Chapter 46
At the time of the senior graduation, the other grades were coincidentally on break.
Right now, Natsuki was playing "Ninja Killer" by the river with his friends, but he seemed a bit distracted.
Over the years, he never really had the chance to meet Might Guy—either they simply hadn't run into each other, or the timing just wasn't right—so it kept getting delayed.
And the key to that connection was always through Tenten.
Of course, he truly cared for Tenten, but because of his appearance, she had changed—Tenten was now incredibly strong, which might very well impact the original storyline.
If Tenten didn't end up in Guy-sensei's team, Natsuki figured he might be in trouble.
"Natsuki, worried about Tenten?"
Ino glanced at him and said, "You know better than anyone how strong she is. What are you even worried about? Focus on the game."
Sakura, ever the good friend, tugged at Ino's sleeve. "Ino, give it a rest. Natsuki and Tenten have been together for years now. It's normal for him to worry about her now that she's become a ninja."
Thanks to Ino taking the initiative back then, the two of them had finally buried the hatchet. Now, their relationship was really close.
Though they still bickered over trivial stuff now and then—Sakura calling Ino a pig, and Ino retorting with 'forehead girl'—their friendship remained strong despite the occasional squabble.
Hearing this, Natsuki unleashed a flurry of "Who Built the Dam" cards, wiping out enemy ninjas, rogue ninjas, traitors, spies, and even his own teammates, leaving only his "Kage" card alive—securing a win for the Kage.