Kurenai Yuhi was in a great mood today. After finishing a mission, she'd planned to find a tavern and celebrate with a few cups of liquor. She hadn't expected to come across a group of kids ganging up on another child in the street—and hitting him pretty hard, too. Who wouldn't step in upon seeing something like that? Kurenai headed toward them.
"Are you an Uchiha or not? Aren't you from Konoha's prestigious clan? Aren't you a genius? Hahahaha! Go on, say something! Why'd you stop talking?" A smug voice rang out from among the kids doing the beating.
"What are you doing? Stop it, right now!" Kurenai walked up behind the children and shouted at them.
Taichi the Idiot and the others turned at the sound. They saw a woman wearing a ninja vest and a headband across her forehead, frowning at them.
"Ah! An adult's here! Run!" The kids scattered at once.
"Hey, are you all right?" Kurenai crouched down, helped Chen to his feet, and brushed the dust off him. Then she asked him.
Good thing someone came to my rescue! Chen thought, then looked up at the person who had helped him.
Black curly hair falling over her shoulders, red eyes... Could that be Kurenai Yuhi? Chen thought in surprise.
"I'm fine, miss!" Chen said, shaking his head.
"Can you get home on your own? Actually, I'll take you back, just in case those kids come after you again." Kurenai took Chen's hand and led him home. "Come on, I'll walk you back. Which way is your house?"
As they reached the front door, Sasuke came running out of the house, looking anxious. After returning home, he'd prepared a meal and gone to bring it to Chen, only to discover that Chen wasn't in his room. The first thing that came to mind was that someone had abducted him. Chen hadn't left the house at all in the past year, and just last night, someone had tried to take Sasuke away. He was worried that someone from Root had taken Chen, too. Without a second thought, he'd rushed out, planning to seek the Hokage's help. The moment he left the house, he spotted Chen and Kurenai walking him home, and dashed over.
"You idiot, where have you been?" Sasuke charged up and immediately yelled at Chen, not even sparing Kurenai a glance. His tone was harsh, but his concern was obvious.
"I... I saw that you'd been gone for so long, so I went looking for you," Chen said, putting on a timid expression.
Hearing Chen's answer, Sasuke felt relieved, but he still scolded him angrily. "Idiot. Who told you to come looking for me? You're an idiot who only gets in other people's way."
Chen could only lower his head and stay quiet.
"Enough, Sasuke. Don't blame him. He only went out because he was looking for you. He's fine now, so there's no need to worry so much," Kurenai said, trying to calm him down.
"Who'd worry about an idiot like him? I was just afraid he'd go out and embarrass me," Sasuke said stubbornly.
"Well, Chen's home safe now, so I'll be going," Kurenai said to the two of them.
"Anyway, thank you for bringing this idiot home. Sorry for the trouble," Sasuke said, bowing to Kurenai in thanks.
"No problem." Kurenai waved a hand, then turned and left.
"Hmph! Come inside!" Sasuke barked at Chen after Kurenai had left. Chen could only obediently follow him into the house.
"Hm? What happened to you?" Once they were home, Sasuke noticed how disheveled Chen looked. His clothes were even torn. (Chen had ripped them himself while making a torch.) Sasuke had been too worried to notice earlier, and only now that they were home did he ask.
"It... It was Taichi the Idiot. He hit me." Chen told Sasuke what had happened. He knew Sasuke would go after Taichi the Idiot, and since Chen couldn't deal with him himself right now, he might as well use Sasuke to teach that troublemaker a lesson.
"Taichi the Idiot! That dead-last dares bully an Uchiha?" Once Sasuke learned that Chen had been bullied by that dead-last, he flew into a rage. He'd make Taichi the Idiot pay tomorrow.
Afterward, the two of them sat down and ate dinner together—a rare occasion—then went back to their rooms to rest.
Early the next morning, Sasuke headed to the Ninja Academy, his anger still burning.
"Good morning, Sasuke!" As soon as he entered the classroom, Sakura came over to greet him. Sasuke didn't respond. He simply went to his seat and sat down. When Sakura saw that he still wasn't acknowledging her, she lowered her head sadly.
"Hehe, Sasuke ignored you again. But don't worry, Sakura. You'll win him over someday," Ino said, seeing how down her best friend looked, and went over to comfort her.
"I'm fine. I'm used to it," Sakura replied with a smile. "Besides, I'll keep trying. I'm going to make Sasuke fall for me."
"Yeah, keep it up!" Ino encouraged her.
"You too, Ino!" Sakura said, returning the encouragement.
"Me?" Ino looked at Sakura in confusion. "What about me?"
"Hehe, you should keep at it, too, and find someone you like," Sakura whispered in Ino's ear.
"I..." Ino was caught off guard by Sakura's sudden remark. But soon, Chen's face came to mind, and she smiled at Sakura. "Well, I already have someone I like!"
"Really? Who is it? Tell me! Is it someone in our class?" Sakura asked, eager for gossip.
"Hehe, he's not in our class anymore," Ino said with a bitter smile.
"Not in our class?" Sakura was confused. If he wasn't in their class, who could it be? Suddenly, she thought of someone and hurriedly asked Ino, "Ino, tell me... You don't still like Chen, do you?" Ino and Sakura had always been close friends, so Sakura knew Ino liked Chen. Back then, the two of them had even made a pact: when they grew up, Sakura would marry Sasuke, and Ino would marry Chen. But a year ago, after the Uchiha Family Massacre, Chen had suffered a severe mental shock and become mentally impaired. Sakura had thought Ino would let go of her feelings for Chen, but she hadn't expected that even after more than a year, Ino still hadn't forgotten him.
Ino didn't deny it. Looking at Sakura with resolve, she said, "That's right. I like Chen-kun. I've liked him ever since he first came to the Academy. Even now, I still like him."
"But... But Chen-kun is... like that now. How can you still like him?" Sakura really didn't want Ino to keep pining for Uchiha Chen.
"Yes, Chen-kun has changed, but I believe he'll get better," Ino said.
"But... What if Chen never gets better? Wouldn't you be foolish to keep waiting?" Sakura still wanted to persuade Ino. "Only you would be silly enough to do something like that."
"He will get better. I believe in Chen-kun. And I'm not the only one waiting for him!" After saying this, Ino looked toward the long-haired girl behind her. It was Little Ino, who had once sat beside Chen. "If I gave up now, I'd lose to Little Ino. So I'll keep waiting for Chen until he gets better." Little Ino, who had been sitting behind them, seemed to sense Ino's gaze and looked back at her. The two girls exchanged smiles, as if they understood the feelings in each other's eyes.
That was right: Little Ino had liked Chen ever since he first started attending the Academy. Back then, because of Taichi the Idiot, she didn't have a single friend. No one dared talk to her; everyone avoided her. She'd been lonely until Chen came along.
Unlike everyone else, Chen didn't avoid her. He was happy to chat with her. But because Chen talked to her, Taichi the Idiot challenged him. Little Ino felt guilty, thinking she was the reason Chen had gotten into trouble. Just when she thought Chen would get beaten up by Taichi like all the other kids who'd spoken to her, Chen surprised her by easily defeating him. The confident, forceful way Chen had carried himself then captivated her.
From that moment on, Little Ino began to feel something special for Chen. As she spent more time with him, that feeling gradually deepened, eventually becoming love.
But compared with the outgoing Ino, Little Ino was much more reserved. No one had played or talked with her when she was growing up, so she'd become a very introverted girl. She never dared make bold moves toward Chen the way Ino did. Whenever Chen came into the classroom, Ino would rush over and cling to him. Sometimes she'd hold his arm; sometimes she'd throw herself onto his back. She was always so affectionate with him. Little Ino could only envy her from the sidelines and quietly watch Chen, never daring to act so intimately with him.
Although Little Ino had never shown her feelings for Chen, Ino, who liked him too, could see right through her. After that, Ino was always picking on Little Ino and opposing her at every turn. She would never give Chen up to anyone. Anyone who set their sights on him was her enemy.
Later, Little Ino understood why Ino was always picking on her. It was because Ino had already figured out that she liked Chen and was afraid she might steal him away.
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