Sasuke's twin sister, But Neji's first love

The Land Where a Hero Once Lived

yawn

"You yawned right in my ear," I complained.

Sakura scrunched her face at me. "Well, maybe if you weren't so close, I wouldn't have yawned in it."

"Maybe if you'd just shut your big mouth, you wouldn't be yawning in people's ears."

"HEY—"

"Are you always this lazy?"

"And are you always this rude?"

"Hm?"

"Why, you—"

"Where's that weird blonde kid and the one with the attitude?" one of the workers nearby interrupted.

"They're training. Tree-climbing," I replied flatly.

"Too tough for you both?"

"Pft. Please. We already finished that training—the guys are the ones struggling," Sakura said proudly.

"Yeah! That's why Sensei sent us to guard you. Since we're the best."

"You're joking."

"HEY!"

"Tch. What's that supposed to mean?"

After that, I tuned everything out. Some guy came up to talk to Tazuna, and Sakura was still trying to one-up him in a conversation that I no longer cared about.

'Hm... I wonder how Sasuke's doing. It's boring being here with just Sakura.'

⸻

[Time skip – Village shop]

"Why are we here?" Sakura asked as we stepped into the rickety old shop.

"Well, you want to eat dinner, don't you?"

Sakura huffed. "Of course I want dinner. But why here? This place looks... sketchy."

I shot her a glance. "Then don't eat if you're going to be picky."

We walked through the narrow aisles of the nearly empty store. Most of the vegetables were either rotting or too small to be useful. I stuck to the task, quietly gathering what we needed, until I heard Sakura's voice rise sharply.

"Get your hand off me, you perv!"

I turned to see her arguing with a greasy-looking man who had clearly crossed a line. She smacked him across the face before stomping off, muttering curses. I sighed, tossing the last item into our basket.

After we paid, we started walking back. The sun had dipped low, and the chill in the air matched the quiet streets. That's when I felt it—a tap on my backside. I spun around, already forming hand signs in my mind, but—

It was just a kid. Thin, dirty, maybe six or seven years old. His clothes hung off him like rags, but he still smiled. He held out his hands, trembling.

I stared at him for a moment, then reached into my bag. I pulled out a warm rice ball stuffed with chicken, and a few coins from my pouch. I placed them gently in his hands.

"Here. Go eat somewhere safe."

His eyes lit up. "Thank you!" he said quickly, then bolted down the street before I could even say anything else.

⸻

[Time skip – Dinner at Tazuna's house]

Sakura and I helped set the table while Tazuna's daughter finished cooking. The smell of stew filled the room, and despite how worn-down everything was, there was a warmth to it.

Soon after, the door slid open and in walked Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi.

"Took you guys long enough," I said.

Sasuke just shrugged and sat down without a word.

"I totally beat the tree!" Naruto announced triumphantly. "I'm basically a walking ninja god now!"

"No one cares," Sasuke muttered.

"Tch—jealous," Naruto huffed, plopping down beside him.

Dinner began, and as soon as food was served, Naruto and Sasuke were locked in a race to see who could eat more. Bite after bite, they shoveled food down their throats with barely a breath.

"Slow down, you pigs," I muttered.

But of course, they didn't listen—and a few minutes later, both of them turned green. They raced off to the side of the room and threw up almost in sync.

I stood up and smacked Sasuke lightly on the back of the head. "What did I say?"

Sakura, meanwhile, scolded Naruto. "Seriously?! You're such a child!"

Everyone was still recovering from the chaos when Sakura glanced toward a shelf in the corner. She frowned and pointed. "Hey... is that a torn photo?"

Tazuna's daughter stiffened. Tazuna's eyes darkened.

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Tazuna slowly reached over and picked up the framed photo, holding it close.

"That was a man my grandson looked up to," he said. "The man in the photo. He was a hero here, once. Tried to stand up to Gato and his men when no one else would. He gave people hope. But... they took him from us."

His voice wavered near the end. The room felt colder.

I glanced at Sakura, then said dryly, "Nice going, having to point that out."

She looked at me like she wanted to say something, but instead just folded her arms and looked away.

Kakashi cleared his throat gently. "He must have been very brave."

Tazuna nodded slowly. "He was. But bravery doesn't always keep you alive in a place like this."

No one knew what to say after that.

After a few moments of silence naruto stood up abruptly. "I'm gonna prove it, that in this world there are real heroes."