The defeat of the Uchiha clan's second young master sent shockwaves through the academy.
After witnessing the shattered training grounds, whispers of "monster" began to circulate among the students.
Whether from ninja clans or civilian families, kids were intimidated by the pink-haired girl.
But a few close friends, like Ino and Naruto, treated Sakura the same as always, looking out for her as they did before.
Life at the ninja academy passed in a steady routine, and before she knew it, the holidays were approaching.
"Sakura, we made a deal—when the break starts, we're hanging out!"
"No sneaking off to train and disappearing every day!"
Ino grabbed Sakura's arms, forcing her to meet her gaze.
"Ugh, I'll try," Sakura sighed.
But… on the first day of the holiday, she completely forgot Ino's words.
This left Ino stewing with resentment, though Sakura, training in the forest, dodged her wrath for the moment.
"9997, 9998!"
Gripping a wooden sword, Sakura swung with force, the fierce gusts of her swings sending dry leaves tumbling.
Since returning to the ninja world, her swordsmanship training had been reduced to simple wooden sword swings.
She'd even tried ordering weights from a ninja tool shop, but the owner refused, saying she was too young.
Disappointed, Sakura briefly considered tracking down a certain "beast" for help. But after spotting a guy in a green spandex suit walking on his hands down the street, she quickly scrapped that idea.
"10,000!"
Ten thousand swings, and all it did was leave a faint sheen of sweat on Sakura's hair.
Did her swordsmanship training from the pirate world need heavier weights to progress?
"Forget it. Let's try some basic chakra training."
Channeling chakra to her feet to create a subtle adhesive force, Sakura walked straight up a nearby tree.
Her natural talent for chakra control, unique to her, hadn't been diminished by the massive chakra boost from her giant royal physique.
"Too bad I don't have chakra test paper. I could've checked if my elemental affinities changed."
Hopping down from the tree, Sakura turned to try water-walking.
Kicking off her shoes and rolling up her pant legs, she stepped lightly onto the water.
The river's waves made the chakra supporting her body ripple unsteadily.
But as long as she balanced the pull of gravity and repulsion properly, she could stand on the water smoothly.
"The tricky part is keeping the chakra flow steady while controlling the output," Sakura mused, touching her chin and using her Observation Haki to carefully sense her body.
The extracted chakra flowed through her meridians, gathering at the soles of her feet—the hardest place to reach.
Balancing repulsion and attraction like this was a form of multitasking training.
No wonder Kakashi in the original story said that mastering tree-climbing and water-walking meant you could theoretically learn any ninjutsu.
But… a spark of inspiration flashed through Sakura's mind.
What if she combined swordsmanship training with water-walking?
"The stillness of swordsmanship paired with the dynamic control of chakra—wouldn't that be like honing swordsmanship under battle conditions or distractions?"
Her eyes lit up at the idea. She hurried back to grab her wooden sword and started training.
Splash, splash, splash!
The afternoon passed quickly amidst the sounds of Sakura falling into the water and swinging her sword.
By evening, a soaked Sakura built a campfire at the forest's edge, roasting a dozen gutted fish skewered on branches.
The aroma of roasting fish filled the air, and Sakura's thoughts drifted to the Oro Jackson.
I wonder how Uncle Rayleigh and the others are doing?
[System Notification: The shuttle function is still operational.]
"Tch, you shady merchant system."
[System Notification: I reject the host's slander. This system's pricing is fair. If the host doubts it, they may try the system's price comparison function.]
"Ha!"
Sakura couldn't help but laugh at the system's shamelessness. A monopoly daring her to compare prices?
She was about to fire back with another jab when her Observation Haki sent a warning.
A powerful aura surged in the forest. Even though its owner was trying to suppress it, to Sakura, it felt like stepping into a beast's cage—impossible to ignore.
Someone who gives me this feeling… in Konoha?
Sakura's emerald eyes narrowed, and she shouted, "Who's there!"
"Oof, oof, did I wander this far by mistake?"
An old man wearing a red hat stepped out of the woods, giving Sakura a kind smile.
"Lord Third!"
Sakura casually flipped a roasting fish, sitting nonchalantly on the ground.
Living under Konoha's strict military structure was already tough for someone used to the free-spirited pirate life. Forcing herself to fake pleasantries with high-ranking officials? They might as well kill her.
"Haha, no need to be so formal. Just call me Grandpa."
"Sakura, are you training? You're working hard."
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked knowingly, sitting by the campfire.
"Yeah, Grandpa Third."
Sakura went along with it, not bothering with formalities.
Then, Hiruzen's stomach growled loudly, and he looked at Sakura expectantly.
—Hey, old man, what's your deal? Don't scam me! These fish aren't even enough for me!
"Here!"
[Heh!]
"Hm, Sakura, you're such a kind kid."
Hiruzen took a fish and bit into it, his aged eyes lighting up.
Sakura had learned her grilling technique from Uncle Sambell on the sea, and she'd foraged spices in the forest to bring out the fish's flavor to the max.
After finishing one, Hiruzen reached for another.
But a pink blur flashed by, devouring the remaining fish in a heartbeat.
"Old man, that's too much!"
Cheeks puffed out, fish bones still in her mouth, Sakura glared at him with dead-fish eyes.
"…Hahaha!"
Hiruzen froze, then burst into laughter.
It had been years since anyone dared to act so casually around him.
He suddenly realized this girl was different—not just from the other kids, but from everyone in Konoha.
Maybe his wandering disciple would have something in common with her.
"Why do you train so hard, Sakura? Got a big dream?"
Hiruzen, who'd been keeping an eye on Sakura's growth, asked directly.
"Huh? Do I need a reason? Obviously, it's to take on all kinds of strong opponents!"
Battle-crazed Sakura grinned excitedly, though her stuffed mouth ruined the vibe, making her look oddly cute.
"You're really different from the other kids. Most students your age dream of becoming Hokage."
Hiruzen sighed, tossing a piece of wood into the fire.
"With so many people wanting to be Hokage, they don't need me, right?"
Sakura poked at the fire with a long branch, making the flames burn brighter.
"But you're the strongest among them."
"Does being the strongest mean I have to be Hokage?"
"The strongest can protect everyone better."
Sakura glanced at Hiruzen in surprise, and the two locked eyes—old meeting young.
From his expression, Sakura could tell that if she didn't give him something today, this old clingy guy would stick to her like glue.
She sighed, dropping her casual demeanor.
An indescribable aura surged from her, black lightning crackling in the air.
"Does being stronger than them mean I have to protect them? I don't think so."
Hiruzen opened his mouth to respond, but Sakura raised a hand to stop him.
"My strength doesn't come from them! I owe my parents, so I'll protect them."
"My parents have been blessed by Konoha, living here for generations, so I'll protect this land too."
"But! If someone tries to strong-arm me in the name of some grand cause, who knows what I'll do!"
Her Conqueror's Haki roared through the ninja world for the first time, a young rebel declaring her defiance to the heavens.
Dark lightning spiraled upward, stirring a massive storm.
Hiruzen stared in shock at the phenomenon and the girl whose will seemed to drown out every other sound in the world, speechless for a long moment.
"I see… that's good, that's good."
After a long pause, his hoarse, aged voice finally broke the silence.
He stood, pulling two scrolls from his sleeve and tossing them to Sakura.
"It's getting late. Training's important, but don't overdo it. Balance work and rest."
With a puff, Hiruzen vanished in a cloud of smoke.
"Didn't expect a bonus from this."
Eagerly, Sakura examined the scrolls.
Both contained D-rank ninjutsu: the Mist Servant Technique and the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
Common genjutsu in Konoha.
Had Hiruzen spied on her chakra training and figured out what suited her?
"Not bad for the Professor of Ninjutsu. Old, but his eye for talent hasn't dulled."
As Sakura prepared to tuck the scrolls away, the system pinged.
[System Notification: Detected ninjutsu—Mist Servant Technique and Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique. Record them?]
Sakura turned, puzzled.
"Wait, what did you just say?"
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