Naruto, What's the Point of Being Hokage Without You!

Sakura Haruno's expression shifted.

"Naruto punched me in front of everyone, and Hinata stood in front of him, not letting me hit him back!"

"Isn't that wrong?"

Ino couldn't help but say, "Don't you often punch and kick Naruto in public too?"

"As for Hinata..."

"When you wanted to hit Naruto, she did indeed stand in your way."

"How is that any different from you standing in front of Naruto when he wanted to hit Sasuke?"

Sakura Haruno was taken aback.

"You like Sasuke, so you want to protect him."

"Hinata just likes Naruto, that's all..."

"If that counts as wrong, then Sakura, you're no different..."

Sakura Haruno blurted out, "That's not the same!"

Ino frowned. "What's different about it?"

Sakura Haruno was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Anyway..."

"If you were my best friend, you should stand firmly on my side instead of arguing with me about who is right or wrong."

"I misjudged you."

After saying this, Sakura Haruno stomped away in a huff.

Ino stood there, stunned.

The hand she wanted to reach out to stop her hung frozen in the air.

Sakura...

She seemed to have forgotten that when she was mocked for her large forehead, it was Ino who gave her a red ribbon, helped her tie up her hair, encouraged her to show her forehead, and told her she looked cute...

It was because of that that the two became best friends.

Sakura Haruno had become confident because of it.

Later, because they both liked Sasuke, Sakura chose to part ways with her.

Although both of them knew in their hearts that they were still best friends.

But now...

Ino watched Sakura Haruno's retreating figure, her vision blurring. She didn't know if they could ever go back to how things were.

Perhaps, it was impossible forever...

At this moment, Sakura Haruno was also filled with grievances.

She didn't understand why even her best friend wouldn't stand by her side.

Now, she found it hard to communicate with her parents, her friend had betrayed her, and even Naruto, whom she used to find annoying, seemed to have completely given up on her...

Sure enough, only Sasuke was her one and only moonlight.

As Sasuke's image appeared in Sakura Haruno's mind, she finally felt like she saw a glimmer of light.

And at this very moment, the Sasuke in her illusions suddenly overlapped with reality.

"Sa... Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura Haruno's expression changed instantly. Looking at Sasuke's back in front of her, it was as if she had found hope again.

In fact, it wasn't just Sakura Haruno; Sasuke was already surrounded by a group of girls.

Just like usual, they were chattering away like a flock of birds.

Sakura Haruno aggressively squeezed into the crowd, rushed to the position closest to Sasuke, and beamed at him.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!"

"Sasuke-kun is as handsome as ever today..."

Sasuke had his hands in his pockets, but his face looked weary and haggard, his expression even gloomier and colder than usual.

He was still immersed in yesterday's battle with Naruto.

Unable to pull himself out.

If the Third Hokage hadn't arrived, who would have won that fierce battle...

This suspense was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.

Because of this, he had barely slept all night, training until he was half-dead.

Even now, his hands were still aching incessantly.

Although the spot where Naruto's Leaf Whirlwind had struck no longer throbbed with pain, the agony remained etched in his heart forever.

As for Sasuke now, his mind could hold nothing but the singular goal of thoroughly defeating Naruto and purging his inner demons.

As for these tiresome, infatuated girls...

To him, they were nothing more than detestable nuisances and dead weight!

What he carried on his shoulders was the blood-soaked vendetta of his entire clan!

"Get lost."

And so, facing the overflowing enthusiasm of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke spat out only these two icy words.

Sakura Haruno froze instantly.

Why is Sasuke-kun's gaze so terrifying...

Yet, she did not retreat.

Because this was not the first time she had heard Sasuke say those words.

If she gave up now, she would never be worthy of standing out among the many pursuers, nor would she be worthy of staying by his side...

Sakura Haruno forced a smile back onto her face.

"Don't be so cold, Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke suddenly stopped in his tracks.

On any other day, he would have at most tossed out a cold, harsh remark and moved on.

But today was different.

Filled with indignation and an unsolvable melancholy, he had absolutely no mood to entangle himself with them.

"Sakura Haruno, listen well."

"Stop wasting time on such boring things."

"And stop hovering around me."

"I don't have the time to play these mindless love games with you, or any of you."

"You don't need to like me, and I have no reason to like you."

Sakura Haruno and the group of girls were stunned into statues.

"And another thing..."

Sasuke's icy voice pierced Sakura Haruno's heart once more.

"You are truly annoying."

Having said that, Sasuke continued to stride away.

He left behind only Sakura Haruno and the crowd of infatuated girls, standing there dazed, as soulless as walking corpses.

In that instant.

It felt as if something had shattered completely.

What Sakura Haruno felt was not sadness or pain.

It was an inexplicable emptiness.

Hollow, vacant, and void.

It was as if her very existence had been denied...

"Sasuke... kun..."

That retreating figure drifted further away, becoming increasingly blurred.

Watching this scene, Ino was shocked by Sasuke's cold-blooded demeanor, yet she could not help but feel sorrow for Sakura Haruno.

The crowd of infatuated girls gradually dispersed.

Only Sakura Haruno remained standing there, dazed.

In the end, Ino could not bear it and stepped forward once more.

"Sakura, are... are you okay?"

She reached out a hand gently, wanting to soothe Sakura Haruno's troubled heart.

However.

"Don't touch me."

Sakura Haruno shook off Ino's hand once again.

"Sakura, you..."

Sakura Haruno's tears flowed down silently.

Yet, her expression had become, if anything, a little more resolute.

"Are you here to laugh at me?"

"Do you think that just because Sasuke scolded me a few times, I would give up my feelings and stay away from him forever?"

"You all underestimate me, Sakura Haruno!"

"Let me tell you, Ino, and everyone else..."

"I will never give up on Sasuke!"

She shouted stubbornly through her tears, as if declaring it to the entire world.

After saying this, she sprinted away under the bewildered gazes of the crowd.

"Sakura..."

Ino was at a loss for what to do.

Of course, she liked Sasuke very much too.

But she would never treat this emotion as the only thing in her life.

Family, friendship...

To Ino, all were indispensable, and none held more weight than the others.

Although she and Sakura fought tooth and nail on the surface over Sasuke, deep down, Ino never believed that Sasuke held more importance than Sakura.

Because it was impossible to compare them.

She didn't want to lose any of them.

Yet Sakura's feelings for Sasuke seemed to have become a form of obsession...

"P-perhaps, this is Sakura's choice..."

Ino heard Hinata's voice from behind her.