The Second Girls journey in Naruto

Kihana Sakiya stood poised, a determined fire in her eyes. This was her first real combat experience.

Her opponent, Nobi Daizu, was familiar with this eccentric girl who often engaged in peculiar, seemingly pointless activities. Despite her oddities, he had a certain fondness for the second-year student.

However, he couldn't afford to lose to her; his pride as a man and a ninja was on the line. Losing to this cute yet foolish girl would make it impossible for him to continue at the ninja academy. With this resolve, Nobi Daizu's gaze hardened.

Facing him, Sakiya wore a knowing smile. Nobi Daizu remained expressionless, his eyes sharp. At that moment, Iruka's voice rang out.

"The seal of confrontation!"

Both Sakiya and Nobi Daizu raised their right hands, forming the seal with their index and middle fingers.

A gentle breeze blew, causing a yellowed leaf to drift to the ground. The instant it touched down, both combatants sprang into action.

Sakiya's right hand moved to her waist, deftly twirling two kunai between her fingers before launching one toward Nobita. Simultaneously, she gripped the remaining kunai and charged forward. Nobi Daizu responded by throwing three senbon needles and rushing to meet her.

Amidst her maneuvers, Sakiya glanced toward Ino, a smug smile tugging at her lips. Observing this, Ino couldn't help but hold her forehead in exasperation.

[Sakiya, showing off during a battle? You're underestimating your opponent.]

Ino understood Sakiya's intentions. Earlier, Sakiya had confidently declared, "We've embraced our fate and will undoubtedly win this Divine War!" Ino had retorted, warning that if Sakiya continued her bizarre rituals during combat, defeat was certain.

Undeterred, Sakiya had boasted, "My first spell will leave you in awe. The Eye of Death will surely shine!"

Now, watching Sakiya in the arena, Ino couldn't help but feel a pang of concern.

[Sakiya, please don't get hurt.]

Nobi Daizu noticed Kihana Sakiya's distraction and felt a surge of irritation.

He quickened his pace.

At the same time, three senbon needles flew toward Sakiya. With effortless grace, she twisted her body to evade them, casually tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Naruto was thrilled by her stylish move.

"Go, Sakiya-chan!"

But just as Naruto cheered—

Sakiya, having executed such a flashy dodge, failed to notice the uneven ground beneath her feet. Her toe caught on the surface, and before she could recover, she tripped, her left foot tangling with her right. She toppled to the ground.

Silence.

The entire crowd froze.

Even Daizu came to a halt.

Naruto's mouth fell open.

"Huh?"

Ino covered his eyes.

"That was cool for about three seconds."

The spectators began whispering among themselves.

"She's such a fool."

"She tries so hard to look cool, but doesn't think things through."

Daizu watched Sakiya stumble to her feet, frustration flickering in his eyes. Without hesitation, he rushed at her, kunai in hand.

Sakiya flipped back onto her feet and saw Daizu charging toward her. Panic flared in her expression.

In a hurry, she ripped off her blindfold, revealing an unusual, glowing eye. At the same time, a bright magic circle flared within her pupil.

Daizu hesitated for a split second but continued forward.

[Give up. I won't be fooled by these silly tricks.]

Seeing him unfazed, Sakiya shouted in desperation.

"Eye of Death! …Death Declaration!"

Daizu was already upon her.

"It's useless!" he yelled as he lunged.

Normally, this would be the moment Iruka stepped in to stop the match. That would mean Daizu had won.

But Iruka didn't intervene.

Off to the side, Ino and the others watched with wide eyes, their hearts pounding.

[No! Sakiya! Move!]

In the next second, Daizu's kunai struck Sakiya—only for him to feel nothing.

His eyes widened in shock.

[No... This is bad.]

As expected—

A sharp pain shot through Daizu's head, his vision blurring.

Before he lost consciousness, he caught a glimpse of something eerie—his kunai had stabbed into an illusion of Sakiya. The figure was fading, growing transparent.

And just before it disappeared completely, it smirked—the same knowing smile she'd worn at the start of the match.

Thud.

Daizu collapsed to the ground, a cloud of dust rising around him.

The spectators gasped.

Behind Daizu's fallen form, Sakiya stood, gripping a large wooden stick like a baseball bat.

The crowd turned their gaze from her to the enormous lump forming on Daizu's head.

Then, the realization hit them—

And cheers erupted.

"That was amazing, Sakiya-chan!"

"Never underestimate the weird ones!"

"Haha, I always knew she was cool."

Sakiya beamed, planting the wooden stick on the ground and standing tall, tilting her chin up as if basking in the applause.

From the sidelines, Ino watched with a soft smile.

"As expected of Sakiya. She always finds a way to surprise us."

Iruka, watching from the field, had a complicated look in his eyes.

He had underestimated her.

She had used the glow of her unique eyes as a distraction while seamlessly weaving a Clone Jutsu into her movements.

It was flawless. From his angle, even he had barely caught when she'd made the switch.

Taking a deep breath, Iruka called out:

"Winner—Kihana Sakiya!"

Sakiya's grin widened. There was no mistaking the triumph in her expression.

Then, she spotted Ino in the crowd.

Without hesitation, she bolted toward her.

Ino barely had time to react before Sakiya crashed into her arms.

For a moment, she was frozen. Then, she wrapped her arms around her friend, smiling warmly.

"Sakiya, that was awesome."

Sakiya lifted her head, grinning.

"Hmph, of course! The Eye of Death is the strongest!"

Ino chuckled.

"Yeah… The Eye of Death is the strongest."