bubblegum princess

chapter fifty six

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the end of the beginning:
THE BIRTH OF
TEAM SEVEN !
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Sarada's jaw tightened as her fists clenched, trembling with suppressed frustration. Her sharp glare was focused solely on Boruto, who, oblivious to her rising temper, couldn't seem to take his eyes off Seiren. Seiren, on the other hand, was completely unaware of the tension, her focus entirely on Shino as he addressed the class.

Shino adjusted his glasses, his calm voice carrying across the room. "The remaining individuals will automatically be grouped together," he announced. His tone softened into a smile. "Congratulations, your team will be Team 3!"

Mitsuki tilted his head curiously, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Oh, not Team 7?"

Konohamaru stepped forward, arms crossed and a confident grin on his face. "And your leader will be me!"

Boruto's face lit up with excitement, and he threw his hands in the air. "Big bro Konohamaru!" he exclaimed, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.

Konohamaru groaned, rubbing the back of his head with an exaggerated sigh. "Will you please just call me sensei? Seriously, come on!" he grumbled.

Boruto only laughed in response, his energy infectious, though it did little to ease Sarada's irritation. Her gaze shifted to her twin, who remained quietly attentive to Shino's words, her serene demeanor contrasting with the chaos brewing in Sarada's mind. Why is he always looking at her like that? she fumed silently, her fingers curling tighter into her palm.

Seiren, still oblivious to the turmoil around her, glanced at Boruto when his laughter echoed. She smiled faintly at his energy, a small chuckle escaping her lips. That simple, genuine reaction only made Sarada's temper flare hotter. 'Why do me and Seiren be team up with this idiot.'  Sarada thought, shooting daggers at Boruto with her glare.

Boruto, finally noticing Sarada's expression, blinked in confusion. "What's your problem, Sarada?" he asked casually, leaning back slightly.

Her eye twitched as she took a sharp breath, muttering under her breath, "You."

Sarada turned her sharp gaze toward Konohamaru, determination burning in her dark eyes. "Sensei," she called out, her voice carrying an edge that made everyone in the room pause. Without warning, she flicked her wrist, sending a shuriken spinning through the air directly toward Konohamaru's face.

The metallic glint of the spinning weapon caught everyone's attention. Konohamaru, however, didn't flinch. In a single, precise motion, his fingers closed around the shuriken just before it could reach him. The weapon stopped mid-flight, its pointed edges glinting under the light.

Konohamaru lowers it, his expression unreadable. "What's the big idea, Sarada?" he asked, though his tone betrayed a note of irritation.

Seiren shifted uneasily, her gaze flicking between her sister and their sensei. "Neechan..." she called softly, hoping to calm the situation.

Sarada ignored her, her voice sharp. "Just as Seiren said earlier, we're supposed to put our lives in the hands of our teammates, right? If that's the case, Compatibility and balance are crucial." Seiren held her shoulder to stop yet Sarada shakes her head and removes her hand as she continued to complain "The same way that a shuriken will fly straight because of balance."

Before anyone could respond, she threw another shuriken. It sliced through the air, narrowly missing Konohamaru and embedded itself in a desk near Shino, who deftly stepped aside. The loud thump! reverberated in the room. Konohamaru eyed the small weapon before eyeing back at Sarada. "A shuriken that's unbalanced will not fly straight." She points out from the demonstrations she pulled out just now.