Chapter 39
Sakura stared at the moon after finishing her meal, sitting quietly as a tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away, biting her lip. "Even after training in medical ninjutsu… I'm still useless."
She clenched her fists in frustration as memories of Ino, Hinata, and Ren training together filled her mind. "Why didn't I join them?" The more she thought about it, the heavier the guilt became.
Ino and Ren had asked her multiple times to train with them, yet she never listened. Now, when it mattered the most, she could only watch from the sidelines.
At another location, Ren sat with twenty clones in front of him, all working on recreating the curse seal. "Without Jugo's cells, this is pretty hard," one clone muttered, tossing another failed scroll onto a growing pile.
"Of course it's hard. What did you expect?" another snapped in irritation. The failures were piling up quickly, and so was their frustration.
"Enough," the real body said calmly. "We're getting irritated because of constant failure. Calm down and focus." The clones nodded and resumed their work, even though technically they didn't need to breathe.
Soon, another pile of failed seals began to form as they continued trying to replicate the curse mark without Jugo's cells.
On another side of the forest, Ino and Hinata stayed awake during their watch. The night was calm, the fire crackling softly between them.
"What do you think he's doing?" Ino asked, staring into the flames.
Hinata thought for a moment. "Maybe experimenting with a new seal… or he might have already passed the exam."
Ino stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again, her usual confidence gone. "Do you think he even likes us?"
Hinata looked up at the moon. "He does… of course." Ino blinked, surprised by her certainty.
"That confident?" she asked.
Hinata nodded slightly. "With my Byakugan and medical knowledge, it's easy to tell. Every time I get too close, his heartbeat speeds up. Every time we smile, he smiles too. And when we're around… his guard is almost non-existent."
Ino listened carefully as Hinata smirked faintly. "And every time he tries to hide his blush, he doesn't realize I'm watching."
Ino pouted. "That stupid Byakugan is such a cheat. I wish I had it too."
Hinata smiled softly. "Just wait for the third exam. I want to fight seriously and see how far I've come."
Ino grinned, her confidence returning. "Same here. I want to go all out for once."
The next morning, Ren's shadow clone appeared in the safe house and teleported Akari and Karin near the Land of Fire's capital. Akari stretched lightly. "So all we need to do is find Lady Tsunade?"
The clone nodded. "Don't approach her. Once you find her, send a signal. The main body will handle the rest."
Akari crossed her arms. "Got any clues? You can't expect us to search the entire Land of Fire."
"Look near Tanzaku Town," the clone replied. "She's usually gambling or drinking. You'll recognize her easily."
Karin's eyes sparkled. "So we can have fun while we're at it, right?"
"Of course," the clone said. "You have a month before the third exam. Enjoy yourselves. If you need more money, just call me."
Karin suddenly jumped forward and kissed his cheek. "You're the best, Ren!" she said, before realizing what she did and turning bright red.
Ren chuckled lightly. "Just stay near Tanzaku Town. Even if you don't find her, it's fine. Go enjoy yourselves."
With that, he disappeared. Akari smiled warmly. "Let's go to the capital's market district and buy some clothes and supplies."
Karin cheered. "And gifts for Ren, Ino, and Hinata!"
"They bought things for us," she added excitedly. "So we should buy something for them too."
Akari smiled as they walked. "Of course we will."
They spent the entire day shopping, eating, and enjoying themselves. Seeing Karin smile so freely made Akari's heart feel lighter, and she couldn't help but feel grateful.
Meeting Ren was truly a blessing, she thought. Her face turned slightly red as certain memories surfaced, and she quickly pushed them aside.
The next day, they departed for Tanzaku Town.
Back in the Forest of Death, Ren arrived at the central tower and opened both the Earth and Heaven scrolls. With a puff of smoke, Iruka appeared.
"Congratulations, you passed," he said.
Ren smiled slightly. "Message received." He poked Iruka in the stomach, and the figure disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Tsk… and here I thought he would teleport or something. Just a shadow clone," Ren muttered as he sat down, a cup of hot chocolate appearing in his hand.
Soon, Ino and Hinata's teams also arrived. After confirmation of their success, they entered the waiting room.
Ren was already lying on a futon. Sensing them, he opened one eye. "Yo, you're done too?"
Shikamaru looked at him with open jealousy as Ren tossed him a scroll. He opened it to find several futons inside.
His eyes lit up as he took one out and immediately lay down. Hinata and Ino also settled down beside Ren and fell asleep.
Kiba blinked in confusion. "Wait… where did they get futons? And why the hell are you all sleeping in the morning?"
Choji didn't question anything and simply sat down, eating chips. Shino quietly sat with his eyes closed.
Kiba sighed, looking at Akamaru, who was already sleeping on one of the futons.
Even the jonin watching them sighed. "Why are kids these days so lazy?"
Another ninja shot him a glare. "Say that after you clear the second round in two days like them."
The first ninja flushed in embarrassment, falling silent.