"I'm home!"
Sakura pushed open the front door of her house, sat down at the entryway, and took off her shoes. As she neatly arranged them, she couldn't help but recall how her mother had nagged her for years to put her shoes away properly.
"Sakura, are you sure it's okay?"
Karin looked at the pink-haired girl placing her shoes neatly on the rack, a hint of concern in her voice.
"It's fine, Karin. You can stay at my place for now. Once the Chūnin Exams are over, your residence permit should be approved."
Sakura gestured for Karin not to worry.
Though technically this was something the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, could approve with just one sentence, the official procedures still had to be followed.
During this period, designated shinobi would be tasked with conducting a background investigation on Karin. Even though Sakura was the old man's disciple, there would be no special treatment.
"Mm."
Following Sakura's lead, Karin mimicked her movements and placed her shoes on the rack before following her into the house.
Looking at the warm and lived-in atmosphere of the home, Karin couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.
No one could tell what was going through her mind, but the promise Sakura made—she had fulfilled it.
"You could have at least called before coming back. Now, go buy some groceries!"
A voice came from the kitchen—Sakura's mother, Haruno Mebuki, clearly in the middle of preparing dinner.
Sakura's father, Haruno Zō, was still working in the Konoha logistics department and hadn't returned yet. For now, it was just Mebuki at home.
"Mom, I have a friend staying with us for a while."
Leaning against the kitchen doorway, Sakura pointed at Karin standing beside her.
"Hello, Auntie. My name is Karin…"
Facing Sakura's mother, Karin greeted her nervously, her tone cautious.
"Huh?"
Mebuki looked at Sakura with surprise.
Ever since Sakura became a ninja four years ago and apprenticed under the Third Hokage, she had never once brought anyone home.
This was truly a first.
Karin, feeling Mebuki's gaze on her, became even more anxious.
"Karin, has Sakura been treating you okay? She's not causing trouble, is she?"
Seeing Karin's polite demeanor, Mebuki's expression softened into a kind smile.
"N-no, not at all. If anything, I'm the one causing trouble for Sakura."
Karin waved her hands frantically to explain.
"Then I guess we're cooking for four tonight. Sakura, go out and buy some extra groceries."
"Remember to buy from Sanji's store—he's got good skills."
With that, Mebuki began chatting warmly with Karin, asking whether she had any dietary restrictions and other small talk.
Mebuki's enthusiastic hospitality left Karin feeling a bit overwhelmed…
---
That night
Sakura lay alone on her bed, gazing at the stars outside her window.
Karin was staying in the guest room next door, and the Haruno family had shown no resistance to her presence.
On the contrary, due to Sakura's unusually independent nature from a young age, both Mebuki and Zō often lamented that they'd missed out on the joys of being more involved as parents.
To that, Sakura could only roll her eyes.
Sorry for being too independent, I guess…
---
The next morning
Because Karin was in the process of applying for official residence in Konoha, she needed to report to various administrative departments daily and undergo checks. So, she had left the house early.
Sakura, on the other hand, was still in her pajamas, her pink hair a bit messy, casually swinging her legs under the dining table as she enjoyed the breakfast her mother had prepared.
Moments like this were rare and relaxing.
Thinking back, ever since she graduated four years ago, Sakura had hardly experienced such peace.
"After you're done eating, wash the dishes, sweep the floor, take out the trash, and then go buy some groceries."
"And don't just buy what you like to eat."
"You hear me?"
Mebuki, arms crossed, barked instructions while watching her daughter's sleepy, groggy look.
"Yeah, yeah~"
"But I've got plans this afternoon, so I won't be staying at home."
"No need to make dinner for me either—I'll eat out."
Still half-asleep, Sakura mumbled her reply.
"Fine, fine."
Mebuki waved her hand. She seemed ready to lecture Sakura some more, but as her gaze drifted to the neatly arranged shoes on the rack—including Karin's—she fell silent.
After breakfast, Sakura quickly got to work: she washed the dishes, swept the floor, took out the trash, and bought groceries.
She even bought a box of strawberries—Mebuki's favorite.
That little gesture improved her mom's mood significantly.
Though she grumbled on the outside about how Sakura was finally becoming mature and thoughtful, her expression was noticeably softer and more affectionate.
When it came time to cook, Sakura offered to help, but Mebuki promptly kicked her out of the kitchen.
The pink-haired girl flopped lazily onto the couch and turned on the TV.
"The Snow Princess: The Movie" was playing.
It starred Fuji Yukie, a famous actress who was currently a hot topic in the Land of Fire.
Sakura propped up her head and watched the movie as she waited for lunch.
In the afternoon, she planned to stake out the women's bathhouses across Konoha.
Waiting for that perverted old man—Jiraiya—to show his face.
Right now, Sakura had essentially inherited all of her future war-era self's knowledge and skills.
Her current strength put her at a solid mid-tier Kage level. Without summoning Enma (the Monkey King), she was still slightly weaker than Tsunade.
That wasn't surprising, considering Tsunade's lineage.
Her grandfather was none other than Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi. Her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, was from the powerful Uzumaki clan.
With both Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines in her veins, how could an ordinary civilian-born kunoichi like Sakura possibly compare?
Sometimes, Sakura found this world's obsession with bloodline incredibly frustrating.
One teammate was a Uzumaki, the other an Uchiha.
Both reincarnations of the Sage of Six Paths' sons.
Destined protagonists.
In just three years, they had gone from Genin to Six Paths-level powerhouses.
If Sakura wanted to maintain her current lead in strength and avoid being surpassed by those two, she'd need to find an unconventional path.
She'd considered Sage Mode—specifically the one from Shikkotsu Forest.
But that method was terrifying.
Learning it was theoretically simple.
All you had to do was jump into a pool of natural-energy-infused acid and survive the "bath."
If you made it out alive, you'd gain access to Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode.
Compared to the training in Mount Myōboku or even the brutal regimen at Ryūchi Cave, Shikkotsu's was downright sadistic.
Despite the Slug Sage's gentle demeanor, its training was the most extreme among the three great sage lands.
One could see how intense it was just by looking at Tsunade—she never mastered Sage Mode.
And that was despite being Hashirama's granddaughter.
So, did she not want to follow in her grandfather's footsteps and learn it?
The Slug Sage once explained that Hashirama's Sage Mode wasn't derived from Shikkotsu Forest.
Still, Sakura didn't want to gamble with her life.
Even activating her Byakugō no Jutsu (Strength of a Hundred Seal) might not be enough to ensure survival through that acid pool.
Until she was absolutely certain, she wasn't going to try.
Instead, she decided it was better to deepen her understanding of Yang Release and keep refining her use of the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
Both were achievable goals.
Once Tsunade returned to the village with Jiraiya, Sakura planned to consult her. After all, Tsunade was the undisputed queen of medical ninjutsu in the entire ninja world.
It never hurt to share ideas with a fellow expert.
And when the time came, she'd rope in the old man Hiruzen and even Jiraiya to study Yang Release techniques together.
She could also dig into the Senju and Uzumaki clans' historical scrolls once Tsunade was back.
After all, three minds were better than one—and Sakura didn't intend to fall behind.
(End of Chapter)
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