Chapter 13: One Year
Swish!
A shuriken sliced through the air and landed firmly on the target.
As the school day ended and all the other students had left, Uchiha Sasuke remained alone, practicing his shuriken throwing.
He stared at the shuriken that had landed slightly off-center from the bullseye and furrowed his brows in dissatisfaction.
Not good enough…
Since the day when Haruno Sakura had stolen the top spot from him in physical training, he had never been able to reclaim it.
Or perhaps, more accurately, he didn't really have to anymore—because Sakura no longer participated in contests like shuriken throwing.
The first-place position naturally belonged to him now.
Thinking of his father's calm gaze, Sasuke wished more than anything to hear those words from him:
"Just as expected of my son."
Swish!
Another shuriken was launched, spinning rapidly.
This time, it hit perfectly into the red center of the target.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Sakura enjoyed a rare moment of freedom.
"Looks like it's going to rain," she murmured to herself, sitting on the rooftop.
After school, Sakura had done nothing — no studying, no training — just letting the cool evening breeze wash over her, counting stars that were mostly hidden behind thickening clouds.
But with the sky turning gloomy and overcast, her peaceful thoughts were abruptly disrupted.
A cool gust of wind lifted the pink strands of her hair gently.
"Sakura, it's going to rain! Get inside, quick!" came a voice from indoors.
It was her mother, Haruno Meiko.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Sakura replied lightly.
But then, Sakura's nose twitched slightly.
She sniffed the air.
A faint metallic tang — the unmistakable scent of blood — drifted in with the breeze.
Her senses, honed by years of medical ninjutsu, immediately recognized the subtle smell.
Though barely noticeable to others, Sakura could clearly distinguish it.
She looked toward the direction the wind came from.
That was the territory of the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha district sat on the far edge of Konoha, quite far from the Haruno residence.
And yet, even from that distance, the scent of blood was carried here by the wind.
That alone was enough to suggest how many people must have died.
"Hmph."
Sakura shrugged inwardly.
Not my problem.
There were enough things in her own life to worry about — no time for this mess.
Besides, there was nothing she could do.
She turned away and went back inside just as the first raindrops began to fall, the soft patter soon turning into a steady drizzle.
Closing the window tightly against the wet chill, Sakura prepared herself for whatever was coming next.
---
The next day dawned bright and fresh, the rain having thoroughly washed the village.
The air in Konoha smelled especially crisp.
As usual, Sakura prepared to head to ninja school.
Though she no longer needed to pay much attention to Iruka's lessons—since she already excelled far beyond her grade—Iruka still insisted she attend every day except weekends.
Stepping out the door, Sakura immediately noticed something was different.
The streets were unusually empty, with far fewer pedestrians than normal.
She caught glimpses of several ninjas rushing by, their footsteps swift and purposeful.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura even spotted a flash of an Anbu member, cloaked in black, speeding toward the outskirts of the village.
Her heart sank with understanding.
The Uchiha clan had been wiped out.
That arrogant scoundrel she'd briefly encountered—the Uchiha weasel—had finally made his move.
How typical of him.
When faced with a problem he couldn't solve, his solution was to wipe out the troublemakers.
Just like that, three clans were made extinct.
Such extreme measures.
Sakura's lips curled slightly in disdain, but she quickly pushed the thought aside and continued on her way to ninja school.
She had a much more pressing matter on her mind—the upcoming exams to advance from fourth to fifth grade.
There was no time to dwell on village politics or clan tragedies.
---
A whole year had passed since she had jumped from first to second grade.
Sakura was now seven years old, her academic progress having reached fourth grade level.
Yet, despite her leaps in knowledge, she remained in her original class.
From second grade onward, she mostly taught herself, only consulting Iruka occasionally for the rare questions that stumped her.
Her reputation as a prodigy had gradually spread without any effort on her part.
---
"Winner: Uchiha Sasuke!"
With the announcement, the girls surrounding the sparring area erupted into cheers.
"Sasuke is so cool!"
"Uchiha Sasuke is unbeatable!"
"Sasuke, look over here!"
Meanwhile, the defeated blond boy, Naruto Uzumaki, glared at Sasuke with frustration.
"Just you wait! One day I'll beat you!"
Sasuke ignored both Naruto's grumbles and the adoring girls clamoring for his attention.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward the classroom.
He knew there was one girl there, quietly reading.
She no longer participated in sparring matches—none of her classmates could match her skill.
Only during physical training could she occasionally be seen.
---
Meanwhile, in the classroom, Sakura was greeted by Ino Yamanaka, who stood near the door like a sentinel.
"Good morning, Ino," Sakura said with a small smile.
Ino's expression was a mix of disappointment and concern.
"Hey, Sakura…"
Sakura teased, "Why the long face? Did I disappoint you or something?"
"No, no! Not at all!" Ino quickly shook her head.
Then, after making sure no one else was paying attention, Ino leaned in and whispered:
"Sakura, stay away from the Uchiha district these days."
"Many people died there…"
The warmth of Ino's breath tickled Sakura's ear.
Sakura waved her hand casually.
"Got it, don't worry."
Ino gave her a curious look.
"Aren't you even a little surprised?"
Sakura tilted her head, thought for a moment, then suddenly put on a shocked face:
"Wow!"
"So scary~~"
Ino pursed her lips, unimpressed by her friend's act.
"That's fake."
"No, really! I'm genuinely scared."
Sakura gave Ino a serious look, her emerald eyes pleading, "Please believe me."
"In your dreams. You're always bullying me," Ino grumbled, pretending to hit Sakura but with a playful softness.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Sakura said, stroking Ino's hair affectionately before heading to her seat.
Everyone knew who Ino was really waiting for.
The last surviving Uchiha heir.
Unfortunately, Ino would have to wait in vain.
Soon Iruka entered the classroom and the moment was over.
---
"Cough, cough," Iruka began quietly.
"There was an incident at Sasuke's home. He might not be coming to school for a while."
"Please, everyone, try not to discuss Sasuke too much these days."
Iruka said no more.
People tend to push back harder against pressure.
If something is barely mentioned, it often passes without much fuss.
Most of the students kept their silence, clearly having already heard bits and pieces from their elders.
Sakura paid no mind to the whispers around her and pulled out a book titled The Will of Fire by the Third Hokage to read.
Having already advanced through three grades ahead, she knew well that the exams emphasized understanding the Will of Fire more than any textbook lessons.
But after nine years of compulsory education, Sakura found the Will of Fire's content a bit underwhelming.
---
As the days slipped by, Sakura could feel the seal on her forehead—the Yin seal—slowly drawing more chakra from her.
With her growing body, her chakra reserves expanded steadily, and the excess chakra accumulated within.
Sakura had a premonition.
Within five years, the Yin seal would fully form.
This fueled her urgency to keep advancing in rank.
In those five years, she would have to become a proper ninja and also figure out how to obtain the Yin seal.
A daunting challenge, indeed.
As for desertion?
Sakura never entertained such a thought.
Her mother would never abandon her.
Nor would her father.
---
This was Sakura's world—a young girl growing up in a time of turmoil, facing expectations beyond her years, yet determined to carve out her own path.
---
(End of Chapter 13)
---