You Cheated, I'll Report You

With a roar from Sakura Haruno, Naruto was sent flying high into the air, soaring over Sasuke before crashing to the ground with a nosebleed, his entire body limp and aching.

Takasaki had used the exact same method right under his nose to successfully convince Hinata to cheat for him.

He had applied the method Takasaki taught him to Sakura Haruno, so why did she beat him within an inch of his life?

It wasn't fair.

Naruto lay on the ground, a large bump swelling on his head and the print of Sakura Haruno's shoe stamped onto his cheek, wailing in confusion: "Where exactly did it go wrong?"

As for being beaten up by Sakura Haruno, Naruto didn't take it to heart.

When it came to grades, he couldn't beat anyone in the class.

But when it came to taking a beating, no one could beat him.

It wasn't the first time he'd been pummeled by Sakura, so it was no big deal.

Sasuke walked over, hands in his pockets, and glanced down at Naruto. After their eyes met, he let out a "Hmph," and muttered, "Idiot."

That single word seemed to instantly infuriate Naruto.

Sakura could call him that, but Sasuke couldn't!

Naruto sprang up from the ground, pointing at Sasuke: "You jerk, what did you call me! You're the idiot!!"

Sasuke didn't even stop, merely glancing at Naruto with a slight tilt of his head before letting out another "Hmph" and walking straight away.

Naruto cursed at Sasuke's retreating figure for a few moments before his anger finally subsided.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, muttering in confusion: "Why on earth? I followed the method Takasaki taught me exactly. Why did it work when Takasaki used it on Hinata, but failed when I used it on Sakura..."

Before he could finish his muttering, Sakura Haruno's voice rang in his ears: "Naruto, did you just see Takasaki? The method he taught you? What is this all about?"

Oh no.

Naruto thought to himself that things had taken a turn for the worse.

He had let it slip, and Sakura had heard him.

If he revealed the method Takasaki taught him, it would be betraying Takasaki.

He certainly wouldn't do something like betraying a comrade.

At the same time, Naruto had a strange feeling.

He didn't know if it was just his imagination.

Whenever Takasaki was mentioned, Sakura's tone seemed to soften, losing that fierce edge from before.

Naruto looked up at Sakura Haruno in confusion and shook his head: "I didn't say anything just now."

Sakura Haruno grabbed Naruto by the ear and roared: "Don't play dumb, Naruto!! Did you see Takasaki just now? What method did he teach you? And what happened between Takasaki and Hinata!!! Speak up if you don't want to get beaten again!!"

If she hadn't heard Naruto talking to himself about Takasaki while passing by, she wouldn't have even considered stopping to listen.

More importantly, she seemed to have heard that something had happened between Hinata and Takasaki this morning.

Hinata again!

She had gone to Takasaki's house early this morning specifically to wait for him, hoping to have some contact so he would write her name in his diary more often, but Takasaki had moved somewhere last night without her knowing, leaving her waiting all morning for nothing.

If the other diary owners were in the same boat as her, that would be one thing.

After all, if no one else managed to get any benefits from Takasaki, it would be fair.

But somehow, Hinata had managed to have an interaction with Takasaki again this morning?!

It wasn't fair!

Why her!

In Takasaki's diary yesterday, Hinata had already received an extra reward; wasn't she satisfied yet?

To have another interaction with Takasaki this morning—was she really that greedy!

Sakura Haruno desperately wanted to know what had happened between Hinata and Takasaki this morning, and whether Takasaki would write about it in his diary.

She bent down, grabbed Naruto by the collar, and hauled him up: "If you don't want to get beaten by me again, start talking!"

"Takasaki is my comrade; even if you beat me to death, I won't betray him!" Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head firmly.

As fellow underachievers in the class, his bond with Takasaki was naturally very deep.

Never betraying a comrade—that was his ninja way.

"Naruto, if you tell me everything honestly, I might give you a kiss," Sakura Haruno suddenly said in a soft voice.

"What!"

Naruto opened his eyes to see that Sakura Haruno was no longer wearing a fierce expression.

Sakura Haruno smiled at him, a hint of tenderness in her eyes, and said again: "Naruto, you like me so much, you wouldn't want my first kiss to go to someone else, would you?"

She couldn't manipulate Sasuke, the one she liked, but surely she could manipulate Naruto, who liked her.

Naruto swallowed hard.

Sakura Haruno continued: "Can you tell me now? I want to hear about Takasaki, and the more detailed, the better."

Naruto nodded vigorously, as if under a charm, and spilled everything he knew in complete detail.

Desperate to claim Sakura Haruno's first kiss, he failed to notice that Sakura's expression grew increasingly dark as he spoke.

Especially when he mentioned Hinata and Takasaki hooking their pinky fingers together, Sakura's knuckles cracked as she clenched her fists.

Claiming that getting girls to treat him to a meal was a way to build rapport?

How could a girl possibly take the initiative to treat a boy to a meal? It was clearly a scheme designed by Hinata!

Hinata wasn't satisfied with the extra rewards she'd received from the diary yesterday; she was actually trying to snatch Takasaki away from her again today. How greedy.

Claiming that by letting girls owe him favors, he could get them to help him cheat during the exam?

Takasaki was nothing but a dead-last; he wouldn't even be able to graduate from the Ninja Academy this year. He was weak, penniless, had no family background, and didn't even have parents. He was destined for mediocrity—who would ever care about a favor from Takasaki? It was obvious that Hinata wanted to risk helping Takasaki cheat just to trade for more mentions of her name in the diary.

The more Sakura listened, the more infuriated she became.

Naruto, however, remained oblivious to Sakura's demeanor, for he had already closed his eyes and puckered his lips, waiting for the first kiss Sakura had promised him: "Sakura, I'm done talking..."

"If you're done, then get lost!!"

Without a second thought, Sakura, already on the verge of an explosion, threw a straight punch that sent Naruto flying into the roadside shrubbery.

She stomped away, heading toward the school in a fit of indignation.

She couldn't accept this.

She had waited all morning for Takasaki, only for Hinata to reap all the benefits. She simply couldn't stomach it.

The thought of Hinata successfully helping Takasaki cheat, leading Takasaki to write about it in the diary and granting Hinata yet another reward, made Sakura feel even worse.

Yet, with the exams starting soon after arriving at school, the die was cast; there was nothing she could change.

Was there really no turning point?

No!

There was a way!

As Sakura stepped through the gates of the Ninja Academy and headed toward her classroom, a thought struck her, and she mused to herself:

"So, Hinata wants to get Takasaki to write her name in the diary by helping him cheat, right? Well, why can't I just keep an eye on her and report her to the proctor for cheating when the time comes!"

"Once Hinata is kicked out of the exam hall by the proctor, Takasaki will surely be panicked. Then, I'll step in to help him cheat instead, and Takasaki will definitely be incredibly grateful to me."

"If I do him such a huge favor, he'll surely write my name in the diary, too. That way, I won't be at a loss."

With her plan solidified, Sakura's mood improved slightly.

She walked into the classroom and saw Takasaki buried in sleep in the back row, while Hinata was at the podium, diligently erasing the blackboard with an eraser.

Hinata seemed to sense Sakura's gaze; she turned her head and looked toward her.

"Good morning, Hinata." Sakura waved, greeting her with a smile: "I wish you luck on the exam."

"Good morning, Sakura. I hope we both do well."

Hinata smiled back, responding politely.

However, being simple-minded by nature, she failed to notice the flicker of jealousy hidden in Sakura's eyes.