Konoha: Sakura ninja Technique

A Surge in Fame!

True fame! A real surge in reputation!

But the person being talked about wasn't Sakura—it was Kakashi.

In a one-on-one battle, he severed the Kazekage's arm and escaped completely unscathed!

This achievement wasn't something that could be compared to the so-called "Copy Ninja" reputation he'd had before. Think about it—who were Kakashi's previous enemies?

Mostly Chūnin and Jōnin he encountered during missions. And the majority of those were from smaller nations. Could those minor village shinobi compare to the elite ninja of the Five Great Nations?

And this time, Kakashi had faced the Kazekage of the Sand Village!

One of the five most powerful shinobi in the world!

Now, Kakashi's fame seemed to be surpassing that of Konoha's White Fang back in the day…

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"Yo, Kakashi! This is for you!"

"A true son of a tiger! Just like your father!"

"You have to keep up the good work from now on!"

Walking down the streets of Konoha, Kakashi was burdened with bags and parcels of all shapes and sizes, while looking helplessly at the enthusiastic villagers around him.

"Ah… thank you…"

Facing the villagers' stubborn goodwill and their beaming smiles, Kakashi couldn't bring himself to reject their kindness.

"You're really popular now, huh, Kakashi?"

Asuma, cigarette in mouth, teased while watching Kakashi deal with the crowds.

"Don't even mention it. You already know the truth."

Kakashi gave Asuma a dead-fish-eyed glance.

The villagers' enthusiasm didn't exactly make him happy. In fact, he felt kind of guilty accepting their praise.

That guilt was starting to become a heavy pressure on his shoulders.

"Well, if that's the case, shouldn't you work even harder?"

"No more slacking off like before. From now on, put in the effort."

"Live up to everyone's expectations."

Asuma gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder, grinning.

"Sigh…"

Kakashi looked at Asuma beside him with a complicated expression. It felt like his peaceful days were now gone for good.

"But hey—where's Sakura?"

"She deserves just as much credit for what happened!"

Asuma suddenly seemed to remember something, frowning a little.

"Sakura, huh…"

---

Hokage Tower – Reception Room

Sakura sat at the far end of the long meeting table, resting her cheek on her palm, staring absentmindedly at the white clouds drifting by outside the window.

Currently, Hiruzen Sarutobi was deep in talks with Ōnoki about a potential alliance.

Watching the two old men argue and jab fingers over alliance terms made Sakura feel incredibly bored.

If it weren't for Sarutobi insisting she attend, she wouldn't have bothered to show up.

Tobirama had already given her full access to the Senju clan's archive.

She'd much rather be in the Senju library digging into research about Yang Release.

After all, the Senju archive didn't just include Senju clan knowledge—it also held records from the Uzumaki clan.

Given that Senju Hashirama's wife, Mito Uzumaki, was an heiress of the Uzumaki clan, the two clans had long shared knowledge.

Both clans were renowned for their strong life forces and vast chakra reserves—making their studies highly relevant to Yang Release techniques.

Suddenly, a tiny ball of paper flicked through the air in a perfect arc and bounced toward Sakura's forehead.

With lightning reflexes, Sakura snatched the paper between two slender, fair fingers.

Looking up, she saw a neat-haired black-haired girl winking and making funny faces at her.

Sakura unfolded the note.

It read, in neat handwriting:

"Too boring. Want to go out and play?"

???

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

Were they even that close?

She looked at the girl across from her—Kurotsuchi—and felt the corner of her mouth twitch.

This girl was way too friendly for someone she barely knew. Last time they met in the Forest of Death, she'd warned Sakura that their next meeting wouldn't be so lucky.

Sakura glanced over at the two old men still in intense discussion—Sarutobi Hiruzen and Ōnoki—as well as their attendants, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

Ōnoki's willingness to engage in discussion already showed he wasn't entirely against the idea of an alliance.

In fact, the moment he sat in that room, the alliance between Fire and Earth was pretty much set in stone.

What the old men were haggling over now was just the details—like what resources the Fire Nation would offer the Earth Nation.

As for the war with the Wind Nation? That wouldn't be resolved in a single day.

It would inevitably involve the Lightning Nation and the Water Nation too.

The stakes were too high—experts from various fields would be brought in later for that discussion.

Moreover, if Fire and Earth truly intended to ally and launch a joint military operation against Wind, they'd first need to secure Grass Country—the neutral buffer zone lying right between them.

Ugh… so annoying…

Sakura glanced at the two elders again and then winked at Kurotsuchi.

Kurotsuchi's face lit up with delight.

Immediately, she stood up—prompting her father Kuro, who had been quietly watching her from the side, to raise an eyebrow.

"Kurotsuchi, what are you doing?"

"Bathroom."

Kurotsuchi replied without even blinking—lying without a shred of guilt.

As she passed by, Sakura also stood up.

"Sakura, what's going on now?"

Utatane Koharu asked casually, though her tone carried a hint of suspicion.

"Going with her."

Sakura responded with absolute composure and confidence, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The pink-haired girl's reply made Koharu's face twitch slightly.

Did they really think she hadn't noticed the little exchange between the two?

Couldn't they at least come up with a more convincing excuse?

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the two girls walking out, then turned to Ōnoki with a warm smile:

"Looks like our two youngsters are hitting it off unexpectedly well."

Ōnoki sighed helplessly at the sight and replied:

"My granddaughter lacks discipline. I hope you'll forgive her."

Hiruzen laughed heartily:

"Hahaha, not at all! If the younger generation from our two villages can get along so well—"

"—then it only strengthens the friendship between Konoha and Iwagakure."

"Compared to them, we old men fussing over the fine details of an alliance seems a little outdated."

Ōnoki stroked his chin, then nodded with a grin:

"Very well. In that case, let's proceed with the resource agreement as your village proposed."

"In that case, I must thank you, Tsuchikage-sama."

Ōnoki's eyes sparkled as he looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"No need for thanks. The alliance between Fire and Earth should be as strong as stone and iron—solid and unbreakable."

"It's something the whole world should know about."

"We ought to proclaim it loudly and let everyone understand the unshakable bond between our nations."

Hiruzen's words didn't faze Ōnoki. Instead, the elder Tsuchikage stood up and extended his hand with a smile:

"Indeed. That's how it should be."

Old fox!

"Tsuchikage-sama, you are truly a straightforward man!"

Hiruzen laughed as he shook Ōnoki's hand firmly.

Heh. Whether you like it or not, you're going to swallow this meat I've fed you. No spitting it out!

Everyone present in the conference room stood up and began to clap, watching this historic moment unfold.

Applause echoed throughout the room.

The first-ever alliance between the Fire Nation and the Earth Nation had just been successfully forged—far more smoothly than anyone expected!

(End of Chapter)

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