"Sakura!"
A blond boy and a dark-haired boy stood in the middle of the road, waving enthusiastically at the pink-haired girl who had just stepped out of her house.
"Morning," Sakura replied with a yawn, lifting her hand lazily to return their greeting.
"Morning, Sakura—eh?"
"Your forehead?"
Naruto, wearing his usual big grin, greeted her cheerfully, but then suddenly noticed something. Hidden beneath her pink bangs, there was a purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
"Oh, this~~?"
Naruto tilted his head in confusion, but Sakura simply touched her forehead and smiled, saying,
"You'll find out soon enough, Naruto."
"Let's go. The Chunin Exams are starting soon. Don't be late."
The dark-haired boy, Sasuke, glanced at Sakura and spoke in his usual calm tone. Over time, he had gradually grown more accepting of his two teammates. His once cold, jet-black eyes no longer carried the same indifference they used to.
---
As they reached the entrance to the Chunin Exams, a figure came flying toward Sakura.
"Sakura! Long time no see! Did you miss me?"
The pale blonde girl dove into Sakura's arms, breathing in her unique scent with a bright smile. Her pretty eyes curled into half-moons.
"I did miss you, Ino~~"
Sakura chuckled softly, patting Ino's back and motioning for her to get up.
The first part of the Chunin Exams was a written test. Although the test room was on the second floor, the first floor was already bustling with examinees.
Sakura didn't mind being the center of attention, but Ino's Ino-Shika-Cho team had a different attitude. Especially Shikamaru—given his lazy personality, he probably hated troublesome situations like this.
"Geez… don't draw so much attention," came Shikamaru's exasperated voice, as expected. Scratching his head, he walked over with Choji trailing behind him.
"Naruto, want some?" Choji offered with a smile, holding out a bag of chips.
"Barbecue flavor? My favorite~~~" Naruto's eyes lit up, immediately plunging his hand into the bag.
"Ugh… such a drag…"
Shikamaru glanced at Choji and Naruto, then at Ino and Sakura. His sigh grew heavier with each passing second.
He turned to look at Sasuke, hoping to find a kindred spirit in the Uchiha. However, Sasuke only glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.
Am I seriously trying to find common ground with this guy?
Maybe spending too much time around Ino and Choji has dulled my brain...
Shikamaru sighed deeply in helplessness.
"Alright, catch-up time is over. Ino, let's go inside," Sakura said as she patted Ino on the head.
"Mm! I'll follow Sakura's lead!" Ino replied brightly with a happy nod.
But just as they were about to proceed...
A boy with thick eyebrows, dressed in a green tight-fitting bodysuit, with a bowl cut like a watermelon, blocked their path.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Haruno Sakura?"
Lee Rock.
Sakura's smiling expression froze instantly.
If she remembered correctly…
"What do you want with Sakura, you watermelon-head?" Ino asked suspiciously, eyeing the boy in front of them.
Lee glanced at Sakura, then suddenly grew bashful, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks.
"I—I am Rock Lee. Please… please go out with me!"
With a sudden burst of courage, he bowed at a perfect ninety degrees and shouted at the top of his lungs.
!!!
Everyone around Sakura froze.
"WHAT!?"
"You thick-browed freak! Stop dreaming!"
Naruto couldn't sit still anymore and growled at Lee angrily.
Even Sasuke's gaze turned cold as he looked at Rock Lee.
"Yeah, how shameless can you be, you watermelon-head?!" Ino added, her arms crossed in annoyance.
For once, Naruto and Ino were on the same side.
"Please believe me! My love for Sakura is real!" Lee cried passionately. "Ever since that moment in ninja school when I saw her turn and look back at me—"
He suddenly seemed overwhelmed with emotion and began tearing up.
Sakura: …
When was that supposed to have happened? I have no memory of it!
"You jerk! You're going too far!" Naruto shouted and charged at Lee.
However—
Smack!
A hand calmly intercepted Naruto's punch—while also barring Lee's path.
The newcomer had long, dark hair, a calm expression, and pale white eyes that didn't look at Naruto but focused directly on Sakura.
"Sakura, it's been a while," the boy said in an even tone.
Hyuga Neji.
"Long time no see, Neji-senpai," Sakura replied calmly.
"We were too abrupt. I apologize on Lee's behalf."
"Sorry," Neji said, and before Lee could protest, he forcibly dragged him—and a girl with two buns in her hair—away, clearing the path for Sakura and the others.
As they disappeared toward the second-floor exam room, Lee looked up at Neji in frustration.
"Neji, if you like Sakura, then you need to become strong enough to defeat her," Neji said, clearly exasperated.
He had once been arranged by Iruka to face Sakura during her grade-skipping challenge, so he knew just how strong she was.
At the age of one year younger than me, she knocked me flying with a single punch.
Six years had passed since then. Neji didn't believe for a second that Sakura had stayed stagnant or grown slowly.
"Eh?" Lee blinked in surprise.
Sakura… is that strong?
But she looks so delicate and gentle…
---
As they arrived in the second-floor exam room, Sakura noticed that many people were already inside.
She quickly scanned the room and spotted a red figure tucked in the corner of the classroom.
That figure's eyes were fixed intently on her.
"Ahem. Find your seats first~~"
Sakura cleared her throat and shot a sneaky wink at the red figure before walking off.
Naruto scratched his head as he watched her go.
Something feels… off.
Just then, a silver-haired boy wearing glasses approached them quietly.
It was Kabuto Yakushi, and he was about to begin his performance.
Sakura, however, paid him no mind. Her expression didn't change as she walked straight toward someone she'd seen just last night—someone she had absorbed chakra from.
Karin.
She's here…
As the pink-haired girl drew nearer, Karin felt her heart skip a beat.
Last night, after Sakura had left, she had replayed everything in her head.
A stranger had appeared in the middle of the night and, without giving her a choice, drained half her chakra and then told her to follow her?
It sounded completely unreliable.
Karin had wanted to just forget it like a bad dream—like being bitten by a wild dog.
But now, as she once again saw that smiling, warm-eyed girl walking toward her—
Her heart, unwillingly, began to beat faster.
A hand fell gently on her head, and that familiar, yet strange voice rang in her ear again…
"Do you still remember what I told you?"
(End of Chapter)
---