At night, while Sakura and Ino were indulging gluttonously at the fried meatball shop on South Street, and while Hiruzen had returned to his residence...
A man in a black and white robe, body wrapped in bandages with only one eye exposed, entered the Hokage's office.
He sat in the chair Hiruzen usually occupied, turning to look out at Konoha through the window.
Even deep into the night, the bustling village was still awash with lights.
"Konoha... Konoha..."
This man, named Shimura Danzo, leaned back in the chair, quietly appreciating the superb view, his expression inexplicably pleased.
'Such prosperity should have been achieved under my leadership, but...'
Danzo gritted his teeth, revealing the resentment he only dared show when alone.
Withdrawing his gaze, he looked at the Anbu reports on Hiruzen's desk. His expression shifted.
He pulled out a special file buried under several documents.
The words written on it were...
[The Whole Story of the Uchiha Incident.]
'This rough handwriting... it was written by that old fool Hiruzen!'
'Heh, let me see what exactly was done that made Hiruzen willing to break the rules to protect someone.'
Thinking this, Danzo opened the file's cover and pulled out the paper filled with records to read.
As time passed, Danzo's expression changed several times.
[Ninja Records: Haruno Sakura
Endurance: 6, Physical: 10, Genjutsu: 9, Wisdom: 9, Strength: 10, Speed: 7, Precision: 10, Seal: 8]
'Hmph, that's a pretty good assessment.'
'Those in the know would understand this was an eight-year-old kid. Those not in the know would think it was some Jonin in the village.'
'That old fool Hiruzen's judgment shouldn't be wrong. This Haruno Sakura is definitely a talent.'
Danzo's eye shifted restlessly, his mind racing.
'But judging from the girl's attitude the other day, she clearly wouldn't side with me.'
'What method should I use then... the usual Konoha Villager Management Method?'
Danzo let out a scoffing laugh and stood up. His gaze suddenly fell upon [My Will], placed on Hiruzen's desk. A flash of inspiration crossed his mind.
His aged, withered hand let go of the cane, touching his right eye.
'Trading the legacy of one genius for another... it was worth it!'
"Hmph, Hiruzen, this perfect opportunity was given to me by you!"
After a series of rapid tapping sounds of crutches, the man wrapped in bandages vanished.
…
Time flowed day by day within the Konoha Village, where undercurrents surged. Unnoticed, Year 59 arrived.
When pure white snow covered the entire Konoha Village, the winter festival was held within the village.
"Takoyaki, ramen, dango..."
Sakura, wrapped in a red padded coat, weaved between the various stalls, happy as a child.
"Slow down, Sakura!"
Behind her, Ino couldn't catch up with a certain small Giant Royalty at all. She could only stop, with hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
Also out for the gathering were Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Naruto, Hinata, and others.
"Ugh, I wanted to treat Sakura-chan, but she's so fast~"
A dejected Naruto held up his frog wallet. The words he wanted to use to offer a treat and strike up a conversation were all drowned out in the crowd.
"You can treat me!"
Kiba beside him put one hand on Naruto's shoulder, the other giving a thumbs-up.
"Who wants to treat you, you idiot!"
"What did you say?! Naruto, you traitor who values looks over friends!"
Kiba directly set his dog on him, and Naruto fought back without giving in. The two caused a ruckus right there on the street.
"Tch, troublesome guys."
Watching the rising commotion, Shikamaru held his hands behind his head and sighed helplessly.
"Being able to eat so much food shows Sakura has great determination!"
Choji, also holding an armful of snacks, turned around and gave Shikamaru a thumbs-up.
"You guys."
Shikamaru was left speechless, caught between laughter and tears by his friend's words.
"Ino! Quick, try this!"
Holding a pile of food bought from the stalls, Sakura appeared as if out of nowhere.
"Sakura, you... mmm!"
Ino's words were cut off as Sakura stuffed a piece of mochi into her mouth.
The soft, glutinous texture and sticky feel turned her scolding into muffled sounds. Finally, she shot a mock-annoyed glare at the giggling Sakura.
"Munch! Gulp!"
Under Ino's stunned gaze, Sakura devoured all the food in front of her and charged out again!
"Is this girl a monster?"
Shikamaru, who had walked over, teased, sitting down with Ino on a bench placed by the street.
"It's truly shameful to lose to a girl in this aspect. But..."
Choji's expression turned serious, then flames seemed to ignite around him as he too charged into the area crowded with stalls.
Watching the pink figure weaving through the crowd, occasionally competing with Choji in eating speed, a smile couldn't help but appear on Ino's lips.
"Sakura... she's changed so much recently~"
"Hmm? Wasn't she like this before?"
Shikamaru speared a piece of fried tofu, but in his distraction, it fell to the ground.
"Yeah, before she was very shy and often worried about what others thought of her."
"Lately, she's become outgoing, confident, strong, and reliable. It kind of feels like... I can't keep up with her anymore."
Ino's eyes reflected the girl laughing in front of Choji. She raised a hand, full of tenderness.
"Isn't that a good thing? And you've got a goal to chase now."
Shikamaru formed a circle with his hands, his all-seeing gaze sweeping over the blonde girl beside him.
"Ino! Ino!"
Sakura called out from afar. Ino smiled without speaking, winked her left eye at Shikamaru, stood up, and ran over.
Amid the noise, the winter festival drew to a close.
Fireworks rose into the sky. People tied their hopes and wishes for the coming year onto trees.
After enjoying the fireworks festival, Sakura followed Ino, the two chatting and laughing as they walked home.
Their heavy boots crunched through the snow. As they passed a secluded alley, a red gleam flashed through Sakura's emerald-green eyes.
"Ino!"
Sakura reached out, stopping Ino behind her.
"Hmm!"
Ino's expression also became serious. Though she couldn't tell where the danger came from, she was very perceptive and picked up on Sakura's wariness.
Whoosh!
Four pitch-black figures flashed out from the shadows of the alley.
They wore uniforms similar to the Anbu, with various animal masks covering their faces.
"Haruno Sakura, the Hokage requests your presence!"
Although the other party also released the Anbu's signals she had learned during her time there, the cold aura they exuded couldn't fool her.
What these Root Ninjas didn't know was that their hollow, empty hearts shone like beacons in the night under Sakura's Observation Haki, which could detect emotions.
'Shimura Danzō and his never-changing excuse for summoning people, honestly…'
Sakura complained helplessly in her heart, but since Ino was behind her, she agreed to their 'invitation'.
"Fine, I'll go with you." She lowered the hand she had been using to shield Ino and said to the girl behind her, "Ino, you head home first."
"...Okay!"
Ino's pupils trembled as she gritted her teeth and nodded hard.
She too sensed these people weren't really Hokage's Anbu, but in her current state, she could do nothing. Escaping to report was the wisest move.
Clenching her fists, Ino ran out of the alley, sprinting home as fast as she could.
The Root's members, knowing full well what Ino intended, became more urgent.
They tightened their formation, cutting off all of Sakura's possible escape routes, extending their hands toward her in unison.
"Please, come with us!"