🍁🍂 A Cozy Spring Sale is Live Now on Patreon! 🛍️🔥
Discount: 15%
Code: C763C
***********************************
The air in the arena was thick with tension as two familiar figures stepped forward under the gazes of friends, rivals, and mentors.
Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka stood on opposite ends of the battle floor, silent, intense, eyes narrowed but gleaming with something deeper than rivalry.
They had both trained hard. They had both been shaped, molded, and uplifted by the same man.
Naruto Uzumaki!
He sat in the viewing stands, arms resting across his knees, his gaze calm and focused.
Just as the silence threatened to crack, Naruto's voice slipped into their minds, clear and soothing through sound transmission.
"Sakura! Ino! I know both of you are excited but make sure to not go too far. Don't attract the wrong attention just yet. You'll both get your moments later. For now… hold back a much as possible... but fight well. Good luck."
Sakura's lips curled into a small smile. She nodded lightly, her hand subtly brushing her hair.
"Hai, Naruto-sama. I understand. I'll keep it clean."
Ino smiled too, playfully brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Yes, Naruto-sama~ I won't disappoint you~"
They didn't need to speak aloud, but their hearts were already screaming.
"BEGIN!" Hayate's voice rang out sharply.
The moment Hayate's voice landed, a crackling tension ripped through the air.
The arena seemed to narrow around the two kunoichi who now stood facing each other.
Sakura Haruno was the first to move, lightning-quick reflexes launching her into motion. Her hands reached behind her back as she flung two kunai at Ino, their gleam slicing through the space between them with vicious speed.
Clang! Clang!
Ino expertly deflected both with a single fluid motion, her own kunai twirling in her grip. But by then, Sakura was already upon her.
Ino's eyes widened slightly as Sakura had closed the distance faster than she expected.
'She's gotten faster… sharper… so much stronger,' Ino thought, her heart skipping a beat. 'Naruto-sama's influence...'
Ino dipped low, just in time to avoid a spinning heel kick that whistled past her ear. She retaliated with a knee aimed at Sakura's stomach, but Sakura twisted mid-air, her foot catching the side of Ino's arm as she landed gracefully.
Thud!
They separated with a brief pause, circling each other like tigers, both breathing steadily.
"Naruto told us not to go overboard," Sakura said through gritted teeth, "but I need this."
Ino smirked. "Then take it. But don't expect me to hold back either."
They rushed again but this time, fists collided... Palm against palm, elbow against forearm, their hands moved like blurs, years of training and countless sparring sessions now manifesting in a true battle.
They weren't fighting as schoolgirls anymore but as shinobi.
Sakura spun and tried to sweep Ino's legs, but Ino flipped backward, landing cat-like. The crowd murmured, impressed at the grace and speed on display.
"Your form's better," Ino admitted, darting forward with three rapid jabs. "But I've been training harder than you know."
Sakura blocked the punches but winced at the sting. 'Her strikes are cleaner now, even more precise. Just like Naruto-sama taught us…'
Ino's knee came in high toward Sakura's chest, but Sakura sidestepped and responded with a punch. Ino ducked under it, spun, and used the momentum to attempt a low roundhouse. Sakura jumped back, flipped mid-air, and landed in a crouch.
Bang!
The clash of their chakra-enhanced limbs was echoing through the chamber now, shockwaves kicking up dust.
Sakura formed a handseal mid-motion.
"Substitution Jutsu!"
Poof!
Ino's fist connected with a wooden log instead of Sakura's face.
'Damn!' Ino cursed inwardly.
A kunai came from above.
Sakura, backflipping from a nearby wall, had thrown it downward mid-arc. Ino caught it just in time, the force making her knees buckle slightly as she landed.
They both grinned. They were enjoying this more than they thought they would.
'I love this side of her… the fierce, unrestrained Sakura that only Naruto-sama brought out,' Ino thought, breathing heavy.
Sakura rushed in again with Ino mirroring the move as their fists met, legs blocked legs, every movement countered. One grabbed the other's wrist, then reversed. It became a dance, raw, physical, beautiful.
The crowd around them was in awe.
Sakura leapt up again and sent a powerful kick toward Ino's temple.
Ino blocked with both arms but was flung back across the floor, tumbling, before she dug her heels in and skidded to a stop.
She wiped her lip, grinning as blood glistened on her fingers.
"Damn, forehead…" She muttered.
Sakura smirked. "Still calling me that?"
"Only because I love the way your eyes spark when you get pissed."
Sakura flushed slightly at the comment, then scowled. "Don't flirt in battle!"
"I'll do what I want," Ino said with a wink, rushing forward again.
This time, Sakura didn't move. She closed her eyes. Ino halted, puzzled, when suddenly, the entire hall blurred in a flash of soft pink light.
"Genjutsu: Eternal Thousand Miles of Cherry Blossoms!"
Thousands of cherry blossom petals flooded the vision of every spectator, but only Ino was caught in the illusion.
Ino staggered as her surroundings melted into an endless storm of petals, Sakura's presence vanishing completely.
'Where is she?' Ino tried to look around, heart thundering.
Behind her...
She spun but it was too late.
Sakura slammed her fist forward into the real world.
Ino gasped, dazed, as she tumbled across the ground from the sudden return of reality. The Genjutsu had dropped just as Sakura had struck, and the timing had left her vulnerable.
But Ino wasn't done yet.
'Ninja Art: Mind Body Switch Technique!'
Sakura gasped slightly, but the jutsu missed by an inch as Sakura substituted herself once again.
Poof!
The log cracked against the floor.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Sakura called out from behind her, already forming another jutsu sign.
"Clone Jutsu!"
Three copies of Sakura dashed toward Ino from different angles. Ino spun, launching smoke bombs in the center of the clones filling the area with mist and disrupting visibility.
"Now!" Ino whispered, and she rushed into the mist herself.
Clang! Clang! Bang!
Inside the smoke, a fierce melee resumed with elbows, knees, fists, open-palmed slaps, chakra pulses clashing.
As the smoke cleared, the real Sakura and Ino emerged, both were panting, bruised, but still smiling.
"This…" Ino said between breaths, "feels good."
Sakura nodded. "Yeah... this is what we trained for."
Ino made a hand sign again.
But this time, Sakura was ready. She flared her chakra to disrupt the flow of the jutsu and charged in, twisting low, lifting Ino's legs, and slamming her to the ground.
Ino gasped, stunned by the impact.
Sakura stood above her, panting hard.
"I win…"
Hayate stepped forward slowly, coughed twice, and bent to check Ino's condition.
"She's out."
He turned to the audience and annouced. "The winner of the fourth battle... Haruno Sakura. She has successfully passed the preliminaries."
The crowd clapped, but it wasn't just admiration.
Many were whispering about the refined taijutsu, the Genjutsu precision, and the tactical maneuvering both girls had displayed.
Something felt... different about them as they seemed too polished for simple Genin.
From the side, Naruto smiled proudly. Both his girls had done exactly as he'd hoped.
Sakura turned toward him and smiled.
Ino, even while being lifted by the medics, locked eyes with Naruto and winked.
They had held back just enough… but shown more than anyone had expected.
Their bond as fighters was strong. But the bond they shared as two women trained, shaped, and loved by the same man was unshakable.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
📢 Author's Note 📢
If you're enjoying this story and want more chapters right now, I invite you to check out my Patreon. There you'll find:
✅ Daily updates – never miss a day of new content
✅ Advanced chapters – read far ahead of public releases
✅ Exclusive perks & extras – only available to patrons
Your support not only gives you early access but also helps me dedicate more time to writing and expanding this story. Every reader who joins makes a huge difference.
👉 Dive into more chapters today: patreon.com/Myth_Valley
Let's keep the adventure alive! 🔥📚✨