201-205

Chapter 201: The Land of Waves Incident 

Sakura suddenly realized that they were on a mission. And her teammates weren't her parents. They wouldn't revolve around her or cater to her every whim like her parents did. Sakura wasn't comfortable with that feeling. She pushed the thoughts down. No matter what happened next, or if her ideas would actually work, what she needed to do right now was to make sure Sasuke didn't have a problem with her anymore. But the water must be really cold now... Would she catch a cold if she jumped in? 

--- 

About ten minutes later, Sakura finally got out of the water. After countless gasps for air, she finally fished out the body of their jonin leader. Remembering the body of someone who had recently taught her a jutsu, who was both a teacher, a friend, and a superior, a wave of sadness washed over her. Was this the fate of a ninja? What was she hesitating for just now? Why did she hesitate? Getting up close to the corpse, Sakura suddenly woke up. He was really dead... and he died terribly... She didn't even have the courage to avenge him. For the first time, she doubted if she truly had the potential to be a ninja. For the first time, she wasn't thinking about the problem from her own perspective. For the first time, she found her own mistakes instead of blaming others. 

--- 

"Cough, cough..." 

"Haku, you can put me down now..." After they were out of Sasuke and the others' sight, Haku pulled the senbon from Zabuza's neck and fled frantically. They were almost out of the Land of Waves now. Zabuza had been jolted awake by Haku's running. He looked at the rapidly receding ground and felt Haku's slender body, a slight sense of gratitude stirring within him. So he told Haku to stop. 

"Please rest a little longer, Lord Zabuza. I'm afraid those two terrifying youngsters will see through it... If they catch up, we won't be able to escape..." Haku had no intention of putting down the weakened Zabuza. His words were full of experience in escaping. 

--- 

Haku's words made Zabuza silent. He thought for a moment, wanting to say something, but couldn't. It finally turned into a quiet stillness, letting Haku carry him like a corpse. His stomach was churning, but he said nothing. He, who had always treated Haku as a tool, had changed at some point. He was feeling for a tool now. 

"Those two youngsters are really terrifying..." After a long time, the two stopped. Looking at Haku's busy figure, Zabuza vaguely saw Naruto and Sasuke, and sighed. 

"Lord Zabuza, I'll take care of those two next time. You go do your thing, don't worry about me..." Haku said softly, knowing that Zabuza wouldn't easily give up the mission. He had already made up his mind while they were escaping. 

--- 

Looking at Haku's expression, as if ready to die, Zabuza was silent. 

"Haku, we're not taking this mission. Even though we live by the sword, it doesn't mean our lives are cheap... and neither is yours... So, we're not touching missions that are clearly suicidal." Finally, after a moment of silence, Zabuza said solemnly, his tone decisive and firm, just like his usual speech. But the command he gave was completely different. Haku suddenly felt a warmth, understanding Zabuza's unspoken meaning. In the past, Zabuza would always treat him as a tool. Of course, he didn't mind; that was the meaning of his existence. But for the first time, he felt a ripple in his heart. He... seemed to be a tool with emotions, and Lord Zabuza also seemed to have changed somehow. 

--- 

"Let's go, back to Konoha." Looking at the panting, soaking wet Sakura, Sasuke glanced at her, then said indifferently. Naruto gave Sakura a long, deep look. He used to be genuinely interested in Sakura, but at some point, he had completely blocked out those boring emotions. At some point, he had felt nothing for Sakura anymore. This brought back old memories, so his mood was a bit complicated. 

--- 

Hearing Sasuke, the old man was dumbfounded. Were these kids really going to leave? What about them? Are kids nowadays really so stone-hearted? Sakura was equally stunned by Sasuke's words. She was still soaking wet! Couldn't he give her some time to rest and dry her clothes? She wanted to stay here overnight to rest, dry her clothes, or find new ones, and maybe try to win over Naruto. More importantly, Sasuke really seemed to have no intention of dealing with this situation anymore. As ninjas, they should protect ordinary people! And she, coming from a civilian family, had always been protected by ninjas, which was why she wanted to become one. She also wanted to protect the weak. This had always been her motivation for training. 

--- 

At this moment, Sakura's and Sasuke's thoughts clashed greatly. Sasuke's goal was to protect the village, while Sakura's was to protect all the weak. Of course... she had no power, so she couldn't do it. Therefore, she wanted the powerful Sasuke and Naruto to solidify her ninja way. 

"A-choo!" Sakura saw Naruto and Sasuke preparing to turn and leave, clearly treating her as a support staff member. She deliberately sneezed. "It's so cold... The water is so chilly... Can we find somewhere to rest? I want to change my clothes..." Sakura winked at the old man and said softly. 

--- 

"Sakura... you're a ninja now... If you want to protect them, then show your true ability..." Sasuke didn't even turn his head. Chakra was enough to dry wet clothes and keep warm. Sakura hadn't even participated in the fight, so there was no way she was low on chakra. Sakura's act was completely insulting his intelligence. So he said it without even turning his head. Now that Zabuza was also "dead," if Sakura really wanted to protect these civilians, they could stay here for a while. However, if Zabuza's rogue ninja didn't appear, he wouldn't interfere. He wouldn't get involved with regular ninjas or swordsmen. This was also him giving Sakura another chance. After all, even a piece of paper, or a pair of underwear, has its own use. Sakura, as a person and a ninja, was still worth saving. After all, the village invested a lot of resources to train ninjas. 

--- 

Sasuke's words startled Sakura. She remembered the fight between Zabuza and their jonin leader, and the sight of Naruto and Sasuke dealing with Zabuza. If Naruto and Sasuke didn't protect her, how could she protect anyone? Even a beautiful girl like her would be done for here. Sakura panicked, thinking Naruto and Sasuke were actually leaving. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go. When did Sasuke get so smart? Such a brilliant plan, and it was completely useless, exposed! Didn't Sasuke have any compassion for a beautiful lady? Sakura wondered to herself. 

Chapter 202: The Brothers Finally Meet 

Sakura looked wistfully at Sasuke's back. Seeing that he had no intention of looking back at her, she then glanced at Naruto, noticing he seemed about to turn his head. Her expression softened, and her eyes became utterly pitiful. She thought to herself, I'm putting on such a grand performance, Naruto, you loser, you should totally become my loyal dog and protect me unconditionally now... If Sasuke won't protect me, at least I'll be safe if Naruto stays, right? 

But to her disappointment, though Naruto did turn his head, he didn't fully turn. He was just looking at the scenery, stopping just before he could see her. Both Sasuke and Naruto were geniuses, and they both had their pride. Sakura, in terms of both strength and character, had nothing that warranted their attention. Without realizing it, Sakura was being excluded. Of course, this was also because neither of them had any interest in the opposite sex at the moment. 

In the end, Sasuke and Naruto still decided to stay, but they had no intention of protecting the villagers. Instead, they planned to use the opportunity to goof off a bit. Sakura, meanwhile, felt a surge of vanity. No matter where she went, villagers called her a "heroine" and treated her with immense respect. This made her feel like a queen, and she couldn't get enough of it. 

"Another boring day..." Naruto, who couldn't even handle his own affairs, naturally had no interest in worrying about the common people. The two found a prime spot and sat there all day. As dusk arrived, signaling the end of the day, Naruto brushed the dust off his backside and sighed. Naruto's voice woke Sasuke from his daze, but he didn't know what to say. 

"Naruto, thank you..." Sasuke softly said, watching Naruto's back as he prepared to go back to rest. He knew that if it weren't for Naruto, he wouldn't have stayed here. And he, too, had felt a pang of pity, though he hid it well. Having always been starved for affection and suffering the world's hardships, he still decided to bring some warmth to others. 

"It's been three days already. We'll stay five more. Otherwise, our sensei's body will start to stink." Naruto didn't answer Sasuke, just said softly. 

"..." 

"You're back! The enthusiastic villagers brought us dinner, and it's still warm!" As soon as they returned, they heard Sakura's voice. After dinner, Naruto picked at his teeth with a bamboo skewer, looking at Sakura, who was actively clearing the dishes and occasionally glancing at him. Naruto didn't quite understand Sakura's chaotic expressions. 

"Five more days, and then we're leaving... Otherwise, our precious superior's body will start to smell." Naruto, not understanding the message Sakura was trying to convey, spoke up. 

Hearing Naruto, Sakura paused. The intention she had earlier to make eyes at Naruto and get him to help faded, replaced by a touch of worry. She had promised the old man and the others that she would protect them until the bridge was built. But now... 

"How about we bury Sensei's body here, so he can rest in peace?" Sakura thought for a long time before finally suggesting softly. The stalling tactic wasn't working, so she had to be direct. As long as she could protect these ordinary people, even if the two of them were annoyed with her, she didn't care. She wanted to successfully accomplish one thing. 

"The bridge is only half-built right now. If we wait for them to finish, it'll take at least another half a month." Sasuke didn't object, but he brought up the reality they were facing. Their jonin leader was dead, and he and Naruto, as the ones who initially persuaded everyone to take this mission, would have to pay a price. A small C-rank mission, and a jonin met his end; they probably wouldn't even get any condolence money. In this situation, with Zabuza's body taken away, they couldn't even raise their mission rank. But there was nothing they could do; after all, ninjas from other countries had shown up, so morally and logically, they couldn't stay. 

And the jonin, who should have been buried in the hero's graveyard, if he were buried here, it felt a little off to Sasuke. After all, the other person had sacrificed himself for the village. Though he was a bit weak. To be honest, Sasuke was only twelve years old now, making him the one in charge. He was a bit unsure. Although he had read many books, there was no fixed formula or answer for this kind of thing. Just as Sasuke was about to continue speaking, his expression suddenly changed. 

"I have something to take care of. You two think about it for now; we'll discuss it when I get back." Just as Sasuke was about to say something else, he sensed a special chakra signature. Instantly, he lost the desire to speak further. So he decisively slipped away. He didn't care much anyway; he was only dealing with this out of responsibility. Otherwise, he wouldn't bother. After all, he knew Naruto was holding back, and he definitely wouldn't bother with these trivial matters. 

Sasuke walked out of the hut and quickly ran. "Come out! Why are you hiding?! What kind of ninja hides?!" The calm Sasuke from before instantly vanished, replaced by an impatient one. 

"My foolish little brother..." 

"Hah..." Itachi's figure appeared behind Sasuke, blowing a breath onto his right hand. 

"It's really you..." Sasuke slowly turned his head. As he was halfway through his sentence, Itachi's finger enlarged in front of his eyes. His body instinctively dodged. 

"Still treating me like a kid?" Sasuke's figure appeared not far away, saying lightly. Itachi, being such a big shot, still playing these boring tricks. Sasuke's heart was filled with disdain. 

"Bang!" 

"Ah!" Sasuke, who had just finished acting all cool, clutched his forehead and cried out in pain. Sasuke instinctively recoiled after taking a hit. But his eyes were fixed on Itachi, unable to look away. That face had appeared countless times in his memories, in his dreams. He missed it so much. Itachi, smiling, saw Sasuke's stunned expression. Feeling the shared bloodline between them, his hardened heart instantly crumbled. 

"Sasuke, you've grown up..." Itachi reached out, placing his hand on Sasuke's cheek. Then he gently pinched it, squishing Sasuke's handsome face into lumps. Sasuke wanted to dodge, but his body didn't react at all. The anger he thought he'd feel had long vanished. His eyes became red, but he couldn't bring himself to call out "Big Brother." He knew they had both changed, but why did his heart ache so much? 

"Now, which little kid got picked on? Their eyes are all red..." Itachi's heart ached and felt incredibly heavy, but he hid it, speaking casually. Even his nose was tingling, let alone this kid's. But why didn't he feel this deeply last time? Itachi wondered to himself. Was it because he wasn't ready to be an older brother last time? So he hadn't directly faced this emotion. 

Chapter 203: Plan Initiation 

Feeling the tenderness in Itachi's voice and the unconscious display of affection in his expression, Sasuke's heart twisted in agony. He felt it, he felt this long-lost love again. But now, things were no longer the same. 

"Why...?" 

Sasuke didn't shy away from Itachi's hand, wiping the glistening tears from his eyes with his arm, speaking somewhat incoherently. He knew Itachi understood what he was asking. 

Itachi said nothing, his hand leaving Sasuke's cheek. He then cradled the back of Sasuke's head and bent down slightly, slowly bringing their foreheads closer. Soon, their foreheads pressed together. The long-lost sensation made Sasuke instantly want to burst into tears. His emotions were complex: nostalgia, confusion, fear, gratitude, and more flooded his heart. 

"Sasuke, next time... Big brother will definitely tell you... okay...?" Itachi said affectionately, looking at his little brother, whose blood flowed with his own. He regretted it; if he had known, he wouldn't have let Sasuke be lost for so long. Deep guilt gnawed at his soul. 

As the memories fully merged, the original body's love for his brother was perfectly replicated deep within his heart. 

"You... can you... not leave...? I want you to stay by my side... Nii-san..." Feeling the warmth gradually leaving his forehead, Sasuke's eyes widened in panic, then filled with sorrow as he pleaded. That single word, "Nii-san," almost broke Itachi's composure. But then, Itachi suppressed the tenderness in his heart. He sat down on the ground and pulled Sasuke down with him. Sasuke was very obedient, afraid of accidentally angering Itachi and making him leave again. He didn't even dare to ask Itachi about what happened that year. He truly didn't want to lose Itachi again. He didn't want to lose that familial bond once more. 

"Sasuke, this scroll is for the Flying Thunder God Technique. It's a very powerful space-time ninjutsu... This ninjutsu is the Chidori... This ninjutsu is Fire Style..." 

Itachi pulled out a pile of scrolls. He picked one up, explained it, and then placed it beside Sasuke, even though they contained his detailed notes on cultivation from the past few days. 

"Are you still leaving...?" 

Sasuke stared blankly at Itachi's face, utterly captivated. But thinking that Itachi was giving him so much of his accumulated knowledge, clearly without the intention of teaching him personally, he murmured with some disappointment. 

Itachi's hand, holding a scroll, paused slightly. A simple sentence, yet he couldn't bring himself to say it. And he didn't dare to look into Sasuke's eyes. 

"You know, I don't need these... I need you! And Dad, and Mom..." Sasuke slowly said, choked up. "Not these cold scrolls..." Tears streamed down Sasuke's face as he gazed at Itachi through blurry eyes. "Don't leave me again... please... I've become very strong now... If you... insist on leaving, please take me with you... I won't hold you back..." Sasuke spoke earnestly, his voice filled with entreaty. 

"Sasuke, I'll stay not far away, but I can't see you... The time isn't right yet..." Itachi said softly, stroking Sasuke's head. He looked deeply at Sasuke. It wasn't time yet. And they would meet again soon. When they met again... Itachi's heart gradually grew cold, a coldness born of indifference to others' fates. 

"Really? You're staying in Konoha?" Sasuke ignored Itachi's later words, speaking excitedly. As long as Itachi could stay by his side, even if they couldn't meet, what did it matter? At this moment, Sasuke was nothing like the calm, rational young man who had just been commanding the situation. 

Itachi looked at Sasuke, who was sleeping with his head on Itachi's leg, clutching the scrolls. He affectionately stroked Sasuke's brow, wanting to smooth out the furrowed brow of his sleeping brother. His leg, which Sasuke was using as a pillow, was growing numb. Itachi shifted slightly, and Sasuke hugged Itachi's leg tighter. 

"Don't go... Big brother... Sasuke misses you so much..." 

"Little Sasuke, sleep well... Big brother won't leave..." 

The chirping of insects and birds filled the air, and the moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting shadows on the two of them. A gentle breeze blew, as if it could soothe the weariness in their hearts, perfectly timed. 

When Sasuke awoke again, the sun was already high in the sky. Sasuke instinctively reached out beside him but found nothing. 

"Brother..." Sasuke sat up, staring blankly at the scattered scrolls. At some point, he was no longer resting on Itachi, but on this pile of scrolls. For a long time, Sasuke stared blankly at this warm spot, finally snapping back to reality. He hugged the scrolls and walked back. 

From afar, Itachi watched Sasuke wake up and head back, also lost in thought. Not until Sasuke's figure disappeared from view did Itachi suppress the urge to go out, turning and leaving. Next, he would begin another grand performance. Sasuke had also reached the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. This was something he had specifically prepared for Sasuke. He hoped that when Sasuke learned the truth later, he wouldn't hate him. He had learned from Danzō that Sasuke had a deep bond with Hiruzen Sarutobi. He didn't have much time left. He had no choice but to accelerate his plans, even if it might be difficult to clean up the mess. Since Orochimaru had been slow to act, Itachi had to take matters into his own hands. 

Itachi's plan was to recreate the original storyline. Orochimaru and he had gone back in time, so Orochimaru probably hadn't made any preparations. But this was a scenario Itachi had long arranged to happen, and since Orochimaru wasn't acting, Itachi had to. After all, he had kept Sasuke in Konoha until now precisely for this day, for this very plot point. Perhaps this was the best plan for Sasuke. Without the Mangekyō Sharingan, everything would be like a fleeting dream. 

This script involved destroying Konoha and arranging Hiruzen Sarutobi's death. And... letting Sasuke witness Hiruzen Sarutobi's death firsthand. This was Itachi's cunning strategy, conceived long ago when he learned that Sasuke had been adopted by Hiruzen Sarutobi and that their relationship was quite good. If Sasuke's Mangekyō couldn't be awakened at this stage, then it would only be possible if something happened to Itachi or Naruto. Itachi couldn't die yet, and Naruto still had a great purpose. The outcome became clear. 

"After a few days of sleep, I feel so good..." 

Orochimaru sat in the hall, eating the breakfast that had been prepared for him, saying blissfully. 

"Lord Orochimaru, you have a letter..." Just as Orochimaru picked up his milk, wondering why Itachi hadn't come to find him yet, a subordinate came over and said softly. 

A moment later, the usually nonchalant Orochimaru's expression turned blank. The sender of the letter was none other than Itachi. If possible, he still wanted to remain behind the scenes. This villainous role was meant for Orochimaru. However, who knew if Orochimaru's intentions had changed, so Itachi had written a letter to test the waters. After all, that person was also Orochimaru's sensei. 

"Lord Hiruzen..." The letter, filled with writing and the scent of ink, slipped from Orochimaru's hand. The distraught Orochimaru failed to grasp the letter. 

Chapter 204: Sasuke's Invitation 

"Bring me the box from my room." Orochimaru's previously relaxed mood vanished. He didn't bother to bend down and pick up the letter, simply instructing his subordinate beside him. 

"Yes, Master..." After the subordinate left, Orochimaru was in a daze. His pupils were unfocused, indicating that Itachi's sudden move had left him a little unsettled. He had originally planned to "send off" his sensei, and he even had a plan drawn up. However, his journey through the Warring States period had made him forget about it, and his way of thinking had subtly shifted. Originally, he thought his sensei was old and declining day by day, with his reputation also gradually falling. It would be better to kill him before Hiruzen Sarutobi hit rock bottom. He didn't want to see the spirited Hiruzen Sensei fall from grace. He wanted Hiruzen Sarutobi to die at his peak. 

--- 

Looking at the box his subordinate brought, Orochimaru waved his hand, signaling him to leave. He then activated his chakra and blew a breath, scattering the dust from the box. "Perhaps this is fate..." Orochimaru slowly opened the box, muttering to himself. His mood was very complex, half joy, half worry. He would send off his sensei with a perfect strategy. He would let Hiruzen Sarutobi die as a savior! 

--- 

"Sasuke, where did you go? You didn't come back all night!" When Sasuke returned, he ran into Naruto, who was looking for him. Before he could even speak, Naruto started rattling off his complaints. 

"Something came up last night. I just finished it and came back..." Looking at the worried Naruto, Sasuke felt a surge of warmth in his heart. 

"..." After carefully examining Sasuke's appearance and confirming he was fine, Naruto yawned. "It's good you're okay. I'm going back to sleep..." He had waited until three or four in the morning, and when Sasuke hadn't returned, he started searching for him everywhere, right up until now. 

"Don't sleep... I have something good here. Let's study it together..." Feeling touched, Sasuke suddenly remembered the scroll he was carrying. His elder brother hadn't told him not to show it to others. He couldn't learn it all anyway, so it would be good to study it with Naruto. 

--- 

"If you put it like that, I'm not sleepy anymore!" Hearing Sasuke, Naruto's walking pace halted. He turned around, his eyes shining as he looked at Sasuke, full of anticipation. Currently, his physical abilities and chakra were both very strong. The jutsu his 'white-haired big brother' taught him was an A-rank jutsu. As a genin, he didn't dare use it often. After all, most genin were considered incredible if they had a few C-rank jutsu. He had no background; if he suddenly pulled out an A-rank jutsu, wouldn't it cause suspicion? Of course, the Shadow Clone Jutsu Hiruzen Sarutobi taught him was an exception. Things taught by the Hokage were amazing to use. However, the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu he secretly learned wasn't convenient to use in general situations. 

--- 

And so, the two found a large tree. They sat cross-legged, studying the scroll together. As for Sakura, they had simply forgotten about her. 

"Lady Sakura, could you give me an autograph?" In the village, several children surrounded the spirited Sakura. 

"Hehehe... Of course, of course, but don't sell them, okay~" Sakura looked triumphant. Being admired felt amazing. 

--- 

"Lady Sakura! Gato has brought over a hundred men! He said anyone who dares to repair the bridge will have their whole family annihilated!" Just as Sakura was signing autographs, a middle-aged man stumbled over, yelling. Sakura, who was in the middle of signing, froze when she heard him. 

"Have you seen my two little followers?" She didn't answer the man, but looked at the crowd and asked. 

"I think I saw your two followers leave last night... Lady Sakura, there's no time! Quick, go drive Gato away!" The middle-aged man didn't understand why Sakura was asking about her two followers. After all, according to Sakura, she was Konoha's esteemed jonin leader, and the other two were just small fry. The man, concerned for the villagers, quickly interrupted Sakura. After all, Gato only brought some ordinary people and swordsmen. In his mind, Sakura just needed to show her face, and she could easily deter Gato from taking action. 

--- 

"Ah... they left?" Sakura was struck by lightning. If they left, how was she going to handle this? Hadn't the atmosphere between the three of them eased up? Hadn't they agreed last night that they still had several days before returning? Where had they gone at this time? Sakura thought in a panic. Distracted, she was pulled by the villagers and started walking outside. Normally, the villagers wouldn't dare to do that. But now was different. The villagers were in crisis. When they saw Sakura still spacing out, they could only take the liberty. After all, they had been supplying Sakura with good food and drink for the past few days, and now that crisis had arrived, it was time for Sakura to protect them. 

--- 

"Is that Sasuke's future woman?" Itachi had originally planned to return directly to Konoha, but suddenly thought about seeing Naruto and Sakura. So he hid in the shadows. Seeing Naruto anxiously searching for Sasuke, Itachi was quite pleased; he hadn't coddled Naruto for nothing. But when he saw Sakura, his brow immediately furrowed. As a ninja, so much vanity? She didn't even know her teammates were gone and was still showing off? And now, she was scared before even fighting? Although Sakura was still young, only twelve years old, this was the ninja world; people matured quickly. This... Itachi couldn't think of an adjective for a moment. But his impression of Sakura was terribly bad. If Sakura continued to be like this, he would definitely cause some trouble later. His brother was so outstanding, how could he marry a woman like that? 

--- 

Itachi didn't know where their jonin leader had gone. But he guessed he might have gone to find Zabuza. A disappointed Itachi's figure gradually disappeared. It was upsetting to watch, so he stopped. Besides, he didn't need to watch to guess what would happen. Sakura would either be beaten badly or too scared to move. His perception could instantly see through Sakura's inner thoughts. Not running away, daring to face it, that was probably the most Sakura could do. 

--- 

"It looks like something's happening over there. Let's go check it out..." After flipping through a few scrolls, the two found them completely incomprehensible. Even with Itachi's cultivation insights written on them, they still couldn't understand. So, they fell silent. They were dumbfounded. 

So. Naruto rolled the scrolls back up, silently placing them beside Sasuke, and changed the subject. 

--- 

"Huh?" Hearing Naruto, Sasuke, who was struggling to study the scrolls, woke as if from a dream. He couldn't understand them either, but thankfully, he was a "study prodigy." He could barely grasp the meaning of the words, although it was a bit beyond his level. He recognized all the characters, but when put together, he was completely lost. Sasuke took out a sealing scroll and carefully rolled these scrolls up, wiping off the dust and smudges, and sealed them inside. He planned to go back and study them properly later. Seeing that Sasuke had no intention of continuing, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they weren't looking at this "heavenly book" anymore, anything was fine. He couldn't even fully recognize all the characters; what was he supposed to learn? The jutsu he was looking at was called "Flying Thunder God"... it didn't even have hand seals, ridiculous. As for what was happening over there, he wasn't in a hurry at all. It was just to change the subject. 

Chapter 205: Sakura Makes Her Move 

"Let's go. Sakura's chakra is too weak; she's probably not their match. Zabuza doesn't seem to have any allies, so once we deal with these guys, we can head back." 

Tying the sealing scroll inside his clothes, Sasuke lightly patted his chest, relieved to find it secure. 

"Yeah, it's a good chance to get some exercise," Naruto said, eyes gleaming with anticipation. He sensed that the hidden gazes were gone, and his fighting spirit began to ignite. With no one watching, he could truly test his strength. 

Without the feeling of being watched, the air itself seemed fresher. Naruto felt a sense of ease. 

"Gatō, you just wait, you're dead! Konoha's ninja are in our village right now!" A short man with sunglasses roared, his face contorted in a sneer, at the man kneeling before him. 

Hearing the man's words, Gatō glanced left, then right. Seeing the gleaming eyes of his subordinates, devoid of any fear, Gatō felt satisfied. They were indeed worth the high price he paid for these rogue swordsmen; they seemed very trustworthy. 

Gatō picked at his ear. His gaze finally returned to the man in front of him. 

"What did you say?" Gatō raised his arm and slapped the man across the face. An instant red mark appeared on the man's cheek. 

"You're finished! You're truly finished! I'm Lady Sakura's trusted subordinate, you're dead! I can already announce your death sentence has arrived..." The man spoke incessantly, as if he had lost his mind, recalling the assurances Sakura had given him when he brought her food and good things these past few days. 

If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have dared to arrogantly point and curse at Gatō when he arrived. It was just that the villagers were a bit timid, so he was forced to kneel before Gatō. 

Smack! 

Gatō, hearing a villager speak so loudly and arrogantly, was furious. He slapped the man on the other side of his face. Now both sides were equally red. 

"Gatō, stop!" Just as Gatō was about to finish off the noisy man in front of him, a middle-aged man walked over from a distance, pulling a pink-haired girl by the arm. 

"Lady Sakura, please say something..." The man gently shook Sakura, who then seemed to snap out of a dream. Immediately, she panicked. She saw hundreds of eyes staring directly at her. Some were sinister, some murderous, some curious, some reverent, some expectant. It made her extremely flustered, and at that moment, she wanted to feign unconsciousness. 

"Oh? Little girl, you're quite pretty, aren't you? Are you here to show me respect?" Gatō had been a bit flustered himself, but upon seeing Sakura and the Konoha ninja headband on her forehead, he breathed a sigh of relief. She was just a little girl who hadn't even been weaned yet. 

"Gatō, how dare you! This is Lady Sakura, Konoha's heroine! Kneel and beg for mercy quickly, and perhaps Lady Sakura might spare your life!" The man who had been kneeling before Gatō, seeing Sakura arrive, immediately broke free from Gatō's subordinate's grip on his shoulder. He instantly became Sakura's number one henchman, speaking arrogantly, his expression utterly punchable. 

Sakura, hearing the words of the uncle who often brought her food, felt a wave of confusion. Please don't say any more... If you keep attracting trouble, I'll have to run away... I'll go find reinforcements and come back to avenge this humiliation... 

After thinking for a moment, Sakura decided to step forward and speak. After all, "eating someone's food makes your mouth short, taking someone's things makes your hand soft." Besides, although the other side had many people, she had scanned the area and found no ninja. This truly made her breathe a huge sigh of relief. Otherwise, how could she still be here? She would have run away long ago. After all, only by preserving her life and becoming stronger could she protect more people. The current sacrifices were all worth it. These people would become the driving force for her growth; this was also a blood feud. 

Sakura kept thinking of reasons, hypnotizing herself. She also prayed that Naruto and Sasuke would return quickly. 

"Yo, little girl, you've got guts, but don't stutter when you talk, like you're stammering, and don't shake your legs so much, you're almost causing an earthquake... Hahaha." Gatō slightly pushed up his sunglasses, revealing a pair of lewd, small eyes. He lecherously scanned Sakura. 

Gatō's words instantly made the somewhat flustered Sakura stiffen. Doesn't she have any dignity? She could feel the villagers' gazes around her becoming increasingly strange. Her second personality, the violent one, was also eager to emerge. They were all ordinary people; there shouldn't be any life-threatening danger, right? 

She thought to herself, and her body shot out like an arrow from a bowstring. When facing ninja, I'm timid; when facing ordinary people, I strike hard. Her legs were infused with chakra, as instructed by the leading Jonin, making her speed incredibly fast. Of course, this was only what ordinary people's visual nerves perceived. For a ninja, her movements were truly clumsy. 

"So fast!" The swordsmen around Gatō placed their thumbs on their sword sheaths, surrounding Gatō. After all, Gatō was their employer; he couldn't die. If he died, no one would pay them to eat, drink, and be merry every day, or provide easy, high-paying work. 

Although the swordsmen's bodies were no longer what they used to be, having suffered some slight losses, they still retained some strength. Just as Sakura's figure solidified and rapidly grew larger in their pupils, a uniform sound of swords being drawn rang out. Sharp longswords were unsheathed, all aimed at Sakura. 

Sakura saw this scene, and her peripheral vision caught her own small fists... and the dense, blinding array of weapons in front of her. 

After her impulsive charge, she felt some regret and fear. However, since things had come to this, she had no retreat. Remembering how Sasuke and Naruto never backed down during battles, she felt that now was the time for her to show her own edge, the one that belonged to Sakura. 

"Ah! Damn it, you actually stabbed my face with a sword!" Sakura kicked a swordsman flying. Although the swordsman often trained and was far stronger than ordinary people, he was facing a ninja. Their explosive power was incomparable. 

After Sakura kicked a swordsman away, the frustration in her heart seemed to vanish, replaced by an immense sense of relief. But before she could continue to unleash her power, the swordsmen noticed that this little girl dared to be distracted in front of them? How could they tolerate that? They all swung their longswords at Sakura. Chopping, slashing, upward cuts, direct thrusts, all came rushing at her. The startled Sakura quickly protected her vital areas with her hands, bent her legs slightly, and retreated. But she still gained several new wounds, bleeding profusely. The most serious were the cuts near her eyes and on her cheek.