Last Time .....
Minato considered himself a gentle teacher, but he didn't coddle his students like Kakashi did.
Hashirama then chimed in with a cheerful smile, "That's right, Sakura-chan, how can you say you're a trouble? Isn't it the Hokage's duty to protect his ninjas?"
----------------------
Sakura looked at Hashirama with a touch of emotion. "Lord Hashirama, thank you."
As if remembering something, Sakura suddenly looked around, asking with a slight unease,
"Um, I remember when I woke up from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Lord Third Hokage was pierced by the Divine Tree and disappeared while protecting me. Has he recovered? Why don't I see him? I haven't even thanked Lord Third Hokage for saving me yet."
Tobirama, with his arms crossed, said bluntly, "The old man, I mean the Third Hokage, never recovered after disappearing. His Edo Tensei body has been completely dispelled, and we don't plan to bring him back through Edo Tensei again. The old man is old, let him rest peacefully in the Pure Land."
Sakura bit her lip, feeling somewhat guilty, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault that the Third Hokage..."
Sasori spoke coldly, "He was already dead, can he die twice? Returning to the Pure Land is a relief for him, while we still have to worry about how to save this world."
Sakura almost laughed at the resentment in Sasori's tone. Being pulled out to work even after death did sound incredibly miserable. Thinking about it that way, it was probably a good thing that the Third Hokage wasn't around anymore.
Sakura let go of her burden and looked up, asking, "How long have I been unconscious? What's the situation with the Infinite Tsukuyomi now? I see the Divine Tree is still there, so the experiment about whether dying in the Infinite Tsukuyomi might break the Infinite Tsukuyomi hasn't started yet?"
Uchiha Itachi answered her calmly, his tone tinged with gentle distress.
"In fact, Lord Madara and I have already experimented. We've tried countless times during the three days you've been unconscious, but none of them have been successful. Moreover, people in the Infinite Tsukuyomi aren't immortal; even if they die, they simply begin another dream life. I even deliberately added various types of death memories to people using Tsukuyomi, but that didn't work either."
Aside from the parallel world she and Naruto had visited, this was the first time Sakura had spoken to Uchiha Itachi. Her feelings towards this young man were complex. After learning the truth about him, she both admired his solitary courage in bearing the darkness alone, yet also resented his autocratic nature that gave no one a choice.
The people who died on the night of the Uchiha clan massacre suffered greatly, Itachi, whose hands were stained with blood, suffered greatly, and Sasuke, who survived with revenge as his goal, also suffered greatly. Finally, after killing his older brother, his enemy, he was told that everything was a lie, that Itachi was a victim and a tainted hero in the village's political struggles. This completely shattered Sasuke. Sakura often felt that on the day Itachi died, Sasuke's ability to love someone also died with him. Therefore, no matter what she did, she couldn't make Sasuke perceive or respond to others like a normal person.
Even though she constantly told herself that everything she experienced in the Infinite Tsukuyomi was fake, deep down, Sakura always felt that it might truly be a possible future.
Sakura suppressed her turbulent emotions, simply considering Itachi's words. Although she was surprised that she had been unconscious for three days, these were minor matters. She looked puzzled.
"Why? But that's how I woke up."
Uchiha Madara crossed his arms, staring down at Sakura.
"That's what I want to ask you. Was there anything special about your death experience in the Infinite Tsukuyomi that allowed you to escape it?"
Sakura didn't want to go into too much detail. "There wasn't anything special, was there? I was protecting a younger person I'd watched grow up when I was struck in the heart and died instantly."
As Itachi concentrated on thinking, the lines on his face seemed even deeper. "This death experience is quite ordinary. Dying while sacrificing oneself for others is the most common type of death people face in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. This kind of death isn't painful; on the contrary, it gives people a sense of spiritual fulfillment, because many people have a hero complex deep down. This sense of meaning and value only makes people more addicted to the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Itachi's crimson Sharingan eyes gazed deeply into Sakura's emerald eyes. "So, death isn't the reason you escaped the Infinite Tsukuyomi. There must be another reason that allowed you to break free."
Sakura was startled, twisting her hands and averting her gaze, muttering, "Then I don't know."
"Little girl, what are you hiding?" Madara raised an eyebrow, his voice stern.
Sakura immediately became angry. She looked up and retorted,
"I've already told you everything I know! What else do you want me to say? Besides, I was subjected to the Infinite Tsukuyomi by Kaguya alone, maybe that's what makes me different from everyone else?"
Madara frowned severely.
"Do you think simply saying 'I don't know' is enough? Everyone is working hard to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and you're still being secretive? Don't you want to help?"
Madara was getting impatient. The fact that the Infinite Tsukuyomi remained unbroken was causing his patience to wear thin. Even though he had re-evolved his eyes into the Rinnegan and tried to break the seal again with Hashirama, they had all failed. Both Kakashi and Tobirama were certain that their sealing jutsu was absolutely fine, which led everyone to suspect that the problem wasn't with the sealing jutsu, but something else entirely.
Sakura's voice rose in anger at Madara's unreasonable accusation. "I didn't refuse to help! I didn't hide anything! And my experience in the Infinite Tsukuyomi couldn't possibly be universally applicable, could it? You can't just use my experience to wake everyone else up, can you?"
Hashirama, seeing Sakura and Madara arguing, spoke up for Sakura. "Wait, Madara, that accusation is going too far. Sakura-chan already said she didn't hide anything, and she has a point. Maybe it's because Sakura was specially looked after by Kaguya that her experience was unique?"
Madara said arrogantly, "Hmph, you can't be sure. This little girl doesn't understand herself. Maybe if we personally examine her experience in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, we can find the reason!"
Izuna always supported Madara no matter what, but he didn't want to argue with a young girl, so he simply remained a silent observer.
Tobirama, for once, sided with Madara. "I think Madara is right. Haruno herself doesn't understand, but we can analyze it for her. After all, we don't have many other options."
Sakura's face changed drastically, and she almost screamed. She glared not only at Madara but also at the Second Hokage. "What do you want to do? This is my private life, why should I show it to you?"
Kakashi, seeing Sakura's emotional state, immediately tried to intervene. "Wait, Madara, Second Hokage, I think we should give Sakura some time. Don't be so aggressive."
Sasori said lazily and indifferently, "Forcing a little girl like this is a bit unsightly, isn't it?"
Obito also tried to smooth things over for Sakura. "That's right, although we were deceived by Black Zetsu, the Infinite Tsukuyomi illusion essentially fulfills the wishes of all those affected. Since it's all about getting what you want, and everything is the result you most desired, I don't think there's anything worth seeing."
Hearing this again, Sakura couldn't restrain herself and retorted sarcastically, "Perhaps the so-called wish fulfillment and the most desired results of the Infinite Tsukuyomi are just dog shit wrapped in candy."
After saying that, Sakura immediately realized her mistake and turned her head away.
Minato hadn't spoken a word until now. From Sakura's resistance and avoidance, he had already sensed something. His current statement merely confirmed his suspicions; she was simply deeply disappointed with everything in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, to the point where she couldn't bear it any longer.
Madara, however, smiled as if he had caught Sakura red-handed. "Hmph, you let it slip, didn't you? Your experience is indeed problematic! This must be the key to your escape from the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"Let's see, the Reversal Technique!" Madara said, his Rinnegan suddenly activating.
This was one of his own Rinnegan abilities, similar to Yamanaka's mind-reading technique, but far more extensive and powerful. It could not only access memories but also the subject's psychological activities. Furthermore, it wasn't limited to just himself; he could link others to view it together, like a shared, immersive viewing experience.
"Wait!" Hashirama, Kakashi, and Minato simultaneously felt something was wrong and tried to stop him, but it was too late.
When Madara and everyone entered the memory illusion, they heard Sakura's desperate, almost heartbreaking cry from within her mind.
'No! This humiliating, miserable life! I don't want anyone to see it!!'
"Wait, Madara, let's get out of here!" Hashirama's face immediately changed. Humiliating and miserable... it sounded very bad.
"Madara! Leave here immediately! You're invading someone's privacy! If you don't stop, I'll force you to!"
Kakashi was also furious, attacking Madara. His heart ached at Sakura's cries. Sakura was always resilient and optimistic; what could have made her so desperate? Kakashi was worried and wanted to know, but he didn't want to know under these circumstances. One day, if Sakura was willing to talk about it, he would listen, but certainly not through this underhanded invasion of her privacy.
Madara didn't move. Kakashi's fist passed directly through Madara's body. He folded his arms arrogantly.
"We are all just thought forms; we can't touch each other. You're wasting your time. Don't even think about leaving. No matter how long the time here seems, it's only an instant in the outside world. By the time my real body releases the jutsu, you'll have already finished watching this little girl's memories in the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"You!" Kakashi glared at Madara.
Tobirama said sternly, "Enough! Instead of fighting amongst ourselves, we should focus on analyzing the situation later. None of us are looking at Haruno's memories with malicious intent, and I'm sure no one will go out and humiliate or mock Haruno, right?"
Everyone could guarantee that much.
Madara also snorted, "That's right. Who here doesn't have some tragic past? No one should laugh at anyone else. As ninjas, we must be prepared for anything. Everyone lives in their own hell."
These words resonated with all the ninjas. Hashirama and Kakashi looked pensive and remained silent, their faces reflecting unspoken emotions.
Obito, Itachi, and Sasori silently hid their faces in the shadows, concealing their emotions. Everyone had their own pain, their own breakdowns, unwilling to reconcile with themselves, and finding it difficult to reconcile with the world.
To Be Continued ...