"Sakura..." Ino cautiously glanced at Satsuki some distance away and lowered her voice. "Satsuki... she hasn't done anything to you, has she? Are you... getting along well with your teammates?"
Having once accidentally witnessed the proud second young lady of the Uchiha clan preparing such an ambiguous gift for someone, Ino had been left with an unforgettable psychological scar after being warned. Even now, there was a lingering trace of fear in her voice.
Sakura found it a little strange that her normally cheerful and confident friend seemed so timid. Was she just too nervous about the Chunin Exams? Still, she answered seriously.
"Yeah! Naruto and Satsuki both take great care of me. I'm really grateful to them. I feel so lucky to have been assigned to the same team as Satsuki! We're friends now."
"Ino, you know, don't be fooled by how cold Satsuki can seem. She's actually very gentle and considerate."
Sakura excitedly shared her joy with Ino, her cheeks faintly flushed with excitement.
But Ino was completely dumbfounded after hearing that. Gentle? Considerate? How could those two words possibly be used on that Uchiha?
Could it be... that Sakura was put under some strange genjutsu before every mission? No, their Jonin instructor shouldn't allow something like that...
"What a rare sight, everyone's here! Naruto! How have you been lately?"
Elsewhere, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino had also found their former classmates. With a bright grin, Kiba enthusiastically threw an arm around Naruto's shoulders, looking like they were the best of brothers.
Kiba and Naruto had a pretty good relationship now.
"Woof!"
Akamaru atop his head also barked excitedly, affectionately rubbing against Naruto's hair. The little ninja dog had always liked this boy, who often gently petted him and fed him delicious food.
"Kiba, it's been a long time."