The next morning, Sakura was preparing for her mission. After gathering her tools, she rushed to Tsunade's office.
Sakura: "Tsunade-sama… I'm ready to go."
Tsunade: "Alright, your partner will be here shortly."
Suddenly, the door opened, and the last person Sakura expected walked in. She gasped in shock and shouted: "Hinata?!!!"
Tsunade: "Yes, her eyes will be very useful in your search."
Sakura let out a sigh of frustration. "Fine… Let's go, Hinata."
Hinata (coldly): "Don't order me around."
She walked out, followed by Sakura, who was practically a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
Shizune (worriedly): "Do you think it's wise to send them together?"
Tsunade: "Don't worry… They'll manage."
Shizune: "I hope so…"
After over six hours of continuous walking, they finally reached the flower's location. They searched for a long time until Hinata spoke up:
Hinata: "Sakura… It's over there. Go get it."
Sakura glared at her. "Why don't you get it yourself?!"
Hinata: "Because you're closer to it… and this is your mission. I only came to tell you where it is."
As usual, Sakura was fuming, but she quickly calmed herself down—this wasn't the time for an argument. She approached the flower and plucked it, but suddenly, a ninja appeared behind her.
Mysterious Ninja: "Two girls from Konoha… How wonderful!"
Sakura quickly turned around, and both she and Hinata tried to strike him, but he was faster. He sprayed a strange perfume that made them collapse.
When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a dark, desolate room that looked like a storage area.
Sakura (struggling to sit up): "Where are we? And what are these restraints?!"
Hinata (annoyed): "I don't know… but I do know that we need to get out of here quickly!"
They used their academy training to free themselves and began searching for an exit. When Sakura found none, she decided to punch the wall to break through.
Hinata (using her Byakugan): "Stop, Sakura!"
Sakura: "Why?!"
Hinata: "This isn't an ordinary wall… Even if we break it, we won't be able to escape. There's an electric field outside. If we step into it, we're done for."
Sakura: "Do you see any other way out?"
Hinata: "Unfortunately, we're trapped."
Sakura: "Trapped?! What do we do now?"
Hinata: "We wait… and seize the right moment to escape."
Sakura looked at Hinata, realizing she had a point, then sat beside her, hoping they could find a way out. As she thought, she muttered to herself:
"If Sasuke-kun were here, we could have escaped easily… Why do you always disappear when I need you?!"
Suddenly, the door burst open, and the ninja entered with a group of his men.
Mysterious Ninja: "Kill them."
Sakura's eyes widened in terror. "What?! Why do you want to kill us?! We haven't done anything to you!"
The man laughed mockingly. "You haven't done anything?!"
His face turned serious. "I will wipe out Konoha… just as it wiped out my clan."
(During the Fourth Great Ninja War, many clans were exterminated—his was one of them.)
A fierce battle broke out, but the enemy was too strong. The ninjas restrained Hinata and Sakura, tying them up and bringing them before their leader, who approached with a dagger in hand. He examined them before saying: "I'll start with the pink-haired one."
Sakura's eyes widened in horror, while Hinata struggled desperately to break free and save her, but it was no use.
The man raised his knife and thrust it toward Sakura. She shut her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her face, waiting for the inevitable—
But nothing happened.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and found something strange—a black mass blocking the dagger.
She turned toward the enemy ninja and saw sheer terror on their faces, as if they had seen a monster. Even Hinata's eyes were wide with shock, completely frozen in place.
Then, the shadowy figure spoke in a chilling voice: "What were you trying to do?"
Hinata whispered in disbelief, "It's him…!"
Sakura looked at her. "Who…?"
The figure turned to Sakura, his face hidden under a black hood. "Haven't you recognized me yet… Sakura?"
Sakura: "You… know my name?!"
She heard a faint chuckle. Then, the figure turned to the enemy leader. As he stepped forward, the entire gang bolted in terror.
The figure leaped into the air and called out: "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Sakura's eyes widened. "Kage Bunshin…?! No way… That means he's—"
The moment his cloak slipped, revealing his golden hair, she gasped: "Naruto?!!!"
After ensuring his clones had captured the enemy, Naruto turned to Sakura with an unreadable expression—his demeanor was eerily similar to Sasuke's, but still unmistakably his own.
He approached her, standing directly in front of her. Sakura stared at him in astonishment, unable to speak. Seeing him like this was the last thing she expected—especially now.
Noticing her silence, Naruto asked, "Are you okay?"
She didn't respond at first, as if she was making sure he was real. Eventually, she nodded hesitantly and stammered: "A-Are you really… Naruto?!"
Naruto (smirking): "Finally figured it out?"
Sakura (annoyed): "I never forgot you! But your voice… and your appearance have changed so much!"
Naruto (grinning slightly): "And you still get angry just as easily as before."
She blushed slightly, looking away in embarrassment.
After a brief silence, Naruto smiled. "You've really changed this time… You're more feminine than before."
Sakura blushed even more and quickly retorted, "And I see you've become more perverted than before!"
Naruto just smiled, then turned to Hinata, who was standing quietly at a distance. "Hinata…!"
She looked at him with burning anger, then turned away in frustration.
Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion but chose not to press the issue. Instead, he looked back at Sakura. "By the way, what were you two doing here?"
Sakura (happily): "We were on a mission, and—"
Hinata (interrupting): "Thanks for your help. Let's go, Sakura."
Naruto (coldly): "Who said I'm letting you leave alone?"
Sakura (excitedly): "You mean you're coming with us?!"
Naruto (deadpan): "No… You two are coming with me."
Hinata & Sakura: "WHAT?!!"
Naruto: "You're staying in my village tonight. I'm busy today, and I can't take you back to Konoha now."
Sakura (angrily): "But we have to go back today—"
Naruto (firmly): "That's enough, Sakura. You're not going back alone. This place is crawling with thieves and killers. If I leave you now, you'll die."
Sakura stared at him, thinking, "It's the first time he forgot to call me '-chan'…"
Hinata (mocking): "And if we don't listen to you…?"
Naruto (smirking): "Try me."
The girls exchanged looks, sighed, and relented. "Fine."
Naruto smiled. "Good. Follow me."
As they walked toward Naruto's village, Sakura observed him silently. "He's changed… He's become a real man."
Then, she blushed slightly and muttered, "And handsome too."