Asuma's mouth hung open slightly, disbelief etched across his face as he stared at the scene before him.
Even though he already knew that both of these women were far from ordinary… was this really power a human could produce?
Under the overwhelming force of Tsunade and Sakura, their lower legs had sunk into the earth itself just to maintain their balance.
But that wasn't all…
Everything around them was shattering under the fierce pressure of their chakra.
Neither Tsunade nor Sakura had ever used their full monstrous strength in a real battle.
The reason was simple: a punch carrying a ton of force would kill a person instantly.
Even a 500-kilogram punch was enough to be fatal.
There was simply no need to use all of their chakra to amplify their strength to the maximum—doing so would only waste chakra needlessly.
It was what could be called damage overflow.
"Hmmm~~~"
The tiny pink piglet in Shizune's arms looked at the clash before it and, in an oddly human-like gesture, covered its eyes with its hooves and let out a frightened squeal.
As an animal, it had a far sharper sense of danger than any human.
If it weren't in Shizune's arms, it probably would've bolted long ago.
Shizune herself stood frozen, watching the scene before her.
If anyone knew Tsunade best, it was either the Third Hokage or Shizune.
Right now… was Tsunade actually enjoying herself?
Shizune had never seen this kind of expression on Tsunade's face. There was a calm seriousness in her eyes, but beneath that lay a flicker of something else—something nearly imperceptible, but very real: joy.
The faint lift of her lips spoke volumes, revealing a fire burning fiercely within her heart.
Tsunade-sama truly liked this stubborn girl…
Did she see her own past self reflected in Sakura?
Asuma looked at the two women, realizing that this wasn't just sparring anymore—they were going all out. He was about to step in and stop them when Shizune gently tugged his sleeve and shook her head.
She hadn't seen Tsunade-sama this happy in a long, long time.
No—perhaps she had never seen her like this at all.
Shizune didn't want to interrupt Tsunade's moment of joy. For Tsunade, this was a rare occasion where she could experience pure excitement… something other than gambling that brought her true pleasure.
Sakura's face was tense, her breathing slightly labored. At this rate, she would soon run out of chakra.
If this continued, she would be forced to activate her Yin Seal.
Even so, she refused to lose.
Her determination flared again, and her emerald eyes burned with defiance and intensity as she stared at the woman in front of her.
Yin Seal: Byakugō…
Just as Sakura was about to release her seal and launch an overwhelming counterattack against Tsunade, an aged hand, marked with the wrinkles of time, reached out and grabbed both Tsunade and Sakura's hands.
"That's enough, the two of you."
"You're both my disciples—what's the point of taking it so far?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a sigh as he looked at his two students, one young and one older.
Not long after Tsunade had left, he had begun observing them through his Crystal Ball Technique. The moment he realized the two were seriously clashing, he immediately rushed to the scene to put a stop to it.
"Tch."
"I was just getting to the fun part…"
Tsunade pouted and shot a dissatisfied glance at Hiruzen, but she began to gradually lessen the force behind her grip.
Feeling Tsunade slowly reduce her chakra output, Sakura also started to pull back and release her strength.
She looked down at her hand, red and trembling slightly from being gripped by Tsunade. Sakura bit her lower lip.
If this had been a pure test of strength alone, she would have been completely worn down and defeated by Tsunade.
This was the difference born of bloodlines—Senju and Uzumaki versus a civilian lineage. The gap was overwhelming.
Even if their raw strength was nearly the same, once it turned into a battle of endurance, the outcome was clear: slow and painful defeat.
She needed to find a way to get stronger.
"If I hadn't stopped the two of you, I'd have to pull another emergency budget request from the Treasury to fix this training ground," Hiruzen muttered with a resigned expression.
Sakura turned and looked around after hearing the Hokage's words.
The Third Training Ground was in complete ruins—half the area had been devastated by their fight. The earth was torn apart, massive trees had collapsed, and even a nearby stream was now flowing backward through the cracks in the ground.
"Tsunade-sama, are you alright?"
Shizune asked, a trace of concern in her voice as she stepped forward to check on her mentor.
"Hmph. What could possibly be wrong with me?"
"I should be asking if Sakura is alright."
Tsunade shot Shizune a look, clearly displeased by the concern aimed at her instead of her opponent.
And yet… Tsunade herself didn't even realize that her way of addressing the girl had changed. She no longer called her "little brat." She now called her Sakura.
"Ahahaha! Now that's what I like to see."
"Comrades and disciples should care for each other."
"Tonight, this old man will treat everyone. I'll call up Jiraiya too. Tsunade and Sakura—you're both coming."
"Let's all have a good drink together!"
Hiruzen laughed heartily as he looked at Tsunade, clearly delighted by her cheerful mood.
"Old man, I'm only twelve," Sakura deadpanned. "I can't drink."
She shot a helpless glance at Hiruzen, then bent down to pull her legs out of the earth where they had been stuck.
"Ah, my mistake then. Sakura can have fruit juice."
Hiruzen chuckled as he reached out and affectionately ruffled Sakura's pink hair, his eyes full of warmth.
---
Evening — Sarutobi Residence
The Sarutobi household wasn't particularly lavish. If anything, it could only be described as modest.
"…Why am I here again?"
Kakashi leaned against the kitchen doorframe, his signature lazy, dead-fish eyes watching the scene in front of him with mild exasperation.
In the kitchen, Naruto was energetically preparing food, fully immersed in his self-assigned role as head chef.
"You're the Fourth Hokage's student, and the Fourth was Jiraiya's disciple," Sakura said flatly, standing beside Kakashi. "So of course you should be here."
"Fine, I get Kakashi, but why am I here?" came another voice from the kitchen.
A dark-haired Uchiha youth was slicing potatoes with lightning speed, his blade flashing as the spuds turned into thin slices in seconds.
"I mean, I was planning to practice my sword technique tonight."
"Kakashi already taught you both Raikiri and the White Fang Sword Style," Sakura replied with a straight face. "You think that doesn't make you his student?"
"…Fair point," Sasuke muttered, blinking at her.
"Alright! Tonight, everyone gets to try a taste of the Uzumaki Chef's new dishes!"
"I've learned a bunch of new recipes, so get ready!"
Naruto grinned brightly as he looked over his shoulder at Sakura, his golden hair shining under the kitchen light.
It was as if nothing had happened the night before—as if he hadn't experienced heartbreak at all.
"…Tch."
Sakura fiddled with the cherry tomatoes in the sink, casually popping one into her mouth.
Sweet and sour…
Her green eyes flicked toward Naruto for a brief moment.
This guy really did have a big heart…
"Eh? We're out of soy sauce?"
Naruto frowned at the now-empty bottle in his hand.
Sakura looked at the situation and immediately turned toward the living room, shouting:
"Konohamaru, go buy some soy sauce!"
"And Old Ma, don't just stand around—go get Anko over here!"
(End of Chapter)
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