"Last set for today—fifty laps around the track! Everyone, get ready!"
A young teacher with light blue hair called out, commanding a group of tiny six-year-old kids to begin the final phase of their physical training.
Upon hearing his words, a wave of groans and complaints erupted from the children.
"Not again~~"
"We only got to rest for ten minutes~~"
"Please have mercy, Mizuki-sensei~~"
But despite their dramatic whining, the young teacher named Mizuki showed no signs of relenting.
"You've got thirty seconds to get into position. If you're not ready in time, I'll add ten more laps."
Hearing the teacher's serious threat, the kids immediately shut their mouths and rushed to line up properly, quickly forming two neat rows.
Sakura Haruno adjusted her breathing, which was still a bit ragged, and merged into the queue alongside her classmates.
"Ready—run!"
With Mizuki's sharp command, the group of six-year-olds burst forward, beginning their final endurance run of the day.
Standing off to the side, Iruka Umino was watching with a clipboard in his hands, his eyes scanning the sheet of performance records.
"Mizuki, what are you looking at?" Iruka asked as his friend approached him with a smile.
Mizuki replied, "Just checking the results. Sakura's doing extremely well today."
Iruka nodded, eyes lingering on the name Sakura Haruno on the results sheet. Her performance in the shuriken toss, sprinting, and the obstacle course had all been top-notch—first place in everything.
For the first time, the second son of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sasuke, had been knocked down from his usual number one spot.
While keeping her pace steady, Sakura focused on her breathing, willing her tired body to keep pushing forward. She didn't hide her strength. Whatever capabilities she had, she showed them all. Even though her stamina had been greatly depleted by the earlier exercises, one by one, she continued to pull ahead of her classmates.
At this point, the only person still ahead of her was her future husband—Uchiha Sasuke.
Or… that was the future she used to know.
Right now, Uchiha Sasuke was getting anxious.
He never imagined being outperformed by a classmate who had always seemed unremarkable.
Whether it was shuriken throwing or sprinting—he had lost to this pink-haired girl in everything.
What infuriated him even more was that she was a girl.
There was no way he could accept that. He was going to be just as brilliant as his big brother!
So in this final endurance training, he vowed—he would not lose.
Sasuke clenched his teeth and poured all his remaining energy into running, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't shake off the girl behind him.
Lap 30…
Lap 35…
Lap 40…
Sakura overtook him.
Lap 45…
She widened the gap.
Lap 50…
Sasuke, the proud second son of the Uchiha clan, had lost.
He collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, his body trembling from exhaustion. Around him, other students also flopped down with no regard for appearance, too tired to even care.
His gaze found the pink-haired girl who was still standing, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. Sweat trickled down from her bangs, dripping to the ground.
He clenched his fists tightly.
He had lost again.
"Sa… Sakura-chan is amazing…"
A breathless voice spoke up from nearby. Sasuke turned his head toward it and saw a blond boy watching Sakura with wide-eyed admiration.
"First place: Sakura Haruno."
When Mizuki announced the result, Sakura felt like her lungs were going to explode.
Damn, she cursed internally. Why is that brat so good at running? He almost stole my first place!
She cast a fierce glare at Sasuke before sweeping her damp bangs behind her ears. Then she flopped down beside her friend Ino, who was already lying flat on the ground.
???
Sasuke blinked in confusion. Did she just glare at me?
She definitely glared at me, right?
What did I do to her?
---
Later that day, after school...
"Sasuke! Over here!"
Still feeling upset, Sasuke walked out of the school building and immediately saw someone waving to him.
"Onii-chan!"
His gloomy expression brightened in an instant. With a sudden burst of energy, he ran toward his older brother, Uchiha Itachi.
"What's wrong?" Itachi asked, patting his little brother's head gently. "You seem a little down today."
"…We had physical training, and I lost to a girl," Sasuke admitted reluctantly, unable to lie in front of his beloved older brother.
"I see. Then next time," Itachi replied with a soft smile, "try even harder so you can beat her."
To Itachi, this wasn't a bad thing at all. In fact, it was good that Sasuke had found someone to strive against. It gave him motivation to improve.
"Hai, hai, hai~~" Sasuke responded enthusiastically, though his tone was still a bit pouty.
He instinctively reached for Itachi's hand, wanting to hold it like he always did when they walked home together. But the area was still crowded with other students and parents leaving the school, and Sasuke hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Just then, a flash of pink entered his line of vision.
Sasuke muttered to Itachi, "Onii-chan, that's her."
Following Sasuke's gaze, Itachi looked over and saw a little girl with pink hair walking in the distance. He paused, momentarily surprised.
He had expected that the girl who could outperform Sasuke would be someone with a more athletic appearance—tall, maybe muscular.
Instead, she looked delicate, maybe even a little fragile.
Listening to his brother's slightly indignant tone, Itachi reached out and flicked Sasuke's forehead lightly.
"You shouldn't speak about your classmates in that tone. It's impolite."
Almost as if she sensed something, Sakura turned and looked over her shoulder in their direction.
Meeting her gaze, Itachi offered her a slight, polite nod and a warm smile.
Sakura's eyes widened, then darted away. The next second, she made a sharp turn and vanished down a side street.
Crap! That's Itachi Uchiha—the weasel!
I need to stay far away from him! Don't want to get burned for no reason.
I'm out of here!
---
Meanwhile, at the Hokage's Office...
After a full day of dealing with endless paperwork, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, leaned back in his chair and stretched. His old joints cracked audibly as he arched his back.
Rubbing his weary eyes, he picked up the performance report that Iruka had just delivered.
The name Sakura Haruno stood out, placed at the very top.
That made Hiruzen raise an eyebrow in mild surprise.
That top spot used to belong to Uchiha Sasuke.
She wasn't just strong in academics—even her physical ability was ranked number one now.
A civilian-born ninja… yet so outstanding in every aspect.
Hiruzen couldn't help but recall the face of a once-promising young Hokage candidate he had mentored.
Well… if she truly has the ability to pass Iruka's special exam, let her go her own way.
---
That night, Sakura was utterly drained.
Not only had she run ten kilometers in the morning on her own, but the school had thrown her into an intense full-body training routine in the afternoon.
Her six-year-old body had reached its absolute limit.
After gobbling down her dinner and taking a quick shower, she collapsed onto her bed and fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.
Time flew by quickly, and in just a month, Sakura faced her first major test on the road to acquiring the Yin Seal.
The grade-skip exam—a test to jump from first year directly into the second year.
The testing room was quiet and nearly empty. Only three people were present—Sakura, Iruka, and Mizuki.
"Sakura, you have two hours. Make sure you check everything once you finish," Iruka said as he placed the test papers in front of her, his tone calm and steady.
Sakura sat upright in her chair, took a deep breath, and picked up her pen with determination shining in her emerald eyes.
Let the challenge begin.
(End of Chapter)
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