"Teacher Cangwu..."
Sakura looked at the two people shouting in front of her.
One big, one small, both dressed in green... The smaller one had run over and confessed his love the moment he'd laid eyes on her...
The bigger one had kicked him away without a word... Blood was even seeping from his mouth, and the two of them were shouting about youth and passion.
"Ahem, that's right. If you can stand it... and train with them for a while, your physique will improve quite a bit, and you won't run short on chakra so easily."
Cangwu's eyes darted about.
He suddenly wasn't sure how to face Sakura's pitiful gaze.
He'd said it was physical training.
But Cangwu wasn't an expert.
With the way Rock Lee and Might Guy trained like their lives depended on it, they must have had some exclusive medicinal baths or something to go along with it.
It wasn't like he could just go up and ask them for that kind of thing, right?
Though, given Might Guy's personality, he'd probably hand it over without hesitation...
But what about a systematic training method?
"Teacher Cangwu, I never thought you'd really become a Jonin Instructor."
"You've been so busy with missions lately... I'd only heard rumors before~"
"I can't believe it's actually true."
Just as Sakura's mind was full of images of herself wearing a green jumpsuit in the future,
a pleasant voice rang out.
When she turned to look, she heard a girl's laughter, as clear as silver bells.
"Come on, Teacher Cangwu, you're always messing up my buns~!"
Who?!
Who was she?!
Why was she so close to Teacher Cangwu?!
Sakura fired off three questions in a row in her mind.
Cangwu had always liked Tenten, the girl with a strong flavor of the Nine Provinces about her.
After his memories awakened, he'd grown even fonder of the little rich girl Tenten.
"Who would've thought such a cute girl liked throwing money at people?"
He glanced at the training ground nearby, which was covered with ninja tools like kunai and shuriken.
Cangwu ruffled the two buns on her head.
Tenten hugged Cangwu's arm, pouting and acting spoiled with practiced ease.
"What else am I supposed to do~?"
"It's not like I can train until I'm all muscle-bound like Teacher Guy and Lee, right?"
Sakura: "..."
But when she looked at the spot where Tenten had been training earlier,
she could only silently turn her head away.
She couldn't afford it!
At least... her wallet couldn't afford it!
While Sakura was sizing up Tenten, Tenten was sizing her up, too.
"Teacher Cangwu, that must be one of this year's graduates..."
"Honestly, why didn't you become a Jonin Instructor a year earlier, Teacher Cangwu?"
At a glance, she decided that the pink-haired girl in front of her absolutely wasn't a match for her.
Suddenly, her eyes shifted, and she smiled. "Teacher Cangwu, now that you're a Jonin Instructor... that means you're a jonin~"
"I'll have to get you a ninja tool."
As she spoke, she unconsciously swallowed.
"I want that dish you made last time, too~!"
"Even Mom's cooking isn't as good as yours, Teacher Cangwu~!"
After Tenten pestered him for a while, Cangwu finally nodded.
Sakura's ears twitched. When she looked at Tenten again, her expression had changed.
This girl's a pro!
Compared to Ino... the two of us are just playing house!
"Well then, I'll leave Sakura in your hands."
Seeing that it was about time, Cangwu got up to leave.
Might Guy raised his thumb, his teeth gleaming.
"Leave it to me!"
"Sakura, let us set out toward..."
"Sakura-chan, please accept my confession."
Might Guy raised an eyebrow. "I'm gonna hit you!"
Thud—
Lee was kicked away once again.
Sakura looked like she was about to cry. Those eyebrows were too thick... Where was Teacher Cangwu?
She turned around, but Cangwu was nowhere to be seen.
Her gaze naturally drifted toward where Tenten was.
Just then, she and Tenten met eyes.
Tenten patted her flushed cheeks, looking at Sakura with a hint of provocation.
Sakura knitted her brows and raised the corner of her mouth in disdain.
Tenten knew she was saying she was in Team 7, and that she'd have plenty of time to spend with Cangwu in the future.
So Tenten puffed out her chest.
Sakura was instantly defeated.
See? All that talk about a broad forehead, a coward, a crybaby...
Ino had been going easy on her the whole time~
And Tenten wasn't done. She pressed her advantage.
She tossed the storage scroll in her hand.
Was she tossing a scroll?
Never mind the ninja tools inside.
The storage scroll itself was worth a fortune.
And that wasn't all. Tenten deliberately untied the messy buns Cangwu had just messed up, then tied them back into two neat buns.
See? Teacher Cangwu really liked her buns. He was always tugging at them~
Sakura's back bent completely.
The opponent was too strong!
But... should she avoid her sharp edge for now?!
"Sakura, why are you lying there?"
"Since Cangwu entrusted you to me, then... Hm?!"
Might Guy's eyes widened in disbelief.
He'd thought Sakura had suddenly lain down... He hadn't expected her to be lying face down...
To Might Guy, Sakura's sudden glance over her shoulder made him wonder... Could this girl's head turn a hundred and eighty degrees?!
"Pfft~"
Tenten's pleasant laughter came from nearby.
But to Sakura, it sounded unbearably grating.
Ahhh—!!!
Just you wait~!
I'm still young. I've got room to grow!!
Sakura's special training was finally over.
Cangwu didn't bother with Naruto or Sasuke. Instead, he went back to find Anko.
If nothing unexpected had happened... his little stash was really gone.
As soon as he got home, he saw Anko with glutinous rice dumplings in her left hand and sugar in her right.
"You're back~"
Cangwu ignored Anko's attempts to butter him up.
He opened the drawer and took a look... Sure enough, everything in plain sight was gone.
Good thing he'd kept some hidden.
"I... I'll take a mission as soon as I've finished eating and make up for it, I promise... I swear!"
When Anko saw the murderous look in Cangwu's eyes, she immediately wilted.
She wanted to run, but in front of Cangwu, her speed looked like slow motion. How could she possibly get away?
"Cangwu... Please, don't. I'm the big sister here. You can't treat me like this..."
Anko's pleas soon disappeared along with the closing door.
By the time the door opened again, Anko could barely walk.
Her butt was sore from being spanked.
Cangwu picked up the glutinous rice dumplings Anko had bought.
"No... Don't take it out on them..."
Anko pleaded weakly.
Unfortunately, Cangwu ignored her.
He scarfed down an entire skewer of glutinous rice dumplings in one bite.
"Ugh... They're too sweet!"
Cangwu turned and glared at Anko.
Anko pouted and lowered her head.
"If you keep eating this many calories and don't burn them off every day, you'll definitely turn into Red Soybean!"
At that, Anko's face filled with fear and anger.
"I'm not!"
"I won't turn into Red Soybean!"
Anko panicked, her eyes turning red.
She knew Cangwu wasn't joking.
But she just couldn't control her appetite~
As for the money she'd taken, it actually wasn't much.
So whenever Cangwu asked, she gave him the same answer.
Just like now.
First, she promised and swore she'd pay him back.
Then came the next part.
"Enough about that. When are you paying me back?"
"Have you forgotten who looked after you when you were little?" Anko hurriedly said.
"Those are two different things. I've looked after you for plenty of years, too."
"And what kind of good girl makes someone wash her underwear? And regularly, at that?!" Cangwu glared at her.
Anko spread her hands and rolled over without a shred of dignity.
"If you want money, I haven't got any. If you want my life, take it... I'm already yours, so why bother splitting hairs over a little money~"
If Sakura had done that, the roll would have been utterly undignified.
But Anko wasn't—not strictly speaking.
Cangwu even suspected she was showing off on purpose.
"Is that so?"
Creak—
The door closed.
Anko's mouth, however, stayed open.
Before you continue