Hokage's Office
A pink-haired girl lay sprawled across a brand-new sofa, casually tossing the document in her hand onto the nearby coffee table.
These documents concerned the arrival of high-ranking dignitaries from the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Fire, scheduled to visit Konoha in a month for the final round of the Chunin Exams.
"Old man, don't tell me you called me all the way over here just to show me this boring stuff?"
Sakura rolled over, now lying flat on her stomach atop the plush cushions.
Tch... she had accidentally laid on her hair again.
Sakura glanced at her long pink hair, contemplating whether it was time to cut it. Long hair might look cool and stylish, but maintaining it was an absolute nightmare.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching his young disciple on the couch, chuckled softly as he stroked his short beard.
"As expected, nothing escapes your eyes."
"According to intel from the ANBU, Orochimaru seems to be stirring up trouble with Sunagakure."
"Moreover, there are signs he's had contact with Iwagakure as well."
Hiruzen's face turned grim as he reached that point.
That was one of the main reasons he had ordered his own son, Sarutobi Asuma, to locate and bring back Tsunade.
If things were indeed heading in the worst possible direction...
Given Sakura's current strength, she could hold off Orochimaru—at least for a short time.
Hiruzen himself could stall the Kazekage or Tsuchikage. Jiraiya was also expected to return to the village soon. As for Tsunade, although she suffered from hemophobia, her mere presence on the battlefield served as a powerful deterrent.
Among the Jonin, they had Might Guy, Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Hayate Gekkō, and Maru Hoshigake—who, while not officially ranked, possessed Jonin-level strength...
Plus the clans—Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame, Inuzuka...
And if push came to shove, there was still Danzo and Koharu Utatane...
Of course, this was a worst-case scenario that Hiruzen was mentally preparing for.
Whether things would actually go this far was still uncertain.
"I see…"
Sakura's brow furrowed slightly. The scroll she had once written—The Will of Fire by Haruno Sakura—was originally intended just for Hiruzen's eyes. She never expected it to fall into Danzo's hands.
Now, the butterfly she had carelessly released back then was beginning to flap its wings, stirring up a violent storm...
"Besides keeping an eye inside the village, we need to monitor our borders closely as well."
"Especially the directions of the Land of Grass, Land of Rivers, Land of Frost, and the Land of Rain."
Sakura rolled over again, now staring blankly at the ceiling of the Hokage's office.
The Land of Grass bordered both Fire and Earth. The Land of Rivers bordered Fire and Wind. The Land of Frost was the stepping stone for any invasion from the Land of Lightning…
And the Land of Rain—more importantly—was bordered by Fire, Wind, and Earth. And it had a... special significance.
Those who know, know.
Hashirama really did pick the worst possible feng shui location for the village.
Sure, the resources were abundant, but otherwise?
Konoha sat at the crossroad of four warring nations, without any natural defenses to rely on...
Then again, natural defenses weren't exactly effective against ninja anyway—unless you had something like Sunagakure's narrow desert canyons. Most terrain-based barriers were meaningless against high-level shinobi.
If Konoha hadn't been so strong all this time, the Land of Fire might've been carved up long ago...
The Land of Water was the real winner here.
Isolated by mountains, rich in vegetation, decent resources, and protected by the vast ocean—it was practically a fortress. Aside from the difficulty of launching sea expeditions, it had nothing but advantages.
Still, Sakura mused, if she had been born in Kirigakure, the first thing she'd have done was hunt down the remnants of the Sky Ninja.
They had battleships and aircraft carriers! It was just too absurd...
"Sakura, you mean..."
Hiruzen, having experienced two ninja wars, immediately caught on to her line of thinking.
Age might have dulled his reflexes a little, but he wasn't slow when it came to matters of war.
"Better safe than sorry. Hopefully, I'm just being paranoid."
Sakura sat up and shook her head. Although Konoha wasn't what it once was, it was still not something any single village could topple with ease.
The title of Number One Ninja Village wasn't just for show.
The book she had once written, The Will of Fire, now seemed to be unfolding before her very eyes.
But there was one thing she hadn't covered in that scroll—
How to deal with the Akatsuki.
That was the biggest variable, and the most troublesome one.
Shinobi were beings of concentrated power—one elite individual could wreak havoc on an entire village.
And unfortunately, Akatsuki had a certain wheelchair-bound man who could literally level Konoha on his own.
Or maybe two of them.
Pain and Konan.
With their powers—Almighty Push, Paper Person of God Technique…
Add Planetary Devastation on top of that, and it was game over.
Thinking of this, Sakura suddenly turned to Hiruzen and asked:
"Is there any sensory technique—something that lets you move and constantly detect things within a shifting radius?"
After all, in this world, power was everything. And right now, Sakura desperately needed speed.
Hiruzen looked at her in surprise, but quickly understood her intent after reflecting on her fighting style.
He fell into deep thought, combing through the countless jutsu stored in his mind.
As the Professor of Ninjutsu, he knew nearly every technique Konoha possessed.
"There is one... but you'll have to wait a few days before you can learn it."
He eventually spoke.
"Huh? Why? The village doesn't have it?" Sakura blinked in confusion.
"Well… not quite. Technically, it's not a ninjutsu—it's more of a barrier technique."
"If you want to learn it, just take a stroll to the village's bathhouse in a few days. You might pick it up there."
...???
Sakura was baffled by his cryptic response.
And then it hit her. She instantly thought of one person.
Jiraiya.
Wait... what kind of sensory technique did that old pervert have that matched her requirements?
Sigh.
"Well, fine."
"Oh, one more thing."
Sakura scratched her head. The old man wouldn't joke about something like this—she could only trust him.
"I came across someone during the Chunin Exams—from the Grass Village."
"You should arrange something."
Hiruzen waved his hand dismissively.
A trivial matter like this didn't even require a report. He could issue the order with a word.
After all, the Grass Village was known throughout the ninja world as a fence-sitter.
They'd go wherever the wind blew.
And as long as Sakura had confirmed the person was trustworthy, that was enough.
"Alright, old man. I'll leave you to your business."
Sakura leapt off the couch, dusted off her pants, and headed out.
The second phase of the Chunin Exams had just concluded, and the old man had immediately summoned her over. Karin was still waiting for her outside.
The matchups for the final round next month had already been announced.
Naruto Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyuga
Kurotsuchi vs. Temari
Shino Aburame vs. Akatsuchi
Sasuke Uchiha vs. Gaara
Sakura Haruno vs. Rock Lee
The winners would go on to a random draw in the next round. Since there were five matchups, one person would get a bye.
But Sakura figured that lucky spot probably wouldn't be hers.
When she reached the ground floor of the Hokage building, she spotted a red-haired girl sitting quietly on a bench, cradling a warm cup of water.
"Karin, it's done. All taken care of."
Sakura waved as she walked toward the girl.
"Mm!"
Karin smiled brightly.
(End of Chapter)
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