"I saw people… and flowers."
Sakura Haruno followed silently behind Jiraiya, still not giving him a direct answer.
Kakashi trailed quietly behind the two, observing everything.
Obito… are you watching?
This—this is what I gave everything for.
Why…
As they passed through the Konoha main street, where flower petals danced through the air, the road led them to a group of Konoha's top brass, with Hiruzen Sarutobi at the forefront.
Jiraiya led the group to stand before Hiruzen. A smile of relief spread across his face.
At this moment, the burden of his role as frontline commander was finally lifted.
"I've fulfilled my duty."
Before the gathered crowd and under the reverent gazes of the villagers, Jiraiya, unlike his usual self, didn't behave flamboyantly.
"Well done."
Dressed in the Hokage's ceremonial robes, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the towering figure of Jiraiya and patted him on the shoulder with a smile. Then, his gaze turned to the pink-haired girl standing at his side.
"Sakura, you did well."
For this final disciple whom he had taken on at the age of sixty-five, Hiruzen was truly satisfied.
Before Sakura could respond, the old man's withered hand, marked by age, came down to gently rest on her soft pink hair.
Sakura had initially wanted to dodge, but seeing Hiruzen in front of her, she ultimately didn't move away.
In these short few months, the old man had seemingly aged even more.
Standing not far off, Haruno Zhao and Haruno Meiko looked at their daughter with pride in their eyes.
Their daughter's excellence was something to be praised—but now, a new concern had emerged.
Would she be able to marry in the future?
Their daughter was so outstanding, so perfect, so beautiful—who could possibly be worthy of her?
Looking around at the current Konoha, among Sakura's peers, not a single one seemed like a match for her.
Was she going to stay single for life?
Sakura had no idea that, even before her thirteenth birthday, her parents were already worrying about her future marriage.
Looking at the uncharacteristically obedient pink-haired girl in front of him, Hiruzen felt deeply gratified.
She's grown up...
That once-tender young sprout had now become a tree capable of withstanding wind and rain.
Yet at that moment, those bright green eyes were beginning to look more and more annoyed at the old man in front of her.
Seriously, old man, how long are you going to keep patting?
I'm gonna go bald at this rate!
"Uh-haha!"
Perhaps sensing Sakura's displeasure, Hiruzen chuckled and walked to her side, intending to bend down and take her hand like he used to when she was a child.
But now, he realized—he didn't need to bend down anymore to reach her hand.
With a broad smile, Hiruzen took Sakura's hand and raised it high in front of everyone.
The noisy crowd seemed to go silent in an instant. At that moment, all eyes were on the elderly Hokage and the young kunoichi.
"This battle!"
Hiruzen's voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to resonate through all of Konoha. Every villager listened intently to his words, and even a stray cat catching a mouse in some forgotten alley paused and looked up.
The mouse beneath its paw tried to escape, only to be pinned down again by another paw.
"In the 60th year of Konoha!"
"The Sand shinobi, together with rogue ninja, launched an attack on Konoha. At the same time, the Hidden Cloud invaded!"
"Twelve years ago, we lost our brightest genius."
"Today, we have once again gained a genius just as brilliant!"
"And in the clash with the Hidden Cloud, she personally defeated the Fourth Raikage head-on!"
"She is a new star in Konoha's sky!"
"Her name is… Sakura Haruno!"
As his words fell, the crowd erupted in a thunderous cheer.
"Sakura Haruno!"
"Sakura Haruno!"
"Sakura—!"
On a nearby rooftop, a woman with blonde twin ponytails clutched a bottle of sake, watching from afar. A flush spread across her cheeks as she downed the rest of the drink. Her dazed gaze turned to the towering Hokage Rock.
Grandpa… Great-uncle...
That pink-haired girl really has become everything everyone hoped she'd be.
Petals drifted past Tsunade's eyes. She reached out, wanting to catch one in her hand, but whether due to the sake or simple intoxication, the flower slipped through her fingers, rising into the sky to join the sea of swirling pink.
A pair of black eyes, like everyone else's, was focused on that girl.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, but then he seemed to realize something. Silently, he withdrew from the crowd.
Sakura's brilliance—was her own.
Just like back in the Ninja Academy, she remained the center of attention.
But he… was still not strong enough.
Even though he had obtained the same power as Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke didn't believe for a second that this meant he could defeat that man.
He still needed to become stronger. It was time to train...
Sakura tried her best to maintain a polite smile, caught off guard by Hiruzen's unexpected gesture.
Her green eyes caught a glimpse of a black-haired boy disappearing into the crowd, leaving her slightly surprised.
Sasuke?
To be honest, Sakura wasn't emotionally dense.
But Naruto alone already gave her enough headaches—let alone throwing in another red-eyed case.
So she had no choice but to pretend she didn't notice.
Sorry, Sarada.
Better reincarnate into another family~~~
Your mom's done with you!
And as for you, Uzumaki Pintake—yeah, you too! Go reincarnate somewhere else!
Preferably in the same household as Sarada!
You two can grow up calling Boruto "big bro" together!
Sakura kept her nearly frozen smile in place, showing zero intention of going after Sasuke.
Night fell like a curtain.
No matter how lively Konoha was during the day or how excited the villagers were, once night arrived, the village was wrapped in complete silence.
Sakura rubbed her sore lower back as she exited the Hokage's office.
Another full day of meetings—her butt hurt from all that sitting.
All just for a post-battle debrief that could've been done with a few words.
Hiruzen, now elderly, loved to ramble on endlessly—Sakura's head was still throbbing from it.
Glancing up at the sparse stars in the night sky, she navigated through the dark, heading home.
However, at a corner, a figure suddenly appeared and dropped into a respectful half-kneel before her.
"Lady Sakura."
"Lord Danzo requests your presence."
After two and a half years—plus another two years—Danzo was seeking her out again.
Sakura's expression remained unchanged as she looked at the Root member before her.
"Lead the way."
The Sakura of today no longer feared Danzo in the slightest.
No matter what Shimura Danzo was planning, Sakura was confident she could handle it.
Even if he used force—she could flip the entire Root division upside down.
Back when Danzo accidentally got his hands on Sakura's graduation paper and even began implementing the plan, Hiruzen had to invoke greater authority to stop him from amassing too much power and becoming a threat.
That confrontation was part of what sparked the war.
Although the blame somehow fell on Sakura in the end, there was no denying the plan had originated with her.
And honestly, Sakura was curious about Kakuzu and what he was all about.
Following the Root operative, Sakura arrived at a hidden underground chamber. As she entered, a vast underground space came into view.
Though filled with traditional-style pavilions and towers, the place radiated gloom. One glance told you—nothing good went on down here.
Classic villain lair vibes.
Sakura followed the Root member casually, her bright green eyes scanning the surroundings.
She wondered—if she set the place on fire, would the whole ceiling collapse?
Just as she was imagining lighting the whole thing up, the Root member brought her to the door of an office.
"Lady Sakura, Lord Danzo is inside."
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