Sakura Haruno is Usefull

Sakura took the scroll and glanced at the large object before her. Then, using the strap attached to it, she secured it behind her waist.

"Aren't you going to check the goods?"

Tenten looked at the girl who had casually stowed the scroll away and asked kindly.

"No need. I trust Tenten wouldn't sell me subpar products," Sakura replied with a smile, waving her hand before walking out of the weapon shop.

Tenten watched Sakura's retreating figure with a hint of unease.

"What exactly does she plan to do with that thing...? As long as it's not targeting Lee, I guess it's fine... Anyone else? Who cares~~~"

Chunin Exam Arena

The cheers of the audience were deafening, with applause erupting for the thrilling battle that had just ended.

Neji Hyuga lay on the ground, calmly gazing at the birds soaring freely in the blue sky above.

No one knew what he was thinking at that moment.

Perhaps he had come to terms with his fate, perhaps he had resigned himself to it, or maybe, just maybe, he believed in the blond boy's words—that he could change everything...

"Hmph, what a fool."

A black-haired girl with her arms crossed looked down at the scene below, where the white-eyed boy was being carried off on a stretcher by medics. Her face bore a disdainful and mocking smile.

"If fate is truly predetermined, then it's even more reason not to submit to it."

"Instead of being a caged bird admired for its beauty, I'd rather shatter into pieces than live as a coward."

"If it were me, even in death, I'd make sure to tear a chunk out of those bastards."

Her bold words startled the nearby contestants, who couldn't help but glance at her in shock.

"K-kurotsuchi, please... don't say that…"

"What she meant isn't as bad as it sounds, so don't misunderstand her!" Akatsuchi quickly interjected, trying to calm the situation.

This was Konoha's home turf, and the topic revolved around the Hyuga clan's secrets. If this got out, who knew what trouble it could stir up?

"Hah?"

"Akatsuchi, I meant exactly what I said."

Kurotsuchi shot a disdainful glance at Akatsuchi, clearly dissatisfied.

"Oh, for the love of... This isn't Iwagakure. Can you please not say such things here, my lady?"

Elsewhere, a black-haired boy leaned against the railing, glancing briefly at Kurotsuchi without commenting further.

"Better to shatter like jade than survive as clay..."

Uchiha Itachi... I will kill you.

Meanwhile, a red-haired boy with his arms crossed also looked over at Kurotsuchi, then closed his eyes silently. No one knew what he was thinking.

Temari, worried, glanced at Gaara and spoke softly:

"Gaara, I'm up next. I'll be back right after my match."

For a long while, Gaara didn't respond. Just as Temari was about to enter the arena with a hint of disappointment, Gaara's muffled voice finally came through:

"...Alright."

Hearing his reply, Temari's frown eased, and she smiled.

"Wait for me."

With that, she leapt gracefully into the arena.

Under the watchful eyes of the Fire, Wind, and Earth Kage, as well as tens of thousands of spectators, Temari raised her three-star fan and pointed it directly at Kurotsuchi among the contestants. Standing tall, she declared loudly:

"Kurotsuchi of Iwagakure, face me in battle!"

As her words fell, the audience erupted into thunderous applause.

The contestants' identities were well-known.

Aside from the Uchiha orphan, this was the most anticipated match of the day.

One was the daughter of the Kazekage, the other, the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage.

The Sand Princess versus the Stone Princess.

"Heh, she knows how to grab attention."

With a playful smirk, Kurotsuchi rested a foot on the railing and, defying gravity, lightly leapt into the arena to face Temari.

From the high platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the two young women take their places. Turning to the other two Kage beside him, he remarked playfully:

"This is shaping up to be quite the exciting match."

"Let's hope this friendly competition doesn't spark any hard feelings."

Rasa glanced at Hiruzen, grumbling inwardly.

Why did these two have to meet? Isn't this your doing, old man?

"Don't worry, Lord Hokage. A spar between the younger generation won't lead to grudges. After all, if we lack such tolerance, how can we be role models for our villages?"

Ōnoki looked at Hiruzen calmly before adding,

"Besides, my granddaughter will win."

With her Light and Heavy Rock Techniques, combined with her Earth Style and her unshown Lava Release, Ōnoki couldn't imagine how Kurotsuchi could lose.

Her opponent was merely a little girl using Wind Style, after all.

"You seem quite confident in your granddaughter, Lord Tsuchikage."

"However, Temari is no pushover," Rasa retorted without hesitation.

The tension wasn't confined to the arena. Even the two Kage were exchanging verbal jabs.

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled as he mediated between them, clearly enjoying the rivalry.

Both Ōnoki and Rasa glanced at Hiruzen, cursing him inwardly.

Crafty old fox!

Meanwhile, Naruto, fresh from his victory, rushed to the waiting area, eager to boast to Sakura.

"Huh? Where's Sakura?"

"Why isn't she here yet?"

Naruto looked around in confusion before turning to Sasuke.

"How should I know?"

"But she should be here soon."

In Sasuke's opinion, Sakura was always a steady person. If she wasn't here yet, it was probably because she had something important to do.

"Lady Sakura must be making thorough preparations for me!"

"Oh, my sweet Lady Sakura!"

"I won't let you down!"

Hearing the mention of Sakura, Rock Lee, who was doing one-handed push-ups nearby, was immediately overcome with emotion, tears streaming down his face.

"Argh! You bastard!"

"Sakura wouldn't fall for a green-haired watermelon-head like you!"

Naruto, seeing Lee's dramatic reaction, was instantly infuriated.

Sasuke glanced at the quarrelling duo without saying a word.

In a quiet corner of the room, a figure with a low presence silently watched the scene.

Sakura wouldn't like either Lee or Naruto.

And why, you ask?

Because that's just the instinct of a bug.

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