"Is that so?"
Hiruzen lit his pipe upon hearing the report, his thoughts drifting to the past as familiar names were mentioned.
A common man's innocence is his only crime… Takigakure's actions were merely a small village's survival tactic, and he had no time to pursue them now.
Instead, another matter gave him a headache. The secret technique brought back by Team 7, Earth Grudge Fear, was a unique technique proven to allow Ninjas to achieve longevity. (T/N: For those who don't understand, the name [Blood Vessel Regeneration Technique] is just a fake name Shibuki made so that people don't know that he had given Earth Grudge Fear to outsiders.)
Taking a few deep puffs of smoke, the wrinkles on Hiruzen's face deepened.
This technique was troublesome no matter how it was handled. Not to mention the risks its leakage could bring to Konoha, even if it were sealed away in the Scroll of Seals, there was still a thief buried underground at home.
'Who knew what kind of chaos could erupt if that guy got his hands on it?'
Hiruzen's gaze swept past Naruto and Sasuke standing in front of his desk and settled on the girl lying on the sofa with a book covering her face, sleeping soundly.
Instantly, anger surged within him!
'The last person who dared to be so disrespectful in my office was...'
'Oh, it was Jiraiya. Never mind, then.'
"Cough!"
Feeling that the girl was becoming increasingly unrestrained in his presence, always letting herself run wild, Hiruzen suddenly regretted asking Jiraiya to take her as his disciple.
'-Such a fine genius! If only I had taught her myself back then.'
"Huh, the report's done? Can we go home now?"
Hearing the cough, Sakura opened her drowsy eyes and got up to leave.
Then, a powerful roar came from behind her.
"Get back here!"
The sound wave sent a flurry of documents flying, white papers swirling like snowflakes in the room, leaving the office in disarray.
Collecting himself, Hiruzen showed Naruto and Sasuke a kindly smile, "This time, I'll record an S-Rank Mission for you. Considering your merit in bringing back the technique, you'll each be allowed to learn a high-level technique from the Scroll of Seals!"
After writing the permits and stamping them, Hiruzen handed them to Naruto and Sasuke, "You've worked hard on the mission. You may go home and rest now."
"Hey, old man, what about me..."
Sakura was pouting and was about to act pitiful, but was immediately silenced by Hiruzen's sharp gaze.
Once Naruto and Sasuke left the office, Hiruzen slammed the scroll on the table with a thud.
"Speak! What are you really scheming?"
The girl standing directly in front of him stood on her tiptoes, fingers twirling in circles, her face slightly flushed.
"I'm just doing all this for Konoha~"
Hiruzen suddenly felt an itch in his fingers, wanting to knock something.
'You evil Haruno brat, today I'll-'
He stared expressionlessly at his unfilial granddisciple's disciple, the smoke from his pipe thickening.
Indeed, discovering that the village had been exploited and demanding compensation from Takigakure was to protect Konoha's interests… superficially, it made perfect sense.
But don't forget that he is Sarutobi Hiruzen, the master of tricks buried underground beneath his feet was most adept at packaging his own interests as the village's.
That guy had played this game with Hiruzen countless times, so the current Hiruzen was not a novice who could be fooled by a few slogans.
"I'm not young anymore. At this age, you're still testing an old man like me?"
Fuming, Hiruzen gritted his teeth and temporarily stored the technique scroll in his office drawer.
"Hehe, I just trust your willpower~"
Sakura sprawled back on the sofa, legs dangling over the armrest, rocking the antique piece left by the Second Hokage until it creaked.
"Besides, as the name suggests, it's an excellent Medical Ninjutsu, at least unparalleled in suturing."
"Moreover, collecting Ninja's hearts is absolutely heretical. If anyone uses it, we can expose them, and they'll surely meet a gruesome end!"
Hearing this, Hiruzen perked up, his expression growing serious.
After analyzing Sakura's words, he began to understand. Sakura's initial target had always been Danzo.
Given her previous clashes with Danzo, their ideologies were undoubtedly incompatible.
Now, Sakura, as part of Konoha's new generation, made such a statement, forcing Hiruzen to reconsider the relationship between Danzo and the village's next generation.
Having becoming the Hokage of Konoha for decades, with countless disciples and connections, he could naturally keep Danzo in check with ease.
But what about the next generation of successors?
Could this weapon, which he could wield to strike outward, still be easily used by future generations to serve Konoha well?
"Sakura, have you ever considered becoming Hokage?"
Hiruzen's voice softened, 'If it was this exceptionally strong child, perhaps my old friend could have a dignified exit....'
"No way! Old man, just look at yourself. Since becoming Hokage, do you even get as much rest as the Ninken on the streets?"
A fair little hand propped up her delicate face, the girl's eyes filled with disdain.
Being a Hokage was nowhere near as fun as being a pirate… traveling the world to find friends and throw parties sounded far more enjoyable than working day and night!
"Cough, cough! Are you saying I'm worse off than a dog?"
A puff of smoke got caught in his throat, the spiciness of the tobacco irritating his lungs.
Coughing violently a few times, he opened his eyes and glared at the girl in front of him.
"I didn't say that! You said it yourself! Don't slander me!"
The girl covered her mouth, letting out a snort, and politely averted her eyes.
"Fine, get out of here, you lazy brat."
Unfazed, Sakura stuck her tongue out at Hiruzen and stood up to leave.
Just as she was about to step out of the office, a voice suddenly rang out behind her.
"Sakura, if anything happens to me, and the next Hokage can't keep Danzo in check, go to my residence and look for a deep purple scroll!"
Her hand on the wooden doorknob stiffened. Sakura's shoulders trembled slightly, but she didn't respond and walked straight out.
Night, on the roof of the Haruno Residence.
A slightly chilly wind blew from afar, and the autumn night was exceptionally quiet.
Sakura lay on the roof, enjoying the cold night that could soothe the restlessness in her heart.
Spending every day in Konoha with these Ninjas was turning her into a political creature obsessed with calculating gains and losses!
"This won't do. It seems it's time..."
[~]
"Haha, are you a peeping tom, online 24/7?"
Seeing this line of golden text, Sakura was momentarily stunned before breaking into a bright smile.
[Notice: This system's principle is to serve the host to the greatest extent.]
"Eh, are you tsundere now?"
The cat-like girl sat up, hugging her knees, her vertical pupils gleaming with interest.
[Please do not make assumptions...]
"Alright then, can you guess what I want right now? Partner."
After muttering to herself, nothing seemed to happen.
But in the silence, as she gazed at the midnight sky, a line of pale text ignited in her vision.
[Current balance: 410 points. Required Achievement Points deducted. Commencing teleportation!]
Among the brilliant stars, a meteor with an amber tail streaked across the beautiful night, descending toward the endless earth below.
Even though she was about to return to that turbulent sea, Sakura felt a sense of relief.
A gentle breeze blew from afar, lifting the girl's pink hair.
"Haha, I really am something else, aren't I?"
A faint light flashed, dissolving the girl's voice into the soundless night.