"Good morning, Sakura-chan~~!"
The moment Haruno Sakura stepped into the classroom that morning, an overly enthusiastic voice rang out through the room.
A blond-haired boy dashed toward her with beaming eyes and wide open arms, clearly excited to greet her.
As expected… he's like a completely different person when he's in front of others compared to when he's alone.
Naturally, Naruto's loud and energetic behavior drew the attention of the entire class. Although the students here weren't as prejudiced as some people outside the Academy, rumors about Naruto were still rampant throughout the village. Even within this classroom, there was always a lingering sense of wariness.
"Morning, Naruto," Sakura replied with a polite smile before heading straight for her seat.
"Hehe~ Sakura~" Naruto grinned foolishly, ready to follow her again, but Iruka-sensei, who had just entered behind them, immediately gave him a sharp glare, forcing the boy to retreat to his seat like a puppy caught doing something wrong.
"M-Mr. Naruto…"
From the corner of the classroom, a soft voice spoke. A petite girl with dark hair and pale, lavender-tinted eyes watched the blond boy cautiously, her fingers nervously gripping the edge of her desk.
"Alright, everyone settle down!"
Iruka's voice quickly restored order.
"Today, we'll be learning—"
As usual, Iruka began the day's lesson with his familiar, steady tone. Sakura took out her notebook and listened attentively. But after about fifteen minutes of explanations on shuriken throwing angles, she had already put her pen down.
This is… child's play.
With knowledge from her past life combined with this body's natural brilliance, Sakura had already grasped the concept Iruka was teaching with ease.
Her gaze drifted toward the window, expression blank.
The sky was so blue today.
And that tree outside really did look… like a tree.
Just as her mind began to wander deeper into nothingness, a folded note was slyly pushed her way from the adjacent desk.
Sakura glanced sideways and saw Yamanaka Ino acting as if nothing had happened, her pale blonde hair bouncing lightly as she stared at the blackboard.
Sakura unfolded the note and read its contents.
"Sakura, I think Naruto has a crush on you!"
She looked to the back of the classroom where Naruto was sitting. True to Ino's words, he was staring at her like a hopeless romantic. When their eyes met, Naruto panicked and quickly turned away, pretending he hadn't been watching.
Sakura's mouth twitched slightly.
Well, here it is… the beginning of a ten-year ordeal of being chased by a certain overly persistent boy.
To be fair, if Sakura were truly a girl—inside and out—perhaps she might have eventually given in. After all, not many people could withstand being pursued so earnestly for ten whole years without being moved even a little.
But the thing is—she was a man in her past life.
Naruto… your destined one is Hinata, that gentle heiress of the Hyūga clan. So please, walk that path and don't look back.
Sakura calmly wrote a single line back on the note:
"You're overthinking it."
Just as she was about to slide the note back to Ino, a hand came down over it.
"Sakura, come to my office after class."
Iruka said casually as he confiscated the note and tucked it into his pocket.
"…Yes, sir."
Sakura responded without a hint of panic.
Oh no… oh no no no…
Did I just get Sakura in trouble?
Ino stared at the scene, stunned and filled with guilt. She bit her lip nervously.
Sakura had always been a model student—the top of the class. What if her careless note ruined Sakura's perfect image in front of Iruka-sensei?
The rest of the class dragged on endlessly for Ino, who was consumed with anxiety the whole time. Finally, the bell rang and Iruka began packing up his materials.
"Sakura, come on," he called.
As expected!
Iruka-sensei looks… so scary right now!
Ino felt like burying her head under the desk and pretending she didn't exist.
Sakura stood up and patted Ino's head affectionately with a soft smile.
"It's okay, Ino. Don't worry."
She's so… understanding… Even now, she's comforting me?
Ino felt her heart warm and her guilt grow heavier at the same time.
After briefly reassuring her friend, Sakura followed Iruka to the teachers' office.
To her surprise, Iruka didn't mention the note at all.
Instead, he knelt beside his desk and pulled out a thick stack of books, placing them in front of her.
"This is the entire first-year curriculum. I'll be giving you a separate examination one month from now."
Hearing this, Sakura's eyes lit up slightly. But before she could celebrate, Iruka's tone turned stern and his gaze sharpened as he looked at her.
"Sakura, listen carefully."
"We are ninja. Advancement isn't just about scoring high on written tests. Grades alone aren't enough to justify skipping a year."
"In this month, you're expected to master not only the academic material, but also prove yourself in several other areas—combat capability, endurance, speed, physical strength, stealth, intelligence gathering. All these are essential skills for a ninja."
"And even if you pass all of that, you'll still have to face a second-year student in a one-on-one match. Only if you defeat them will you earn the right to move on to the second-year curriculum."
Iruka's voice was calm, but his tone left no room for argument.
"Because you're skipping a grade, the standards you'll be held to will be even stricter than the regular promotion exams."
"Even if the first-year content may seem easy, don't expect me to go easy on you."
"Do you understand?"
It was clear that Iruka hoped Sakura would realize the difficulty ahead and give up on the idea. In peaceful times, skipping a grade was even harder than during wartime. He wasn't sure why Sakura was so determined, but orders were orders.
In his opinion, spending a calm six years in the Ninja Academy wasn't a bad thing. These were some of the most peaceful days a ninja would ever experience.
"I understand. I will pass the exam."
Sakura answered with firm conviction, her pink hair swaying gently as she nodded.
Iruka sighed inwardly.
Stubborn kid…
"…Right. And this—"
He pulled the folded note from his pocket.
"It's nothing. Just a misunderstanding on Ino's part."
Sakura glanced at it indifferently, then picked up the stack of textbooks in her arms and turned back toward the classroom.
Iruka looked down at the note again and read the line she had written:
"You're overthinking it."
…Was she really?
Still, Sakura's handwriting is pretty impressive.
—
When Sakura returned to the classroom, Ino immediately ran up to her, eyes full of worry.
"Sakura, are you okay? Did Iruka-sensei scold you?"
Sakura placed the pile of books down on her desk, then smiled and gently stroked Ino's soft hair.
"I'm fine, Ino. You don't need to worry."
Ino stared up at her, blinking in awe.
Sakura… you're so kind…
You used to rely on me for everything…
But now, you seem so confident and mature. I kind of like this new side of you.
I… want to stay by your side.
"Wait… What's all this?"
Ino's attention turned to the mountain of textbooks on Sakura's desk.
"Remember what I told you before?"
"This is it—the full first-year curriculum we have to learn."
Sakura casually picked up the top book and flipped it open.
The first volume was about how to gather and mold chakra properly for basic control and application.
She already had this down. In fact, she could already walk up trees by channeling chakra to her feet—this book was practically outdated for her.
The second book was titled: "The Twelve Basic Hand Seals."
Sakura let out a soft chuckle.
Looks like I'll be breezing through this too…
(End of Chapter)
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