The Second Girls journey in Naruto

The First Assessment

After six months of training, the class was finally facing their first assessment.

It wasn't anything too difficult—just a simple evaluation of physical fitness and basic skills.

The physical test was straightforward: sprint and long-distance running. Since chakra refinement affected stamina and speed, the results were a good indicator of overall progress.

The basic skills exam focused on kunai throwing and hand seals. Since the students were still young, the targets were larger than usual, and simply hitting them was enough to pass. Bonus points were given for accuracy.

---

As expected, the star performer was Sasuke.

Without hesitation, he gripped five kunai at once, his expression cold and focused.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

All five kunai hit the bullseye.

Sasuke, unfazed by the gasps of admiration, turned and walked away as if it was nothing.

Of course, this only made his admirers swoon harder.

"Ahhh! Sasuke-kun!!"

"He's so cool!"

Ino, however, wasn't as obsessed as she might have been.

Spending time training with Kihana Sakiya had shifted her focus. Instead of swooning over Sasuke, she was competing with Sakiya in studies and training.

Thanks to her talent, she wasn't far behind.

While she couldn't match Sasuke's effortless precision, she still managed to hit the bullseye with all five kunai.

Naruto, on the other hand…

"Ha! That's nothing! Watch this!"

With overwhelming confidence, he threw his kunai—

Miss.

Miss.

Miss.

Miss.

…One kunai barely stuck to the edge of the target.

Laughter erupted from the class.

Sakiya, however, felt something was off.

Naruto was still as competitive as ever with Sasuke, but something about him felt different from the Naruto she knew.

What is it…?

Her gaze shifted between Sakura and Naruto.

Just then, Naruto noticed her staring.

He grinned widely.

Ding!

Something clicked in Sakiya's mind.

Wait—!

In the original story, Naruto liked Sakura. His rivalry with Sasuke was partially fueled by that crush.

But now?

This Naruto wasn't chasing after Sakura at all.

Instead…

He's more interested in me?!

Sakiya's face instantly heated up.

She quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing.

She touched her face, trying to cool down.

Get a grip! Why are you blushing like a boiling teapot?!

Upon reflection, it made sense.

Without his crush on Sakura, Naruto probably just saw Sasuke as an annoying rival, rather than someone "stealing his girl."

And that explained why his energy felt different.

---

"Next: Kihana Sakiya!"

Hearing Iruka call her name, Sakiya shook off her thoughts and walked toward the trial area.

She glanced at Iruka, expecting some kind of encouraging words… but for some reason, he just stared at her, hesitating.

She tilted her head, eyes full of confusion.

Huh? What's wrong?

After a long pause, Iruka simply handed her the kunai and forced out a basic phrase:

"…Uh, good luck?"

Sakiya blinked.

Then, with complete seriousness, she declared:

"Don't worry. My Eye of Death has foreseen everything."

Iruka's face twitched.

"…Haha. Right."

I give up.

He stepped back.

Sakiya hooked the kunai onto her fingers and paced back and forth, making exaggerated aiming gestures.

Then—

She formed a rectangle with her fingers, closed her right eye, and focused with her "Eye of Death."

Iruka, watching from the side, felt like an idiot.

Kid… you're aiming with the eye that's covered by a blindfold…?

After an intense moment, Sakiya finally stood still.

"See through the truth! The Eye of Death!"

With a dramatic flourish, she drew five kunai in one swift motion and hurled them into the air.

Then—she turned away.

As if she didn't even need to watch them land.

The class held their breath.

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

…The kunai scattered across the target board randomly.

Only one barely stuck into the wood.

The silence was painful.

Iruka massaged his forehead.

Forget it. As long as she's happy…

---

Dramatic actions always drew a reaction—cheers when they hit the target, but just as easily, boos if they missed.

Naruto, however, didn't care. He was cheering wildly, flailing his arms and legs like an overexcited monkey.

"That was amazing, Sakiya-chan!"

Kihana Sakiya glanced at him for a second before looking away, disgusted.

This guy… why is he like this?!

Loud, ridiculous, and completely embarrassing.

Who would like that?!

While the others were still talking, Ino noticed something different.

Without a word, she grabbed Sakiya's arm and pulled her aside to a quiet corner.

"Ino?" Sakiya asked, confused.

Ino's sharp gaze studied her carefully.

"Show me your hand."

Sakiya hesitated, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"What… what do you mean?"

Before she could protest, Ino grabbed her right hand—and immediately spotted two deep red scratches across her palm and the back of her hand.

She sighed.

Without saying much, she pulled out a bandage and some ointment, tending to the wound with practiced ease.

"Honestly, Sakiya, you need to take better care of yourself."

There was a small, almost inaudible sound.

"…Mmm."

Ino paused, surprised for a moment, before smiling.

"Wow. You actually listened to me for once."

Once she was finished, she tapped Sakiya's forehead lightly.

"Alright, the next test is about to start. Let's go."

She walked ahead.

Sakiya watched her back in the sunlight and smiled.

"Ino… A good friend forever."

---

With kunai throwing over, it was time for the next exam.

Iruka stood in the clearing, calling out, "Alright, listen up! The second test is hand seals."

The sequence was as follows:

Rat (Ne): Thumbs overlapping, left thumb on top.

Ox (Ushi): Right hand horizontal, left hand vertical.

Tiger (Tora): Both thumbs extended.

Rabbit (U): Only the right-hand pinky extended, others lightly clenched.

Dragon (Tatsu): Thumbs overlapping, left thumb on top.

Snake (Mi): Thumbs overlapping, left thumb on top.

Horse (Uma): Elbows stretched, index fingers forming a triangle.

Ram (Hitsuji): Thumbs straight up, left on top.

Monkey (Saru): Little fingers and thumbs parallel.

Rooster (Tori): Adjusting thumb angle for proper hand positioning.

Dog (Inu): Right fist placed on the left palm.

Boar (I): Hands folded together with fingers facing each other.

This test was all about speed and accuracy.

For Sakiya, however, it was a different kind of challenge.

Despite her speed and dexterity, some of her hand signs were… strange.

Especially her "Shin" (Monkey) seal.

Iruka's eye twitched as he watched.

What kind of ridiculous variation is that?!

And then there was her *"Ne" (Rat) seal…

What the hell is that supposed to be?!

Still, he had to admit—she made the movements look cool.

...Not that it helped.

"Sakiya," he sighed, pinching his nose. "Why are your seals so… different?"

Her answer was completely confident.

"Huh? My hand seals are enhanced by the Eye of Death! They make my jutsu stronger!"

Iruka stared at her.

"…Sure. Your whole family has the Eye of Death."

Then he walked away.

Of course, he didn't actually give up—he simply corrected her hand placements gently before moving on.

After all, one look at her big, innocent eyes and cute, clueless expression—

...and he lost all his patience to scold her.

---

The Final Test: Endurance Run

The last challenge was a simple long-distance run.

From the very first lap, the lead runners were:

Sakiya

Sasuke

Naruto

Ino followed closely behind, just one position away from Sakiya.

Second lap: No change.

Third lap: Still going strong.

Fourth lap: …Still going.

Fifth lap: The top three remained unchanged.

But by now, Sakiya's face was flushed, sweat dripping from her forehead.

She was breathing heavily.

...

Tenth lap: Still in the lead.

But her breathing was labored, and sweat poured down her face. Strands of her hair stuck to her skin.

Seeing her struggle, Ino ran up beside her.

"S-Sakiya, don't push yourself too hard!"

But Sakiya didn't respond.

Her clear, determined eyes were focused straight ahead.

"...The Eye of Death... never... loses..."

Her breath staggered.

Ino's worried expression deepened.

Then—

Eleventh lap: She fell to fourth place.

Fourteenth lap: She slipped into the middle of the group.

Nineteenth... Twentieth... Thirtieth...

By the end, most of the runners were barely moving.

They staggered forward like old ladies crossing the street.

And among them—was Sakiya.

Ino stood on the sidelines, cheering for her.

So did Shikamaru, Hinata, and Naruto.

But by this point, Sakiya couldn't even hear them anymore.

Her only thought was:

Just one more step... just one more...

Her body was beyond exhaustion.

She could feel her joints clicking, her legs losing all feeling.

And then—

She crossed the finish line.

An overwhelming sense of achievement filled her.

...Immediately followed by a wave of pure exhaustion.

Her vision blurred.

Her legs collapsed.

But before she hit the ground—

A warm embrace caught her.

Golden ponytails fluttered in the breeze.

Through her fading vision, she recognized the person holding her.

"Ino..."

Ino held her tightly, her face full of concern.

"Really, what were you thinking?!"

Sakiya smiled faintly.

And in that moment—everyone watching froze.

Because that smile…

It was like a ray of sunlight after a storm.

Like the first morning light after a long night.

It was beautiful.

"...She's so cute."

Sakiya weakly grabbed Ino's sleeve.

With her last bit of strength, she whispered:

"...Oscar-winning performance… right?"

And then—

She collapsed.

For a moment, silence.

Then—

"EH?! SAKIYA?!"

Ino shook her.

"Oi! Sakiya, wake up! Don't die!"

Shikamaru and Chōji watched from the side, exchanging glances.

They both had the exact same thought.

She's… a really weird girl.