Sakura Was Kidnapped?

"Sakura, are you okay?"

Naruto crouched in the bushes, watching Sakura return, and asked with concern.

"Honestly, Teacher Cangwu is so biased. He kicked us in the butt, but you got—"

Thud—

"Shut up! If you can't talk properly, don't talk!" Tears still glistened in the corner of Sakura's eyes.

Hearing Naruto bring it up again, she punched him without hesitation.

Naruto rubbed the lump on his head, looking utterly defeated.

Why did I get hit again?

"Idiot."

Sasuke added from the side.

This time, Naruto didn't jump up and start arguing.

He was tired, hungry, and sleepy, and his young heart had taken a serious beating. He really didn't feel like moving.

Sakura secretly glanced at Cangwu, who had returned to sitting on the rock.

Her little face flushed red.

What kind of teacher would hit... would bully his students like that?

I was wrong about you!

But then, on second thought, it seemed that aside from the pain, it hadn't affected her ability to move.

It did count as a fairly light punishment.

But... but...

The more Sakura thought about it, the more muddled she became.

In the end, she felt wronged.

What did he mean, there's hardly any meat?!

She even lowered her head and looked.

One, two, three, four, five—her pale toes were clearly visible.

Sakura: "..."

You jerk of a teacher!

Nearby, Sasuke clenched his fists and stared fixedly at Cangwu.

He wasn't willing to lose his chance to become a ninja just like this.

Besides, by now, Sasuke had already confirmed one thing.

Cangwu definitely wasn't a Genin, and he had a powerful secret technique.

Not only could he ignore any attack, his speed also surpassed Sasuke's understanding.

It was as if he were an enemy who could use the Body Flicker Technique an unlimited number of times in battle.

And that wasn't all!

There wasn't even the slightest tell before he used his Body Flicker Technique.

The three of them just sat there, stunned in the bushes.

And with Naruto temporarily giving up, they were even less inclined to suggest working together to attack again.

Cangwu glanced at the time.

"When faced with an unbeatable enemy, running away is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Of course, you won't be able to complete today's test."

With that, Cangwu stood up and opened the lunch boxes he'd placed on the log.

"I... How could I fail the test?!"

"We still have the whole afternoon!"

Naruto's nose twitched.

Then he jumped to his feet.

"My stomach's empty, and I've got no strength left. Otherwise, I'd have grabbed the bells already!"

Cangwu shook his head.

"When you go out on missions in the future, will you always be able to stay in peak condition?"

Sasuke and Sakura both froze for a moment at his words.

As I thought... not letting us eat is part of the test. Sasuke took a deep breath and forced himself to look away from the appetizing lunch boxes.

Grrr—

Sakura struggled to swallow.

Is that really it...?

Before this, Sakura would definitely have believed him.

"I... I..."

"Damn it!"

Naruto was getting flustered and angry.

He decided to go all in and charged forward.

Sasuke's expression shifted slightly.

Naruto had just given him a signal.

He understood at once.

He put his hands in his pockets and walked out with a cool expression.

"Hmph!"

"I hate to admit it, but that idiot's right."

"If we'd eaten our fill, we'd definitely be able to get the bells."

As he spoke, he charged toward Cangwu too.

Both of them had their eyes fixed on the two lunch boxes.

Seeing this, Sakura grew frantic. She didn't have time to think about anything else and rushed after them.

"Sasuke-kun... Naruto, I feel the same way!"

Looking at Cangwu, Sakura still had fear and embarrassment lingering on her face.

Cangwu raised the two lunch boxes.

"Looks like you took my words in one ear and out the other."

"If you try to grab the lunch again, I'll tie you up and make you watch us eat."

Ding-ding—

Suddenly, Sasuke and Naruto stopped mid-leap.

Each of them had a bell in one hand.

Naruto even waved his triumphantly in front of Cangwu.

The bells rang out clearly.

Sasuke looked at the bell in his hand, feeling as though it wasn't real.

How could it have been so easy?

"A diversion?"

"I let my guard down."

Cangwu remained calm.

He set the lunch boxes he'd been holding above his head down on the log.

"The lunch is yours."

Whoosh—

The next moment, a streak of golden light flashed by.

Sakura, who'd frozen in place after Naruto and Sasuke grabbed the bells, hadn't even had time to react.

She felt the world spin around her.

By the time her vision cleared, she was already in front of Sasuke and Naruto.

Naruto stared at her in disbelief.

Sakura looked down.

She'd been tied to the log.

She hadn't felt a thing... How had Teacher Cangwu tied her up in the blink of an eye?

Suddenly, Sakura's nose twitched.

At such close range, she could naturally smell the fragrant lunch boxes that had been opened.

Grrr—

Her stomach, which she'd been forcing to stay quiet, protested.

This is bad...

Naruto and Sasuke-kun both got the bells... I'm the only one who didn't...

I've lost my chance to become a ninja... and now I have to stay tied up here and suffer from hunger...

At the thought, Sakura couldn't stop her tears from falling.

Naruto was completely taken aback.

Sakura's nose was red, and her cheeks had flushed too.

Along with her reddened eyes,

she looked like a pear blossom in the rain, but her beauty remained undiminished.

Naruto naturally adored her.

However,

Sakura's stomach kept rumbling every now and then.

It ruined the tragic atmosphere completely.

Naruto looked at the delicious lunch in his hands and at the bell. He hesitated.

Sasuke noticed Naruto's gaze and looked down at the bell and lunch in his own hands.

He still felt that something was off. How had things suddenly become so easy?

"Sakura... a ninja..."

Naruto murmured.

He glanced at Sakura, who was crying like a pear blossom in the rain, then at the bell in his hand.

"I'm going to become Hokage... so I have to make everyone acknowledge me."

"Teacher Cangwu said... I don't owe anyone anything, and I don't need to make things so hard for myself... There was more, too..."

"But becoming Hokage is my dream... though I don't even know if this dream... is really what I want deep down."

Naruto was torn.

A few days ago, Cangwu had told him some things.

For once, Naruto, who usually didn't like thinking too hard, hadn't gone home and immediately fallen asleep.

Instead, he'd tossed and turned in bed until the early hours of the morning.

"The people you care about and the people who care about you... choosing between them leads to different results."

Whoosh—

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He didn't notice that as he murmured,

Sasuke and Sakura were both looking at him.

At last, Naruto made up his mind.

All the conflict vanished from his face.

"Hmph!"

"I'm going to become Hokage!"

"If I couldn't get the bells fair and square this time, it's because I'm too weak!"

"In that case, I'll keep working hard until I can take the bells from Teacher Cangwu fair and square!"

After his passionate declaration,

under Sakura's disbelieving gaze,

Naruto placed the bell and lunch on top of the log Sakura was tied to without hesitation.

"Well, then I'll leave it to you, Sakura. You're the one who'll become a ninja, so work hard for me first~"

As he spoke, Naruto beamed.

"My forehead protector... Teacher Cangwu put it on me himself. I absolutely won't let him down."

"Naruto..." Tears shimmered in Sakura's eyes as she looked at Naruto's smiling face, filled with disbelief.

Had Naruto given his chance to her?

But... if he did that, wouldn't Naruto...

"Hmph!"

"Idiot."

"But I don't need a chance handed to me like this."