Haruno Sakura walked through the endless desert.
She had traveled this road many times before—across two different worlds.
But this time was slightly different.
Because someone stood in her way.
The Third Kazekage looked at the pink-haired Konoha kunoichi before him and spoke calmly.
"Konoha shinobi have come to the Land of Wind so many times without even greeting their host."
"Isn't that a little disrespectful?"
Sakura looked at him quietly.
She recognized him.
Or rather—she recognized his body.
In her world, this man's body had been turned into a puppet by Sasori of the Red Sand. By coincidence, she had once fought against it.
"For the Third Kazekage to personally intercept someone as insignificant as me…"
"I'm honored."
Sakura's voice carried faint mockery.
In this world she was unknown.
Yet the Third Kazekage himself had come to stop her.
Didn't that just prove that Sunagakure had no one left?
But despite her sarcasm, Sakura's mind raced.
Sunagakure had been devastated by Uzumaki Menma's Tailed Beast Bomb.
A village's intelligence network was always placed in the most central and convenient location.
The village center.
There was no way that place hadn't been destroyed by the blast.
Which meant…
Akatsuki.
The Third Kazekage frowned.
Even if Sunagakure had declined, a Kazekage was still a Kazekage.
Yet the woman before him showed no fear.
She was clearly confident.
A strong opponent?
At that moment, Kurozawa felt relieved he had come personally.
If Sasori or Karura had been sent here and died in battle…
It would have been a devastating loss.
Without hesitation—
A massive black cube of iron sand shot toward Sakura.
Seeing the Kazekage attack immediately, Sakura didn't retreat.
She faced the iron sand head-on.
She was the daughter of the Fourth Hokage.
She had inherited everything from him.
Haruno Chō—the Fourth Hokage who had risen alongside the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato.
He had seized the Hokage's seat through overwhelming strength.
Not politics.
Strength.
Sakura's slender hand rested on the hilt of the sword at her waist.
Her emerald eyes remained perfectly calm.
A former defeated opponent…
Would remain defeated.
Especially since she had beaten him at sixteen.
Now she was twenty.
The peak age of a shinobi.
A pink flash of blade-light appeared as Sakura drew her sword.
What looked like a simple draw of the blade—
Suddenly unleashed a terrifying force.
A breathtaking slash flashed through the desert.
The seemingly indestructible iron sand cube split cleanly in two like paper.
The Third Kazekage's scalp tingled.
He immediately flapped the iron wings behind him and flew higher into the air.
Her swordsmanship was terrifying.
The strongest he had ever seen.
Even the legendary White Fang of Konoha would not surpass her in pure sword technique.
When had Konoha produced such a terrifying ninja?
While retreating higher, the Kazekage launched countless iron sand attacks toward the ground.
Iron sand transformed into thousands of steel needles.
They rained down upon Sakura like a storm.
Yet Sakura remained calm.
The black ribbon binding her pink hair slipped loose.
Her long hair fluttered in the wind.
Facing the overwhelming storm of needles, she showed no fear.
Her blade danced.
One by one—
Every steel needle shattered beneath it.
Within moments, the entire attack was destroyed.
Looking up at the Kazekage in the sky, Sakura leapt upward.
She was the Hokage's daughter.
Retreat had never existed in her life.
From childhood, the weight of being called the "Hero's Daughter" had driven her forward.
Forward.
Always forward.
Seeing Sakura leap into the air, the Kazekage smiled.
A taijutsu fighter attacking a flying ninjutsu specialist in midair.
If the attack failed—
She would have no footing.
She would become a perfect target.
His smile turned cruel.
Using his iron wings, he dodged her slash.
Then several iron spears instantly pierced Sakura's slender waist.
Scarlet blood exploded into the air.
A splash of hot blood even struck the Kazekage's face.
—
Haruno Sakura.
Daughter of the Fourth Hokage.
Elite jōnin.
Expert in swordsmanship, medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.
Her swordsmanship and genjutsu came from the Fourth Hokage.
Her medical ninjutsu and taijutsu came from the Fifth Hokage.
Extremely powerful.
Without a genjutsu specialist capable of countering her illusions, it is recommended to avoid fighting her.
Hiruzen Sarutobi studied the intelligence report provided by Kushina.
This Sakura…
Was a core elite of the other Konoha.
If nothing unexpected happened—
She was very likely the candidate for the Sixth Hokage.
—
The Third Kazekage looked at Sakura's body lying on the ground and smiled.
Her swordsmanship had been formidable.
But in the end, she had only been a taijutsu fighter.
He couldn't understand why she had recklessly attacked him in midair.
But it no longer mattered.
She was dead.
He grabbed Sakura's body and walked through the desert.
Soon he returned to Sunagakure.
Under the strange gazes of the villagers, Kurozawa entered the Kazekage Tower.
"Kazekage-sama?"
"What is this?"
A secretary approached with documents, glancing curiously at the body.
"A Konoha ninja we just captured."
"I'm planning to send her to Akatsuki later."
Kurozawa signed the documents casually.
"I see."
"Then I'll take my leave."
The secretary left.
Kurozawa carried Sakura's body into his office.
He didn't send it to the interrogation department.
Only Konoha possessed the technology to extract memories from corpses.
So he planned to seal the body in a scroll and send it directly to Akatsuki in the Land of Rain.
He began writing Sakura's intelligence.
Just as he prepared to seal the body—
A clear female voice spoke.
"So that's it… Akatsuki."
Kurozawa's pupils shrank.
A pink-bladed sword burst through his chest from behind.
At such close range—
Against a master of taijutsu and swordsmanship—
He had no time to react.
Looking at the blade piercing his chest, a realization struck him.
Genjutsu.
He had been trapped in genjutsu.
For that long.
The iron spears.
The blood.
The corpse's weight.
Even dragging the body through the desert.
All of it—
Fake.
As if confirming his thoughts, the "corpse" on the floor dissolved into countless pink petals.
His enemy had never died.
Terrifying.
Her genjutsu was even more frightening than her sword.
The Kazekage tried to shout for help.
But Sakura's blade had pierced his lung perfectly.
He could only produce choking sounds.
Blood filled his throat.
Watching the Kazekage collapse over his desk, Sakura casually picked up the intelligence report he had written.
She glanced at it briefly—
Then crushed it in her hand.
Moments later, she walked calmly out of Sunagakure.
Every shinobi she passed acted as though they couldn't see her at all.
She walked straight through the village without resistance.
A brown-haired girl suddenly glanced at the corner of her eye.
"Shukaku…"
"Was there someone there just now?"
Inside her body, the One-Tail snarled.
"How would I know?!"
"And even if I did, why would I tell you?"
"And you promised me!"
"I get to go outside once every seven days!"
"Tomorrow is the seventh day!"
Karura sighed helplessly.
"Yes, yes… I'll let you out tomorrow."
But Shukaku suddenly added:
"If you don't want to die…"
"Don't chase that person."
"She's far stronger than you."
Karura froze.
So someone had been there…
But the next moment—
A terrified scream erupted from the Kazekage Tower.
Something had happened.
—
Kyūsei, Kushina, and Karin walked through the corridors of Konoha Hospital.
Although Kushina had already been checked by Tsunade, Kyūsei insisted she undergo a proper examination.
She had been pregnant for two months already.
At first, Kushina had considered terminating the child.
But after thinking all night—
She gave up the idea.
The child had done nothing wrong.
It was the bond between her and Minato.
To erase its life for her own reasons would be too selfish.
Besides—
She had seen the photograph of Naruko in Kyūsei's house.
That optimistic girl who faced hardship with courage.
It made Kushina feel a quiet anticipation for the child in her womb.
Karin followed behind them absentmindedly.
Her thoughts were elsewhere.
That familiar chakra.
It was getting closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Her heart began pounding violently.
Then—
A red-haired figure appeared around the corner.
Karin's gaze locked onto the woman.
Familiar.
Yet unfamiliar.
Tears suddenly rolled down her cheeks.
She missed her so much.
Fourteen years.
For fourteen years, that figure had been gone from her life.
The memories that had once faded now returned clearly.
"Lord Kyūsei."
The woman spoke respectfully to the man beside her.
But Karin could no longer see or hear anything else.
She looked at her—
And whispered instinctively.
"…Mom."
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