Konoha Village, at the front gate.
Wearing a black Ninja attire, Sakura tightened her gloves, carrying a pack on her back while enduring Mebuki's endless nagging.
"Make sure you eat well outside, sleep properly, and don't trouble Jiraiya-sama!"
"Y-yes… yes!"
Originally, Sakura had wanted to respond sincerely, but the latter half of Mebuki's words drained away all her gratitude, leaving only half-hearted replies.
At the Academy, under certain higher orders, Sakura's student records had been sealed, to be reactivated only once she returned from training.
For Hiruzen, having such a talent fall under the Hokage's wing was the best possible outcome.
The moment he heard Jiraiya was taking Sakura out of the village for training, he swiftly arranged everything with the Academy.
As for how fast? Anbu delivered the documents to the Haruno Residence in the middle of the night.
"Sakura!"
Ino came running up, throwing herself into Sakura's arms.
Her small frame trembled, clearly still burdened by what had happened with Root not long ago.
"Ino!"
Sakura took off the hairband Ino had once given her and tied it around her friend's hand.
"If you're still hurting, then focus on training your Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques."
"I'm waiting for the day you grow strong enough to protect me, my best friend!"
Tears slipped down Ino's cheeks as she hugged Sakura again, this time holding her even tighter.
Sakura's eyes swept over the many who had come to see her off.
Her parents, Iruka, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Sasuke...
'It turns out that without realizing it, there are so many people in the village who care about me!'
'It's great to have one more place in the world where people are looking forward to my return.'
At last, she looked back to the girl clinging to her, gently lifting Ino's face and wiping away her tears.
"I have to go. Everyone, take care of yourselves!"
Waving with reluctant smiles, Sakura turned and walked out of the village, heading for her rendezvous point with Jiraiya.
Outside the village, on the outskirts of the Valley of the End, Jiraiya had been waiting for a while.
"Where are we going, Jiraiya-sensei?"
Reaching the man lounging on a fallen tree, Sakura called out.
"Mm, such a wonderful way to address me… how about we start with the southern hot springs and gather some research?"
Crack!
Frost burst from beneath Sakura's sandals, freezing Jiraiya and the log he was on in an instant.
"Didn't you say you were taking me out for training, you Pervy Sage?!"
Bang!
The frozen Jiraiya turned into smoke, while the real him appeared on a tree behind Sakura.
"It's Toad Sage! You're too uptight… training needs relaxation, too!"
He gave her a shining thumbs-up, flashing his teeth.
Dropping from the tree, he bickered with her as they set out on their journey.
…
Land of Fire, western region.
A tall and a small figure crossed the walkway over a basin, where an enormous city stretched below.
Children darted through the crowds, vendors splashed sauce over sizzling skewers, filling the streets with aroma.
Adults showed secretive smiles as they slipped into curtained establishments, while pachinko machines lured gamblers with every spin.
"Speaking of which, I still don't know how far your Ninja Training's gotten, Sakura."
Walking ahead, Jiraiya tilted his head back to ask.
"I have already learned the basics of Chakra Control, and I have also practiced Nature Transformation of Chakra for Water and Earth Attributes."
Sakura held the railing, swinging her body slightly as she descended the steps, counting with her free hand.
"As for Ninjutsu… two D-Rank Genjutsu, Shadow Clone Technique, Boil Release, ice manipulation, and the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"You're a double-Kekkei Genkai Ninja. Are you a monster?"
Jiraiya scratched his head, a sudden heaviness settling on him.
His last disciple was like this, and now this one too.
For someone like him, who is used wandering and uncertain, to be entrusted with such geniuses… the pressure was crushing.
"Well, anyway, just follow me for now!"
"Your teacher here is taking you to a good place to unwind!"
With that, Jiraiya led Sakura into a bustling casino, quickly settling himself at an empty table.
The dice clattered, cheers rose, and in no time, Jiraiya had melted into the sea of gamblers.
Meanwhile, Sakura was all but forgotten, left holding a few low-value chips, standing in the crowd with clenched teeth.
"This Pervy Sage… this was just an excuse to come play, wasn't it? Who could relax in a place like this?!"
"That's where you're wrong, little lady!"
A raspy, deep voice spoke up beside her. Sakura turned to see a bald, scar-faced man with a thick beard and a powerful build.
The man lifted the dice in his hand toward Sakura and spoke, "Well? Want to give it a try? Uncle here will show you what it means to stand at the very peak of the casino world~"
"Oh? You sure about that?"
Sakura brushed a strand of hair back, revealing her emerald-green eyes. A red glint flashed within them.
"Heh heh heh…"
The burly man in wild clothing and the other men at his table let out sinister chuckles.
A moment later, Jiraiya, who had been busy gambling at various tables, suddenly heard a commotion behind him.
He turned around and was stunned.
Behind him, Sakura had already stacked her chips higher than herself.
Around the gambling table lay men who had been completely cleaned out. The five who had first invited her had even lost their clothes to Sakura, stripped down to their underwear and left shivering in the cold wind.
"Sigh, I couldn't relax at all. I'm even more tired now."
A languid Sakura tossed her chips, adding to the small mountain behind her.
No matter the form of gambling, Sakura's mind-reading Observation Haki was a dimensional-level advantage at the casino.
Gradually, the title [Goddess of Gambling] began to circulate in the hall, attracting the attention of the [Legendary Sucker] who frequented the place.
Bang!
A blonde woman in a green coat sat down boldly opposite Sakura.
"Kid, I hear you're the Goddess of Gambling?"
"Come on, play a few rounds with me!"
The blonde woman exchanged borrowed money for chips and slapped them on the table.
Full of confidence, she took over the dealer's role and began dealing cards to the players at the table.
'Sorry, kid, but I'll be borrowing your reputation today to break my [Legendary Sucker] nickname! Don't hold it against me, the adult world is cruel...'
…
"I win again!"
Sakura swept the last of Tsunade's chips over to her side. She was the only one left with chips on the entire table.
"Damn it!"
The blonde woman, having lost ten rounds in a row, stood up and slammed her cards on the table.
"Now, now, Tsunade, throwing a tantrum after losing to a child~"
Jiraiya's teasing voice came from behind Tsunade.
"Hmph, Jiraiya." Tsunade crossed her arms, "I have no money to entertain you, I lost it all to that kid over there."
"Hahaha, this is my new disciple. Not bad, right?"
Jiraiya looked proud as he pointed to the izakaya across the street, "Shall we talk over there?"
Sakura exchanged her chips for cash and timely added, "It's my treat, Tsunade-neesan."
"Hmm, kid, you've got potential~"
Hearing the girl's words, Tsunade was secretly pleased.
Her earlier frustration at the gambling table vanished instantly. While Sakura won a lot of money from her, but she called her 'neesan'!
The magnanimous Tsunade patted Sakura's shoulder and walked with them, laughing and talking, towards the izakaya.
"Gulp gulp gulp! Ah!"
"Nothing hits the spot after a casino visit like a drink!"
As the izakaya waiter finished serving the dishes, Tsunade immediately grabbed the sake and drank deeply.
"So, what's the purpose of specifically bringing this child here to intercept me? Don't tell me it's for old friends catching up or showing off a student."
Tsunade used her chopsticks to pick up a pinch of salted dried fish, chewing on it.
"Tsunade-neesan, I want to learn Medical Ninjutsu, so Jiraiya-sensei brought me to find you."
Seeing Jiraiya hesitate for a long time, Sakura answered directly.
"And you still became this guy's disciple?"
"Hey now, what's wrong with being my disciple! I'm plenty strong too, you know!"
Tsunade pointed disdainfully at Jiraiya, who retorted indignantly.
"Anyway, forget that. The village has people with great Medical Ninjutsu too, so why go through all the trouble to find me?"
"Because... I want her to learn from the best..."
Jiraiya's face reddened, looking embarrassed.
"Among the Medical-Nin I know, you're the best! So..."
"Please, Tsunade!"
Jiraiya clasped his hands together and bowed his head deeply.
Tsunade stared at her old comrade for a long time.
"Sigh, time is a strange thing. I never thought a lecher like you would one day lower yourself to this extent for a disciple."
Tsunade took the cup Jiraiya filled for her and turned her gaze to Sakura.
"Fine, I can help Jiraiya by teaching you for a while."
"But let me be clear upfront, my training is very strict!"
"If you lack talent or can't handle the hardship, I won't hesitate to send you away!"
Sakura's eyes lit up upon hearing Tsunade's words:
"Nothing would make me happier!"