Chapter 33: Reunion
Ninja Academy
A girl with pale blond hair rested her cheek on her palm as she gazed out the window at the clear blue sky. Her eyes were unfocused, her mind drifting away.
It's already been two years since Sakura graduated...
It's been so long since I last saw her...
I wonder what Sakura is doing right now...
Geez, she could at least come visit me once in a while...
Sakura is the worst...
But Sasuke… Sasuke is just so cool…
"Ino."
The calm yet stern voice of Iruka echoed from the front of the classroom, pulling the daydreaming girl back to reality.
"Can you answer the question I just asked?"
Ino blinked in confusion. Question? What question?
Her mind blanked, and she looked up at Iruka with wide, clueless eyes.
Her innocent and utterly lost expression made Iruka frown sharply.
"Go stand outside!"
"Yessss..." Ino groaned in defeat and slowly dragged herself to the corridor.
Waiting outside the classroom were four all-too-familiar faces, grinning from ear to ear.
Naruto, Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru.
Ino's eye twitched as she stared at them. Seriously? I'm grouped with these guys now? How did my life come to this…
The school day finally came to an end, and Ino stepped out of the academy, just like she did every day.
"Ino! Over here!"
A voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, called out to her.
Ino froze.
A flash of pink caught her eye, vibrant and unmistakable.
Sakura?
Is Sakura really here to pick me up after school?
Just as she was about to run toward her, a golden blur zoomed past her with the force of a small hurricane.
"SAKURA-CHAAAAAN!"
Naruto's voice pierced the air as he charged ahead like a wild animal.
"Aaaaagh! That idiot Naruto! Stay away from my Sakura!!"
Ugh, you dumbass!
"Sakura! You haven't come to see me in forever!"
Naruto flung himself at her with open arms, but before he could even touch her, Sakura calmly raised a hand and pressed her palm against his forehead.
No matter how hard Naruto pushed, he couldn't move forward an inch.
He looked like a pitiful, abandoned puppy, full of desperation.
Sakura let out a soft sigh, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in her expression.
"Sorry, Naruto. I've just been really busy lately."
"But from now on, things should be a little calmer. I'll have more free time."
She gently patted his spiky blond hair.
"Hehe, then you better come hang out with me, okay? I've learned to cook a new dish! Even Choji says it's amazing!"
Choji? Isn't that guy happy as long as it's edible?
Sakura chuckled as she watched Naruto's proud expression. He looked like a little kid showing off his art project to his mom.
"Sure, Naruto. I'll come."
"Sakura!"
Before Naruto could say anything more, another figure suddenly pounced forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Sakura.
"Sakura, you idiot! You didn't come see me for so long!"
Ino clung to Sakura's waist like a cat, nuzzling against her affectionately.
Naruto frowned, visibly upset as he looked at the scene.
"Why can Ino hug Sakura and I can't?"
"Huh? Because we're both girls, duh. You can't just go hugging girls, Naruto," Ino said as she turned to give him a look of disgust.
Before Naruto could argue, Ino turned back and continued cuddling against Sakura like a spoiled kitten.
"Sakura, you haven't come to see me in forever. I seriously thought you forgot about me."
Sakura let out a helpless smile as she gently ruffled Ino's hair.
"I was really busy," she explained. "Being a ninja isn't easy. There's been a lot to do."
Training, ANBU missions, helping Lord Hiruzen with strategy… I barely have time to sleep, let alone visit friends…
It felt like she needed three days in one to get everything done.
But at least now, things were beginning to settle down. She'd finally have a bit of time to herself.
"…Fine, I guess," Ino mumbled, pouting but visibly softening.
Sakura had always been like this—even back in the academy, she was constantly studying or training, never taking breaks. And now as a full-fledged ninja, it seemed that hadn't changed.
Then, Ino noticed something—Sakura's hair.
Her signature pink locks had grown past her shoulders and were tied in a simple single ponytail, secured by a plain black ribbon.
"…Hey, what happened to the hairband I gave you?"
Sakura's expression shifted slightly to an apologetic one.
"Sorry, Ino. It got damaged during a mission."
She wasn't lying—during one particularly rough mission with Yamato, the ribbon had been torn beyond repair.
"Then I'll give you another one! What color do you want this time?"
Sakura tilted her head, thinking for a moment before replying, "Black."
"Black again?"
"Red stands out too much. Black is better for stealth," she explained.
Not that pink hair is exactly inconspicuous...
Ino stepped back and gave Sakura a thorough once-over.
Her outfit had completely changed from the last time they met. Gone was the bright red dress she used to wear.
Now she was clad in a full set of black ninja gear—simple, functional, and completely devoid of embellishment. Her shoes, too, were black standard-issue ninja sandals.
She looked more like a boy than a girl.
"I want one too!" Naruto suddenly shouted, jumping around like an excited child.
"Huh? Want what?" Ino crossed her arms, annoyed by his interruption.
Surely, he wasn't expecting her to give him something too?
No way.
Well… maybe if he said something nice…
"I want to give Sakura a gift too!"
Before Naruto could elaborate, more people began to arrive.
Shikamaru, Kiba, Choji, and even Hinata, who was peeking shyly from behind a tree.
Oh, and Shino too—Sakura almost didn't notice him until she squinted.
"You're way too loud, you idiot," Shikamaru said with a sigh, but he couldn't help glancing at Sakura himself.
Or more precisely, at her uniform.
The style was unmistakable—this was the kind of gear worn only by chūnin within certain clans.
Which meant Sakura had already been promoted from genin to chūnin during her time away.
"Looks like everyone's here," Sakura said with a bright smile. "How about I treat everyone to dinner?"
"Let's get some barbecue. How does that sound?"
"YEAH! Sakura's the best!" Choji cheered, mouth already full of chips.
"Woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement from atop Kiba's head.
Sakura turned toward the quiet girl hiding at the back.
"Hinata, want to join us?"
"M-Me? C-Can I?"
Hinata's cheeks turned bright red. She couldn't even look Sakura in the eye.
"Of course," Sakura said without hesitation. She reached out and took Hinata's hand in hers, gently pulling her along.
With their little group assembled, they headed toward the village's favorite barbecue restaurant.
Being part of ANBU certainly had its benefits—at least financially. When it came to income, ANBU operatives were among the best-paid ninjas in the village.
As they walked, Sakura casually asked about Sasuke.
"Oh, him?" Kiba shrugged. "He went straight home after class. Didn't say a word."
Sakura's shoulders slumped a little.
She had wanted to invite him too—after all, this was a rare reunion with her old classmates. It felt a little incomplete without Sasuke.
Still, she was surrounded by friends. And in the fading golden sunlight of the afternoon, their laughter echoed down the village streets.
For one moment, life felt a little simpler.
A little warmer.
A little more like home.
(End of Chapter)
---