Chapter 9: The Shouro Field?Fate is a very intricate thing; it seems like just a slight crossover of paths, yet each story unfolds on its own. The three of them coincidentally met at an intersection."Ino?! Sakura?!""You..."Tiantian, watching Ino and Sakura walking together, looked bewildered and a bit confused."Tiantian?!"Ino and Sakura stood there, their expressions identical, and they said in unison,"Are you here to see Aoye as well?""Hmph, I'm here to practice throwing techniques with Aoye!"Tiantian crossed her arms and snorted coldly, tilting her head slightly with an air of arrogance.She had a legitimate reason to be there, after all; she had always been Aoye's only friend, and they used to practice together every day.But now, these two appeared out of nowhere and-snapped away all the time Aoye used to spend with her, even during their training sessions.Ino and Sakura knew that Aoye spent most of her time with Tiantian because Tiantian had started learning throwing techniques with her a long time ago.To be fair, they were the newcomers.However, Aoye didn't want to spend time with Tiantian and Ino.In their eyes, Tiantian was just exploiting her family's connections with the ninjutsu store to keep Aoye by her side.Would Aoye have wanted to hang out with them even without the money?"I'm going to practice throwing with Aoye later; don't come and disturb us," Tiantian said with a hint of arrogance, then headed straight for Aoye's house."Damn it!" they both muttered to themselves.But instead of giving up, they sped up and overtook Tiantian, running towards Aoye's house."Hey! Don't go too far!" Tiantian exclaimed angrily as Ino and Sakura raced past her.Seeing them approaching quickly, she also hurried over.By the time Tiantian arrived, Ino was already knocking on the door."Aoye! Aoye! Sakura and I're here to play with you!"Due to their height differences, they couldn't see inside, but they could tell there was someone there by the sound."Puff... Puff...""You two...""It was me who got here first!"Tiantian was still out of breath from running and glared at them, wishing she could take out her sword and strike."Pfft..." Ino made a faces at Tiantian."Whoever gets there first, gets there first.""As if!" Tiantian was about to retort when the door opened.The three looked around and saw a woman with purple hair and a white dress."I didn't expect it to be you three kids."Mougu Tsuyan's face showed a friendly smile, but her slightly squinted eyes made it difficult to read her true feelings.Indeed, seeing the three of them made her feel irritable.Ino, Sakura, and Tiantian... It was frustrating to realize that someone she had watched grow up was now being courted by others.Aoye really had a habit of attracting attention from many people.Mougu Tsuyan was still pondering when the three girls greeted her."Hello, Tsuyan-san!" they said in unison.They all knew Mougu Tsuyan; they had often visited when they wanted to play with Aoye, and she treated Aoye like a real sister, always taking care of her.However, despite her kind demeanor, the three felt a sense of chill and pressure whenever she looked at them.Mougu Tsuyan returned their greetings with a smile."Come on in," she said, turning and leading them inside.Her purple hair fluttered behind her, like a blooming purple orchid."Okay..." they replied in unison, following her into the house.Their spirits were somewhat subdued.They had hoped to have a happy day, but with Tsuyan around, the fun was diminished.It was like having a parent watching over you while you're playing with friends—slightly restrictive.However, their mood improved upon seeing Aoye.Aoye, having heard the commotion, had just raised her hand to greet them."You three...""Aoye, why haven't you come to practice throwing with me these past few days?""Aoye, do you know how long I've been waiting for you?" Tiantian and Ino asked in unison, which made Aoye groan.Even Mougu Tsuyan frowned, feeling even more irritated.Sakura, who had remained quiet until then, noticed this and felt relieved that she hadn't behaved loudly, otherwise, she would have made a poor impression.She wanted to ask why Aoye hadn't visited them, but she knew it would be pointless after Tiantian and Ino had already asked.Compared to Tiantian and Ino, she had no advantages in terms of personality, talent, or appearance.Still feeling inferior, and without the motivation from Ino's "break-up threat," she didn't dare to express her feelings boldly.It would be better to be gentle and make a good impression on both Aoye and Tsuyan.She would wait for an opportunity to intervene discreetly after Tiantian and Ino had argued.She felt a bit sorry for Ino...The rivalry among best friends was always like this.When Aoye looked around, she saw Sakura standing obediently behind Tiantian and Ino, holding a sweet smile.Her pink hair and red bow made her look very cute.Before Aoye could speak, Mougu Tsuyan answered for her."Aoye has been practicing ninjutsu these past few days, so she didn't have time to see you. Moreover, her training is at a critical stage; it wouldn't be a good time for you to visit."As she explained, she rested her right hand on her cheek and frowned in frustration."Until when will she have to train?"Tiantian and Ino's expressions collapsed, and Sakura's smile faded as she pouted.A flicker of cunning appeared in Mougu Tsuyan's eyes, and she smiled with a sense of satisfaction."That's hard to say; it depends on when Aoye succeeds."