Chapter 26: Your Regret, My Shadow
Haruno Sakura
Staring at the enormous summoning scroll conjured by the Monkey King Enma before her, Sakura pricked her finger and wrote her name on the parchment without hesitation.
"With this, you are now a summoner of the Monkey Clan, Sakura," said the Monkey King, observing her name appear beneath that of Hiruzen Sarutobi's.
To think someone could form contracts with both the Slug and Monkey clans… This girl was truly blessed.
Hiruzen stroked the short beard on his chin as he looked at Sakura with a hint of satisfaction.
"Now that the contract is complete, how about giving the summoning technique a try, Sakura?"
The gentle voice of Katsuyu, resting on Sakura's shoulder, urged her softly.
"When performing the summoning, just focus your chakra and mentally picture the summon you wish to call forth," Hiruzen added helpfully from the side.
Sakura nodded firmly. While the blood was still fresh on her fingertip, she quickly formed the necessary hand seals.
Boar — Dog — Bird — Monkey — Ram.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of white smoke burst before her.
But the result left both Hiruzen and the Monkey King with utterly stunned expressions.
"Oh my, what an adorable little monkey~~" Katsuyu giggled, amused by the unexpected result.
"Uh… hehe… I guess I must have run out of chakra, so…" Sakura scratched her head awkwardly, breaking into a cold sweat.
There was no other explanation. The one she had summoned was… a tiny white monkey still wrapped in a swaddling cloth.
No one knew how the little guy even responded to the summoning.
"Ah-ba, ah-ba!" the baby monkey cooed, stretching its tiny arms toward Sakura as if asking for a hug.
Sakura almost wanted to cry. Did I just summon someone's baby?!
Still, she gently picked up the tiny monkey with great care.
"I can't believe she summoned my newborn son… Truly unexpected," the Monkey King muttered, clearly at a loss as he watched his infant son cradled in Sakura's arms.
Wait—son? Sakura blinked and looked toward the Monkey King in confusion.
Meanwhile, the baby monkey had already climbed out of its wrap and perched itself right on top of her head.
"Yes, that's my son, Saruro," said the Monkey King plainly.
Sakura was momentarily stunned. So this little guy on my head is the same troublemaker who throws banana peels and bombs all over the arena in the summoning grounds?
Well… no matter. She could handle it.
"It must be due to insufficient chakra," the Monkey King explained as he carefully took the baby monkey into his palm. "You couldn't summon a full-fledged monkey warrior, so my son responded instead. Once your chakra is restored, normal summoning should resume."
"I wonder…" Katsuyu mused, watching the baby monkey swaying in the Monkey King's palm. "Couldn't Sakura just raise Saruro alongside her as a partner?"
"That wouldn't work," the Monkey King replied, shaking his head. "We Monkey Clan members have bodies of diamond and take an incredibly long time to mature. By the time Saruro grows up, Sakura's own child might already be running errands."
He fiddled with the swaddling cloth to wrap the squirming Saruro again. From the way he handled it, this clearly wasn't his first time doing it.
"Still, if Sakura ever needs help, just call on me. I'll come right away. I've got nothing better to do back home anyway," the Monkey King added casually.
"Thank you so much, Lord Enma!" Sakura bowed gratefully.
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While Hiruzen Sarutobi was busy guiding Sakura through her training, a man in a black-and-white robe, one eye bandaged and expression sharp, sat uninvited in the Hokage's chair—Hiruzen's chair.
That man was none other than Shimura Danzo.
This feeling… of power and control… Danzo leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, savoring it with a strange sense of comfort.
Hiruzen was getting too old. At his age, he should be thinking about retirement, not training some new disciple as if he were still in his prime. How absurd.
From the Hokage's vantage point, Danzo glanced out the window at the village and noticed a small stack of papers on the desk.
Half-hidden beneath some official reports was what appeared to be a test paper.
The visible title read: "Haruno Sakura's Will of Fire".
So… that girl Hiruzen had taken as his disciple was named Haruno Sakura?
Danzo gave a quiet scoff and reached out to pull the paper from beneath the stack.
He was curious. Let's see what sort of student Hiruzen has chosen.
…
As minutes ticked by, Danzo's expression shifted rapidly.
Disdain gave way to interest.
Interest turned into surprise.
Surprise deepened into solemnity.
His hands began to tremble.
This… This girl…
A genius!
Her essay broke down the geopolitical situation of the ninja world with surgical precision. "A world split in two, divided by the river," she had written. But her analysis went further: with this strategy, the Earth Country would become Konoha's for the taking—no need for full-scale war.
Once that was done, even the distant Water Country, isolated by ocean, would fall with ease.
With such insight and tactical foresight, the entire ninja world could be unified!
Hiruzen… You old fool. You've truly picked a treasure!
Danzo's eyes darted as his thoughts spun at a rapid pace.
This level of intelligence… what a waste under Hiruzen's wing.
Only he, Danzo, had the strength and vision to lead Konoha down the path of dominance.
Only he deserved to mold such a mind into a weapon worthy of a future Hokage!
Without another word, Danzo slipped the test paper into his sleeve, ready to leave quietly.
But just as he reached the door, it creaked open.
"Danzo?"
"What are you doing here?"
Hiruzen stood in the doorway, frowning deeply. It was clear Danzo had just risen from his chair.
"Heh… Can't I pay a visit?" Danzo sneered, showing no sign of guilt. "I heard you've taken in a new disciple."
"So what if I have?"
Danzo's voice turned cold. "Hiruzen, you don't know how to handle such talent. Give her to me, and I'll ensure she realizes her full potential."
Hiruzen almost laughed in disbelief.
"Are you insane?"
"What do you want to do with her?"
"I'm saying, hand that girl over—Haruno Sakura. Under me, she can achieve greatness. You'll only slow her down."
Hiruzen's expression darkened. This was not only disrespectful—it was dangerous talk.
"Sakura is my student. If anything happens to her, I'll hold you personally responsible, Danzo."
Danzo's eyes narrowed. He stared at Hiruzen for a long moment before saying the same words he had repeated many times before.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."
"And I'll say it again: I am the Hokage," Hiruzen snapped back, instinctively.
BANG!
The door slammed shut behind Danzo, leaving Hiruzen alone in his office.
He turned and looked at his desk.
Something felt… off.
Oh no!
Sakura's paper was gone.
(End of Chapter)
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