"Mm..."
When Lin Feng groggily opened his eyes in his room, it was already the next morning.
"Haha, I'm still in the Naruto world. Looks like I'll never go back!"
Sitting up and looking around his room, Lin Feng muttered to himself with a laugh. He'd been worried that he might return after falling asleep, but clearly that concern had been unnecessary!
After quickly getting dressed, Lin Feng pushed open the door and headed out. He casually ate some of the breakfast Uchiha Mikoto had prepared, then dashed off.
Uchiha Itachi was an Anbu member and had to report for duty early in the morning, while Uchiha Fugaku was the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force and got up even earlier. Naturally, they couldn't leave with Lin Feng, so he had to go to the Ninja Academy by himself.
Konoha truly was the most prominent of the Five Great Villages of the Shinobi World. It was bustling with people. Although it was morning, the streets were still crowded and lively.
Lin Feng had seen Konoha's streets in the anime, but as he watched the endless stream of people and the dazzling array of goods, he couldn't help clicking his tongue.
"Sasuke, good morning!"
Just as the crowd was making Lin Feng's eyes swim, a sweet voice came from behind him.
Hearing it, Lin Feng turned around. A youthful girl with pink hair, green eyes, and a broad forehead stood there, wearing a red top.
There was only one girl in Naruto with that appearance: the next generation's medical ninja, the Fifth Hokage Tsunade's student, and Sasuke's future wife, Haruno Sakura.
The Sakura before him looked every bit like a vibrant young girl on Earth, brimming with youthful energy. Of course, she also had a unique charm that other girls lacked.
Remembering all the times Sasuke had hurt Sakura in Naruto, Lin Feng looked at her sweet, still-childish face and made an important promise to himself.
The Sasuke in this world wouldn't hurt her again, and he wouldn't let anyone else hurt her, either!
"Sakura, good morning!"
Out of politeness, Lin Feng quickly gave Sakura a mysterious smile in return.
Sakura? Sasuke called me Sakura?
Could this be real?
Sasuke's greeting left her stunned for a good while. Staring at him with her blue eyes, Sakura was so excited that she nearly jumped up.
From the moment she first saw Sasuke, Sakura had secretly fallen for the handsome boy. And with Sasuke's outstanding performance at the Ninja Academy, she'd come to admire him all the more.
Like the other girls who liked Sasuke, Sakura hoped she could train with him and keep him company. But Sasuke was rather cold and barely spoke to anyone. He often turned her down, too, which sometimes left her feeling terribly dejected and disappointed...
But today, Sasuke seemed like a different person. He'd even called her Sakura, so Sakura was truly happy. If she didn't have to maintain a ladylike image in front of Sasuke, she would have clenched her fists and shouted with excitement.
"Sakura, let's go to school together!"
Sakura stood motionless, and Lin Feng had no idea what she was thinking. He scratched his head and said helplessly,
At the thought of going to school with Sasuke, Sakura's face instantly turned red. She'd known Sasuke for so long, but this was the first time he'd ever invited her.
"Mm..."
She nodded slightly, clasped her hands behind her back, and followed Lin Feng toward the Ninja Academy, looking shy.
"Sakura, you know that after we graduate from the Ninja Academy, we'll be assigned to teams and go on missions under a teacher, right?"
With his hands behind his head, Lin Feng walked along slowly. Then, as though he'd just thought of something, he spoke softly.
"Mm, Iruka-sensei told us about that."
Sakura answered quietly, her pace still unhurried.
"Then do you want to be on the same team as me?"
Lin Feng asked without thinking.
The question was almost pointless, but he had to ask it for the sake of his plan.
"Of course!"
Sakura answered happily without the slightest hesitation.
It was still early to talk about team assignments, but Sakura hoped Lady Luck would smile on her and put her in the same team as Sasuke. That way, she could stay by his side for a long time.
"I plan to graduate from the Ninja Academy within three months. If you really want to be on the same team as me, then let's work hard together!"
Just as he'd expected, Sakura gave the answer he wanted. Lin Feng stopped and spoke to her seriously.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura—the Team 7 lineup. Lin Feng didn't want his arrival in this world to break them up, so he wanted Naruto and Sakura to graduate alongside him and become Genin together.
"What?"
"Graduate from the Ninja Academy in just three months?!"
After Lin Feng spoke, Sakura gaped, her pretty face going stiff as she stared at Sasuke in shock. If those words hadn't come from Sasuke, she would have thought he was crazy.
Most students at the Ninja Academy needed five or six years to graduate. The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had taken four years, and even the child prodigy Uchiha Itachi had taken a whole year. Graduating in three months was nearly impossible, especially since there was so much for a ninja to learn.
After a long while, Sakura finally calmed herself. She opened her mouth and stammered, "Sasuke... graduating in three months is too hard... I'm afraid I... can't do it!"
"Sakura, you can definitely do it!"
"Do you know Kakashi-senpai? He graduated at five, became a Chunin at six, and became a Jonin at twelve. We're already six. Graduating from the Ninja Academy at six isn't asking too much, is it?"
As Sakura watched, Lin Feng smiled and encouraged her.
"But Kakashi-senpai is a child prodigy. How could I possibly compare to him?"
Sakura shook her head, her bright eyes fixed on Lin Feng. She still wasn't confident.
"What does it mean to be a prodigy? It means working as hard as you can. If you're willing to work hard, Sakura, you can become a prodigy, too."
Lin Feng's firm words made Sakura's body tremble slightly.
"Sasuke... I..."
Sakura pressed her lips together, unsure how to respond.
"Sakura, you're smart and cute. I really want to be on the same team as you. Do it for me, okay? Give it your all!"
He smiled gently, then reached out without hesitation and patted Sakura's shoulder, much to her surprise. After that, he turned and walked on.
Sasuke wants me by his side!
Maybe Sasuke likes me, too!
No matter what it takes, I'll graduate from the Ninja Academy within three months!
Standing still, Sakura watched his handsome figure. Then she smiled softly and murmured, "Sasuke, I'll work as hard as I can for you!"
With that, Sakura hurried after him.