The Sakura Legend

Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji were on the verge of a fight when a voice called out from behind them.

"Sasuke? Neji, what are you two doing?" Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino emerged from the hallway entrance, witnessing the standoff between the previous year's top graduate and the current year's top student.

"Oh~~~~ It's Sakura! Long time no see!" Choji exclaimed, noticing Sakura standing behind Sasuke.

"Hi, Choji, and Shikamaru and Ino," Sakura greeted them. It had been months since she'd last seen them, aside from a brief encounter during team assignments. After being assigned to their respective Jonin leaders, they were all busy with missions, leaving little opportunity for meetings.

"Sakura, are you also here to take the Chunin Exams?" Shikamaru asked, also spotting Sakura behind Sasuke.

"That's right," Sakura replied.

"Sigh~~~ Another strong opponent to deal with. It seems like you'll be this year's top rookie after your return," Shikamaru said with a resigned sigh. With an IQ exceeding 200, Shikamaru was well aware of how strong Sakura must have become after training with Lady Tsunade for three years. Besides, Sakura had already been top of her class three years ago. Although he had never fought Sakura, the reputation of the Sannin, Princess Tsunade, was well-known in Konoha. Tsunade wasn't just renowned for her medical ninjutsu; she was also the first medical ninja to break the ironclad rule against participating in combat.

"Who is she?"

"I've never heard of anyone like her in this year's class."

"She's even stronger than Sasuke? No way!"

The surrounding crowd erupted in murmurs. Sakura had disappeared after only three years at the Academy, fading from people's memories. Everyone knew the strongest of the new generation was the last of the Uchiha clan. Now, someone even stronger than Uchiha Sasuke had suddenly appeared, causing considerable surprise.

Hearing Shikamaru's words, Neji was also taken aback. He had never heard of Haruno Sakura. Although Sakura had landed a punch on Lee earlier, it could have been a sneak attack. Neji believed that even at her strongest, Sakura was probably only on par with Lee. In Neji's mind, only Uchiha Sasuke, standing before him, was a worthy opponent.

But Shikamaru's words had surprised him, suggesting that Sakura could definitively surpass even Sasuke. Neji wasn't familiar with the dynamics of Shikamaru's graduating class, but Shikamaru was a Nara, and the Nara clan was known for their sharp minds in addition to their secret techniques. Neji didn't think Shikamaru was the type to speak idly. His expression turned serious.

"Sasuke, are you taking the Chunin Exams too? Are you free later? I know a place that makes really good onigiri," Ino said, her eyes sparkling as she latched onto Sasuke. Although Sakura hadn't shown any romantic interest in Sasuke, giving Ino an opening, her efforts had yielded minimal results.

"Boring," Sasuke said, glancing at Ino without another word. He turned and walked away. Now that Shikamaru and the others had interrupted, and seeing Neji retract his Byakugan, Sasuke clearly had no intention of fighting. He led Sakura and Naruto towards Room 301 to submit their applications.

"Sigh~ I'm kind of regretting signing up for the Chunin Exams," Shikamaru remarked to his two teammates, watching the backs of Team 7 disappear.

"Is she really that strong?" Neji asked Shikamaru, wanting to gather some information after Sasuke and the others had left.

"Ah, you're Neji, right? The top graduate from last year," Shikamaru said, turning to Neji. "How should I put it? She was the top of our class three years ago, but she was pretty aloof. Only Sasuke ever challenged her to spars, but he never won a single one."

"Shikamaru, Sakura is pretty warm-hearted. She's not like you described," Choji interjected, slightly dissatisfied.

"Yeah, after that incident, she definitely became a lot more open. Haha," Shikamaru said. "Three years ago, she was attacked by an enemy Jonin in the village. She held out until the Third Hokage arrived in time to rescue her. You probably heard about it at the time. After that, the Third Hokage sent her to train with one of the Sannin, Princess Tsunade, for three years."

Neji was, of course, aware of that incident. It had caused quite a stir at the time. But he hadn't realized Sakura was involved. Comparing himself to his three-years-ago self, Neji knew he wouldn't have lasted a single round against a Jonin. Everyone in Konoha knew of Princess Tsunade, especially someone from a prominent clan like the Hyuga. Just how strong had Sakura become? Neji suddenly felt that this Chunin Exam was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

The actual situation at the time wasn't as simple as Neji imagined. Sakura had been so terrified that she couldn't even move, taking a beating passively. If it weren't for Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura would have been killed. But apart from those directly involved, no one knew the truth. Because of the Nine-Tails' rampage, the Third Hokage had issued a gag order. Therefore, Neji mistakenly believed that Sakura had fought against the Jonin, holding out until the Third Hokage arrived.

"Lee, Tenten, let's go," Neji said, deciding not to dwell on it further. He led Lee and Tenten to submit their applications.

After Shikamaru's explanation, Lee was also somewhat subdued. He hadn't expected that seemingly delicate girl to be so strong. Although he had been hit by Sakura's punch, Lee had been caught off guard. Now, after Shikamaru's account, he suddenly realized he might have underestimated this young woman.

"Sasuke, it looks like there are a lot of strong opponents in this exam," Sakura said to Sasuke after they had finished registering.

"Hmph, I'll definitely win," Sasuke said confidently.

"That guy with the bowl cut, Lee, he's not going to be easy," Sakura warned Sasuke, giving him a heads-up.

"Sakura-chan, that guy called Lee, with the bowl cut, he only asked for your name. Why did you hit him?" Naruto asked, puzzled. To him, Lee's actions seemed like a gesture of friendship. Naruto, who lacked friends, couldn't understand why Sakura would attack someone who was being friendly.

"Ugh, don't mention him to me, Naruto. If you keep talking about him, I might just hit you too," Sakura snapped, instantly remembering Lee and feeling goosebumps all over.

Although she was now a girl, Sakura had always been rather aloof, and few people had ever expressed romantic interest in her. Coupled with her intense training, Sakura had almost forgotten that she had become a cute girl. After that incident, Sakura was reminded of the sadness of being a girl.

Naruto immediately shut his mouth upon seeing Sakura's anger. Although Sakura was usually kind to him, experiencing her wrath was not a pleasant experience.

And so, with all the young genin eagerly anticipating the challenges ahead, the Chunin Exams were about to begin.