Chapter 35: The Three Rookie Teams Meet at Last!
After meeting such a colourful cast of characters, Team 7 was owed a return to normalcy; and what was more grounded in reality than having to take a written exam? Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke rushed upstairs, only to find one last obstacle blocking their way: Kakashi.
"I never doubted that I'd be seeing all three of you here," said Kakashi impassively. "Now get in there, and do your best."
The three members of Team Seven nodded at their sensei, before sharing a smile. It was showtime!
Naruto pushed open the doors to class 301, and they all stepped inside in the classroom, which was filled with shinobi of all ages and nationalities… Hidden Sand, Rain, Grass, Sound and Waterfall were also participating in the joint Chūnin exams. Apart from the Hidden Sand, the other participating villages were all from minor countries.
"Sasuke-kun!" a ponytailed blonde girl squealed, as she took a running start and jumped into his arms. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't make it in time! It's been a while since we've seen each other!"
Yamanaka Ino; the original Sakura's best friend, until Sakura had decided to do her own thing!
If Tenten was the cutest kunoichi in their generation, and Sakura was the prettiest, then Ino had to be the most beautiful! Under normal circumstances, Sakura would have been only too glad to let her fondle Sasuke all she wanted, and therefore prevent the birth of Sarada and the worst timeline of Boruto, but she had a bone to pick with her father!
"Long time no see, Ino pig," said Sakura nonchalantly, as she stepped out from behind Naruto, rubbing her left shoulder with her right hand. "Oof, heavy, heavy…"
"Long time no see to you too, billboard brow," Ino began, as she stopped nuzzling the back of Sasuke's neck long enough to take a look at her 'rival in love.' "I see you're still as…"
Ino's voice trailed off as she goggled at the melons hanging from Sakura's chest.
It's not as if large-breasted kunoichi didn't exist, but they were certainly rare; a large percentage of breast tissue is fat, but the lifestyle of a shinobi was so active that their breasts would rarely get the chance to accumulate much fat.
"What are those!?" Ino said accusingly, as she jumped off Sasuke's back and stalked over to her. "Were you so tired of being flat that you decided to get fakesies?"
Ino's hands shot out, grabbing at Sakura's generous chest and squeezing.
Sakura's breasts were enormous for a girl of her short stature and thin build; they were so round and large that they could be seen from behind, and yet they also projected outwards, still perky despite their size… Firm, yet yielding… Yep, definitely real.
"What the hell did you eat to get this big in a few weeks?" Ino said in disbelief.
"Iyaa~n," Sakura fake-moaned, grinning suggestively. "Quit it, Ino… they're so sensitive…"
Ino immediately withdrew her hands, as if she had touched a hot stove.
"It looks like I'll have to find a new nickname for you," Ino said, looking warily at Sakura. "How about melons?"
But no sooner had those words escaped her lips that Ino felt a crushing sense of defeat— she had lost as a woman— and to Sakura, of all people!
"Look, Ino, I still think of you as my friend," said Sakura, as she pretended to sigh. "So, if it really means that much to you, then I'll even the playing field and share my secret with you…"
There weren't many kunoichi taking the Chūnin exams, but at that very moment, the room was filled with the sounds of people scrambling to turn around in their seats, as every single girl in the room leaned in to eavesdrop on Sakura's secret…
"Sakura!" Ino cried out gratefully. "I've always considered you my best friend, even after all these years…!"
Sakura smiled, before leaning in and whispering in Ino's ear.
"The secret is drinking plenty of milk before bed, and most important of all…"
Ino leaned in closer.
"…stimulating your female hormones by having your lover massage your chest. Every. Single. Day…"
Ino looked at the winking Sakura and the bored-looking Sasuke in turn, and she gritted her teeth. So, is this what the two of them had been up to, while she'd been stuck with the two dorks on her team?
"Sakura, you… you… you smelly bitch!" Ino cried. "You cheated! It should've been me, not youuuu!"
It's at this moment that Ino's two teammates, Shikamaru and Chōji, stepped in to put a stop to the catfight, before it became more of a pain than it already was.
"Ugh, girls are such a drag," grumbled Shikamaru, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Ino, let's not do this right now, the exam's about to begin…"
"And there's the rest of the idiot trio, delta force," Naruto greeted them cheerfully. "It's been a while, huh?"
Nara Shikamaru was a genius, but he was incredibly lazy and unmotivated: always complaining about how things were a drag. As for the fat kid next to him, he was Akimichi Chōji, who always had a bag of crisps in one hand and food on his mind. Together with Ino, they formed Team 10's Ino-Shika-Cho combo; ESP, brains, and brawn: a team that used nothing but Yin and Yang style Jutsu, led by Jōnin-sensei Sarutobi Asuma.
"Back off, Shikamaru!" Ino bristled, ignoring Naruto's insulting greetings. "This is between me and boobs over there!"
"D-d-don't fight," came a barely audible, timid voice from behind Sakura.
Sakura turned around to see who had just spoken… and then she immediately jumped a few steps back.
It was Team 8; a special tracking team comprised of all Sensory-type shinobi, led by Jōnin-sensei and Genjutsu master (lol) Yūhi Kurenai. Representing the sense of sight: the princess of the Hyūga clan, Hyūga Hinata of the Byakugan, a Dōjutsu which endows its user with X-ray and Telescopic vision! Representing the sense of smell: Inuzuka Kiba, his dog Akamaru and their noses!
…and lastly and most disgustingly, representing all five senses, Aburame Shino and the millions of bugs infesting his body!
…eurgh.
"Aburame Shino," said Sakura through gritted teeth. "Long time no see…"
Shino immediately perked up; had Sakura really instantly remembered his name, even after all this time apart, and despite them basically never having talked to each other? What was this feeling; this quickening heartbeat… could it be love…?
Sadly for Shino, it was a love that could never be; while bugs had never disgusted the original Sakura more than they would have disgusted the average kunoichi (which was already a lot), awakening the memories from her past life as Tsutomu had also awakened the trauma lurking deep within her…