The number of people in the airship cabin was dwindling fast.
By the rules, you could jump whenever you wanted—so long as the airship hadn't crossed the island's border. Now, with the edge of the island looming closer, even the last stragglers were on their feet, ready to leap.
All except one girl.
She sat frozen in her seat, trembling so badly she could barely move.
Hitomi spotted her right away—it was Sarada, the same girl from yesterday's exam.
He figured she must not know the rules, so he called out, "Hey, the handbook says if you don't jump before we cross the boundary, you're out…"
Sarada kept her head down. "Don't worry about me. Just jump."
Hitomi's eyes narrowed. He tried again, softer this time, "Are you… scared of heights?"
"…," Sarada bit her lip, nodding almost imperceptibly.
He tried to reassure her. "We've got parachutes. We'll drop slow—it's not like we're gonna splatter on the ground."
But fear of heights wasn't about parachutes. That was a whole different beast.
Sarada whispered, "Just leave me alone. You should jump…"
Hitomi pressed, "You'll get eliminated if you don't jump. Is that okay with you? If you really don't care, I'll back off."
Sarada's mind spun back to three days ago, to her conversation with Karin.
"Sweetheart, there's something I've hidden from you. You do have a father. He's one of the greatest ninja alive…"
"Why isn't Dad with you? Did he abandon us?"
"No. He never loved me. I… kept it from him, used some tricks. That's how you were born…"
The truth hit Sarada like a punch to the gut.
"You're still young—you don't understand what it's like to love someone so much you'd do anything crazy just to be close. I made mistakes, hid things from him. Now, other kids have both parents, but your father doesn't even know you exist. That's my fault."
"Sarada, go meet your father. He might reject me, but he'll accept you. Trust me, sweetheart."
"No, I don't want to…"
"Sarada…"
"I want Dad to know Mom's an amazing woman—she raised me, and I'm going to make him regret ever ignoring her!"
"Sarada… you—!"
"Mom, I'm entering the Great Ninja Tournament. I'll debut as a real ninja! I'll show the world I deserve the title, and make that near-sighted dad realize he's got a daughter and a wife worth bragging about! I'll make him regret his choices!"
Crackle!
When Sarada said those words, stubborn tears shimmered in her eyes—a single tomoe in her Sharingan, vivid and clear.
"Sarada, my precious girl…" Karin hugged her tight, overwhelmed.
But now, here in the airship, Sarada's fear of heights threatened to knock her out of the tournament before it even began.
Was she really willing to let that happen? No way. Not a chance.
She forced her eyes open, staring at Hitomi's retreating back as he moved toward the hatch. "Wait!!"
Hitomi turned. "What is it?"
Sarada struggled to her feet and staggered to the hatch. She looked out at the endless clouds and the dizzying drop to the earth below—her legs instantly started shaking.
"I can't… I can't do this… It's so scary!"
All those passionate words to her mom meant nothing now. She was still terrified—her fear of heights was winning, hands down.
Hitomi tried, "Just close your eyes. You won't see the drop."
Sarada shook her head. "That's worse. I won't know where I'll land. What if I hit a sharp rock or something?"
Hitomi groaned inwardly. Man, this girl is a handful…
Right then, Amado—the airship pilot—turned and called out, "Your parachutes are rated for an adult. If you're both kids, you can jump together. No rule says you can't."
"Wait, what?" Both Hitomi and Sarada blinked in surprise.
Amado warned, "If you don't jump soon, you'll both be out."
Sarada grabbed a fistful of Hitomi's shirt, cheeks burning. "P-please… I'm begging you…"
Hitomi let out a sigh. "You're impossible. Guess I owe you for teasing you yesterday in the exam…"
He scooped Sarada up, cradling her small frame, and leapt from thousands of meters above the ground.
And just as they jumped, another small figure bolted from the cabin and dove after them.
Amado turned away, muttering, "Hope I didn't overstep…"
"Ahhh!!" Wind screamed past as Sarada squeezed her eyes shut, clinging to Hitomi for dear life and shrieking.
Hitomi grimaced. "Hey—don't squeeze so tight! I can't reach the parachute release!"
Truth was, in this second round, most ninja avoided jumping in groups to stay clear of enemy encounters. The smart move was to glide a while before popping the chute—Naruto's handbook even spelled it out. Hitomi had been psyched to try gliding through the sky, just to feel that freedom…
But with Sarada clinging to him, he could only sigh. So much for flying like a bird. Guess I'll just ride this out…
Snap!
The parachute exploded open from Hitomi's pack.
Their fall slowed instantly.
Sarada felt the air calm around her, and—gathering her courage—cracked open her eyes. She saw Hitomi's young but steady face, and a wave of safety she'd never known washed over her.
This… wasn't so bad.
Thud!
Hitomi landed, feet firm on the ground.
The parachute fluttered down behind them.
He shifted Sarada to one arm, shrugged off the parachute pack, and spotted another kid landing nearby.
This boy wore loose, pale blue robes, had short, slightly curly silver hair, skin almost porcelain, and a gentle, handsome face.
Sarada asked, "Do you know him?"
Hitomi shook his head, set Sarada down, and quickly stepped back—keeping both of them in his sight, wary.
He called out, "Who are you?"
The boy replied, "I'm Mitsuki. You haven't met me, but I've heard about you, Uzumaki Hitomi-kun."
Sarada's eyes widened. Uzumaki Hitomi… He and Mom are both Uzumaki. No wonder he's got red hair. But those horns…
Hitomi's gaze sharpened. "You're… Orochimaru's kid?"
Mitsuki nodded. "Orochimaru is my mother."
Hitomi said, "I've heard of you, but we're not friends. Right now, we're competitors. By the rules, we're supposed to fight."
But Mitsuki smiled. "I don't plan to fight you."
Hitomi narrowed his eyes.
Mitsuki continued, "We don't have to fight. The rules allow alliances, and we have every reason to team up."
Hitomi asked, "Why?"
Mitsuki explained, "The three of us are total rookies. Everyone else here is a veteran—stronger, more experienced. We're outmatched."
He held up his ninja tool pouch. "Our gear and food are limited. More supplies means better odds. Being kids won't help us hide—it'll just make us targets."
"So, teaming up is our smartest move."
Honestly, Hitomi had been thinking the same thing.
"You're right."
Hitomi closed his eyes. When he opened them, his Sharingan spun—three tomoe shining.
He warned, "Just so you know, I'll be watching you with these eyes. If you pull anything sketchy, I won't hold back."
Sarada stared, stunned. Sharingan… He has three tomoe!
Mitsuki just smiled, warm as spring. "Relax. I won't betray you, Hitomi-kun. Because… you're my sun."
And so, by fate or chance, Hitomi, Sarada, and Mitsuki's battle royale alliance began.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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