"This… this is a prodigy?"
In the Hokage's office, an old man wearing a red conical hat sat lost in thought.
Before him, a crystal ball replayed a scene of a pink-haired girl using a chakra storm to knock her teacher flat.
The ninja academy instructors were at least chunin-level, yet they couldn't even withstand this girl's chakra?
—And she's, what, six years old?
"Is it some kind of special kekkei genkai?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been casually checking on the village's new talents, found himself intrigued.
"Blade!"
"Look into that girl's background."
"Oh, and tell the academy instructors to keep her situation under wraps."
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his aged eyes fixed on the girl's figure in the crystal ball.
"Yes, sir!"
A low voice responded, and a shadowy figure flickered briefly, as if something had left the room.
Unlike the smoky air of the Hokage's office, the atmosphere on Konoha's east-side commercial street was fresh and lively.
Having finished her test, Sakura Haruno was being led by her father toward the famous Yakiniku Q barbecue restaurant.
"Alright! To celebrate Sakura passing her test, Daddy's treating you to barbecue today!"
In high spirits, Kizashi Haruno thumped his chest proudly. As the two lifted the curtain to enter the restaurant, a girl in light orange clothing at the counter turned and spotted them.
"Sakura-chan!"
"Ino?"
Without any hesitation, Sakura called out the girl's name.
Ino Yamanaka, the young heiress of one of Konoha's three great secret technique clans, the Yamanaka family.
Ino ran up excitedly, grabbing Sakura's hand.
"Hey, didn't we agree to go to the academy entrance together today? I was looking for you forever!"
Ino was about to keep complaining when she noticed Kizashi, realizing her rudeness.
She let go of Sakura's hand and bowed to him. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Haruno. My apologies."
"No worries, no worries! Is Haiichi around? It's been a while since I've seen him!" Kizashi said cheerfully.
Just then, a man with the same platinum-blonde hair as Ino stepped out from inside the restaurant.
Seeing Kizashi and the friend his daughter was holding hands with, he paused, then broke into a grin.
"Kizashi, Sakura! You guys here to celebrate too? Wanna join us?"
"Oh, we won't say no to that!"
Kizashi, who was close with Haiichi Yamanaka, didn't hesitate to accept, bringing Sakura along to join them.
It just so happened that today was the enrollment day for the children of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, so Haiichi was there with Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi.
With Sakura and Kizashi joining, the adults decided to split off, booking two private rooms in the restaurant—one for them and one for the kids.
Inside the kids' room, Sakura and Ino sat together.
Across from them, Shikamaru Nara eyed Sakura curiously, while Choji Akimichi devoured barbecue at an alarming speed.
"So, Sakura, how'd your entrance test go?" Ino asked, delicately picking up a piece of meat, drizzling it with lemon juice, and popping it into her mouth.
"Pretty good, I think. Getting into the academy shouldn't be an issue," Sakura replied casually, her emerald eyes reflecting the day's achievements.
With chakra reserves like hers, unless the academy instructors had lost their minds, there was no way they'd reject her.
"That's awesome! We're gonna be classmates then!" Ino squealed, grabbing Sakura's hand and bouncing with excitement.
"Ino, who's this?" Shikamaru interjected, making his presence known while the girls were caught up in their moment.
"Oh, my bad!" Ino tapped her forehead lightly.
"Sakura, this is Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi."
"Shikamaru, Choji, this is Sakura—Sakura Haruno."
Ino played the role of bridge, introducing everyone.
"Hi!" Sakura nodded to Shikamaru and Choji.
"Hey," Shikamaru replied politely, while Choji raised his chopsticks with a muffled "Yo!"
The kids, now acquainted, chatted in the private room, while the adults' laughter and clinking glasses echoed from next door.
After a hearty meal, the four families parted ways outside the restaurant.
"Jeez, you drank so much! Mom's gonna chew you out when we get home!" Sakura grumbled, supporting her wobbly father.
"No worries, your mom loves me too much to stay mad~" Kizashi chuckled, his face beaming with contentment.
Sakura was about to retort when a glint of Observation Haki flashed in her eyes.
She whipped around, staring at a tall utility pole a kilometer away.
'No way… that's a whole kilometer!'
Perched atop the pole, hidden by darkness and an illusion jutsu, a figure broke out in a cold sweat.
They'd thought keeping such a distance would make it impossible for a kid fresh to the ninja academy to notice them.
Yet not only had she spotted them, but their mission had failed because of it.
"Sigh."
The man in a crow mask stood, gesturing apologetically toward Sakura before vanishing with a Body Flicker Technique.
'ANBU? Word about today reached Konoha's higher-ups already?' Sakura raised an eyebrow, then continued supporting Kizashi toward home.
Meanwhile, the ninja she'd spotted darted across Konoha's rooftops.
After a few leaps, he signaled with an ANBU code and entered the Hokage Building.
"Blade, why're you back?" Hiruzen asked, sensing a presence beside him and glancing at the empty air.
"Sorry, Lord Hokage. The mission failed."
"What?"
Hiruzen's hand, mid-signature, froze, and he turned stiffly.
"Her perception's too sharp. I was exposed at about a kilometer away," the crow-masked ninja explained, kneeling with a voice full of regret.
Hiruzen listened, then pulled Sakura's family file from his desk drawer.
As intelligence experts, the ninja had dug up everything about the Haruno family in less than a day.
Commoner origins, clean background, moved to Konoha four generations ago, raised in the village—practically the poster child for "upstanding citizen."
"Another genius from the common folk…" Hiruzen mused, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. His gaze fell to a photo frame buried under files in the drawer, a corner peeking out, faintly revealing a figure in a golden Hokage robe.
Since the Fourth Hokage and his wife's sacrifice, civilian-born talents in the village had been dwindling.
"Sensei… was my approach right or wrong?" Hiruzen muttered, his posture slumping as he picked up his pen and scribbled a note.
"Tell the academy instructors to keep a close eye on that girl. If they need anything, they can come straight to me."
The crow-masked ANBU took the note and vanished from the office with a Body Flicker.
Not long after, heavy footsteps echoed outside.
The wooden door, witness to four generations of Hokages, was flung open roughly.
Seeing his old friend, Hiruzen took a deeper drag on his pipe, letting the tobacco's bite steady his nerves to keep his blood pressure in check.
"Hiruzen, I heard the academy found a prime talent today!" Danzo Shimura announced, already reaching for what he wanted.
Every time this guy showed up in the office, it was always "Hiruzen, I want this" or "Hiruzen, I want that."
Did Danzo think Hiruzen was his personal nanny, ready to hand out whatever he cried for?
Worse, Danzo's infiltration of the village's ANBU had reached a level that alarmed Hiruzen.
Even after ordering secrecy, Danzo still got wind of a simple file request and came knocking.
The Root…
"Hiruzen, trust me, that kid—"
Seeing no response, Danzo, thinking he had an opening, launched into his pitch.
"You can't handle her, so hand her to the Root. We'll forge her into a weapon to protect the village, right?"
Hiruzen set down his pipe, staring at Danzo expressionlessly.
—Danzo, don't you know what kind of person you are? Do I have to spell it out?
Sensing his old friend's gaze and losing face, Danzo growled, "Everything I do is for Konoha!"
"If it's for Konoha, then perfect. There's been some activity at the Land of Earth's border. Send some Root ninja to relieve the jonin stationed there."
Hiruzen swiftly wrote an official Hokage order and stamped it.
"What?!" Danzo, clutching the order, was stunned.
—This isn't how it's supposed to go! I came to take someone, not have my people taken!
Hiruzen squinted, his tone heavy with meaning. "Isn't it for Konoha?"
"Tch." Danzo gritted his teeth. "Hiruzen, you'll regret this one day!"
Hiruzen snorted coldly. "Remember, I'm the Hokage!"
Fuming at being outmaneuvered and humiliated, Danzo stormed out, slamming the door behind him.