"Sasuke-kun..."
Walking behind him, she quietly called the black-haired boy's name, worry clear in her voice.
His eyes were still swollen, with heavy bags under them, and the corners were red from constant rubbing. Half-lidded, his face looked utterly exhausted, completely devoid of energy.
"Sigh..." Kankuro let out a breath. "In his state he won't be able to help at all. He might as well stay in the tower. If something happens later, he'll just end up causing trouble for everyone."
Kankuro didn't usually mean any harm when he spoke. He just had a habit of talking without thinking first—rather like Konoha's Inuzuka Kiba.
Now that they were on the same team, Sakura Haruno wasn't as afraid of the three Sand ninja as she had been when they first met.
The moment Kankuro finished speaking, she shot him a fierce glare.
"Sasuke-kun, he..." Sakura didn't know how to explain it. Sasuke's family situation was far too complicated.
Anyone who suddenly learned something that overturned their entire understanding of the past would be thrown into chaos.
But Sakura had grown up in a perfectly ordinary family. It was hard for her to truly understand what Sasuke and Naruto were feeling.
Kankuro could tell his words hadn't gone over well. He waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright, alright. You take care of him. I'll go find something to eat." He sighed again. "Figures those two wouldn't be much help."
Sakura felt a little embarrassed, but Sasuke's condition really was special right now. After hesitating for a moment, she didn't refuse.
"Sorry... then I'll leave it to you."
"It's nothing. Your blond teammate helped my little brother out a lot."
"Little brother?"
"Tch, Gaara. That brat. He never treated me or Temari like his brother and sister before!"
But after learning the truth, that foolish little brother had quietly grabbed Kankuro and Temari and apologized in a low voice.
And for the first time ever...
He called Kankuro "big brother."
Well, it was only once. After that he went back to calling them Temari and Kankuro like usual.
...
After Kankuro left, Sakura led Sasuke toward an area with fewer trees.
Being the observant girl she was, Sakura felt that the thick bushes blocking out the sky gave the area a damp, gloomy atmosphere that would only make his mood worse.
If they could just leave the dense woods and find somewhere they could see the sky, maybe it would help clear his mind.
At that moment, Sakura actually wished Naruto were here too.
Even though Naruto often said ridiculous things that annoyed her, having him around at times like this made her feel much more at ease.
Only when Naruto managed to irritate Sasuke into anger would Sasuke start acting like himself again—calling him a dead last, arguing and fighting like usual, forgetting about his worries.
Back when Team Seven carried out missions together, she had already noticed something.
When Sasuke was alone, he seemed far too heavy and distant, like he was carrying so much that he didn't even feel like someone the same age as her and Naruto.
Anyway, once Kankuro found enough food, they should head back quickly and meet up with Naruto—
There's someone!
Sakura spotted members of another team ahead.
Even though they were no longer competitors, as a ninja her first instinct was still to stay alert.
Still somewhat absent-minded, Sasuke was pulled along as Sakura hid with him in a patch of bushes.
About thirty meters away, two male Grass ninja showed no sign that they had noticed them.
"Damn it, what rotten luck! Tch... This Chunin Exam is full of monsters! How are we supposed to win?!"
"Didn't you see the footage?! That guy Gaara—he's going to be the future Kazekage! And the Regimental Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces! With someone like that here, how would the Chunin title ever fall to people like us?!"
"Tch... but if we go back like this, the village..."
"Then how about this? Let's push the blame onto her. We'll say that when we were trying to steal another team's scroll, she failed to protect the one we had. That way, even if we fail, it won't be our fault, right?"
"...It's frustrating, but that might work."
The other Grass ninja raised his voice suddenly, as if trying to hide his own despicable thoughts.
"There's nothing we can do anyway! That girl's useless in a fight, and this exam is full of monsters! Didn't you see it? The power of the Uchiha! That S-rank rogue ninja who slaughtered his entire clan—his younger brother is here taking the exam! He might be a bloodthirsty monster too!"
Sakura's eyes widened.
She immediately looked at Sasuke.
Sure enough, the Sasuke who had looked indifferent and dispirited just moments ago now had a pale face twisted with a ferocious expression, like a demon.
"S-Sasuke-kun..."
Sakura called his name softly, frightened. She reached out to grab his clothes and stop him—but her hand trembled and she didn't dare pull him back.
"Sakura. Stay here."
As soon as Sasuke finished speaking, he burst out of the bushes.
"Sasuke-kun!!"
The two Grass ninja froze in shock.
"You—you're Uchiha Sasuke?!"
Both of them were startled by Sasuke's sudden appearance.
But once they realized who he was, instead of fighting, they immediately turned and ran.
They had heard the rumors about Konoha's S-rank rogue ninja Uchiha Itachi. They had also seen footage of the masked man who single-handedly instigated the Fourth Great Ninja War—another Uchiha.
So when they saw Sasuke, also an Uchiha, they decided there was no point in fighting at all. Running for their lives was far more important.
"Trying to run?!"
Sasuke's Sharingan flared with fury, his gaze burning.
The curse mark on his neck pulsed with a scorching heat, like a burn spreading across his skin.
Because the Second Hokage had only placed a temporary seal on the curse mark, it wasn't particularly strong.
The mark on Sasuke's neck turned red. He clicked his tongue and endured the pain as he chased after the two Grass ninja.
"Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura dashed out of the bushes and followed him.
"Is that guy insane?!" one of the Grass ninja shouted.
"He's definitely a killer too! Run! Run to her!"
"Yeah! With her there, any injury can be healed! Even if it's that Uchiha, we can wear him down!"
...
At this moment, Karin had no idea that disaster might already be heading her way.
With little combat ability, she remained curled up inside a hollow tree, tightly hugging the "Earth Scroll" in her arms.
She only hoped her two teammates would remember to bring her a little food when they returned.
"Hey!"
Karin heard the familiar voices. Those two had come back.
She immediately crawled out of the hollow tree as instructed.
Seeing them running back in panic made her nervous too.
"What's wrong? I-Is there something you need me to do?"
Before she even finished speaking, Sasuke—who had been chasing them like a cat toying with mice, venting the pain in his heart—appeared behind them.
"So... you're not running anymore?"
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Every 30 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter