A New Path

A five-minute break was announced, giving the competitors time to rest and prepare for the next match. The tension that had filled the air after Sakura’s brutal fight against Zaku began to settle, replaced by a murmur of casual conversation among the remaining participants.

Sakura exhaled, rolling her shoulders as she felt the lingering adrenaline in her system. Her body still thrummed with energy, the curse mark lying dormant once again beneath her skin. She had won, and in a way that left no room for doubt—Zaku was down, likely out cold, and she had proved herself. Yet, as she glanced at her teammates, she caught them exchanging looks before Naruto, of course, spoke up first.

"Oi, Sakura," Naruto started, rubbing the back of his head. "What's up with you and Ino, anyway?"

Sakura blinked, confused. "Huh?"

"You guys used to be, like, best friends, right?" Naruto continued, crossing his arms. "Now you’re always fighting. What happened?"

Sakura stared at him for a moment before looking at the others. Harry had a curious tilt to his head, and Sasuke, though not outwardly prying, was clearly paying attention. Even Kakashi, though his face was buried in his book, was listening.

Sakura hesitated before sighing, leaning against the railing. "Yeah… Ino and I were really close. We used to have sleepovers, braid each other’s hair, and go flower-picking. We even planned on becoming shinobi together."

Naruto and Harry exchanged surprised glances, while Sasuke merely listened.

"So, what happened?" Harry asked.

Sakura glanced toward the other side of the balcony, where Ino was chatting animatedly with Shikamaru and Choji, completely unaware of their conversation. Her expression softened for a moment before she sighed again.

"I guess I felt… inferior," she admitted, looking down at her hands. "Ino was always better than me. She was stronger in taijutsu, better at ninjutsu, and she had a clan—a hidden technique even. Meanwhile, I was just a civilian girl trying to keep up. Sure, I had good chakra control, and I knew the academy techniques, but it wasn’t enough. I was just... average.”

Her fingers curled into a loose fist. “I thought that if I stayed by her side, I’d hold her back. I didn’t want that. So… I just stopped talking to her."

Silence followed.

Sakura looked up to see all three of her teammates staring at her. Naruto looked utterly dumbfounded, Harry’s lips were slightly parted in disbelief, and Sasuke—Sasuke looked like she had just said something profoundly stupid.

"... You never actually told her that, did you?" Harry finally asked, his voice incredulous.

Sakura blinked. "... No?"

Naruto facepalmed. "Sakura, are you serious?!"

Sasuke let out a small exhale through his nose, shaking his head. "You do realize that to her, it probably looked like you just abandoned your friendship for no reason, right?"

Sakura frowned, her brows furrowing.

Naruto nodded quickly. "Yeah! Like—imagine being best friends with someone for years, and then out of nowhere, they stop talking to you and act like you’re a rival or something. I’d be pretty mad, too!"

"And hurt," Harry added, giving Sakura a pointed look. "If you never explained your reasoning, then she probably thinks you just didn’t care anymore. That’s probably why she calls you ‘Forehead’ and acts all high and mighty around you. She’s hiding the fact that she’s hurt behind all that teasing."

Sakura stared at them, her mouth slightly open. She wanted to argue—but could she? Had she really been so blind to Ino’s feelings this whole time? Slowly, she turned her gaze toward the other side of the balcony. Ino was laughing at something Choji said, flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder with a smirk. But for the first time, Sakura noticed something else—whenever their eyes met during fights or in passing, Ino’s gaze always held something unreadable.

Was that really just annoyance? Or was it something deeper?

Sakura felt her stomach twist.

"You should go talk to her," Naruto said firmly, jabbing a thumb toward Ino.

Sakura hesitated. "Right now?"

Sasuke sighed. "If you don’t, you’ll just keep overthinking it."

Harry grinned. "Besides, you did just break someone’s arms. You’re on a roll today."

Kakashi, finally speaking up, chuckled lightly. "It’s always best to clear misunderstandings before they fester. You never know when you’ll lose the chance."

Sakura swallowed, her fingers twitching. For years, she had avoided this conversation, convincing herself that cutting ties had been for the best. But maybe—just maybe—her teammates were right.

Maybe Ino was hurt. Maybe, just this once, she needed to stop running from it. Her gaze lingered on Ino a moment longer before she took a breath and squared her shoulders.

"... Alright," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Naruto gave a toothy grin. "That’s the spirit!"

Sasuke merely hummed, and Harry offered an encouraging nod.

As Sakura started walking toward Ino, her teammates watched, their expressions a mix of amusement and curiosity. Whatever happened next—it would certainly be interesting.

Sakura inhaled deeply, forcing her nerves down as she made her way toward Ino.

Alright, no backing out now.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she approached, but she quickly relaxed them, shaking out the tension in her fingers. There was no reason to be this nervous—this was just Ino, someone she had known for years. Someone she had once called her best friend. And yet, her heart was hammering against her ribs as if she were walking into battle all over again.

She steeled herself. Just be direct. You’ve fought enemy Shinobi and walked away. You can handle one conversation.

Ahead of her, Ino was chatting with Choji and Shikamaru, seemingly amused by whatever discussion they were having. The easy banter between them made Sakura’s stomach twist. There was a time when she had been the one standing next to Ino, laughing with her like that.

Ino must have sensed her approach, because her voice trailed off, and she turned her head slightly, her blue eyes locking onto Sakura’s.

Her smile vanished.

Choji and Shikamaru glanced between them, immediately picking up on the sudden tension. Shikamaru let out a long-suffering sigh, rubbing the back of his head.

"Welp," he drawled lazily, "this seems like one of those conversations we don’t need to be here for."

Choji nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think I need a snack, anyway."

Without further hesitation, the two peeled away, though not without giving Ino a quick glance that screamed, Don’t kill her.

Now it was just the two of them. For a long moment, neither spoke.

Sakura shifted awkwardly, her fingers twitching. Ino crossed her arms, arching a single, perfectly plucked eyebrow. "You break someone’s arms, and now you think you can just walk over here like we’re best friends again?" Ino said coolly, though there was no real bite behind her words—more like mild amusement.

Sakura huffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Pig."

Ino blinked, surprised for half a second before she smirked. "That’s Queen Pig to you, Billboard Brow."

Sakura scoffed, shaking her head. "Unbelievable." But despite the banter, her stomach still felt unsettled. There was something she needed to say, and if she danced around it, she’d never get it out.

Taking a breath, she finally met Ino’s gaze head-on. "... Look, I need to tell you something."

Ino’s smirk wavered slightly, but she kept her arms crossed. "Oh? What, you finally admitting I’m better than you?"

Sakura gave her a dry look. "No."

Ino snorted. "Figured."

Sakura exhaled through her nose. "Ino, I’m being serious."

Something in her tone must have caught Ino off guard because her posture shifted ever so slightly. Less defensive. More… curious.

Sakura hesitated only for a moment before speaking. "Back in the Academy, I stopped talking to you because I thought I was holding you back."

Ino blinked. "... What?"

"I thought that if I stayed by your side, I’d just slow you down. You had a clan, and you were way stronger than me. And I—I was just some civilian girl playing shinobi. I didn’t want to be dead weight, so I figured the best thing to do was just… leave."

Ino’s lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

Sakura rubbed her arm, suddenly feeling exposed. "I—I never actually told you why, and that was stupid of me. I just assumed you’d be better off without me, but… I think I just ended up hurting you instead."

Ino’s expression was unreadable for a moment. Then, her hands slowly dropped from where they were crossed over her chest, her fingers twitching slightly at her sides.

"... You idiot," Ino muttered.

Sakura frowned. "Huh?"

"You idiot," Ino repeated, this time louder. "Do you seriously think I cared about any of that?"

Sakura’s eyes widened slightly.

Ino scoffed, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "You thought you were holding me back? Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?" She gestured toward Sakura with an exasperated wave of her hand. "You were the one who always got perfect scores on chakra control exercises! You were the one who actually listened in class and memorized all that boring textbook stuff! Just because I was better at a few things doesn’t mean you were useless, Sakura!"

Sakura stared at her, stunned.

Ino huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "And then you just disappeared from my life without saying a word! Do you have any idea how pissed off I was?! I thought you hated me!"

Sakura flinched. "... I didn’t."

Ino exhaled sharply, brushing her bangs out of her face. "... Yeah, well, I didn’t hate you, either."

Sakura swallowed thickly. "... I should’ve told you."

"Yeah," Ino muttered. "You should have."

A beat of silence passed between them.

Then, Ino sighed, glancing away. "... But, I guess I could’ve handled it better, too."

Sakura blinked. "What?"

Ino scowled, clearly uncomfortable. "Don’t make me say it again," she grumbled.

A small smile twitched at the corner of Sakura’s lips. They stood there for a moment, neither quite sure how to move forward. But then, Ino let out a dramatic sigh and flicked Sakura’s forehead lightly with her finger.

"Well, at least you finally admitted you were wrong," she teased.

Sakura scoffed. "I never said that."

"You implied it."

Sakura rolled her eye, but a tiny laugh escaped her lips. Ino grinned.

It wasn’t a perfect resolution, but it was a start.

And for the first time in years, Sakura felt like maybe—just maybe—things could be mended. Sakura barely had a moment to register Ino stepping closer before she felt a gentle touch against her temple. The warmth of Ino’s fingertips lingered as they carefully brushed against the fabric of Sakura’s hitai-ate. Slowly, almost deliberately, Ino pushed it upward, shifting it away from the scarred skin above Sakura’s eye.

Sakura stiffened, her breath hitching slightly.

"Why do you even wear it like this?" Ino murmured, her voice softer than before. Her thumb hovered over the scar, tracing the air just above it but never quite touching. "You’re hiding your beauty, Billboard Brow."

Heat flooded Sakura’s face instantly. Her entire body locked up as she processed Ino’s words—her mind screeching to a halt.

Hiding my beauty?

Steam might as well have been physically pouring out of her ears because, at that moment, her entire face turned the color of a tomato.

"I—I—what—?!" Sakura spluttered, her voice cracking embarrassingly.

Ino smirked at her reaction, clearly enjoying every second of it. "Oh, what’s this?" she teased, tilting her head as if studying her like a science experiment. "Sakura Haruno, the fierce warrior who just broke a guy’s arms, is blushing?" She placed a hand over her chest dramatically. "What an honor!"

Sakura’s brain promptly short-circuited. She made a strangled noise, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. She was not expecting that! Flustered beyond belief, she frantically pulled her hitai-ate back down, slamming it over her forehead so fast that it made an audible whap!

"S-SHUT UP!" she practically yelled, her hands slamming over her burning cheeks.

Ino cackled.

From a short distance away, Team 7 was having the time of their lives. Naruto, Harry, and Sasuke had all been watching the scene unfold with various levels of amusement, their heads bobbing slightly like spectators at a wrestling match. And the instant Sakura turned as red as a chili pepper, all three turned to each other in sync.

Naruto grinned wildly, throwing his hands into the air. "Oh, man, did you guys see that?!"

"How could we not?" Sasuke smirked, clearly enjoying the rare sight of Sakura losing her cool.

Harry, meanwhile, snickered and clapped his hands together. "Well, fellas, it looks like we’ll be getting invitations to the wedding."

Naruto howled with laughter.

Sasuke smirked. "At this rate, they’ll be married before the Chunin Exams are over."

The three of them immediately high-fived each other, reveling in the absolute gold that was unfolding before them. Kakashi, standing just behind them, let out a short chuckle. "I suppose I should be the responsible one and say something… but this is too good." His eye crinkled in amusement.

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield of Sakura's dignity, she whipped around to glare at her so-called teammates.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS SAYING?!"

"Nothing~!" Naruto sing-songed, still laughing.

Sakura seethed, her fists trembling.

I swear to the Sages, I will kill all of them.

Ino, still beside her, simply placed a hand on her hip and smirked. "You know, you’re making this way more obvious than it needs to be."

That was the final straw.

Sakura screamed into her hands while Ino cackled triumphantly. The rest of the break passed with Team 7 barely containing their amusement and Sakura trying very hard not to commit multiple acts of violence. And despite herself, as much as she hated to admit it… a small, tiny, very tiny part of her felt something she hadn’t in a long time.

Something warm.

Like maybe, just maybe…

Things between her and Ino would be okay.

Ino practically floated back to her team, her steps lighter than air, her entire aura radiating pure smugness. The grin on her face was so bright it could’ve outshined the sun. She looked positively victorious like she’d just won the entire Chunin Exams singlehandedly.

Shikamaru, leaning against the railing with his arms lazily crossed, barely tilted his head to acknowledge her return. But he did squint at her, his sharp eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"...The hell’s with that face?" he drawled, eyeing her up and down.

Ino huffed dramatically, flipping her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder as she struck a proud pose. "Oh, nothing~!" she chimed, voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

Choji, who had been happily munching on a fresh bag of chips, paused mid-bite. He glanced between Ino’s glowing expression and Shikamaru’s raised eyebrow, then hummed in thought.

"Must’ve reunited with her ex," he said around a mouthful of food, completely casual.

Shikamaru’s squint deepened.

Ino snapped her head toward him, her smug grin instantly replaced with a horrified expression. "EX?!" she repeated, voice pitching higher than she intended. The sheer volume of her reaction was enough to make Asuma, who had been taking a casual drag from his cigarette, choke on absolutely nothing.

COUGH!

"Ghk—!" Asuma wheezed, eyes widening as he pounded his fist against his chest, his cigarette nearly dropping from his lips.

Choji blinked. "Oh. You okay, sensei?"

"I’m fine," Asuma rasped, coughing one last time before clearing his throat. He gave Ino a side glance but wisely chose not to comment further.

Shikamaru, however, was not so generous.

"Ex, huh?" he muttered, giving Ino the most unimpressed look in existence. "That explains a lot."

"IT EXPLAINS NOTHING!" Ino shouted, her entire face going red.

Choji just shrugged. "I dunno, you’ve been weird about her since forever."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, kinda obvious."

Ino looked betrayed. "You knew?!"

The two boys simultaneously nodded.

Asuma let out a slow exhale, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So this is why I get headaches."

Ino groaned, aggressively tugging at her ponytail. "I hate all of you!"

"Love you too," Choji said, happily crunching on his chips.

Shikamaru sighed, tilting his head back. "This whole thing is so troublesome…"

Ino turned away from them with an irritated huff, but despite her flustered outburst, the red dusting her cheeks, and the undeniable embarrassment of being called out so effortlessly…

She was still smiling.