The rhythmic hammering of tools against wood and steel echoed through the air as Sakura stepped onto the unfinished bridge.
The ocean stretched endlessly on both sides, mist curling around the edges like a lingering ghost. Workers moved busily, their movements a blend of exhaustion and stubborn determination.
At the center of it all stood Tazuna—barking orders while balancing a bottle of sake like a veteran general commanding troops.
He exhaled, took a swig, then finally slid a helmet onto his head. With a grunt, he hoisted a stack of wooden planks over one shoulder, the weight barely slowing him down.
That was when he caught sight of her.
Pink hair shifting lightly in the sea breeze. A sharp, confident stance. The gleam of a kunai at her side.
"All alone?" he grumbled, squinting. "What happened to the loudmouth and the emo kid?"
Sakura let out a small, knowing laugh, closing her eyes for a brief moment.
"I surpassed them, so Kakashi-sensei told me to resume the protection detail."
The wind struck her hair at just the right angle. The sunlight framed her face just right.
Tazuna felt his grip on the planks slip.
No. She's not cool. Not in the slightest. Not at all.
He aggressively heaved the wood toward the construction site, trying to shake off whatever just happened.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
"Tazuna," a voice interrupted, low and tense.
He turned to see Giichi, a bridge worker with a bandana wrapped around his forehead and a towel slung over his shoulder.
Tazuna frowned. "Hmm? Giichi? What's wrong?"
Giichi took off his helmet, gripping it tightly.
"…I've been thinking it over," he said. His words felt heavy, weighed down by something unspoken.
Sakura tilted her head slightly.
"I want off the job," Giichi finally said.
Tazuna blinked, his arms spreading slightly in confusion. "Wh—why? Out of nowhere like this?"
Giichi shook his head. "Tazuna, we go way back. I want to help you, I really do. But we can't take the risk—Gato will kill us if we don't stop! And if you die, it won't just be the project that ends."
He swallowed thickly, gaze shifting downward.
"We could lose everything."
Tazuna stood still for a long moment.
Then, slowly, he lowered his helmet, letting his face fall into shadow.
"I can't do that, Giichi," he murmured. His voice was quiet, firm. Unshakable. "This bridge belongs to all of us. It's everything we've worked toward. When it's finished, there'll be trade, commerce… everything our little island needs to survive."
Giichi gritted his teeth. "We're talking about lives here. Ours. Yours!"
Tazuna started walking, almost casual, as if the weight of the conversation didn't rest heavy on his shoulders. "It's almost afternoon, huh? Let's call it a day."
Sakura glanced at Giichi, seeing the rage.. no. Not just rage. Worry. Concern.
Tazuna turned back one last time, still half-hidden in shadow.
"Giichi… you don't have to come back."
The air stilled.
The hammering stopped. The waves crashing against the bridge's supports seemed distant.
Sakura blinked.
Ding!
[Aura System]
+10 AP Gained.
(Farming Method: Witnessing normal civilians have their main character arc.)
Sakura observed, silent. This was real. This wasn't shinobi wars or chakra-fueled fights… this was the struggle of normal people against overwhelming odds.
And that was what made it hit harder.
Giichi clenched his jaw, turning sharply on his heel. Without another word, he walked away.
Tazuna watched him go, then sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"That one hurt," he muttered under his breath before reaching for his sake again.
Sakura exhaled. Time to do something useful.
She cracked her knuckles and strode forward.
"Alright, old man," she said, taking off her coat. Her face stiffened into one of seriousness.
"What needs to be done?"
Tazuna blinked at her. "Hah?"
"I'm here to protect you," she said. "But I'm not just gonna stand around twiddling my thumbs. You need this bridge built? I'll help."
Tazuna squinted at her. "You sure? This ain't easy work."
Sakura smirked. "Don't underestimate a shinobi."
Tazuna raised an eyebrow, still trying to stifle his inner sense of cool.
And thus, the next few hours consisted of Sakura the Shinobi lifting, hauling, and hammering with sheer efficiency.
The workers quickly noticed that she was stronger than them, faster than them, and most of all?
Not even breaking a sweat.
And when she did… it was a perfect drop rolling down the side of her face, splashing against the bridge as she heaved over rock pieces.
It wasn't long before she was hauling entire stacks of concrete on her own.
One worker leaned over to another. "Uh. How old is she again?"
Another worker wiped sweat from his brow. "I dunno, but I think she might be stronger than all of us put together."
Tazuna, sipping his sake, grunted in approval.
Ding!
[Aura System]
+10 AP Gained.
(Farming Method: Becoming the best manual labourer on the site in under 5 minutes..)
At some point, a worker hesitated before offering her a towel. "Uh… you good?"
Sakura wiped her forehead, a single perfect drop of sweat rolling down her cheek.
"Perfectly fine," she said, handing the towel back without looking. "Thanks."
Another worker, breathless, leaned on his hammer. "…Hey, uh. You wouldn't happen to be single, would you?"
*SMACK*
Tazuna slapped him upside the head. "SHE'S A KID, YOU IDIOT!"
Ding!
[Aura System]
+10 AP Gained.
(Farming Method: Making Tazuna commit workplace violence for a good reason.)
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting golden hues over the unfinished bridge, Tazuna dusted off his hands.
"Alright, that's enough for today. I need to go pick up a few things for dinner," he grunted, stretching out his sore back.
Sakura, still standing like she had unlimited stamina, raised an eyebrow. "You're cooking?"
Tazuna snorted. "Hah! No. My daughter's cooking. I'm just the delivery guy."
The workers began packing up, exhaustion evident on their faces. Some lingered in silence, staring out at the water—deep in thought.
Sakura rolled her shoulders. "I'll come with you."
Tazuna paused.
Normally, he would've argued. But the memory of Gato's thugs still weighed heavy on his mind, so he just sighed. "Suit yourself."
***
The walk back into town was… quiet.
Not peaceful quiet. Empty quiet.
At first, Sakura didn't think much of it. But the further they went, the more wrong everything felt.
The streets, if they could even be called that… were nearly deserted. The few people they did pass barely looked up, heads low, shoulders hunched.
Buildings were run-down, some barely holding together with mismatched boards and scrap metal. Cracks ran deep in the cobbled paths, long-since ignored.
And then they passed a small alley.
That's when she saw them.
A group of kids, too thin, too dirty, too quiet.
One of them, barely six years old, clutched an old, tattered blanket while pressing himself into the shadows. Another was crouched low, watching a fruit stand, waiting for the vendor to look away.
Her stomach twisted.
They were homeless.
And the second she looked at them, they froze.
Wary eyes locked onto her. No begging, no pleading… just fear.
They're used to being hurt.
The realization struck like a kunai to the chest.
Tazuna noticed her slowing down and sighed. "Yeah. It's bad."
Sakura's lips parted slightly. "...How long?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Since Gato showed up."
They kept walking.
She saw more.
A woman sitting on the steps of a closed-down shop, staring at nothing.
An elderly man sitting beside an empty stall, the wood rotting.
A boy, no older than Naruto, with his knees tucked to his chest—watching them pass with hollow eyes.
And worst of all?
No one looked surprised.
This is just life here now.
Sakura had seen suffering before. She was a shinobi… she was supposed to understand war, loss, the consequences of battle.
But this?
This was slow.
This was people rotting away while still breathing.
She clenched her fists.
Ding!
[Aura System]
+10 AP Gained.
(Farming Method: Witnessing life in the elemental nations.)
Sakura clenched her fist. This wasn't it. This wasn't the aura she was looking for. She didn't want to get AP from this.
They entered what passed for a marketplace.
Sakura expected at least something. Some sign of life, some level of normalcy.
Instead…
It was barren.
Most of the stalls were empty. The ones that weren't had next to nothing—a handful of vegetables, a few dry goods, fish that looked old.
There were no shouts, no bargaining.
Just whispers.
Tazuna stopped by a vendor with a half-stocked stall. "Yo, old man."
The vendor, an older gentleman with a thin frame, managed a small, tired smile. "Tazuna. You're still working?"
"Someone's got to."
The vendor nodded, his eyes flickering to Sakura.
She saw the faintest hint of… hope.
Not much. But enough.
He looked back to Tazuna. "What do you need?"
"Whatever you can spare."
The vendor sighed. "...Pick two things."
Sakura's head snapped toward him. Two?
She looked at the stall. There wasn't even enough for a full meal.
Tazuna, without hesitation, grabbed a bundle of rice and some dried fish.
"That's it?" she asked, unable to keep the disbelief from her voice.
The vendor winced.
Tazuna exhaled. "It's all we can afford to take."
Sakura's expression darkened.
Tazuna reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of coins.
The vendor immediately pushed them back.
Tazuna frowned. "Hey—"
"You're building that bridge." The vendor shook his head. "If that bridge gets finished, we all eat again."
Sakura stared.
They were betting everything on Tazuna.
This wasn't just a job. This wasn't about pride.
And yet, Tazuna didn't argue. He just clasped the man's shoulder.
"...Thanks."
The vendor nodded, forcing a smile. "Don't make me regret it."
Tazuna turned, walking off.
Sakura followed, her mind spinning.
Her fists clenched tight.
They'd fought Zabuza. She'd seen Kakashi dominate a legendary swordsman. She'd heard about war and battles and shinobi clashes and she knew what she'd be facing in the future.
But this?
This was a different kind of war.
One fought without weapons.
One that crushed people without ever throwing a punch.
As they walked back toward Tazuna's home, her eyes flickered to the empty streets, the silent children, the starving families.
Then she looked at the rice in Tazuna's hands.
And in that moment, she understood something terrifying.
True peace… maybe Madara was right.
She exhaled sharply.
Ding!
[Aura System]
+10 AP Gained.
(Farming Method: Realising the true face of the fight ahead.)