Outside the waterfall of Takigakure, Sakura sat by the lake at the base of the waterfall, her legs dipped in the water.
Her emerald-green eyes narrowed slightly from the cool sensation against her skin, and her pink hair swayed gently in the breeze.
Ten minutes earlier, Kakashi had received a message via a Ninja Hawk summoning him back to the village for an urgent Jonin Meeting.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke had accepted Shibuki's second task and were currently cleaning trash from the lake.
"Ah, why does a perfectly good C-Rank mission end up with us picking trash again?!"
Naruto grumbled as he used a hooked pole to spear a snack wrapper and toss it into a net bag.
"This is training. And you're standing in the water again!"
Sasuke, effortlessly walking on the water's surface, casually tossed a soda can into the bag and reminded Naruto.
"Oops, my bad..."
Naruto's eyes widened as he quickly focused Chakra to step onto the water.
But he misstepped and plunged into the lake once more.
"Damn it, this is so hard!"
Soaked from head to toe, Naruto emerged from the water, shaking his head vigorously.
"Whatever, it's still early. Let's have lunch!"
"No, if you want to eat, go somewhere else!"
Seeing that they had completed the task, Shibuki, who had already paid them, urged them to leave.
"Huh? You jerk..."
Naruto was about to confront him when Sasuke placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.
"Don't waste your breath. He doesn't want us to know the entrance to Takigakure."
"Hmph, fine! Who cares about this dump anyway?"
Grumbling, Naruto climbed onto the bank and waved his hand dismissively as he prepared to leave.
Boom!!!
A sudden explosion erupted, and from behind the curtain of the waterfall, a group of figures charged out.
As the mist from the waterfall dispersed and both sides locked eyes, everyone froze.
The sound of the waterfall seemed to fade away, as if everything had come to a standstill. Sasuke's body trembled, his teeth clenched.
As his scarlet eyes ignited, Sasuke spat out through gritted teeth: "Uchiha... Itachi!"
The young man before him wore a hooded coat with the Uchiha Clan's fan symbol embroidered on the back. His high collar covered half his face, and combined with the forehead protector slashed with a line, it was impossible to make out his expression.
"Long time no see, Sasuke."
A cold voice carried over, but to Sasuke, it sounded like the whisper of a devil.
"You disgrace to our clan! Today, I will correct this mistake!!!"
The boy's Chakra surged, his pure killing intent roaring fiercely.
Taking out a Fuma Shuriken from his back, he dashed across the water toward the group of Uchiha.
Swish!
The high-speed spinning shuriken was hurled forward, with Sasuke following close behind, hands forming hand seals.
[Fuma Shuriken: Shadow Windmill!]
The spinning black disk split into two mid-air, tearing through the wind with a sharp shriek as it hurtled toward the Uchiha Clan's Missing-nin.
"Is this all you've got..."
Tekka on the left drew a large sword.
"Not enough to deal with..."
Inabi on the right unsheathed a long sword.
"… the new leader of the Uchiha Clan!"*2
Simultaneously, they swung their swords. The swords, infused with Fire Attribute Chakra, sliced through the Fuma Shuriken like hot knives through butter. The scorched, red-hot metal fragments fell into the water with a sizzle.
"Damn it, you..."
Sasuke's fury intensified, but before he could finish, the two Uchiha with Three-Tomoe Sharingan were already upon him.
With his Observation Haki warning him, Sasuke barely dodged Tekka's fist but failed to notice Inabi's kick from his blind spot.
Bang!
Sasuke was kicked hard in the stomach and sent flying backward, landing right in the arms of Sakura, who had risen from the water.
Sakura: "..."
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!"
Sasuke, who was placed on the ground by Sakura, clenched his fists, seemingly consumed by rage.
'Silly kid, those two Jonin went easy on you… they didn't even use Nninjutsu. They're giving you a mountain of leeway, and you're not even grateful.'
Sakura sighed inwardly, keeping a firm grip on Sasuke to prevent him from charging forward and suffering again.
"So, Uchiha, what brings you to Takigakure?"
Turning her gaze to the group of Uchiha, Sakura locked eyes with Itachi in the center.
"Someone posted a mission at the underground exchange, specifically requesting the Uchiha to hunt Takigakure's Seven-Tails."
Itachi relayed the information succinctly to Sakura, his gaze briefly shifting to Naruto beside her.
"Hey, Itachi, is it really okay to tell her this?"
Tekka and Inabi, who were adjusting their ninja tools, froze for a moment before mechanically turning their heads back.
"It's fine. Konoha has no obligation to protect Takigakure, right?"
Itachi raised his right hand, extending it toward Sakura.
"Indeed."
Sakura, sitting cross-legged on top of Sasuke, showed a thoughtful expression.
"Wait, Konoha and Takigakure are allies! As the leader of Takigakure, I formally request your assistance with a mission!"
Seeing that Sakura seemed genuinely inclined to step aside, Shibuki's face filled with anxiety.
After a moment of deliberation, he could only try to retain Sakura and the others by formally issuing a mission request.
Suddenly, the scene fell into silence.
A delicate balance formed between the two sides, and all eyes focused on the pink-haired girl, awaiting her decision.
"Well then... how about we have a long-awaited showdown!"
"Naruto, you and Sasuke help this 'leader' deal with the people in the village."
"Once I settle things with the Uchiha, I'll have a proper talk with him… about the price!"
The girl opened her eyes, and a violent aura erupted from her.
Waves of pressure rippled out, surging through the forest and relentlessly crashing toward Itachi's group.
Following orders, Naruto pulled Shibuki and a reluctant Sasuke, dashing toward the distant waterfall.
"'Settle things with us'? How arrogant."
Facing Sakura's pressure head-on, Tekka and Inabi stirred their Chakra, ready to fight.
But in the next instant, their black clothes were stained with blood as the expressionless girl walked straight through the gap between them.
The two men, with eyes rolled back, lost consciousness. Their weapons fell to the ground, and their bodies collapsed.
"Inabi! Tekka!"
Seeing this, the people on Uchiha side roared with fury, their angry gazes fixed on Sakura.
They unsealed their storage scrolls and drew their ninja tools, swarming toward Sakura in a frenzy.
Facing the Uchiha assault, Sakura moved with leisurely steps. Her Observation Haki easily pinpointed every threat, and her flexible body weaved through the gaps in their attacks.
"Those without enough resolve should just step aside! You're in the way!"
Her Conqueror's Haki erupted once more, freezing all those who dared charge toward the sovereign.
A tidal wave of will burst from the girl's slender frame, spreading like thunderous echoes.
Many Uchiha Clan's Ninjas lost consciousness, swaying before collapsing to the ground.
Yet, within this vast, ocean-like pressure, one resolute spirit pushed against the current, step by step, until it stood before Sakura.
"Haha, just as I thought!"
In that instant, the girl's eyes shone brilliantly, as if she had received the greatest gift in the world.
Wills clashed, passion burned, and an unyielding thirst for battle filled the girl's heart.
"Sigh, still as battle-crazy as ever, Sakura."
Itachi let out a sigh, crimson Chakra rising around him.
Amaterasu in his left eye and Tsukuyomi in his right merged, the two Mangekyo's Dojutsu combining to give birth to divine power.
Skeleton, flesh, armor, weapon... For the first time in four years, Sakura once again laid eyes on that divine silhouette that made her heart race.
This time, it was more complete, more powerful!
So much so that her Observation Haki screamed warnings the moment it appeared.
"Well then, since the opportunity is here... let's fight, Senpai!"