Fate is a strange thing. Even the smallest twist of circumstance can set entirely different stories into motion.
And yet, the three of them met at the same crossroads—by pure coincidence, but with an almost uncanny sense of inevitability.
"Ino?! Sakura?!"
"Tenten…?"
Tenten stared at Ino and Sakura walking together, her expression a mix of shock and confusion.
"Tenten!?"
Ino and Sakura stood side by side, faces matching, voices in perfect unison.
"You came to find Aoba too?"
"Hmph. I'm here to practice my throwing with Aoba!"
Tenten crossed her arms and snorted, her lips curling as she lifted her chin with a tsundere-like huff.
She had a legitimate reason to be jealous. Aoba's only real friend used to be her, and they used to do everything together.
But these two suddenly showed up and stole Aoba's time—time that was supposed to be for playing… or training… with her.
Ino and Sakura knew that Aoba spent most of his time with Tenten because she'd been training with him since early on.
In fact, the two of them were the latecomers.
But they refused to accept that Tenten was the one Aoba wanted to spend time with most.
To them, Tenten was just using her family's weapon shop and money to tie Aoba to her side.
They didn't understand that Aoba would have chosen to spend time with them even without any payment.
"I'm going to practice throwing with Aoba. You two better not interrupt us."
Tenten said, clearly proud, then turned and strode toward Aoba's house.
"Damn it!" ×2
Ino and Sakura both clenched their teeth and cursed under their breath.
But they didn't give up. Instead, they picked up speed and sprinted past Tenten, heading straight for Aoba's home.
"Hey! Don't get too carried away!"
Tenten watched them speed past, furious.
But when she saw they were almost there, she hurried after them.
By the time Tenten arrived, Ino was already knocking.
"Aoba! Aoba! Sakura and I came to play!"
Because of their height, they couldn't see inside yet, but the sound told them someone was home.
"Huff—huff—"
"You two… these two…"
"I came first!"
Tenten was still slightly out of breath from running, her eyes fixed on them.
She wanted nothing more than to pull out a shuriken and take them both down.
Pfft—
Ino made a face at Tenten.
"Whoever gets there first is the one who arrived first."
"You—!"
Tenten was about to retort, but then the sound of the gate opening caught her attention.
The three of them turned—and saw a familiar figure standing at the doorway.
A woman in a white dress with purple hair.
"Of all people, it's you three little rascals."
Yuyaka's smile was gentle, like a caring older sister, but her slightly narrowed eyes gave away nothing.
And the truth was, seeing these three made her feel an unexpected irritation.
Ino. Sakura. Tenten…
Watching the child she'd raised—her precious little cabbage—get chased after by outsiders was genuinely frustrating.
Aoba was far too flirtatious for his age.
Yuyaka was lost in her own thoughts when Ino, Sakura, and Tenten immediately bowed politely.
"Yuyaka-neechan!" ×3
All three of them knew Yuyaka. When they came to play with Aoba before, they often ran into her.
They also knew Yuyaka treated Aoba like her own little brother, always taking care of him.
But despite her gentle older-sister image, the three girls couldn't shake the strange chill and pressure they felt when she looked at them.
Yuyaka came back to reality, nodded with a smile, and said,
"Come in."
She turned and walked into the house.
Her purple hair fluttered behind her like blooming violets.
"Okay…" ×3
The three girls exchanged glances, their enthusiasm dampened.
They'd expected a fun day, but with Yuyaka here, the fun was suddenly reduced.
It was like hanging out with friends while a parent watched nearby—somehow you couldn't fully relax.
But their mood improved the moment they saw Aoba.
As three kids poured into the courtyard, Aoba, who had already heard the commotion, lifted his hand to greet them.
"You guys—"
"Aoba! Why haven't you come to practice throwing with me these days?"
"Aoba! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?"
Tenten and Ino spoke at the same time, and the volume of their voices made Aoba's head ache.
Even Yuyaka frowned in irritation.
Sakura, who had been quiet since entering, noticed the scene with careful attention.
She felt relieved she hadn't acted loudly or made a scene. Otherwise, she might have left a bad impression.
She had wanted to ask why Aoba hadn't been spending time with them.
But she knew very well that after Tenten and Ino asked, her question would be meaningless.
Compared to them, Sakura had no advantage—neither in personality, talent, nor looks.
Sakura was still stuck in her phase of self-doubt, and without the "breakup threat" that Ino had, she didn't dare express her feelings boldly.
Rather than confronting Aoba like the other two, she thought it would be smarter to be quiet and polite, leaving a good impression in front of both Aoba and Yuyaka.
Then, after Tenten and Ino exhausted themselves, she could quietly make her move.
It was a strategic choice.
Though she felt a little guilty toward Ino.
After all, rivalry between friends was always like this.
So when Aoba looked over, he only saw Sakura standing obediently behind Tenten and Ino, smiling sweetly at him.
Her pink hair and red ribbon looked cheerful and playful.
Before Aoba could speak, Yuyaka answered for him.
"Aoba has been training ninjutsu these past few days, so he hasn't had time to come play with you."
"And his training is at a critical stage right now. If you want to play, this isn't the best time."
Yuyaka said this while resting her right hand on her cheek, wearing an expression of mild worry.
"Huh?"
"How much longer will he be training?"
Tenten and Ino's expressions immediately fell. Sakura's smile vanished too, her lips pouting.
Yuyaka's eyes flashed with a sharp gleam, and the corner of her mouth curved into a small, satisfied smile.
"That's hard to say. It depends on when Aoba succeeds."