A solemn atmosphere filled the Hokage Office. Sunlight slanted through the window, painting shifting bright spots across the wooden floor.
Hiruzen sat behind the broad desk, sharp eyes fixed on the four youngsters standing in the center of the room.
His voice was steady and heavy with pressure. "I hear you clashed with ninja from another village yesterday?"
Mamoru answered crisply, not a flicker of guilt on his face, "No."
The three members of Team 7 standing beside him shot him incredulous looks in perfect unison.
Naruto's eyes bulged, Sakura's lips parted slightly, even the usually cool Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
The same thought ran through their minds—how can this guy lie so boldly without batting an eye?
Hiruzen drew deeply on his pipe and slowly exhaled a wisp of blue smoke. "See for yourself."
He slid a report across the desk, the paper rasping softly against the wood.
Mamoru stepped forward, took the report, and skimmed it. The more he read, the tighter his frown became. His fingers unconsciously clenched, crinkling the edge of the paper.
When he finished, he cursed inwardly, 'These Anbu have nothing better to do than keep watching me.'
He handed the report back with obvious impatience, dropping it carelessly on the desk's edge.
Hiruzen's gaze was like a torch, seeming to see straight into his heart. "Anything else you'd like to say?"
Mamoru spread his hands. "It was all a misunderstanding. I only acted to save Konohamaru."
Hiruzen's tone turned harsh and he tapped his pipe sharply on the desktop. "Don't use Konohamaru as an excuse."
His eyes swept over Team 7. "And you three, the street-repair costs will be taken from your mission pay from now on."
Naruto sprang up, arms flailing. "Why? Mamoru wrecked everything by himself."
His face was a picture of grievance. He hadn't even had a chance to show off, yet he had to share the punishment.
"Quiet, Naruto!" Sakura tugged at him.
Though she said it, her tight lips showed her resentment.
Sasuke remained silent, arms folded, but the cold glint in his black eyes spoke volumes.
Mamoru stepped forward, voice firm. "I broke the ground. Punish me alone."
Hiruzen rose slowly, hands braced on the desk, and stared gravely at Mamoru. "You think fining only you will settle everything?"
Silence fell and only the faint cicadas outside could be heard.
The four youngsters stood amid the shifting light and shadow, each brooding, each swallowing their frustration.
The moment they stepped out of the Hokage Office, Naruto burst out, fists waving.
"What the heck! Those Suna ninjas bullied Konohamaru first, why do we get fined?" His cheeks puffed in indignation, blue eyes blazing.
Sakura quickly pressed a finger to her lips, glancing nervously back at the closed door. "Shh! Keep it down, Hokage-sama's still inside."
"What'd I say wrong?" Naruto's voice rose even higher.
He looked around for support. "They were throwing their weight around, right, Mamoru... huh?"
Only then did he realize someone was missing.
He scratched his head in bewilderment. "Where'd he go?"
Sasuke snorted, hands in his pockets. "He slipped away ages ago."
"Huh? Then... what about us?" Naruto blinked in confusion.
Without another word, Sasuke turned and walked off, long black hair swaying.
"Hey, Sasuke! Where are you going?" Naruto called after him.
Without looking back, Sasuke replied, "Since we're taking the Chunin Selection Exam, I'm going to train."
He shot Naruto a sidelong glance. "Don't hold me back."
"Why you—" Naruto bristled and charged after him. "I'll train harder than you and get stronger!"
Sakura watched the two receding figures, listening to their familiar bickering, and heaved a long sigh.
Inside the empty indoor training hall of the Ninja Academy, morning light slanted through high windows, casting dusty shafts across the floor. The scent of wood and earth mingled as two figures darted about, shoes scuffing the boards.
One of them was Kurenai, moving with fluid grace. Opposite her stood a brown-haired girl, cheeks flushed, forehead covered with sweat.
The girl clenched her teeth and kept attacking, but her strikes lacked force. Every punch and kick was effortlessly dodged or blocked by Kurenai, the gap in skill was vast.
Soon the girl's pace slowed and finally, she stopped, exhausted, hands braced on her knees, breathing in ragged gasps.
"Are you alright?" Kurenai hurried over, voice full of concern. "Don't push yourself."
"I'm... fine..."
The girl straightened with effort, one hand pressed to her chest, still panting. "Really... just got a little breathless..."
Kurenai frowned, heart aching. "Listen, Yakumo, there are paths in life besides becoming a ninja."
She gently grasped the girl's thin shoulders. "You're a girl, there are other ways to live."
Yakumo shoved Kurenai's hands away and turned her back stubbornly. "I want to be a ninja."
Her voice rang with iron resolve. "I heard of a man named Rock Lee. He can't use Ninjutsu or genjutsu, yet he vows to become a ninja with taijutsu alone."
She spun back, eyes blazing with hope, and gripped Kurenai's gaze. "My stamina may be weak, but if I can use that power, I could do it, right? Become a great ninja like you."
Kurenai looked away almost guiltily, hardening her heart. "I'm not a teacher like Might Guy. Unfortun—"
"Yo, good morning."
A lazy voice cut in from the side.
Both women turned to see a black-haired youth leaning around a stone pillar, a casual smile on his lips.
Kurenai frowned, annoyed at the interruption. "What are you doing here? We haven't reached assembly time."
"Just passing by, feeling nostalgic for school." Mamoru strolled in, apparently carefree, yet his sidelong glance took in the unfamiliar girl beside Kurenai and the near-tears trembling in her eyes.
He really had just been passing by. After sensing Kurenai's presence, he'd hopped the wall on a whim, only to stumble upon his Jōnin instructor giving private lessons to a stranger. So he'd stepped out with a showy greeting, ready to tease her.
"Passing by?" Kurenai didn't believe in coincidences.
Certain he was up to something stupid again, she warned, "I don't have time for you. If you've got nothing better to do—hey!"
Before she could finish, Mamoru slipped past her and headed straight for the brown-haired girl. More startlingly, his once-black eyes had quietly shifted to a pale blue.
Confronted by this odd stranger bearing down on her, Yakumo frowned in alarm and instinctively took a half-step back.
Mamoru acted as if he hadn't noticed her caution, closing the distance until they almost touched. Only then did he stop, studying her with interest.
"Fascinating. I've never seen anything like it."
"What nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean 'anything like it'?"
Kurenai strode up, grabbed Mamoru by the shoulder, and hauled him back a step to keep him from doing something worse. Annoyance sharpened her voice.
(End of Chapter)
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