict surveillance.
The five Otogakure ninjas had actually been released as well, supposedly because they had nothing to do with Orochimaru’s conspiracy.
Heh, how is that possible? The white-haired young man knew these five could no longer be trusted. Because the Konoha Special Jonin Kurenai Yuhi was a master of genjutsu, and by joining forces with the Yamanaka clan, they had likely interrogated everything out of them. Releasing the five Otogakure ninjas now... Konoha was likely fishing for bigger prey.

And the root of it all was that girl, Haruna.
It was truly unexpected that the quiet, well-behaved brown-haired girl who had teamed up with him to pass the first two stages was hiding such a massive secret. Lord Orochimaru would certainly be very interested in her now.
But Haruna was such a weak, ordinary existence—could she withstand the weight of Lord Orochimaru’s attention?
As someone who teamed up with her to pass the first two stages, Kabuto knew too well how mediocre and weak this girl was. Perhaps she worked hard, but she could never endure the gaze of the strong. She would probably die.
...It didn't matter.
He loathed the weak and had no interest in an existence so helpless that she could only drift with the tides of fate. If not for the exam requirements, he would never have bothered to drag her into the finals.

...

Kabuto returned to his quarters, acting as he always did, and continued to maintain his mediocre and cautious persona by keeping his daily routine even more disciplined. He did this only to temporarily lull Konoha into a false sense of security and buy himself time to transmit intelligence.
As for how to transmit the intelligence...
Within the Land of Fire, a small white snake slithered through the grass. It held a scroll in its mouth and docilely placed it into the palm of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
"Oh? Is this the precious intelligence Kabuto has obtained for me?"
The Kazekage’s expression was normal, but his words were chilling. Orochimaru opened the scroll with great anticipation, expecting to see Konoha’s meticulous plans and to engage in a brilliant game of strategy with them.

However—
[A prophecy of the future, a Sky Screen broadcast, has appeared at the Chunin Exam venue.]
[It details how, because of your presence, Naruto Uzumaki’s wife, Haruna, argues over a divorce in the future.]
[Consequently, our plan has been exposed.]
[You are currently at the top of Konoha’s Most Wanted list.]

Orochimaru: ...
Was this a language he recognized???
What did the Nine-Tails and his wife arguing over a divorce have to do with him? And don't make it sound like he was the one seducing Naruto Uzumaki into infidelity!