The room was dead quiet, save for the steady roar of the waterfall crashing into the lake outside.
After Sakura spoke, Shibuki and the two ninja behind him went pale.
"No way! Absolutely not! That's a complete fabrication!"
Her voice scraped like metal on a chalkboard, drilling into Shibuki's ears. Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
"That thing was destroyed years ago by that damn traitor. Takigakure has no records of it left!"
Young and green to politics, Shibuki shot to his feet in a panic.
"Earth Grudge Fear? What's that—can you eat it?"
Naruto, cross-legged behind Sakura, poked her shoulder, drool already at the corner of his mouth.
"Idiot," Sasuke snapped. "Didn't you hear Sakura say it's a secret technique? Probably insanely powerful."
His eyes flickered, mind racing.
A technique that even Haruno Sakura—the girl who'd fought Uchiha Itachi to a standstill—cared about…
If he could get it…
"Of course, of course. We all know Takigakure doesn't have that technique."
"But I need the one with the same effect—just a different name."
Sakura smiled warmly, squinting as she patted Shibuki's shoulder.
The Land of Waterfalls: a nation that is its village. Survived the Warring States era. The only minor village to hold a tailed beast in the ninja village system.
To call every ninja here a pushover would be an insult.
And Mizugumo—a Takigakure jonin—trained Shibuki, the village's future pillar.
Instead of climbing the ranks, he hijacks villagers, steals Hero Water (the stuff that kills you if you drink too much), and just happens to start a coup when Konoha ninja show up?
"So counting Kakuzu, this is the second time Takigakure's screwed with Konoha."
Sakura sighed, emerald eyes sharpening.
If she fed this intel back to Konoha—and the other villages' spies spread it—Konoha's credibility would stamp it as ironclad historical fact. No one would ever question a tiny village again.
Konoha might not lose much, but it'd feel like someone yanked their pants up from behind.
"Since there's no cash, paying with a jutsu is fair, right?"
"After all, Leader Shibuki, you wouldn't want…"
The pirate-eyed Haruno girl smirked, fingers laced under her chin.
When meat (or payment) was on the line, no pirate tolerated theft.
Even laid-back Sakura's nose was razor-sharp now.
"Fine."
A cold voice cut through the hut. The jittery, terrified kid was gone.
In his place: the previous Takikage's son, master of the Land of Waterfalls, the future Seventh Takikage—Shibuki.
"You two—go get the medical technique scroll."
Expressionless, he ordered the chunin. They half-knelt, bowed, and vanished.
"Whoa! You've been faking the coward act this whole time?!"
Naruto's brain finally caught up. He leaped up, yelling.
"Not exactly. I just thought it'd help me bond with Naruto as a true friend."
Shibuki clutched his heart, voice dripping with "sincerity."
The besties forever vibe gave Sakura and Sasuke full-body chills.
"Really? Then we—"
Predictably, Naruto took the bait, grinning and scratching his head.
He opened his mouth to keep going—only to get yanked back by his collar.
"Moron! He's a Kage! Don't let him play you!"
Sasuke's bandaged hand dragged Naruto down, then wrapped his mouth shut to prevent irreversible stupidity.
"Shame."
Shibuki's lips moved silently, then shifted his gaze to Sakura.
"Tell me—how'd you see through me? I didn't slip once."
Raised traveling nations and villages, trained in ninjutsu and acting by jonin.
Countless drills. Threw away his old self to become a true "Faceless"—a master of a thousand masks.
How did this girl shred his perfect performance?
His emotions were real. His thoughts matched. Even mind-reading jutsu should've been fooled.
How?!
"Instinct."
Her emerald eyes stayed calm. The nonsense answer ended the match.
"Pfft… ha… HAHAHA!"
Shibuki clutched his chest, covered his forehead, shoulders shaking.
When an unfair genius crushes your life's work with raw talent…
All you can do is laugh and let go.
"Lord Shibuki!"
Hearing the commotion, the two chunin burst back in.
Seeing their leader safe, they exhaled, stood rigid behind him.
"It's fine. Just… haven't laughed like that in years."
He took the scroll, dangled it at Sakura.
"This is Takigakure's medical secret technique: Blood Vessel Regeneration Jutsu. Remember the name!"
He teased, wiggling it.
Whoosh.
Next instant—gone. In her hands.
Shibuki's eyes bulged. He recognized the space-time flicker.
"Flying Thunder God?! When?!"
"From the start."
Sakura unrolled it, checked for traps, then tucked it away.
Shibuki's eye twitched.
From the start? You never trusted me once?
"Mature ninja gotta stay cautious."
She waved Naruto and Sasuke over—time to go.
As she passed Shibuki, her crisp voice whispered in his ear:
"Next time you fake joy, use chakra to jolt your heart. Your organs were too calm."
The trio walked into the light and vanished.
A sudden cold gust swept the room. Ice flooded Shibuki's veins. His back was drenched in sweat.
The arrogant puppeteer—used to toying with "mortals" from above—had been stripped bare, every mask torn off.
Heart racing, still weak from the Hero Water, his vision blackened. As he collapsed, one savage thought clawed through the dark:
"Haruno Sakura… I'll remember you."