"A ninja is someone who uses Chakra to fight!"
"I already taught you how to use Chakra last week!"
"Does anyone remember?"
During the Ninja Academy's first class of the morning, Iruka, who had a scar across the bridge of his nose, decided to review the material he had covered before starting the lesson.
Iruka swept his gaze around the classroom. Some students were playing with dogs, some were spacing out, and some were secretly eating snacks...
Seeing this, a vein bulged on Iruka's forehead. Just as he was about to lose his temper, a small hand rose into the air.
"Alright, Sakura. You answer."
Seeing the little girl in the class raise her hand, Iruka's expression improved considerably.
"Chakra is a kind of energy extracted by combining a person's physical energy with spiritual energy."
"Combined with Hand Seals, it can..."
Haruno Sakura recited the explanation of Chakra expressionlessly.
Since she had decided to become the very best, she naturally could not miss any opportunity to stand out.
Although this did not suit Sakura's personality, she was willing to go all out to obtain the Yin Seal.
"Completely correct. Please sit down."
Iruka had Sakura take her seat, then looked toward the back row of the classroom, suppressing the urge to beat someone up.
"Naruto! Kiba! Choji!"
"Go stand outside the classroom as punishment!"
Haruno Sakura watched it all without expression, then took out her notes as Iruka began the morning's lesson.
Whenever she encountered something she did not understand, she immediately raised her hand to ask. She would not let a single gap in her knowledge remain.
By the end of the morning, Haruno Sakura looked at her notebook, packed full of notes, and sighed.
There was still a long road ahead...
"Huh? Sakura, you seem especially serious today~~"
A pale blond head leaned over. Looking at the densely packed contents of the notebook, she could not help but exclaim in surprise.
"When have I ever not been serious?"
Haruno Sakura closed her notebook and looked at Yamanaka Ino, who had leaned in.
"What I mean is, you're especially serious today."
Yamanaka Ino spoke with a serious expression.
Suddenly, she seemed to notice something surprising. Looking at Haruno Sakura's casually loose pink hair, she asked,
"Where's the hair ribbon I gave you before?"
"It was too troublesome to wear every day, so I stopped wearing it."
Haruno Sakura put her notebook into the desk, took out her lunchbox, and spoke casually.
"Huh? I feel like Sakura is a completely different person today."
Yamanaka Ino curiously leaned close and examined Haruno Sakura carefully.
Not only was she not wearing a hair ribbon, she was not wearing a little dress either. She had on nothing but an ordinary black short-sleeved shirt, white ninja pants, and a pair of ninja sandals.
She looked simple, almost like a boy.
"Is that so?"
Haruno Sakura remained calm and ignored Yamanaka Ino clinging to her. She only planned to find somewhere quiet to eat, then find a place to practice Chakra control.
After all, she had already extracted Chakra. Basic training like Tree Climbing and Water Walking should be put on the agenda as well.
"Sakura! Wait for me!"
Seeing Haruno Sakura head outside alone, Yamanaka Ino hurriedly chased after her.
Under a large tree at the edge of the training field, Haruno Sakura sat quietly, eating the lovingly made dumplings her mother had packed.
Meanwhile, Yamanaka Ino still stuck close to her, chattering nonstop.
Haruno Sakura did not dislike her. Since she had chosen to accept her fate, she would have to accept it all.
Suddenly, a commotion came from the distance.
In the shadows, several Ninja Academy students surrounded a Blond Kid, pointing at him. After a few harsh words, they started fighting.
There was no question about it—the Blond Kid got beaten up.
Seeing this, Ino beside her could not help but say,
"That guy is getting bullied again."
Her tone was calm. Clearly, he had gone through this sort of thing so often that she no longer found it strange.
"Why does everyone bully him?"
Haruno Sakura swallowed the food in her mouth and suddenly spoke.
"Huh?"
"Sakura, what's gotten into you today? Why would you ask something like that?"
Ino looked at her best friend in confusion.
Sakura had seen this kind of situation plenty of times before, hadn't she?
Sakura was so strange today...
Seeing that the Ninja Academy students were clearly a year or two older than the Blondie, Haruno Sakura put down her chopsticks and walked over step by step.
After all, he was her future teammate and the future savior of the world. She might as well help him out...
"Huh? Sakura, what are you doing?"
Ino grew anxious as she watched Haruno Sakura walk toward the shadows.
What exactly was wrong with Sakura today?
"Stop!"
Her clear voice rang out in a youthful shout.
Everyone's gaze immediately turned toward Haruno Sakura.
The Blondie, lying helplessly on the ground, also looked over instinctively.
A pink-haired girl stood beneath the sunlight, staring this way with righteous indignation.
Her pink hair glimmered under the sun, almost dazzling enough that the Blondie could barely keep his eyes open.
"What? It's just a girl."
The leading Ninja Academy student looked at Haruno Sakura disdainfully, his tone flippant and unconcerned.
"Get lost, or we'll beat you up too!"
The other lackeys also glared at Haruno Sakura with displeasure.
"I already told Iruka-sensei that you're bullying someone here."
"If you don't want your parents called, you'd better let him go."
Haruno Sakura looked calmly at the group of thugs, though her fists had already clenched.
The small amount of Chakra she had was gathered in her hands.
"Hah?"
"You think a lousy excuse like that will let you stand up for this kid?"
"Do you even know who he is?"
They clearly dismissed Haruno Sakura's words and did not care in the slightest.
As he spoke, he kicked the Blondie on the ground again.
"Who he is doesn't matter. Bullying him is wrong, and it goes against the Hokage's Will of Fire."
Haruno Sakura's delicate brows drew together.
"Tsk... Get her!"
At the mention of the Will of Fire, the leading Ninja Academy student's expression darkened. He immediately ordered his two underlings to rush Haruno Sakura!
"Watch out! Get out of the way!"
The Blondie on the ground finally spoke.
Facing the Ninja Academy students rushing at her, who were clearly a year or two older, Haruno Sakura's expression did not change in the slightest.
Fighting was what she was best at!
She let out a soft breath and drove her Chakra-infused fist straight into the other boy's face!
Bang!
To everyone's surprise, the Ninja Academy student was sent flying backward!
He crashed heavily onto the ground!
"Huh?"
Haruno Sakura stared blankly at the scene. Was she really this strong?
"Wow! Sakura, you're amazing!"
At that moment, Ino jumped out and praised Haruno Sakura.
"B-Boss, she's the Yamanaka clan's young lady..."
The boy clearly knew Ino's identity and spoke hesitantly.
"Tsk... That kid got lucky. Let's go!"
Before you continue