The night air in Konoha, fresh from a recent rain, carried a chilly breeze.
Having finished his work for the day, Mebuki Haruno headed toward a sake bar on the south side of the village.
Sliding open the wooden shoji door, Mebuki stepped into a private room where Haiichi Yamanaka was already waiting.
"Brother Haruno's here," Haiichi said, raising a hand.
Beside him sat the current generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio: Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi.
"Sorry for dragging you guys out when you're so busy," Mebuki said with an apologetic smile, slipping off his shoes and taking a seat.
"Are you kidding? A free meal? We're thrilled!" Choza said, grabbing a plate of fried mochi and devouring it like a whirlwind.
Mebuki settled in, ordering a few beers and some small dishes for everyone.
Then, the usually steadfast man's face took on a somber look.
"Truth is, I asked you all here because I need a favor."
Hearing Mebuki's serious tone, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio reined in their casual demeanor, waiting intently for what he'd say next.
"You guys know about my daughter, right?"
"The new bloodline limit holder? Word's been going around even among the Jonin," Shikaku said after a moment's thought, sharing what he'd heard.
"A while back, the Third Hokage came to our house and explained to me and Kizashi how rare bloodline ninja are," Mebuki said, grabbing a beer from the server, chugging it, and slamming the mug down hard.
"I never imagined Sakura would be such a genius. But geniuses often attract attention most people can't even fathom."
"I'm a useless father. I can't guide her on the ninja path, so I'm asking you guys—can you look out for her?"
Mebuki pressed his hands to the table and bowed deeply.
"If it's about payment, I'm ready to hire you officially as a commission."
"I know Jonin fees aren't cheap, but I'll do whatever it takes to cover it!"
The three Jonin sat in stunned silence, moved by Mebuki's resolve as a father.
After a long pause, Haiichi, who knew Mebuki best, spoke up. "No need for payment. I've watched Sakura grow up. As her uncle, I'm not about to ignore her struggles."
"No need to be so formal, Brother Haruno. Sakura's friends with my Shikamaru, too," Shikaku added.
"Yeah, exactly! If that kid ever needs help, she can come to the Akimichi house anytime," Choza said with a hearty nod.
A promising young ninja with deep roots in the village? They were more than happy to offer her protection until she could stand on her own.
"You guys… I can't thank you enough!"
Mebuki clasped his hands together in gratitude, calling the server over to order more food.
"Tonight's on me. Please, enjoy yourselves!"
…
"Not so fast—you said you're paying!"
At a dango shop not far from the sake bar, Sakura Haruno, fresh off her Anbu shift, grabbed the menu without hesitation.
After a tough day, running into the Uchiha heir offering to treat her? She was ready to show him the appetite of a great pirate!
"Relax, eat as much as you want. Consider it a celebration for your new job," Itachi Uchiha said, amused. Worried he couldn't cover the bill? This kid was kind-hearted.
The dango shop was a Konoha classic. Soon, plates of colorful, gem-like dango were brought to their table.
Sakura didn't hold back, grabbing two skewers and chomping down.
Watching her bold enthusiasm, Itachi couldn't help but feel lighter, his usual worries slipping away for a moment.
"You're really giving it your all, Sakura. So, what's your dream?" Itachi asked, the two growing more comfortable after his generous treat.
They chatted casually between bites of dango.
"My dream? Get strong enough to take on all kinds of tough opponents!" Sakura said, raising an eyebrow and flexing her right arm.
"Really? But won't that stir up a lot of trouble?" Itachi said, his voice tinged with melancholy, holding back what he really wanted to say.
"Huh? You think if I don't challenge strong people, the world's gonna be all peace and rainbows?" Sakura shot back, deliberately emphasizing "strong people."
Is this that legendary Hokage mindset? Scary stuff.
"But those of us with power can stop conflicts. A world like that would be beautiful, right?" Itachi said, clenching his fist, his hollow gaze fixed on his reflection in the dango plate.
"How old are you now?" Sakura asked.
"Thirteen," Itachi replied, giving her a curious look but answering anyway.
"Got it. Middle school syndrome, huh? No wonder you're thinking like that, going on about…" Sakura caught herself, quickly covering her mouth.
"Going on about?" Itachi picked up on her slip.
"Going on about making the world all perfect and shiny," Sakura said smoothly, biting into a dango and waving the skewer at him.
"If the world's so messed up it needs a kid who can't even drink sake to save it, maybe it's better off done for!"
"When real trouble comes, let the adults handle it. Why's a kid acting so deep and brooding?"
Itachi blinked, caught off guard by Sakura's blunt lecture, his expression almost comically innocent.
"You're not exactly old yourself, you know," he countered, trying to find an angle to push back.
"Exactly! That's why I get to be reckless and carefree!" Sakura grinned. "It's a kid's privilege! Or maybe a strong person's privilege!"
She reached for another dango, only to find the plate empty. With a wave, she called the server over and ordered several more plates.
Itachi, shaken by her bold words, didn't fully get it but was deeply impressed.
What a strange kid—so bold and larger-than-life, she made you want to open up to her.
"If you were caught between your clan and the village, what would you do?" Itachi asked, genuinely curious. If their roles were reversed, what choice would she make?
The expectations of his father and clan, the village's peace, the Third Hokage's trust and hopes…
"The village and the Uchiha, huh?" Sakura said, catching his drift and raising her voice slightly.
"Simple. Introduce a new threat."
When a group splinters with conflicting voices, all it takes is a third party to shift the focus. That makes both sides drop their grudges and work together.
Whether the threat is real or not doesn't matter—as long as both sides believe it exists.
"All you need is a massive force like Madara Uchiha to break away again and become a threat to both sides."
"That way, no matter how deep the conflict, it'd vanish in a heartbeat~"
Under the dim lights, Sakura propped her chin on her hands, her emerald eyes glinting with a hint of bloodlust.
Ninja, at the end of the day, were just people—no different from the lawless pirates on the high seas.
Conflicts always boiled down to clashing interests.
Sure, Itachi couldn't offer enough to bridge the gap between Konoha and the Uchiha.
But… he could become a destructive force neither side could ignore.
And destruction itself was a kind of leverage.
When the stakes are high enough, the political animals in the village and the Uchiha would naturally align, and all problems would be "solved" with a blade.
Itachi's jaw dropped at her radical take, words failing him.
Sakura, meanwhile, stared at the tea leaves floating in her cup like ships on the sea, her mind racing.
Even after returning to the Ninja World, living with her parents, tempering her personality, and becoming a ninja, that pirate's disdain for rules still burned in her bones.
Heh, Captain Roger, looks like I'm a "proper" pirate now, huh?
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