In Training Ground 3, the sound of clashing metal echoed continuously from the open field. The ground was littered with a large number of kunai and shuriken.
A girl stood motionless in the center of the field, her eyes fixed on another girl who was constantly dodging kunai that appeared out of thin air.
After dodging another wave of kunai, Sakura looked at Yakumo, whose eyes were already bloodshot and whose neck was covered in pinpricks. She sighed and called out, "That's enough. Stop!"
As soon as Sakura's voice fell, Yakumo's body collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud. But just before she hit the ground, Yakumo pulled out another senbon and jabbed it into her neck.
Sakura didn't even have a chance to stop her. She could only watch as Yakumo stood up again, refreshed and invigorated, but with even more bloodshot eyes.
"Was... was that really necessary?" Sakura sighed. "It's over. You've used it too much today. I told you not to use it more than ten times a day."
"But shouldn't a ninja always leave themselves a way out? If I just collapse like that, I'll be killed by the enemy," Yakumo said, unconcerned.
"But this is training. You're not fighting an enemy," Sakura scolded.
"But if I don't train like this normally, how can I use it proficiently in a real battle?" Yakumo retorted.
"..." Sakura was speechless. After a long moment, she said, "I won't abandon you. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you."
"But you won't always be around," Yakumo continued to argue, unconvinced.
"If I'm not around, you won't be in danger," Sakura was amused by Yakumo's retorts, vaguely recalling an internet term from her previous life: contrarian.
"But one day I'll have to act on my own," Yakumo pouted.
This time, Sakura was truly at a loss for words. Yes, one day she would have to act on her own. She would be promoted to chunin, then jonin, until she was leading her own genin, just like herself.
Silently, she took a medicine pouch from her ninja bag and handed it to Yakumo. "These are pills I made to soothe the mind, and also medicine to prevent neurological damage. These two can alleviate the side effects of stimulating your acupuncture points."
"Thank you," Yakumo said, happily accepting the pouch.
"I told you, you don't have to be so polite," Sakura said with a wave of her hand. "Whether it's the senbon stimulation or the medicine, they are just aids. Ultimately, you have to find a way to get off them."
"I understand," Yakumo's voice was a little low. "But without the stimulation, I can't find that feeling."
"Don't rush. Take it slow," Sakura comforted her. "This is due to your body's innate condition. With practice, I believe you'll one day be able to do without these aids."
After teaching Yakumo how to use the acupuncture points, today's practice was a success. As the saying goes, the first step is always the hardest. After the first success, today's practice came naturally.
As for genjutsu training, there was no way to practice it, because Sakura didn't want to experience Yakumo's illusions, and if she entered her Seijutsu state, she would be immune to them.
But that wasn't a big problem. The foundation of Yakumo's genjutsu still depended on her own physical condition. This was different from the Sharingan's genjutsu, which required the eyes to be upgraded. And Genjutsu: True Creation was still a genjutsu. Although she was only creating kunai to attack for now, she already possessed considerable combat power.
Because she could launch kunai just by thinking, there was no issue of accuracy; it was 100%. She could also easily achieve all sorts of tricky angles. Sakura could guarantee that not even Itachi Uchiha's kunai-throwing skills were as good as hers.
This was the terrifying power of Genjutsu: True Creation. She had reached the pinnacle with just the basics. If it were elemental ninjutsu, she would truly be a walking artillery turret.
But to freely cast elemental jutsu, she probably couldn't do it without improving her physical constitution. And even if it improved, she would still be limited by chakra. Yakumo's genjutsu, in the end, still required chakra, and it had an additional requirement compared to ordinary ninja casting elemental jutsu: mental strength.
Power and cost were always directly proportional. The greater the power, the greater the price. Sakura had always believed this.
"How is Karin now?" Yakumo changed the subject.
"Her? She's basically fine. But after this time, her mastery of that technique should have improved," Sakura said.
Sakura hadn't expected Karin to fight with Sai, let alone use the Adamantine Sealing Chains. It was probably due to her overexerting herself. It wasn't until a day after Sakura returned that she found out Karin was in the hospital.
Karin was awake now, but Sakura hadn't let her train again. They would probably be setting out after the higher-ups had discussed the aid project for the Waterfall Village. It would be troublesome if Karin fainted from exhaustion again.
Just then, Sakura suddenly noticed a slight movement in the nearby bushes. With a light flick of her foot, a kunai scattered on the ground flew into the forest.
A commotion erupted, and a small child jumped out. Sakura took a closer look. Heh, isn't it Konohamaru?
"What are you doing here, kid?" Sakura asked, looking at Konohamaru's disheveled appearance.
Konohamaru just glared at Sakura, not saying a word. Sakura smiled. "Are you here to learn ninjutsu?"
Sakura remembered the promise she had made to him on the day the Third Hokage died. Although Shuying might be the Third's contingency plan, and that act had annoyed her, she didn't want to go back on her own promise.
"No!" Konohamaru turned his head away huffily. "Someone else will teach me ninjutsu."
"Oh, is that so? Then what were you doing sneaking around here?" Sakura asked curiously.
"N-Nothing!" Konohamaru stammered, seeming to be hiding something.
Sakura naturally saw it, but she didn't pay it much mind. He was just a child. He was probably still upset with her over the Third Hokage's death.
"Just say it. If you need help, I can help you," Sakura said.
"None of your business!" Konohamaru suddenly stood up and ran out of the training ground.
Sakura shook her head as she watched him go, not bothering to chase him. He probably wanted to ask her for help with ninjutsu but didn't know how to face her. After all, his grandfather had met with her before he died, instead of his only grandson. That probably made Konohamaru feel a bit slighted.
"Who is he?" Yakumo asked, looking over.
"The Third Hokage's grandson," Sakura replied.
"So that's him," Yakumo said with a surprised expression. "Was he looking for you?"
"Probably," Sakura said, then changed the subject. "For the next training session..."
However, before she could finish, Sakura's brow furrowed. She looked toward the bushes. One after another, she thought. She raised her finger, and a Storm Release laser shot toward a spot in the woods.
The bushes rustled again, and a ninja landed in front of Sakura.
"If you do that again next time, I won't be so merciful," Sakura said coldly to Sai. "After all, it's not unheard of for a teammate to be killed by mistake due to a misjudgment of the situation."
"I understand, Captain Sakura," Sai said with his eternally unchanging smile.
"So, what brings you here?" Sakura asked.
"The Fifth Hokage is looking for you," Sai said. "Regarding the diplomatic mission to the Waterfall Village."
"Got it," Sakura said. She then turned to Yakumo. "Go and prepare. Remember to bring your senbon and pills. Then go meet up with Karin."
"Okay. Then I'll go find Karin with Sai," Yakumo said.
Sakura was slightly surprised but nodded in agreement. Sai would definitely be needed for this mission. But it seemed she would have to find an opportunity to instruct Yakumo to use genjutsu on him.
The mission is finally about to begin. Fu, here I come.