Sakura put on a brave but sorrowful face. "Master Yin said I have no talent and I'd only be a burden here, so he told me to find another teacher!"
Ino Yamanaka and Hinata Hyuga exchanged a glance, then said in unison, "Impossible. Master Yin would never say that. What's really going on?"
Seeing that she couldn't fool them, Sakura pouted. "You two are no fun!" She took a deep breath. "I'm going to study Medical Ninjutsu under Lady Tsunade. When I come back, I'll be the one keeping you alive!"
Sakura's face shone with anticipation. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. "I see. Then work hard! I'll be trusting you with my life someday!"
Ino smiled too. "I'm a little nervous about putting my life in the hands of a scatterbrain like you, but I'll be counting on you!"
Sakura Haruno had always been strong, but now she felt as though she might cry. Being trusted like this by her teammates made her incredibly happy.
She wiped the tears from her face and looked at them earnestly. "Don't worry. As long as I'm alive, I won't let anything happen to either of you!"
Uchiha Yin, standing nearby, finally couldn't watch any longer. He walked over and gave all three of them a sharp knock on the head, earning three aggrieved looks.
"I admire your spirit," Uchiha Yin said with a smile, "but you're still so young. You don't need to talk about life and death every day! Besides, you still have a master!"
He raised his brows and pointed proudly at himself. The three girls burst out laughing. They had almost forgotten: their master was none other than Uchiha Yin, the miracle of the Shinobi World.
Their sorrow at parting vanished, leaving only bright smiles. "Yes, Master! Please keep