Late January, Konoha Year 61 – Red Island
A week had passed since the mission began. After lingering on Red Island for three days, Sakura finally set out on the journey back to the village.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Chief Soga!" Sakura called out from the pier, bidding farewell to the village chief.
"Thank you very much for having us!" Karin and Neji echoed in unison.
Hearing the trio's thanks, Chief Soga's eye twitched. These three weren't shinobi; they were more like three bottomless pits. They ate so much. Even with his considerable wealth, their appetites over the past few days had left his pockets feeling distinctly lighter, and frankly, a bit pained.
"Heh, off you go now, the ship is about to depart!" Chief Soga urged, barely concealing his eagerness for them to leave.
"Goodbye then, Chief Soga." Sakura led Karin and Neji onto the ship, then turned back, waving. "Don't forget about that matter we discussed! If you do, I'll be sure to pay you another visit with some friends from Konoha!"
At Sakura's words, Chief Soga stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face. He scrambled upright, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Rest assured, I won't forget."
He mentally sighed. He'd ultimately caved under Sakura's "persuasion" the other day and agreed to sell her three head of cattle on credit. He had initially planned to delay the delivery, but hearing Sakura's parting words convinced him it was best to arrange it as soon as possible. If she came back with more people, it wouldn't just be three cows he'd be losing.
A gentle breeze brushed against Sakura's face as she leaned against the ship's railing, staring idly out at the vast sea. This mission had certainly been eventful – encountering an overseas civilization so vastly different from the shinobi world, and learning about Seijutsu from Chief Soga.
Speaking of Seijutsu, Sakura had tried practicing it over the last couple of days, but the results were negligible. According to the scroll, Seijutsu was the key to communicating with Natural Power, and one hadn't truly learned it until they could sense that power. After several days, however, Sakura hadn't felt a thing.
While the Gelel Power stored in her Yin Seal could be released, she couldn't actively control it. Its main function seemed to be keeping her perpetually calm, but it was also extremely difficult to deplete. At best, it was a passive combat support ability.
Still, Sakura wasn't overly anxious. There was plenty of time for research later.
Two hours passed, and the ship neared the docks of Ise Town. Located in the Land of Tea, bordering the Land of Fire, Sakura briefly considered visiting Lord Chino again but decided against it. It was better to return to the village as quickly as possible. The mission had already taken long enough; any further delay, and her master would likely start sending out search parties.
After a non-stop, breakneck run, the familiar red gates of Konoha finally came into view. Kotetsu and Izumo stood guard, as always.
"Y-You're Haruno Sakura! You're finally back!" Kotetsu exclaimed, looking moved almost to the point of tears.
"You... Karin! You're back too!" Izumo echoed, his own eyes welling up as he looked at them.
"Uh, Gate Guard Brothers, isn't this a bit much?" Sakura scratched her head, slightly embarrassed. Was she really that popular? She hadn't realized her return would evoke such strong emotions.
"Don't say another word!" Kotetsu urged excitedly. "Quick, go report to Lady Hokage! We're finally free!"
"Yes, yes, hurry along! We don't have to be harassed anymore!" Izumo added, beaming eagerly at Sakura.
"Harassed? By who?" Sakura asked, curious.
"Who else? Lady Fifth Hokage, of course!" Kotetsu explained. "Starting two nights ago, Lady Hokage started summoning us for debriefings every single evening! We haven't had a decent night's sleep in days! Look, we even have dark circles!"
Seeing the faint shadows under their eyes, Sakura immediately understood. Tsunade-sensei must have been grilling them for information about her team's whereabouts. It seemed they really had taken too long.
"My apologies, Brothers. In a little while, I'll treat you both to some Ise beef!" Sakura called out as she dashed past them, leaving the promise hanging in the wind. Karin and Neji followed close behind.
Hokage Tower – Office
Sakura stood before Tsunade, whose expression was severe. A sudden sense of crisis washed over her.
"You finally decided to come back?" Tsunade asked, her face grim.
"Um, Master, I..."
"Did you have fun on Red Island?" Tsunade interrupted coldly.
"Yes— Master, I was wrong!" Sakura nearly blurted out that it was fun but caught herself just in time, quickly admitting fault. How did she know? she wondered frantically.
"Failing to return to the village immediately after completing a mission – do you understand the gravity of that?" Tsunade demanded sharply.
"Yes..." Sakura answered weakly.
"Master, please don't blame Sakura!" Karin suddenly spoke up from the side, trying to take the fall. "It was... it was my fault! I was just having fun and asked Sakura if we could stay longer on Red Island!"
"Lady Hokage," Neji chimed in, defending Sakura as well. "It was due to my lack of strength that I was captured by the enemy. If it weren't for Sakura, none of us would have returned. Please, do not punish Sakura."
"No, no, it has nothing to do with them!" Sakura insisted, stepping forward. "If I hadn't been careless, they wouldn't have been captured in the first place! Staying on Red Island was my idea too, it had nothing to do with them." One person's actions, one person's responsibility. As a Chunin, Sakura wouldn't let Genin take the blame for her.
Tsunade watched the three of them scrambling to take responsibility, and a flicker of approval, almost imperceptible, crossed her features before she nodded slightly. "You two may leave. Sakura, stay behind."
"Master, it really was me—" Karin started anxiously, thinking Tsunade was dismissing them only to punish Sakura alone.
"That's enough. The matter is settled for now. I have questions for her. Don't worry," Tsunade explained calmly.
"Ah, yes, Master..."
Neji and Karin exited the office. Tsunade looked at Sakura without speaking, and the silence made Sakura increasingly nervous.
"Master, what did you want to ask me?" Sakura ventured timidly. She hadn't remembered Tsunade-sensei being this stern before. The Tsunade who was Hokage seemed vastly different from the one who wasn't. It really is true, Sakura mused inwardly, the position changes the person.
"The client came to the village and filed a complaint against you," Tsunade stated plainly.
"A complaint?" Sakura was stunned. "Who complained about me?"
"The client from this mission," Tsunade confirmed. "You're currently in your probationary period. Receiving more than three complaints will affect your mission credibility. However, that's a minor issue. Tell me what happened during this mission."
Sakura processed this. A complaint from this mission's client... Thinking back, there was only one person it could be. That rotten old man Klick! Damn him! It had to be him, no one else. Just because she hadn't accepted his ridiculous commission, he'd actually travelled all the way to the village to file a complaint against her! What a nasty piece of work... Just let me see him again, Sakura fumed internally, I'll knock his teeth out.
Taking a deep breath to quell the urge to hunt down and pummel the old man, Sakura began her report. "This mission..."
Twenty minutes later, Sakura had recounted everything that happened during the mission. She omitted the details about Chief Soga's secrets and her specific theories about the Gelel Stone but did explain its observed effects and side effects. Finishing her explanation, she handed the metal box she carried to her master.
"So this is the Gelel Stone?" Tsunade asked, opening the box and examining the green stone inside.
"Yes. According to the people from Ikarus, this is a refined version," Sakura confirmed, adding a warning. "But I suggest you don't touch it directly. Even now, I don't know how to remove the Gelel Power once it enters the body."
Tsunade closed the lid and casually tossed the box back to Sakura. "In that case, you keep hold of it. Better than someone stumbling upon it who doesn't know what it is. Right now, the Five Great Shinobi Villages are too busy keeping an eye on each other to spare resources for exploring overseas. Konoha is no different. Let's leave this matter as it is for now."
Although curious about a civilization existing outside the shinobi world, Tsunade knew exploring it wasn't feasible. Iwagakure and Kumogakure were watching Konoha's every move, and even the distant Kirigakure couldn't be ignored. The core interests remained on this continent. Besides, Tsunade couldn't see any strategic advantage in conquering overseas powers. From Sakura's description, the people of Ikarus weren't particularly strong, even using Gelel Stones. Ultimately, it was little more than a curious anecdote.
"This entire matter is now classified as an A-rank secret," Tsunade declared, looking directly at Sakura. "Now, there's one more thing I need to inform you about."
"What is it?" Sakura asked, sensing the gravity in Tsunade's expression.
"Team 7 is being temporarily disbanded."