"I…"
"You don't know?" Neji said quietly. His pale Byakugan eyes rested on Ino, sharp yet restrained, as if carefully dissecting her emotions. "Back during the Chunin Exams, when you were injured, Sakura risked everything to treat you. Wasn't that so?"
Shino spoke as well, his tone calm and measured. "Determining Sakura's true intentions is crucial right now. Ino—before Sakura left Konoha, did she have any contact with you? Anything she said, anything she did, could contain clues to her decision. No detail can be overlooked."
Before she left…
Ino fell into deep thought.
"Wait." Shikamaru suddenly spoke up, frowning as he made his stance clear. "Ino, Sakura is your friend, right? You grew up together. You know better than anyone what kind of person she is. Whether she defected, left Konoha, or is still Konoha's Sakura—she's still your friend. The matter of betrayal hasn't been fully confirmed. At the end of the day, she just left the village. Isn't it possible she was taken by Akatsuki instead?"
That single sentence struck like a wake-up call.
Neji fell silent. Shino leaned against the old tree, pulling his collar higher. Sasuke's expression remained unchanged; he offered no comment on Shikamaru's words and instead redirected the conversation.
"Bottom line, Naruto—if you want to guarantee Sakura's safety, it's best not to act recklessly. The Fifth indulged you, but that doesn't mean the Sixth will. On top of that, the Hokage transition and the previous nonhuman incidents have left the village unstable. What we can do now is restore Konoha as quickly as possible. Sakura's matter can wait until things stabilize."
"Sasuke!" Naruto glared at him. "Are you saying we should just abandon Sakura?!"
Sasuke shook his head. "Compared to the village's stability, Sakura's situation is insignificant. She's my comrade—her leaving pains me as well. But if, during this time, the village is harmed because of Sakura, I would never forgive myself. My clan's mission is to protect Konoha. Even if I'm the only one left, I'll defend it with my life. Naruto, you want to become Hokage, don't you? Then tell me—at a time like this, what choice should a Hokage make? Do I really need to spell it out?"
"You're telling me to give up on my comrade?!"
"I'm telling you to protect Konoha and shoulder your responsibility as a Konoha ninja."
"If you can't even save a single comrade, how can you become Hokage?!"
"And if you can't even do your duty properly, how are you supposed to save anyone?"
Sasuke's words were firm and unwavering.
Naruto had no reply.
After a long moment of thought, Shikamaru spoke again, his tone gentler this time.
"Naruto, Sasuke's right. And we're not abandoning Sakura—just postponing things. Besides, Sakura is the Fifth Hokage's student and a rare talent. Even if hunter-nin catch up to her, she won't be killed. What matters now is focusing on restoring the village. Sakura's situation can wait. And you—don't act on impulse. The Sixth won't protect you the way the Fifth did."
"I… I know."
Sasuke snorted softly and turned away. "Let's go. Naruto, you should focus on becoming a chūnin first. That would help us the most."
"Yeah!"
The two left quickly.
Shikamaru glanced at the silent Ino. "Ino, let's go too. There's still something to handle over at Asuma-sensei's place."
"Huh? …Yeah."
"Lady Hinata, let's return to training as well," Neji said gently.
Hinata paused, then nodded shyly. "Y-Yes. Thank you, Neji-niisan."
"Training again, huh? Your clan is really strict," Kiba said with a grin.
Akamaru whimpered in agreement.
"You should train too, Kiba," Shino said in his usual low voice. "As for the reason—"
"Ah, ah, I know, I know! I'll just get yelled at by my mom again. Let's go, Akamaru!"
"Woof!"
The Twelve—no, the Eleven Rookie—gradually dispersed.
The amusement park, once crowded moments ago, was now left with only Tenten and Lee, who was still drowning in grief over his "first love" defecting.
"Seriously, Lee, how long are you planning to cry? Look at Naruto and Sasuke—Sakura was in their class too, and they're not this miserable."
"Waaah—Sakura!!!"
Tears poured out like a broken dam.
Tenten sighed, propping her chin up as she smiled at him.
"At least among our generation, there's still an idiot like you. That way, I won't feel so lonely~"
"Huh? sniff Tenten, what are you talking about?"
"Eh, nothing."
She waved her hand and turned to look at the now-empty playground, her gaze tinged with nostalgia.
"Lee, when I was a kid, I really wanted to train hard and become a jonin quickly—to make my dad proud. With geniuses like Neji and Sasuke among our peers, even I felt a lot of pressure, and I'm a girl."
"Eh? But don't you hate training the most, Tenten?"
"Yeah. But people have to do things they don't like for the sake of their goals. Still, the old man said he doesn't need a face, and the family doesn't need me to make money. If I like being a ninja, then I should just be a ninja—simple and clean. Don't get mixed up in all that messy nonsense."
"What does that mean?"
"Hehe, who knows~"
Tenten laughed, stood up, and looked down at Lee, who was crying on the ground. She reached out and poked his overly thick eyebrows.
"Lee, you should always stay this simple—happy and straightforward—just like Gai-sensei, okay?"
"Huh? But don't you dislike Guy-sensei the most?"
"Haha, idiot! Lee, when you truly recognize someone as a friend, then no matter what identity they have, what status they hold, or what they've done—your friend is still your friend. Even if Sakura leaves the village, betrays Konoha, even if she really joins Akatsuki, it doesn't change the fact that she once treated me, worried about me. Sakura is a friend I've acknowledged. That will never change. What about you?"
"I—I don't know, b-but… it's Sakura!"
Tenten smiled and ruffled his shiny black hair, like petting an oversized Akamaru.
"Good boy. Sakura is just… Sakura."