In the residential district west of Konoha, rows of soft yellow houses stood peacefully under the warm summer sun.
A girl, around twelve or thirteen years old with long pink hair, was lying curled up on her bed. The pink curtains of her room remained tightly closed, even though it was already close to noon.
"What time is it? Can you go get Sakura down for lunch? It's already noon and she still hasn't come out of her room."
Haruno Meibuki called out loudly from the kitchen while finishing up preparations for lunch.
Haruno Kizashi, her husband, put down the broom in his hands and glanced at his daughter's bedroom door. It was still shut tight with no sound coming from inside.
He sighed and walked over, knocking gently.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Sakura, it's noon. Time to get up and eat."
He leaned closer and added softly, "Hey~ If you don't come out soon, your mom's gonna blow her top, and I won't be able to stop her."
A few seconds passed before a listless voice finally responded from inside the room. She sounded just as lost and disheartened as she had over the last few days.
"I'm not hungry. You can eat without me."
Kizashi sighed again.
As Sakura's father, he didn't know how to comfort her anymore.
Both he and Meibuki were civilians—she was a nurse at the hospital, and he ran a small business with just enough income to get by. After Sakura was born, they had poured all their savings into buying this modest home and leasing a shop, focusing everything on raising their daughter.
Anyone who knew Sakura could tell how much of Meibuki's fiery temper and personality she had inherited.
Kizashi sat down at the dining table, looked at his wife across from him, and shook his head.
"It's been three days. She's still like this. I don't know what to say anymore. We're not shinobi… we don't understand what she's going through."
Meibuki froze just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks. A sharp crack echoed as she snapped them clean in two from the sudden tension in her grip.
She forced a smile and looked at her husband.
"Dear, would you get me another pair of chopsticks?"
"I'll go bring Sakura out to eat."
Her voice trembled slightly toward the end. If Naruto had been present, he'd instantly recognize that same terrifying tone Sakura used right before throwing a punch.
"Uh—sure. Right away."
Kizashi got up and jogged to the kitchen, but as he watched Meibuki head toward Sakura's room, he paused in solemn silence.
Dear daughter… I can't protect you from your mom's wrath this time. You're on your own. Good luck.
He just hoped Sakura would snap out of this soon.
Bang!
Meibuki didn't hesitate. She twisted the doorknob and flung the bedroom door wide open.
Sakura lay on her side, back turned to the door. Without a word, Meibuki strode to the window and yanked open the curtains.
Clatter—
The metal rings scraped across the rod, and a harsh beam of sunlight flooded the room.
Sakura winced immediately. After days of hiding in the dark, the blinding light made her eyes sting.
It felt like today's sun was especially cruel.
"Mom! What are you doing?! I already said I'm not hungry!"
"If I get hungry, I'll just reheat something later!"
Her voice was impatient and edged with frustration as she yanked the blanket over her head again.
Meibuki's patience snapped.
She grabbed the edge of the blanket and ripped it away, then seized Sakura's wrist and hauled her upright on the bed.
"What's wrong with you?! So you failed the Chunin Exams. That's no reason to lock yourself in this room for days! You haven't seen Naruto or Sasuke, you haven't trained—you're just lying here like you've given up on life! What's there to cry about?!"
Everything Meibuki had held back for the past three days poured out in a single furious outburst.
But every word struck Sakura like a kunai to the chest.
The humiliation and pain of her failure carved deeply into her pride.
All her perfect grades at the Academy… they meant nothing when faced with the overwhelming strength of real shinobi.
She had worked so hard—reviewing scrolls late into the night, memorizing tactics, practicing kunai throwing before anyone else arrived at school…
And yet, it still wasn't enough.
Not against Naruto. Not against Sasuke. Not even against Ino.
Her childhood friend—her rival—had gotten stronger too. Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Naruto, Sasuke… they all had family techniques, bloodline limits, or unique training.
And Naruto… he had become something terrifying in those exams. Something that made her feel like an insect before a monster.
The pressure, the shame, the sense of uselessness—it all came crashing down at once.
Her shoulders trembled, and tears silently slipped from her eyes.
No sobbing. No screams. Just raw, suffocating grief.
She lowered her head. Drops of tears splashed onto the back of her hand, startling her.
Am I… crying?
Meibuki's expression instantly softened.
She saw the tears trailing down Sakura's cheeks and the way her lips quivered.
Her anger dissolved into maternal instinct.
She pulled Sakura into her arms, holding her tight.
"It's okay. It's really okay. Mom and Dad don't blame you for failing. You've always made us proud."
"If you're tired… you don't have to keep doing this. You don't have to be a shinobi if you don't want to. We'll support you, no matter what."
"Sakura… you can try again next time. Or…"
"If you want… you can be a nurse, like me. Or a doctor. Helping people, saving lives—that's a noble path too."
Kizashi stood quietly at the doorway, two pairs of chopsticks in hand—one for Meibuki, one for his precious daughter.
"Doctor…?"
Sakura looked up at her father, dazed. Her dull eyes suddenly glimmered with the spark of something new.
Her pupils focused. Her breath caught.
She threw her arms around her mother and stood up suddenly.
"Yeah! A doctor—a medical ninja!"
"I've decided! I want to become a medical ninja!"
"That way, Naruto and Sasuke will need me. I'll be the one healing their injuries!"
Meibuki smiled softly and wiped the tears from her daughter's cheeks.
Kizashi held up the chopsticks with a grin.
"Well, even medical ninja need to eat. Your mom made sweet red bean soup just for you."
"Okay!"
Sakura grabbed her mother's hand and rushed toward the dining room, forgetting even to put on slippers.
Kizashi chuckled, bent down to pick up the slippers, and followed behind.
"Sakura, you've grown up now. You can't go running barefoot like you used to, you know."
"Tch~ Geez, Dad, you're still nagging like always. Can't you be cool like Mom for once?"
Despite her teasing, Sakura was smiling.
All three of them were smiling.
She glanced at the sunlight pouring through the window again.
And for the first time in days…
…it didn't seem so blinding.
Everything felt… warm again.
Just like before.
-------
Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
---------------------
Join my Patreon and get access to 50+ early chapters before anyone else! 🔥
https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Your Support is Truly Appreciated 🫂