If there was one thing that was special about the Village Hidden in the Leaves, it was its gorgeous skies and temperate weather. Unlike Suna, Konoha had never heard of blistering heat and destructive sandstorms, spoiled with its steady sunshine and refreshing breeze. The village never had to deal with catastrophic floods or bullets of hail, the worst being a shallow rainstorm or the atmosphere a little on the humid side.
For this reason, Sakura lazed about in the before noon sunshine, grateful that she didn't have to deal with the dull skies of the Land of Waves. Team Seven had just completed an early morning D-rank mission, which involved painting an elderly woman's shed a mild shade of powder blue. The three of them had hustled to get the job done, unwilling to fail two D-rank missions in a single month. The kunoichi's arms were sore from the repeating brush strokes, splotches of periwinkle dotting her nose and fingers. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a blob of orange coming closer to her. She shifted up, leaning on her elbow as she laid on the dewy grass to face her teammate.
A sigh rushed out from Naruto's lungs as he came and sat down next to Sakura, setting the tin paint buckets at his feet. His obnoxious jacket sat tied around his waist, his overwashed undershirt decorated with splotches of paint.
The boy grinned widely, closing his eyes and flopping down beside her. "Ah, I'm so glad that's over. Who knew painting was so hard?"
An easy smile found its way onto Sakura's face, amused by his whining. "Oh come one, Naruto," she teasingly reprimanded. "You barely did anything. All you did was sit on the roof and grumble."
"Did not," he defended, wrinkling his nose in annoyance.
"Did too," she replied, falling back onto the summer grass. "You asked if we could go to Ichiraku's so many times that my stomach started rumbling."
"That's because Ichiraku ramen is the best ramen."
"Whatever you say."
Sakura fell silent, gazing at the passive clouds as they drifted above. I have to go to the Hyuga compound soon, she reminded herself. And I also have to talk to Tsunade-sama about everything. Last time she kicked me out, but we need to talk about the Akatsuki.
And Orochimaru.
Thinking about the vile snake tossed Sakura back to the time of their first Chunin exams, were Sasuke was hunted down by the evil man and cursed for the rest of his life. The kunoichi let out a shaky gasp, memories and images flooding her mind of the times when Orochimaru attacked the team and when Sasuke left Konoha. She placed a hand on her forehead, trying to block out the unpleasant visions. This time, it will be different. I swear.
She sighed, banishing all the wicked thoughts out of her head. She stared at the peaceful clouds, trying to find a way to distract herself. Shifting her gaze to her blond teammate, she found Naruto staring silently at their other teammate, who was wrapping up their mission by conversing with their client. Sasuke nodded towards the old woman before turning away, walking towards her and Naruto to meet up with them.
"Oh look," Naruto whispered to her under his breath, "here comes Sasuke."
Sakura frowned at his sneer, a little confused about why he would feel so hostile towards the Uchiha. "Why don't you like him?" She questioned, meeting her friend's vivid blue eyes.
"Well that's easy," Naruto snorted, shifting towards Sakura. "He is always so arrogant and acts cool. He thinks that he's super strong, but he isn't even the strongest one on our team! And he always has people flocking around him-"
"Wait," Sakura interrupted, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder. She looked deep into her friend's eyes, her heart clenching tightly. She lowered her voice, her gaze unwavering. "You don't like Sasuke because he gets a lot of attention?" That's why he doesn't like Sasuke?
Her teammate stared at her with a light frown, his eyes searching her face as if he wanted to take his words back. Shadows flickered behind his eyes, remnants of his dark and lonely past. "Ya, well..." he began weakly, before tapering off and glancing at Sakura unsurely.
"Oh Naruto," Sakura threw her hands around her friend, encompassing him in a big bear hug.
Naruto froze at her touch, surprised at her action. "Huh?"
"You have friends, Naruto," she smiled, pulling away so that she could look him in the eye. Maybe she was being sentimental, or maybe she was being overprotective. But she knew the hardship Naruto had to go through, and couldn't bear to see him deal with it alone again. "There are more than enough people who care about you and want to see you grow. And you know what, you'll make even more friends, meet even more people who will love and care for you."
"Like who?"
"Well there's me," Sakura smiled at her friend, who grinned back brightly, "then there's Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Sasuke-"
"What?!" Her friend interrupted once again, an incredulous tone in his voice. "Sasuke?"
Sakura hummed in confirmation, a pang of pity in her heart at the genuine confusion on her friend's face. Naruto...
"Naruto," she began with sincerity, "even though he might not show it, Sasuke thinks of you as a friend. Sure, he's arrogant and rude sometimes, but..." She tapered off, giving her teammate a meaningful look instead. The blond gazed at her in slight surprise, considering her words. Oh Naruto, she thought. You don't realize just how much the people around you care for you.
"Thanks, Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered quietly, giving her a bittersweet smile. A thoughtful expression rested on his face as he gazed off at the endless summer sky, lost in a world only he could enter. Joining him, the kunoichi let herself become lost in the wispy clouds, falling deeper into the tranquility of the scene. She exhaled into the cool breeze, letting herself be taken by the soothing wind.
Listening to the padding of footsteps closing in, Sakura opened her eyes to find her other teammate staring down at her and Naruto. The Uchiha simply looked at the two of them for a couple of moments, his starless gaze unreadable as always. His messy locks shifted at the teasing breeze, the soft sunlight coloring his raven hair a deep shade of navy blue. Sakura gazed at him expectantly, before tilting her head at his silence. What's he thinking about?
When he finally opened his mouth, she wished he hadn't known.
"You both look terrible."
"What?"
"You both have paint all over you," he pointed out, a mocking smirk on his lips. A mischievous flicker danced through his dark eyes. "Honestly, you both look more ridiculous than usual. And that's saying something."
There was a pause as the words hung between them, a provoking look in Sasuke's eyes. Sakura waited for a moment or two, expecting her blond teammate to shout out in retaliation. When she stole a glance at his face, though, a frown posed itself on her face at the glazed look in Naruto's eye. He simply stared at Sasuke, as if trying to put together a puzzle, his words going through one ear and out the other. The kunoichi sighed at this, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Looks like it's up to me to defend our honor.
Locked in a heated stare with Sasuke, her hand swiftly shot out to grab at his arm. He caught her attack, though, smirking victoriously with crimson eyes. Damn it! "Nice try-"
Before he could continue, Sakura dipped her hand in the periwinkle paint, smearing her soaked hand on Sasuke's arm. It was her turn to smirk as he jerked backward, his eyes widening in shock. To his surprise, she smudged some more paint on his right cheek, the vague shape of a handprint outlined on it. Eat that, Sasuke! CHA!
"Now who looks ridiculous, Sasuke?" She mocked in a smug tone, grinning mischievously. Her fern eyes twinkled playfully, leaning closer towards Sasuke's shocked features. "Baby blue doesn't suit you," she teased, pointing a small finger to his cheek. Her smile only widened when his features twisted into mild annoyance, basking in her victory. His nose wrinkled when he smudged his palm over the paint on his face, his eyes glaring at her with obvious displeasure.
Deciding that her vengeance was complete, Sakura twirled back towards Naruto, about to rejoin their peaceful cloud-gazing, when heavy weight smashed into her back. The kunoichi gasped, crashing into the ground as Sasuke tackled her.
"Sasuke!"
Stunned, Sakura stared up at her teammate who smeared the color on his hand all over her nose and cheek. A smug smile rested on his face, his grip light and playful. Recovering quickly, the kunoichi lightly giggled at the ticklish feeling of the paint, shifting her weight to flip her and Sasuke. He can't just get away with that!
They tumbled on the soft meadow, each trying to gain the upper hand and smudge paint on each other's noses. The kunoichi wrestled the Uchiha while trying to grab the paint buckets, which sat motionless at Naruto's feet. Sakura knew that he had won, however, when Sasuke snatched the rest of the paint cans and placed them behind him and out of her reach.
"No!" She waved her hands in front of her as Sasuke advanced with dripping paint on his fingers. "I surrender! I surrender!" The kunoichi crawled back towards Naruto, putting him between her and Sasuke for good measure.
"That's what I thought," the Uchiha smirked, whipping his fingers on the grass beneath him. Sakura just sighed, making sure all the paint was off his fingers before relaxing on the grass beside Naruto. I'll get him next time.
Her blond teammate had gone back to observing the puffs of white drifting in the blue, a distant expression on his face. As the adrenaline from her and Sasuke's wrestling faded away, Sakura laid beside him, bumping her shoulder against him affectionately. He tilted his head towards her, gave a goofy, reassuring smile at her concerned face, before returning to the clouds. Beside her, Sasuke plopped down as well, laying back and rested his head on his arms. He tapped his foot lightly against hers to grab her attention before giving her a victorious smirk. She frowned, narrowing her eyes at him before purposefully looking away.
She thought she heard him give a light chuckle, but instead chose to focus on the clouds above her, savoring the sound of the breeze. It caressed the genin's painted cheeks and fingers, tenderly playing with their hair before moving on into the Konoha sky.
Once the sun had risen high above in the sky, the genin decided to wave goodbye to each other, with Naruto heading towards Ichiraku's, Sasuke hopping off into the forest, and Sakura setting off to meet the Hyugas for her check-up. As the kunoichi navigated through the dense crowd in the marketplace, she narrowly slipped through the bodies of various shoppers, nearly squeezed to death by a particularly heavy-set pedestrian.
Deeming the streets too crowded to travel upon, the medic ducked into an alleyway and used her chakra to leap onto the rooftop, relieved at the open space. She inhaled the fresh summer air, scents of pine and dew filling her senses. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted figures flickering between the rooftops as well, hurrying all around town at high speeds. Those shinobi must also think the streets are too crowded, Sakura reasoned. I wonder why it's like this?
The kunoichi played with the thought for a moment or two, before laying it to rest when she remembered her objective. Theorizing about crowded streets can wait. I need to get to the Hyuga compound, or... She shivered at the thought of a furious Hiashi. Well, I don't want to know.
Yet, as she leaped from rooftop to rooftop, another question plagued her active mind. What are they going to do in the check-up? Her fists clenched instinctively as she remembered her last visit to the compound and memory of the burning pain she had to go through. Will this visit be anything like that?
Spotting the Hyuga clan symbol painted boldly on the outer walls of the compound, Sakura dropped down from the roof of a nearby shop, jogging the rest of the distance to the massive gates. The walls towered above the young kunoichi, casting a long shadow that introduced a chill to the atmosphere. Sakura observed the two guards positioned in front of the compound, gazes fixating on her as she stepped closer.
They were different than the last time she came here, she noted, and also seemed less at ease than the previous guards. The two shinobi stood tall with rigid backs, their cold, empty eyes darting from the busy street around them to the rooftops, trying to spot any potential threats. The way their haunting eyes glared at Sakura made her shiver a tiny bit, her pace slowing to a casual walk at their stares of steel. Geez, she sweatdropped, they look like they want to kill me. Taking a deep breath, the kunoichi tried to relax her tense muscles and appear peaceful to the uptight shinobi.
She approached them casually, not missing the way they both immediately shifted into defensive positions. "State your name and purpose," the shinobi on the left demanded, his tone crisp and cold.
"Sakura Haruno," the kunoichi replied, trying to conceal her fidgeting fingers. "I'm here because my sensei, Tsunade Senju, told me that I was requested to have a check-up on my recently unblocked pathways."
As soon as she finished her explanation, the shinobi's stances dropped and their glares softened into curious stares. "So you're the medical scroll girl?" One of them asked casually, his frigid tone earlier completely gone.
"Erm...yeah," Sakura replied hesitantly, a little unnerved at their swift change in behavior. What were they so afraid of?
The shinobi nodded at her response, gesturing to his partner. "Hyuga- sama is dealing with business matters currently, so he's unavailable. I can take you to someone else, though, who is available right now. Unless you would like to come back at a different time?"
Sakura shook her head at the suggestion. "No it's fine," she reassured, "I'll have the check-up now." I'll probably forget about it later on, anyways. The guard nodded, tilting his head at his partner. The other Hyuga moved into position beside his partner, grunting as they both pushed open the massive doors of the Hyuga complex. They only managed to open a tiny crevice, which one guard slipped through and waved Sakura to come after him.
The kunoichi followed him through the slim crack, flinching at the sound of the mammoth gate swinging closed behind her. How can those gates ever be convenient?
The shinobi led her through the peaceful complex, which reflected the Hyuga's nature almost perfectly. The atmosphere held a calm and serene quality, entirely different from the hectic air of the streets she left behind. Traditional houses lined the sides of the complex, opening up to a grand courtyard with decorative bushes and trees. This time, no children were playing out in the courtyard, only the wind teasing the leaves on the cobblestone. Sakura was almost afraid to make a sound, afraid to shatter the calming silence of the complex.
A small, lush garden sat on the other side of the complex, almost hidden from view by the buildings. Sakura peeked past the houses, curious about the garden she hadn't noticed the first time she was here. Soft, trimmed grass stretched alongside a cobblestone pathway, little shrubs and bushes accenting the scene. Pale white petals blossomed from the celandine leaves, like little moons in the night sky. Near a sturdy tree at the back of the garden was a young boy, slowly moving through multiple Hyuga forms. His long hair, the color of tree bark, was tied neatly at the back of his head, partially held back by a black forehead protector. The boy was barefoot on the soft grass, wearing a simple, dark training shirt and shorts.
When the boy noticed her staring, his head whipped towards her at lightning speed. Sakura gasped when she saw the strange boys face, noticing his familiar features. It's Neji.
The Hyuga seemed to recognize her, as he raised his eyebrow and looked expectantly at her direction. At a loss of what to do, the two genin stood staring at each other from across the compound, unsure how to proceed. After a moment or two, Neji shook his head, turning back to the tree and resuming his routine as if Sakura wasn't even there. The kunoichi huffed, a little annoyed by him blatantly ignoring her. She sighed, shifting away and continuing towards her guide. It's not a big deal, she thought. It's not like we're friends.
Her escort led the kunoichi to the main house at the end of the courtyard once again, the golden engravings of the Hyuga symbol on the mahogany posts catching Sakura's eye. Sliding open the panel door, her shinobi guide unfastened his boots and placed them aside. Sakura followed suit, curling her bare toes on the cool tatami floor. The room looked about the same as it had the last time she had come, with a simple, wooden table in the center of the room. If she strained her ears hard enough, she could hear the soft sound of birds chirping outside in the sweet afternoon.
"Wait here." The guard gestured at the low table, before moving past her towards another set of sliding doors on the other side of the room. He disappeared into the depths of the main house, leaving Sakura alone in the bare room. The kunoichi walked over towards the table, plopping down on the tatami mat.
Luckily, she didn't have to wait long at all, as the guard popped back into the room at record timing. He gave Sakura a polite nod before walking past her, fastening his boots, and slipping out of the delicate sliding doors.
A few seconds after him, a young man appeared at the doorway. He wore a flowing black kimono, his bare feet just poking out of the lengthy hem. His hair was slicked back and spiky, the color of the soil just after it had rained. Two ghostly orbs contrasted heavily with his kimono and hair, accompanied by his pearl white skin to create a plain, yet striking appearance. If I wasn't so young, I would almost say he's attractive.
In the Hyuga's hand was a boiling pot of tea, which he set down on the center of the table along with three porcelain cups. Sakura looked on in confusion. Three? Her question was answered, however, when she heard the panel slid open and a young girl shuffled into the room.
"Hinata?" Sakura asked in confusion, but also in happiness of seeing her friend again. The girl's eyes widened in surprise at Sakura, before settling into a soft smile. She wore a casual lavender kimono, tied at the waist by white obi. Designs of clematis flowers bloomed all over the silk fabric, fading out into a deep violet at the hem. Her pale eyes were like that of a full moon, shining out against her midnight hair. Sakura suddenly felt a little underdressed compared to the two Hyugas, with only her plain red qipao top and pink skirt.
"Sakura," Hinata nodded, sitting down beside the older man. "Are you the one who needs a check-up?" She questioned softly, her words bathed in curiosity. Sakura nodded, eyes darting between her friend and the older man for an explanation.
The older Hyuga nodded his head at Sakura, catching her attention. "Nice to meet you, Haruno-san. My name is Ko, and I will be checking your pathways today. I'm also Hinata-san's caretaker, and since her father is attending to business matters, he asked me to look after her. She will be joining us today, is that okay?"
Sakura smiled politely at the man, nodding her acceptance. Ko reached over at the teapot, pouring the boiling liquid into the three cups, motioning her to pick one. She gratefully held the steaming cup to her face, inhaling the fresh aroma of the herbal tea. The warm steam rose to tickle her face, her hand fully encompassing the cup to soak up all the warmth.
"First things first," Ko spoke in the silence, breaking her reverie. "I'll need to check your pathways with my Byakugan. Are you currently experiencing any pain at the previously blocked areas?" Sakura shook her head, taking a small sip from her cup once it cooled down.
The Hyuga nodded. Setting down his teacup, he held two fingers in front of his face. "Byakugan!"
Veins popped out of his skin, covering his cheeks and temples like a spider web. His dojutsu roamed over Sakura's body, quickly scanning her form for anything unusual. Sakura shifted her weight from one side to the other, a little uncomfortable by his inspection. She was reassured, however, when Hinata picked up on her uneasiness and gave her a tiny smile.
"Your pathways look undamaged," Ko reported, releasing his Byakugan. The prominent veins on his temples vanished almost entirely, leaving behind smooth, unmarred skin. "That's all we needed to know. You are free to go, Haruno-san."
That's it? Sakura questioned skeptically. I thought this would take much longer. If all it took was a scan from the Byakugan, couldn't the guards out front have done the same thing? Nonetheless, she gave the older Hyuga a polite smile, thanking him warmly. Ko nodded back before standing up, moving towards the panel doors.
"I'll give you both a couple of minutes with each other," he spoke to both her and Hinata. He then turned his attention solely to Hinata. "Please meet me in the common room once you're done, Hinata-sama." The younger Hyuga nodded to Ko, who gave her a stiff smile before slipping out of the room.
As soon as the door slid shut, Sakura leaned forward, placing her elbows on the wooden table. "So tell me, Hinata," she began cheerfully, "how are you doing these days? We haven't been able to talk for a while."
The Hyuga leaned forward as well but maintained her stiff posture, largely due to her rigorous formal training as a Hyuga. "I- I'm doing well, Sakura. What about you?"
"I'm doing okay." The kunoichi paused, considering her next words. "Can I ask you a question?" Hinata nodded, waiting patiently for her to continue.
"If checking my chakra pathways only took a scan from the Byakugan, why didn't the guards out front just do the check-up themselves? Why did your caretaker have to do it?"
The Hyuga seemed to be caught off guard by the question, blinking a couple of times before pausing to think of a moment. "Well," she whispered carefully, "we...um...we have this system that only...um...only members of the main branch can handle important matters. So..."
The medic nodded, picking up what her friend meant immediately. The Hyuga clan is known for their strict social structure. If members of the branch family were to handle matters that were previously dealt with members of the main branch, it would reflect that they are somehow on the same level. So when only main members can handle certain cases, it enforces the divide between the branch family and the main family. Sakura sighed internally, almost rolling her eyes at the concept. Politics.
"I understand," Sakura smiled, sparing the Hyuga from having to explain the uncomfortable concept. "Anyway," she moved on, "how is the rest of your team? Are Kiba and Shino treating you well?"
Hinata nodded, a soft, easy smile on her face. "They are very nice. How are Sasuke and...um...N-Naruto-kun?"
That's right! Hinata had a crush on Naruto, Sakura remembered. She gave her friend a sweet smile, empathizing with her dilemma. It must be hard having feelings for that oblivious idiot.
"We're all doing well too," she replied. "There is a lot of training, though. Kakashi-sensei emphasizes teamwork very much, so we often do many team exercises and such-"
Wait. Sakura paused for a moment, an idea forming in her head. It would be nice to train with another team...
"What are you thinking, Sakura?" Hinata spoke softly, tilting her head at her sudden silence. The kunoichi grinned at her friend, excited by her new idea. Kakashi-sensei won't mind, right?
"What if our teams train together?" She proposed. "We can exchange tips and pointers, especially since your team specializes in tracking and we specialize in combat."
"Training with you, Sasuke, and...N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata stuttered, roses blooming on her cheeks. A deep blush colored her pale cheeks, her hands rising up to cover them. The pink-haired kunoichi felt a pinch of guilt looking at the sputtering Hyuga, wondering if she should not have made the offer.
"Unless you don't...?"
"No, no," the flustered Hyuga protested, waving her hands in front of her. "Th..that sounds like a gr-great idea!" Taking a deep breath, Hinata's shoulders relaxed, her blushing face cooling into a warm pink. A small smile, however, remained on her face. "I think that's a great idea, Sakura."
"Perfect," Sakura grinned, excited that her friend agreed. "We have a training session tomorrow on the west grounds, so why don't you all come over then?"
Hinata nodded, a hidden, lovesick smile still on her face. Almost unconsciously, Sakura's fingers brushed against the bracelet given to her by the old woman at the Land of Waves, rubbing against the cool stone longingly.
By the time Sakura left the Hyuga compound, street lights illuminated the Konoha streets. The crowds had lessened from the noon rush, yet were still decent in size and commotion. The kunoichi once again took to the rooftops, aiming to bypass most of the shoppers to get home. Hues of citrus and violet blended above her, casting the entirety of Konoha in an orangish glow. The kunoichi's shadow stood out against the vibrant orange rooftops, following her as she leaped across the alleyways and the narrow streets.
Sakura hopped past another marketplace when a flicker of blonde caught her eye. She paused, turning towards a collection of little shops on the street corner. A figure stood at the front of one of the shops, her cascading ponytail whipping left to right as she worked.
Ino? The time-traveler moved closer in curiosity. Surrounded by varieties of carnations and azaleas, Ino tended to the fragile plants, her powder blue eyes concentrated heavily on the delicate beauties. On top of her purple outfit was a lemon apron, stained with hues of soil and grass. It took a moment or two for the blonde to notice someone was watching her, but as soon as she did, she whipped her head up towards Sakura.
Meeting her eyes, Sakura tucked a pink lock behind her ear. After a couple of beats of awkward staring, she raised an uncertain hand to wave at Ino. The blonde wrinkled her nose, sticking out her tongue at the pink-haired kunoichi in a mocking manner. She then twirled around, heading back into her shop as if she couldn't stand the sight of her. Sakura sighed, shaking her head at the odd exchange, before continuing into the sunset.
It turned out that training with Hinata's team was not a bad idea. The next morning, the two teams met on the western training grounds, deciding to face off against each other in one-on-one spars as a way to train. They all put their names in a bucket, drawing random pairings to face off against each other.
Sakura had gone against Kiba, who at first used simple beast mimicry jutsu, trying to attack her with his elongated claws and enhanced speed. The kunoichi, however, had defeated much faster opponents in the past and had dodged his attacks with ease, counter-attacking with heavy punches and kicks of steel. Using her earth release jutsus, she managed to pressure him into a corner, forcing him and Akamaru to separate. Caging Akamaru in an earthen formation, Sakura went straight for Kiba, battering him with numerous taijutsu attacks. Eventually, she caught him off guard, twisting his arm so that he was pinned below her. The match ended with his surrender and poor Akamaru being released from his prison, who immediately ran to check on his master.
The second match was between Shino and Sasuke and was incredibly quick. Whereas Sakura won by wearing her opponent down, Sasuke won by destroying his opponent's arsenal, using his fire release jutsu to burn Shino's swarm insects. It didn't take long for the bug enthusiast to surrender, concerned about the well-being of his insects above all.
Unfortunately for Hinata, her name was pulled alongside Naruto's, who seemed delighted by the chance to face off against a Hyuga. The poor girl, however, had fainted immediately and forfeited the match, leading to a disappointed Naruto and a passed out Hyuga.
Once Hinata had woken up, the six shinobi had shared their latest experiences with missions and enemies, exchanging stories and catching up. Despite Sasuke and Shino's silence and Naruto and Kiba's constant challenges to spars, the two teams left on good terms with each other.
At the moment, Team Seven was sitting at the Ichiraku Ramen shop, waiting for their sensei to return from the hospital. For the past two days, he had been confined in his hospital bed against his will, constantly scolded by the nurses for attempting to sneak out and escape. Kakashi had eventually resigned to his situation, letting the doctors and nurses monitor him and check his wounded Sharingan.
"Another bowl, please!" Naruto held up his empty bowl towards Teuchi, who gave a hearty chuckle at the young bowl.
"Same old Naruto," he smiled, taking the bowl and disappearing to the back of his shop. Sakura stirred her bowl of ramen with her chopsticks, which was only halfway finished. She glanced at her blond teammate, who stretched his hands above his head before patting his stomach, satisfied. It never ceases to amaze me how fast Naruto inhales his ramen, the kunoichi shook her head.
"Here you go, boy," Teuchi grinned as he came back out to the stand, holding a piping hot bowl of noodles. "I put some extra pork in there for you."
"Thank you!" Naruto exclaimed before digging into his miso broth. The kunoichi beside him sighed, leaning her head against the palm of her hand.
"So, how's business?" She asked Teuchi, who seemed surprised at her question. He put down his ladle, wiping his hand on his apron before moving closer to her.
"Well thanks for asking, Sakura," he chuckled, his eyes wrinkled and happy. "I'm proud to say that business is booming. Honestly, more customers are coming to this shop than ever before! It could be because of this next item on our menu."
This caught Sakura's interest. "More customers?" She straightened her posture, leaning forward curiously. Ichiraku ramen has always been around, but it has never been as popular as other restaurants in the area.
"Yes," he confirmed, puffing out his chest in pride. "It seems as though there are more than double the amount of customers we usually have. I see more and more people on the streets every day. Ever since that sandstorm hit that poor village..."
Sandstorm? Sakura paused for a moment, recalling a distant memory in the back of her mind. That's right. In the Waves Mission, Tazuna mentioned something about Suna being hit by some natural disasters.
Before she could ask him to explain further, a certain white-haired shinobi popped into the small stand.
"Yo," Kakashi waved, sliding into the spot beside Naruto. He looked relatively the same since she had last seen him, with no evidence that he had been hospitalized at all. When Sakura squinted closely, however, she could see the faint outlines of bandages wrapped around his eye under his forehead protector.
"What took you so long, Sensei?!" Naruto yelled, noodles hanging out of his mouth as he shouted. Kakashi immediately shielded his face from the flying drops of ramen, as if it wasn't already protected by his forehead protector and his mask. Her blond teammate went on to rant about how their sensei was always making excuses, from black cats to flooded apartments. Sakura just ignored her teammate, already used to his loud yells, and proceeded to slurp her noodles.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke try to swipe some extra noodles from her bowl. She met his chopsticks with her own, giving him a firm glare and moving her ramen away from him. He narrowed his eyes at her in retaliation, but pulled his chopsticks back and went back to finishing his bowl of ramen.
"Well, I was filling out paperwork."
"Another excuse!" Naruto pointed out, his nose wrinkling at his teacher. "Tell us the truth, Sensei."
"It is the truth," Kakashi sighed, massaging his temples at his student's obnoxious voice. Naruto went silent for a moment at his pause, waiting for an explanation. The odd quiet caught Sakura's attention, who turned back towards her sensei in interest. His gaze traveled between his students, giving them each a meaningful look. "I'm signing you all up for the Chunin Exams."
Sakura dropped her chopsticks into her bowl.
"The Chunin Exams? What are those?"
"They're a series of tests, Naruto, to see which genin qualifies to become a chunin," Kakashi explained. "I think you all are capable of competing in the exams, so if you want to compete, then start packing your bags."
"Packing our bags?" Sakura chirped in confusion. "Aren't the exams here in Konoha?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No, Sakura. This year, the exams are in Suna."
Hi there everyone!
Sorry I took so long to update. I needed to get this chapter just write (you get it?). I hope you all are taking care of yourselves and your health during this time. Remember to stay calm, but take precautions!
For the story, we are now heading into a new arc: The Chunin Exams.
How do you think the exams will play out in Suna? What events will change, and how will the Konoha 12 interact with each other?
How will Sakura and Sasuke's relationship develop and change? What about Team Seven as a whole?
There are many hidden clues and hints of the upcoming plot in this chapter, so don't be afraid to pick at it.
To everyone who has reviewed my chapters and has left feedback, thank you so much. I take the time to read through each and every one of your guy's comments and reply. I really appreciate all of your support and interest :)
Thank you! Have an amazing week!
