An Ordinary Life Full of Hidden Undercurrents

With a gentle turn of her wrist, Sakura's Chakra returned the shoes to their original positions.

Sakura's mother looked at her with exasperation. "You're so lazy, you won't even bend down..."

Sakura, shameless as ever, pretended not to hear.

Laughing, he deactivated the Transformation Technique, revealing himself to his mother covered in water and mud after the practice session.

Before she could get angry, Sakura rushed into her room.

The sound of her mother's anger lingered behind her.

"You brat, if you're going out in that outfit, you can forget about training. You're asking for trouble again, aren't you!"

"I'll do the laundry myself later, no need for you to do it!"

"You washed it so clean, but now I have to wash it all again! And you just stepped in without slippers; I just wiped the floor clean!"

My feet are much cleaner than your floor!

"And your clothes are soaked and sticking to your body, aren't you ashamed of yourself at your age!"

"I used Transformation Technique! You can't see me, you can't see me!"

"No skill will do! A girl like you..."

"La la la, I'm taking a shower, I can't hear anything~!"

And a laugh as clear and melodious as silver bells.

The bathtub in the house is very spacious.

Warm water washed over my shoulders; curled up in the water, enveloped in warmth, I felt a sense of comfort.

The worry that had been weighing on Bai's mind was finally put to rest.

The intense sparring with Naruto had taken a toll on her stamina. She had been on edge Chunin Ninja Exams and took this opportunity to relax.

Lying here like this, I don't want to move at all.

He just casually fiddled with the water in the bathtub, humming an incomprehensible tune.

I cleared my mind, not thinking about Orochimaru, the Chunin Ninja Exams, training, the Konoha Crush Plan, and other worries.

It wasn't until the water cooled down and her mother called her a few times from outside the door that she got up to wipe the water dry.

Looking through the mirror, I could see my upper body; my features gradually unfolded, revealing a touch of heroism in my delicate eyebrows.

Those bright, emerald-green eyes exuded a leisurely languor.

He casually wrapped himself in a bath towel and pushed open the door to go out. There was only a woman at home, so there was no need to mind.

Her frivolous behavior naturally drew a few more words of nagging from her mother, but she shamelessly accepted them all, sat down at the table, picked up her chopsticks and secretly ate a few bites of food, then smiled and coaxed her mother, saying things like the food was super delicious.

He then praised the old woman so much that she felt embarrassed to scold her again.

"Like a glutton! You don't even know how to behave properly when there are guests!" Mom scolded with a laugh.

Sakura's empty stomach was already rumbling, so she couldn't bother arguing and just buried her head in her food, while Bai watched from the side, secretly amused.

There was no training in the afternoon.

Naruto was taken away by Jiraiya for training, Sasuke was receiving individual tutoring from Kakashi, and Sakura could arrange her own training for the next month.

You can choose to research new Ninjutsu on your own, or learn Ice Release from Haku.

She had long admired the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals move for a long time.

However, there was no time this afternoon.

Bai just got back and immediately dragged her to cultivate; that's just too inhumane.

Moreover, I also have to accompany Bai to buy personal items.

Towels, toothbrushes, clothes, etc. When Bai returned, the Interrogation Department left her nothing.

Sakura's mother made a long list, and Sakura looked at it carefully before realizing that a girl would need so many personal items. Sakura didn't know that she also had a set, but it was kept at the bottom of the ninja tool collection and had never been used.

Before leaving the house, she even put on light makeup for Bai. The mother looked so excited, as if she wanted to vent all the frustration she had endured over the years on Bai's face.

Bai, with her light makeup, is stunningly beautiful. The dress that Sakura disliked as too effeminate, looks perfect on Bai.

Her fair legs were visible beneath the knee-length skirt.

Standing quietly, she resembled an orchid, detached from the world.

A peerless beauty dwells in a secluded valley...

Thin sleeves of emerald green, leaning against tall bamboo at dusk.

Walking down the street, you get a lot of attention.

Ninjas also have emotions and desires; they are not emotionless robots. When they see a beautiful woman, they will pay attention and unconsciously slow down to take a second look.

Ordinary people with weaker willpower looked back even more frequently.

Bai had never seen anything like this before, and a slight blush crept onto his face.

Absolutely adorable.

Although Haku is three years older than Sakura, one is a gentle and kind girl, while the other is a time traveler. When they are alone, it is more like Sakura is taking care of her younger sister Haku.

Neither of them had the habit of loitering around.

Following the list, they efficiently bought everything on it without being too picky. While most girls like to wander aimlessly while shopping, this couple followed the list meticulously and efficiently.

Seeing that it was still early, Sakura pulled Shiro along to go to the Ninja Tool Street.

Although the list given by my mother was detailed, it didn't include anything ninjas used. While a standard set of equipment would be issued upon joining the ninja profession, qualified ninjas would receive additional equipment and protective gear.

For example, the white Senbon.

Although Bai was unwilling to engage in too much fighting and killing, he still needed some basic weapons for self-defense.

As you enter a ninja tool shop called Purple Abyss, a young man doing odd jobs greets you with great enthusiasm.

"Gentlemen, what would you like to see? I recently acquired a batch of ninja tool accessories, in various colors and styles. Would you two like to take a look?"

They treated the two as ordinary common girls.

Ninjas held a high social status and had a cool appearance, which is why many ordinary children liked to dress up as ninjas, just like military enthusiasts in their previous lives.

Bai's ordinary girl attire caused a misunderstanding among the shop assistants. Sakura, too lazy to do much, simply lifted the Forehead Protector that was covered by her collar and placed it in front of her neck, the shiny ninja Forehead Protector immediately dazzling him.

"Excuse me, sirs," he quickly corrected himself, "What do you need? Our shop sells all kinds of ninja tools, well-made and at reasonable prices..."

"Let's take a look first," Sakura interrupted him calmly.

I casually picked up a pair of black fingerless gloves. They were very durable. I tried them on and moved my fingers and palms around. I couldn't tell what material the gloves were made of. They were thin, close-fitting, and had a delicate feel. My slender, delicate fingers moved lightly without any stickiness.

Sakura nodded in satisfaction, took off her gloves and handed them to Shiro: "Try them, they feel pretty good."

After trying on a few more pairs, I kept the one that felt the best and decided on it as my first piece of equipment.

When asked how much the Senbon cost, the young man helplessly replied that the store was out of stock and told them to try looking elsewhere.

This street is full of shops selling ninja tools; just look around a few and you're sure to find some.

After leaving Purple Abyss, he entered the second ninja tool shop, only to almost bump into someone who was leaving.

"Cherry?"

Hinata?

What a coincidence!

"Ah, who is this...?" Hinata, slightly surprised.

Facing Sakura, his eyes were fixed on Shiro.

"She is--"

Just as I was hesitating about how to introduce Bai, I saw Bai step forward on his own initiative.

"Yuki Haku is Sakura's friend. You can just call me Haku. Hello."

Somewhat surprised, she looked at Haku, who was smiling and introducing himself to Hinata in a very natural and confident manner.

"Ah... I'm Hinata, Hinata Hyuga Sakura Ninja Academy. Hello." Hinata smiled serenely.

"Are you looking to buy ninja tools? This shop is Hyuga Clan, and we can give you a 20% discount! Come in and take a look!"

The two of them actually walked in hand in hand.

Can female friendships be established in just two short self-introductions?

It still feels a bit unbelievable.

After buying a few items at the Hyuga Clan's shop, Hinata, along with Haku and Sakura, visited a few more shops and completed their gear collection.

Hinata's addition gave the trio a slightly more "girls shopping" feel.

At least unlike Sakura, who doesn't consider aesthetics at all when choosing things.

For example, a pair of wristbands made her fair wrists appear even whiter and more slender, but they had little effect. Sakura would never have bought them, but the two girls bought them very happily.

The two seemed like old friends. Although Haku didn't talk much, he always had a faint smile on his face, quietly listening to Hinata talk, nodding occasionally to agree, or whispering a few words.

Sakura, on the other hand, felt like she couldn't get a word in edgewise.

On the way back, Bai asked.

"Is Hinata Sakura's best friend?"

Sakura thought about it carefully and answered solemnly, "Yes, one of my best friends!"

Bai then smiled softly.

When asked again, she refused to laugh anymore.

At the same time--

Meanwhile, Naruto and Jiraiya had left Konoha and arrived in a town.

A weary Naruto is training in the Summoning Technique under Jiraiya's guidance.

According to his idea, Naruto is most likely to draw out the Nine-Tails 'Chakra when he is extremely tired and has run out of Chakra, so that he can complete the Summoning Technique in one go.

Although there has been no progress so far, this is only the first step.

Jiraiya was confident that he could get Naruto to finish his training before the third exam and find Tsunade to bring her back to Konoha.

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, it's already the final week.

A training ground in Konoha where a river flows.

The ground was covered with smooth, mirror-like ice and Kunai Senbon.

Heavy breathing could be heard coming from the two girls who were facing off.

"As expected of you, Sakura!" the girl with long, straight black hair said with a smile!

P. S. [Happy Winter Solstice!... Yesterday's events affected my mood a bit, and I didn't manage to write anything last night. I should take these things in stride in the future. I'm not considering switching platforms for now, since everyone is used to reading on Qidian.]