Naruto clutched his stomach, grimacing as he scrambled up, his face full of grievance and confusion. "Sakura, why did you hit me? I would never hurt you! I didn't do anything!"
"You didn't do anything?" Sakura was shaking with rage, pointing at the sky. "How could you tell that old fogey the secret of the 'Divine Art'! And in such detail!"
Only then did Naruto realize what he'd done. He gave an awkward laugh and tried to defend himself. "I... I didn't give him the specific cultivation method... and Grandpa Third, he..."
"Shut up, Naruto!" Ino Yamanaka couldn't take it anymore either. She rushed over and interrupted him, her face wearing a rare look of severity.
"Do you still think that old man is purely a good person? Didn't you see his expression just now? He will definitely covet Sakura's Divine Art! He'll do whatever it takes to get it! You're bringing a death warrant upon Sakura!"
Ino's words were like ice water poured over his head, making Naruto freeze instantly.
It was true. The Third's reputation was already in the gutter. He could swallow his parents' property and house, and even hide his identity as the Son of a Hero... Just then, Uchiha Sasuke, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, let out a merciless sneer.
He crossed his arms, his cold gaze sweeping over Naruto. "Hmph. I was wondering why, in the first heavenly screen when you were going to destroy the world, I was the only one stopping you, and I never saw Sakura's figure..."
He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife, stabbing into Naruto word by word. "It turns out, she was killed by you a long time ago."
"I... I killed Sakura?"
Naruto felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. He stood frozen in place, his blue eyes wide, filled with bewilderment, fear, and disbelief.
Sasuke's heart-piercing words, combined with the destruction his future self might cause in the heavenly screen and Sakura's absence... it made it very likely to be true.
Sasuke's cold conjecture rippled through the Ninja Academy and resonated deeply throughout the entire Ninja World.
"That's right! It must be so!"
"I'm telling you, who wouldn't be envious of that kind of power?"
"The Konoha higher-ups, hmph. They look honorable on the surface, but who knows how much filth is hidden in the shadows!"
"To seize the 'Divine Art', secretly killing a genius girl who just saved the Village—it's all too possible!"
Almost no further evidence was needed; countless people watching the heavenly screen had already decided this was the "truth" in their hearts.
The disappearance of Sakura Haruno in the future must be related to Hiruzen Sarutobi's greed for the "Divine Art"!
Naruto's unintentional leak was the fuse.
Such conspiracies and killings triggered by treasures and secret techniques were all too common in the history of the Ninja World.
Hiruzen Sarutobi truly had no way to voice his grievances at this moment. His old face was flushed red, his heart filled with an unspeakable sense of being wronged.
"Nonsense! Absolute nonsense!"
He was so angry his beard was shaking.
"Am I the kind of person who would use any means for power and harm the Village's young sprouts? This is definitely a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!"
He asked himself—though he had made compromises and helpless decisions under pressure throughout his life, his bottom line had always remained.
Toward the children of the Village, especially promising juniors like Sakura and Naruto, he felt mostly protection and guidance. How could he possibly commit such a foul act out of greed for the so-called "Divine Art"?
"This is simply the greatest insult to the 'will of fire' I have upheld all my life!"
"Therefore, the heavenly screen is definitely incomplete or not that trustworthy!"
"It must be Danzo! Yes, it must be that fellow Danzo doing something behind my back!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately thought of his old partner. Only the dark methods of the "Root" fit this kind of speculation.
Just as everyone expected, trouble soon came knocking.
The next day, as Sakura Haruno walked home alone, a person wearing an animal mask and Anbu attire appeared silently before her, blocking her path.
"Sakura Haruno, come with me."
Sakura looked at him warily and asked, "Are you Anbu? What is this about?"
The masked man didn't answer her question, only repeating, "Regarding the matter of Uchiha Sasuke, your cooperation in the investigation is required."
At the mention of Sasuke's name, Sakura's heart tightened.
Despite the many doubts in her heart, because it involved Sasuke, she gritted her teeth and followed.
The man led her to the entrance of a secluded, hidden underground facility.
Upon entering, a cold, oppressive atmosphere washed over her, a stark contrast to the sunny vibe of Konoha.
Soon, a figure stepped out from the shadows.
He wore a high-collared robe, with half his face and his right arm wrapped in thick bandages, emitting an uncomfortably gloomy aura.
It was Danzo Shimura.
Danzo looked Sakura Haruno—who was clearly on guard—up and down with his single eye, his voice raspy and questioning. "Sakura Haruno, why did you let the Rogue Ninja Uchiha Sasuke, who attacked the Village and caused great destruction yesterday, escape? What is your relationship with him? Could it be... you also want to become a Rogue Ninja?"
This massive accusation left Sakura stunned, followed by a surge of anger rushing to her head.
She glared at Danzo. "Who are you? How can you just slander people like that! How could I become a Rogue Ninja? Do you think you're the Hokage, that whatever you say goes?"
Sakura's last sentence was just a casual taunt in her fit of rage, but she didn't expect it to strike Danzo's sore spot so accurately.
His lifelong obsession was to become the Hokage.
"Impudent!" A cold light flashed in Danzo's eye as he flew into a rage. With a sudden movement, he reached out to grab Sakura's shoulder, his speed astonishing!
Sakura hadn't expected the other party to strike so suddenly. In her haste, she only had time to sidestep, narrowly avoiding the grab.
"You... you're actually attacking me?" Sakura was both surprised and angry, falling into a combat stance. "Who exactly are you? Are you a Rogue Ninja?"
Danzo steadied himself and let out a cold sneer. "Rogue Ninja? Those are words I've only ever said to others."
Before his voice could fade, several Root Members lunged from the surrounding shadows, blades in hand, ruthlessly attacking Sakura's vital points!
Faced with this sudden lethal attack, the anger in Sakura's heart was completely ignited.
She no longer held anything back. Facing the slashing Chakra blades, she didn't dodge or evade, but simply threw a punch!
Crack! Bang!
A familiar scene played out once more.
The Chakra blade shattered piece by piece upon contact with her fist, while the Root Member holding it was sent flying by the terrifying force that followed, crashing heavily against the wall, his fate unknown.
"Hmm?" Danzo's single eye suddenly lit up, filled with astonishment and uncontrollable greed. "A body that ignores physical attacks and possesses absolute destructive power... such a unique and powerful secret technique... Is this the 'Divine Art'?"