Her coat was gray, with touches of white that gave the impression that a thin yer of snow had settled on her body. Katsuyu was her name, Mr. Inochi's prize mare.

  - You really should sign up! - said Deidara, adjusting his helmet.

  Deidara Yamanaka was my childhood best friend. At twenty, he was already a famous jockey and, like all Yamanaka, a Two by birth.

  - I know they say that even Katsuyu is more polite than you, but... what have you got to lose? Ino is so excited that she spent the whole m getting ready for the sele photos.

  - Photos? What's the point? Isn't it a draw? - I asked, frowning.

  Deidara let out a little ugh and gave me that smile of someone who knows a joke that the rest of the world is still unaware of.

  - I'm already giving you the hint, Saky. Look as beautiful as possible. No riding boots or tool belts.

  I rolled my eyes and fastehe saddle on Katsuyu. The mare didn't even stir like the other horses; I khat game and I knew I was the best at it. As soon as Deidara mounted, she shot dowrack at the slightest sign.

  I took the opportunity to sit on the fend watch.

  - Hey, Testuda! - The old niame made me turn on instinct.

  Ino Yamanaka was a goddess in that small province. Deidara's older twin sister, she took her position in Caste Two as a model, grag the covers of magazines I couldn't even afford. But in her spare time as an unattainable goddess, she was my best friend.

  - InoPorca, shouldn't you be running to the Department of Provincial Services?

  She rolled her eyes, letting out a ugh. It was funny how she and Deidara had the same ugh.

  - You shouldn't mock your future queen! - she decred, pretending to be offended.

  I ughed and, with the lightness of a cat, jumped over the feo the side where she was standing.

  - Five me, Your Majesty! Five my rude Caste Four manners! - I made an exaggerated bow, but even that didn't make her smile falter, although her eyes ughed silently.

  - I n you! I n you to the guillotine!

  - God, no! Mercy!

  - I n you for that hideous shirt and those pants four times your size!

  - My shirt isn't hideous! - I stopped the joke, sulking.

  - You're right, it's worse! These colors should be sidered a national crime! - She ughed even louder when my cheeks flushed with anger.

  - Sakura! Time to go! - Pain's voice rang out, full of impatience.

  He was still furious with me for the argument the night before, but he had breathed a sigh of relief when I annouhat m that I was signing up for the circus.

  Ino would take a limousio the Department. For me, that left the old rusty e truck that smelled of manure.

  My mother made me shout on something that almost made me look less like Four before practically pushio the passenger seat. She got io me, excited.

  The silen the car sted more than five minutes before she asked:

  - Did you have a fight?

  - Some people talk too much,” Pain replied, without taking her eyes off the road.

  - Some people are sorry,” I admitted, because I knew I deserved it. And Paihat this was as close to an apology as a Haruno could get.

  - Some people should talk less,” he retorted, befiving me a nudge on the forehead, smiling.

  My mother smiled with satisfa aed her head on my shoulder.

  - You smell like blueberries,” ented my mother, Mrs. Haruno, in a sleepy voice.

  I didn't reply and just let her doze off on the way to the local department.

  Obviously, we weren't the only ones ied in handing in the application. When we arrived, the street in front of the Tea Vilge Department was already packed with women. In the queue, I reized several girls from my neighborhood, each apanied by three others. The liretched halfway down the block. All the girls from the province were there to sign up.

  I didn't know whether to be scared or relieved. My application was only a requirement from Sasuke, but seeing myself surrounded by so many petitors, my petitive heart raced. Instinctively, I sed the crowd with my eyes, assessing who could be my biggest rival.

  - Mebuki! - someone called out.

  Pain, my mother and I tur the sound of her name.

  Mrs. Mikoto Uchiha was walking towards us with her usual elegance, apanied by Private Lee. Behind them, Izumi came in soft, dragging steps, her tenance showing that she would rather be anywhere else.

  She was wearing a long dark blue dress made of light fabric, with no nees or fshy details - a true Uchiha dy. But to be ho, Izumi looked good in anything.

  - Hello, Mikoto. How are you, Private Lee and Miss Izumi? - greeted my mother.

  Izumi finally snapped out of her sulking trand forced a ving smile.

  - More than fine, Mrs. Mebu! - she replied with dramatic exaggeration, before pulling me by the hand. - I'm being forced to do this, Saky-, save me!

  I let out a ugh.

  - Stop ughing! My uncle Fugaku said he'd seo Suna if I didn't e.

  - But you like Suna,” I said.

  - I do, but not now. Itachi is almost back.

  I sighed and tried to smile. For Izumi, Itachi was always ing back... but it had been almost two years sihey had seen each other.

  - You look so beautiful, Izumi. Like a real dy,” my mother plimented.

  I realized the implied criticism. Her greeuro me briefly, silently ning my pants.

  - I wao look good for the photo! - Izumi shrugged with forced animation.

  - You look very beautiful yourself, Miss Sakura! - said Private Rock Lee, blushing like a bell pepper. I smiled at him.

  - Photo? hoto? - My mother's eyes widened.

  I looked around and noticed the stark differeween those who knew about the photo and those who had no idea. Just behind us, a girl - probably from Caste Seven - was still wearing her work clothes. Her mud-covered boots might not appear in the photo, but the dust on her apron wouldn't go unnoticed. A little further back, another Seven was smeared with grease from head to toe.

  At the opposite end, a girl had her hair up in a bun, leaving a few curly strands loose. o her, I reized one of Ino's model friends - a Two, no doubt - whose cleavage seemed endless. Others had exaggerated their make-up so much that they looked like caricatures. But at least they were making an effort.

  Vaku