I'll say it from now on, as an experienced ninja, I thought there was nothing that could surprise me or catch me off guard... Well, life has mysterious twists, otherwise how did I end up here...

The days passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was the night before the licensing exam. Classes and training had finally concluded.

Sakura stepped out of the bath, freshly showered and dressed. During the afternoon, Aizawa had spoken about the importance of special attacks and their relation to the licensing exam. There were certain words that echoed in her mind. You would face more experienced individuals whose abilities you didn't know. Why was Aizawa emphasizing it so much? That's when she realized what he meant.

She immediately started to laugh. Perhaps Aizawa was as devious as Kakashi-sensei, pushing them forward without revealing everything, similar to when she was twelve and he gave them the option to take the genin exam without mentioning that if one declined, the others couldn't proceed.

"Sakura?" Toru asked, approaching with Mina.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura responded. If Aizawa hadn't explained the meaning behind his words, she had no reason to do so either.

Toru and Mina, seeing that Sakura was okay, led her to the room where all the girls from Class 1-A had gathered for a girls' moment after a well-deserved bath.

Mina flopped heavily onto the sofa. "We trained way too hard," she complained.

"For now, we'll put it on pause to go take the exam tomorrow," Yaoyorozu said.

Each of the girls began to talk about their abilities and what they had in mind to further improve as future heroines. This time, Sakura simply sat quietly sipping her fruit juice, wishing it was sake, while listening to her friends. Since the fight with Bakugo, Sakura had felt more confident about her abilities and her future. Listening to others no longer caused her conflict because she had been doing the same.

"How about you, Sakura?" Toru asked.

"Doing great, I'm combining my chakra control with my medical knowledge," Sakura said optimistically.

"And you, Ochako?" Toru asked.

Uraraka was so absorbed in drinking her milk that she didn't hear them.

"Ochako?" Tsuyu asked, touching Uraraka's arm, who jumped. "You seem exhausted."

"No, not at all. I'm just getting started!" Uraraka exclaimed with a louder-than-usual tone of voice.

They all looked at her with genuine interest, noticing she seemed a bit more animated than usual.

"Or at least, I should be," Uraraka said, soon starting to blush as she smiled shyly. "My heart has been beating really fast lately."

"That's love!" Mina exclaimed, surprising and further reddening Uraraka.

Uraraka began to nervously stammer, searching for the right words.

"Tell us who it is," Mina insisted, excited. "Maybe Midoriya or Iida? You're always with them!"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Uraraka started to shout as, unconsciously, she began to float.

Soon, everyone's attention was focused on her, some trying to pry the information out of her about who the person was that made her heart race. Personally, Sakura remembered the day of the paired exam with Aoyama and Uraraka, reading Aoyama's lips as he mentioned Midoriya, and also remembered how nervous Uraraka was during the tests when she realized Midoriya was supporting her.

Both Asui and Yaoyorozu started saying it wasn't good to insist so much on finding out who Uraraka liked, even when she claimed it wasn't about that. Sakura was about to intervene when she saw Uraraka looking out the window, her face lit up in a special way that caught Sakura's attention. Seeing Midoriya training in the yard, Sakura smiled.

"You shouldn't pressure her if she doesn't want to talk about it," Sakura intervened, making a face.

That's when Sakura felt like maybe she shouldn't have spoken up, as Toru, Mina, and Jiro looked at her with interest.

"Jealous?" Jiro asked teasingly.

Sakura was left speechless, especially when Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and Tsuyu looked at her with some interest.

"Jealousy?" Sakura repeated, unable to process the word.

"It could be Midoriya, Bakugo, or Iida," Toru suggested, thinking of the boys Sakura spent more time with, which, overall, was more with them than with the girls.

"Don't forget Todoroki and Hawks," Mina added. Although Sakura didn't spend as much time with Hawks, they couldn't forget the chemistry between them on the island.

Before Sakura could say anything, she was interrupted by Yaoyorozu.

"But Sakura had said she loved Sasuke."

Now all eyes were on a speechless Sakura. So far, she was even more surprised because her thoughts about Sasuke as a couple had drastically diminished. Since she had been away from Konoha and had practically expanded her social circle, she hadn't thought of Sasuke romantically, at least not consistently. Was it really love she felt for him? Of course, she loved him, but... she wasn't sure if it was that kind of love. Did she know him well enough to say it was deep love, or perhaps it was an obsession? With what she had learned in this world and enough time to reflect, she questioned her feelings and what she wanted for herself...

"No," Sakura said, before realizing it.

At least Toru and Mina cheered with excitement. If Sakura had stopped feeling romantic love for Sasuke, it meant she had stopped occupying that place in her heart. The two began to bombard her with questions about each of the boys and why they would be a good fit for Sakura.

"Todoroki is a very attractive guy. But aren't you interested in him, Yaomomo?" Toru asked.

"What I feel for Todoroki is admiration. He's a great example as a future hero," clarified Yaoyorozu.

Sakura scrutinized Yaoyorozu's gaze. Although she seemed convinced that her feelings for Todoroki were admiration, Sakura perceived a slight blush and a particular sparkle in her eyes that made her doubt that assertion. Internally, Sakura wondered if Yaoyorozu was really telling the truth or if it was a truth she had convinced herself of.

"So, what about Midoriya and Bakugo? I think it should be Todoroki, Bakugo, or Midoriya. Sakura is so strong that she should be with someone strong like them. The three of them, along with Tokoyami, were the last ones standing to give Sakura a fight in the bell test. Unless the winner is Hawks," added Mina.

"Enough, tomorrow is the license exam and we need to sleep," Tsuyu intervened.

Although Toru and Mina complained, since everyone agreed, they had no choice but to accept that the talk about boys had come to an end.

Once settled in the new bed that Todoroki had bought, a futon so that the three of them could be more comfortable, Sakura found herself between the two boys. Since Todoroki tended to fall asleep early, both Sakura and Midoriya had adapted to his schedule and tried to fall asleep early, at least when they were in Sakura's room. Sometimes, when they stayed in Todoroki's room, they would tiptoe in and quietly slip onto the futon so as not to wake him up.

At that moment, Sakura was staring at the ceiling unable to fall asleep. Especially after Toru and Mina bombarded her with questions about any romance with the two boys she shared the room with. Now, because of that, she was more conscious of them as men than as friends, something she hadn't experienced since she was 12 years old.

She was especially worried that her friendship with Yaoyorozu and Uraraka would distance because they might think she liked one of the two, or maybe both. However, she wasn't willing to distance herself from her two friends, because that's what they were: friends.

"What's wrong, Sakura? Can't you sleep?" Midoriya whispered.

"You seem restless," added Todoroki.

Sakura smiled, feeling her face heat up as she was caught off guard. She thought she had been very still to avoid attracting Midoriya's attention, but even Todoroki had woken up.

"It's nothing, just thinking about tomorrow's exam," she tried to say, avoiding looking at either of the boys for more than a few seconds, fearing they would uncover her lie in the darkness of the night, when they could barely distinguish their faces.

"We've trained hard all these days," Midoriya commented.

"And if someone doesn't pass, we just have to keep striving to achieve it. Although I don't think you'll have any problems," added Todoroki.

Sakura felt a warm hug of confidence spread through her chest. Her two friends believed in her and in themselves to pass the exam. In a way, they were right. It wasn't time to think about boys, but to focus on the exam the next day. She just hoped nothing would prevent them all from successfully passing the test.

"Thank you. Good night," Sakura said before closing her eyes.

Sakura was sleeping peacefully until suddenly she felt the right side of the bed move and the weight of it shift. Opening her eyes, she found Shoto on top of her, his face very close. Sakura didn't even blink.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked calmly, much calmer than a normal person would.

"Sakura, we can't go on like this. You and I have to accept it. Since I met you, I haven't been able to stop looking at you. I can't take my eyes off you every time you enter the room. You matter to me and I want to be your support, always," Todoroki said softly, trying not to wake up Midoriya. "I want to be important to you, not just as a friend."

Before Sakura had time to process the information, Todoroki leaned in and their lips met in a somewhat clumsy and inexperienced kiss that left Sakura speechless. However, Todoroki's body heat was as comforting as his weight on her, and before she knew it, she began to respond very slowly until Todoroki pulled away so they could see each other's faces.

Sakura was about to speak when she felt a gaze beside her. There was Midoriya, watching them like a hawk, and for the first time he didn't seem blush or surprised.

"I-Izuku," Sakura stammered. This was a misunderstanding. While it was true that Todoroki was on top of her and yes, she had responded to his kiss, it didn't mean they had a relationship— I...

"I've always been shy around women," Midoriya began to say. "Just the thought of approaching or looking at a woman made me stutter. Women at my school didn't look at me. Uraraka was the first to encourage me, but you were the first to unconditionally approach me. Finally, I can say that I'm happy to approach you, and that's why I want you to see me as a man and not as your brother."

Now Sakura felt like a fish out of water. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly unable to believe what was happening. Above all, the determined look of the innocent Midoriya and Todoroki's wandering hand touching her waist.

Sakura's heart began to race. The boys' words seemed so sincere that she could feel her face flushing. Her surprise was greater when Midoriya gathered courage and leaned in, taking her face and kissing her, and to top it off, Todoroki, not wanting to be left behind, began to plant kisses on her neck, and his hand slid under Sakura's shirt until it reached one of her breasts.

Sakura let out a moan into Midoriya's lips. Her whole body felt hot and every nerve was hypersensitive. She gripped one of the pillows tightly as Midoriya slid his tongue into her mouth and Todoroki's hand started to move down and down until it reached the small shorts Sakura was wearing.

That's when she couldn't take it anymore. She pushed the two boys away and ran out of the room aimlessly. She ran through the hallways until, upon reaching the common room, a hand in the darkness grabbed her and pulled her. She was about to start fighting, but stopped when she saw it was only Bakugo.

"What the hell are you doing at this hour?" Bakugo asked.

Still feeling a little disoriented by what had just happened and with her heart pounding a mile a minute, Sakura had to lick her lips and take a deep breath to try to regain her sanity, if she hadn't lost her mind without realizing it.

"I could say the same to you," Sakura replied after a moment.

She stayed still as Bakugo's hand approached her lip and examined it carefully. Bakugo's furrowed brow deepened, making Sakura nervous.

"Your lips are swollen. Who the hell kissed you?" Bakugo said in a low, dangerous voice.

Sakura pushed Bakugo's hand away. Of course she wasn't going to say who, or rather, whom, had kissed her. Though she didn't know how to feel about it, she wasn't going to make the situation public.

To her surprise, Bakugo took her chin and forced her to look at him again, his left arm leaning against the wall above Sakura.

"Don't think about anyone else when you're with me," Bakugo said, irritated, before kissing her.

Sakura's mind went blank. Before she knew it, Bakugo was holding her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Bakugo's hands slowly moved downwards until he gave Sakura's bottom a squeeze, closing the gap between them in the midst of the intense kiss Bakugo led.

When Sakura felt Bakugo's squeeze, she pushed him away and ran out to the courtyard, as far away from the house as possible. With emotions and adrenaline coursing through her veins, she began to run around the academy so fast that even Lee would be proud of her.

"Princess? Are you alright?" Hawks said, descending in front of Sakura and halting her impromptu training.

"Hawks? What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, licking her lips. She would clearly be surprised if not for the chaos of the night, and that was even before the full moon.

"Aww, and here I wanted to surprise you," Hawks complained.

"Why are you here? Did something happen with the pills?" Sakura asked immediately. Hawks' presence there wasn't a good sign.

To her puzzlement, Hawks pouted like a small child whose plans weren't going as expected. He even brought his hand hidden behind his back, revealing a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers that Sakura unconsciously took.

"Hawks?" Sakura asked cautiously. Her night had been so chaotic that her mind didn't dare to thoroughly analyze what was happening.

"I'm still worried about the time you yelled at me over the phone, so I came to make amends," Hawks replied.

Sakura sighed with relief and a little embarrassment. It seemed like the most normal and reasonable thing of the night, especially coming from one of the quirkiest people she had met so far.

"Okay, Hawks. Like I said, I'm sorry, I didn't feel well those days. I hope we can put everything behind us," Sakura said, showing a small, shy smile. "You should be careful, women would surely want to see me dead if they see you giving me flowers."

Suddenly, Hawks grew serious and took Sakura's hand.

"Princess, what do I have to do to make you take me seriously?" There was a hint of melancholy in his voice. He raised Sakura's hand and kissed the back of it. "Even if you don't believe me, I'll say it as many times as necessary until you do. I'm serious enough to say that I want you to only look at me, and patient enough to wait, if you allow me, until you're legally an adult for us to be together. Or if you don't care about public opinion as much as I do, be mine from now on."

Sakura was left speechless, especially when Hawks pulled her close and kissed her.

At that moment, Sakura opened her eyes and looked around with heavy breaths. She was back in the room, with Todoroki and Midoriya sleeping peacefully on each side. She had to wait a few moments until her breathing normalized and her restless mind began to reason.

She remembered the conversation with the girls just before falling asleep and decided that talking about boys before bed was a bad idea, and that they were a bad influence by playing with her mind. She stared at Todoroki and Midoriya, starting to feel bad for Uraraka and Yaoyorozu, respectively, until she shook her head from side to side.

"What am I thinking? It's just a dream. Tomorrow is the exam, I better go back to sleep," Sakura thought, trying to forget the agitated and crazy dream before closing her eyes and forcing herself to sleep again.

After many tears and long hours of work, even beyond the limits of their abilities to perfect their special moves with their quirks, they finally stood in front of the stadium where they would take the exam to obtain their license. The moment that once seemed distant was now before them, and nervousness began to creep in as they contemplated the imposing building before their eyes.

There was no turning back.

"What will I do? I wonder if I'll pass," Mineta said, visibly nervous.

Aizawa, who had accompanied them on the journey, stepped in front of Mineta.

"Don't wonder, just do it," the teacher said.

Although Mineta nodded, his nerves still lingered within him. It was then that Aizawa looked at each of his students, as calm and unconcerned as the first day he met them.

"If you pass the exam and get your license, you won't be rookies anymore. You'll be semi-professional heroes. Strive for it."

With those words, several of the kids felt motivated, driven by the idea of no longer being rookies and reaching their goal of becoming the best.

"Let's do what we always do," Kirishima said. Sakura was one of the few who saw a boy from another school approach Kirishima and Kaminari from behind, which made her unconsciously go on guard. "One, two. Say 'Plus'."

"Ultra!" Kirishima, Kaminari, and the boy shouted in unison.

Near the boy Sakura couldn't identify from the school, others of his classmates appeared, all wearing the same uniform. This group consisted of a girl, a purple-haired boy, and a tall one whose hair covered his entire body.

"You shouldn't meddle in other groups, Inasa," the purple-haired boy said.

"I'm sorry," Inasa replied. "I'm extremely sorry!"

Almost everyone was startled when Inasa bowed so deeply that his head hit the floor. If it weren't for Sakura being intrigued by the boy's peculiarity, she would have offered to heal the wound he had caused himself by straightening up. From where she stood, she could see Aizawa and some of his friends recognizing him, although it seemed to be for different reasons.

"That uniform is from the West school," Kirishima said.

Sakura observed those who would be their opponents in the test, especially after hearing that they came from an elite institution that rivaled U.A. She took a moment to memorize the name Shiketsu when Bakugo mentioned it.

"It's a great honor to fight against your students!" Inasa shouted before his classmates called him.

Only Sakura received a second glance from all of them before they left. The looks from the students of Shiketsu were invigorating for Sakura. It was a gesture that recognized her as a rival, and she was more than ready to reciprocate. Knowing they were prepared to face the best school filled her with excitement, especially upon learning that Inasa had been one of the top recommendations and yet did not enter U.A.

Why hadn't he entered the academy?

"It's strange, but well, keep an eye on him," Aizawa said.

"Eraserhead?" asked a feminine voice, causing Aizawa to flinch.

A green-haired girl approached Aizawa and spoke to him familiarly, despite him looking visibly uncomfortable. For some reason, Sakura began to feel sympathy for Aizawa when she saw the heroine joking with her teacher, although she understood why the smiling heroine, Miss Joke (as she heard Midoriya call her), approached to speak with the serious Aizawa.

"If you're here, that means..."

"Right, come on, kids, it's U.A.," Miss Joke intervened.

The kids approached them with spirited attitudes.

"Wow! Is it really them?" said the short-haired, black-haired boy.

"It's incredible! I saw them all on TV!" added the blonde girl next to him.

The black-haired boy who introduced himself as Shindo took the hands of some of Class 1-A randomly, praising their bravery in facing villains.

"You must be Haruno. You've shown to be great and set a very high standard by fighting against that fearsome villain," Shindo said, addressing Sakura with a smile.

Sakura simply smiled faintly, saying nothing. Then, Shindo turned his attention to Bakugo.

"You must be Bakugo. It must have been tough dealing with the Kamino incident. You have a particularly strong heart. Today, I'll strive and learn from you. I hope you don't mind," Shindo said, extending his hand towards Bakugo.

Bakugo brushed his hand aside with a brusque gesture.

"Quit pretending. What you're saying doesn't match your look," Bakugo responded, with his typical bluntness.

Both Sakura and Shindo smiled for the same reason. However, Sakura's smile was broader, finding it amusing that Bakugo had already figured out what obtaining the U.A. license implied.

"Hey, don't be rude! Apologize, will ya?" Kirishima intervened, embarrassed by his friend's attitude.

To the surprise of Class 1-A members, Sakura approached and rested her arm on Bakugo's shoulder, defiantly, while looking at Shindo.

"Go ahead, today we'll also learn from you. After all, as everyone knows, we've overcome all obstacles," Sakura said.

Her friends were confused and a little mortified to see Sakura seemingly going along with Bakugo instead of conflicting with him as usual. Kirishima was in the middle of offering apologies both for Bakugo and Sakura, while the latter kept staring defiantly at Shindo, who took a step back feeling the implicit pressure behind her gaze.

"All right. It's the strength of your hearts," Shindo said, trying to downplay the incident.

The blonde-haired girl interrupted the moment by asking for Todoroki's autograph, leaving Sakura curious. She wasn't sure if the request was genuine or if it was a subtle way of signaling that they were aware of who they were.

"Hey, change and head to your orientation," ordered Aizawa, interrupting the interaction.

As they headed to change, Jiro and Kaminari excitedly commented on feeling like celebrities there, lifting the group's spirits. Sakura, upon hearing their words, sighed silently and was surprised to realize she sounded like Shikamaru.

Unlike her, Sakura noticed that Miss Joke seemed surprised.

"Didn't you tell them, Eraser?" the heroine asked.

Eraser continued walking, ignoring Miss Joke's question. However, Sakura, who had lagged behind, decided to respond.

"Why should he have? Our sensei might seem laid-back, but he didn't tell us to not burden us unnecessarily," Sakura explained, letting a small smile slip as her eyes narrowed. "Besides, what I said is true. We've overcome many obstacles, and this is nothing compared to that. Underestimating us would be a mistake."

"Sakura, why aren't you changing?" Aizawa interrupted.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Sakura replied before hurrying to catch up with her friends.

Once seated in her chair, Miss Joke couldn't help but think about the serious and solemn image of Sakura she had seen on television. Here, she seemed like a more relaxed girl, enjoying the company of her classmates in a carefree manner.

"I think you like this class," Miss Joke remarked. "After all, you brought twenty-one students. Are you sure they'll be okay? It's difficult for them to pass if everyone knows their quirks."

"There was no reason to tell them. They have to overcome all sorts of obstacles. A hero solves adverse situations. Everyone will know their gifts when they're heroes, including the villains, so we're one step ahead."

Once inside the space where all the candidates gathered, the U.A. students realized they were many. The crowd was so large that it barely seemed like they all fit. They waited patiently until Mera, from the Hero Public Safety Commission, made his presentation. Internally, Sakura wondered if she should suggest a nutrient pill to him, as he seemed very tired and could get sick at any moment if he didn't rest well. What she didn't know is that what she was thinking she said out loud, and her friends collectively thought that wasn't a good idea.

"Out of the 1540, you'll have to face each other, and only the top 100 will pass," Mera began, frightening more than half of the students. He explained the details of the test, including the devices they would have to wear on their bodies, the balls, and the accumulation of three hits to another person to pass.

Midoriya and the others began to realize that the exam would be more challenging than they expected, as only ten percent passed. They needed to devise a strategy to advance to the next round.

"Well, if during the Chunin Exam Anko had given us this test instead of taking us to the Forest of Death after making us sign a liability waiver in case we died, we could have avoided the deaths of some genin and my team's troubles, and faced Orochimaru, who almost killed us, all because of obsessing over Sasuke," Sakura casually commented, unaware that she was speaking aloud.

Midoriya and the others, as well as those nearby, lost focus upon hearing Sakura's mundane words. They went pale. Now that they thought about it, this exam sounded incredible.

Once they were given the balls and allowed to find a place to position themselves before the fight began, Midoriya began to say that they shouldn't separate, as together they could fight better. However, Sakura was unimpressed when Bakugo said he wasn't going to stay with them and left, followed by Kirishima and Kaminari.

What did leave her speechless was seeing Todoroki also decide to go, and alone, with the excuse that it was less difficult for him to use his quirk in such a large group. With no time to waste, the rest of the class started running.

"It's better if we all stick together," Midoriya began to say.

"Why?" Mineta asked.

"Because they already know our abilities."

"They investigated us?" Uraraka asked.

"Of course. The festival!" Iida said, impressed, once he realized.

Sakura finally smiled openly as she felt the adrenaline rush through her veins with excitement.

"Exactly. They think we're the prey," Sakura replied.

When the alarm sounded, the UA class was immediately surrounded by several students from other schools. Sakura lazily thought that the easiest thing would be to cast a genjutsu to protect everyone and emerge victorious, but if they wanted to win, her friends would have to do it with their own effort. The class, who had been practicing, began to counterattack. None of them were ready to give up, especially not so early in the exam.

Among them, Sakura calmly dodged all the attacks. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the balls turning into stones by Shikkui Makabe, Shindo's companion, with assistance from Toteki, who launched the balls from the ground. The stones went flying, and Mina disintegrated almost all of them, except for some that flew straight at Sakura, who caught them with her hand.

"This is easier to catch than a shuriken or a kunai, which are sharper and smaller," Sakura said before exerting force and turning them into dust. "Is this all you've got?"

Shindo, who was watching UA students counter the attacks, admitted they had improved since the festival.

"Good," Shindo said excitedly. "Back off! Their defenses seem strong."

Shindo brought his hands to the ground, ready to launch his next attack.

The ground began to move and break apart, causing them to scatter. When the tremor ended, Sakura smiled at finding herself alone.

"Not bad," she said with a grin.

Omake:

Class 1-A was heading to the location for the provisional hero license exam. Each had taken their seat, and several of them glanced towards one particular seat: Sakura's, who was accompanied by Koda. Most of those watching her were curious, and Koda, seated beside her, was sweating with worry.

Sakura had her head resting against the windowpane, with a blue aura around her. Dark circles under her eyes betrayed her lack of sleep.

Jiro, Sato, Ashido, and Mina bombarded her with sweets and energy food that she had requested since they went to the common area for breakfast. Several of her friends had asked her what was wrong with her. Even Kaminari and Kirishima cheered her on, thinking it was exam anxiety. In reality, she dared not say she was tired because she had spent the whole night dreaming about Hawks, Bakugo, Midoriya, and Todoroki.

Knowing she needed energy, she reached into her ninja pouch and pulled out a jar of energy pills she had prepared herself, and swallowed it without hesitation. Several of her classmates gasped.

"She swallowed the pill without even flinching," Oijiro said, surprised.

"Maybe she's already lost her tongue from making so many pills and meals, like Todoroki did from eating them," Aoyama commented.

Hello! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! As I mentioned, the next chapter can be read in advance on my Ko-fi page! Also, I was wondering who Sakura ends up with among the guys because my options are Bakugo, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Hawks as you may have seen in this chapter. Since I didn't want to go for just one, I've decided to create a second version of this fanfic that will be exclusively published on my Ko-fi page! Who will be the other couple or couples for Sakura in the second version?

ko fi /mayurakarin