Nara Shikaku, the head of the Nara clan, was one of Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen's most trusted strategists.
When internal matters were uncertain, consult Shikaku; when external affairs were unclear, ask Sakura.
"This situation bears some resemblance to the events in the Land of Frost," Shikaku remarked, his sharp mind quickly detecting the presence of White Zetsu.
"Exactly," Sakura Haruno nodded in agreement. "This confirms that the mysterious sensory ninja on the Land of Frost battlefield wasn't from the Cloud Village but rather from the Akatsuki."
"Hmm, but what if the Cloud Village hasn't given up and tries to make a comeback?" Akimichi Choza scratched his head, voicing his concern.
"No chance," Sakura replied firmly. "Unless they're willing to give up Turtle Island entirely."
She dismissed Choza's worry outright. Truth be told, Sakura had no intention of returning Turtle Island. According to the treaty, Konohagakure held usage rights to the island for five years. Five years? By then, the Raikage's grave would be overgrown with weeds three meters high. Return Turtle Island? Keep dreaming.
Shikaku stroked his chin, his expression thoughtful. He had never understood why Konoha would trade away so many benefits for a mere island like Turtle Island. But judging by Sakura's attitude, there was clearly something of immense importance there.
Still, with the Cloud Village matter settled, the focus now shifted to the Sand Village.
"So, Sakura, what's your plan regarding the Sand Village?" Mito Menma asked, eyeing the pink-haired kunoichi before him.
Sakura had already proven her capabilities on the Land of Frost battlefield. Menma would never treat her as just another ordinary Konoha ninja.
Sakura met his gaze, a cryptic smile curling at the corners of her lips. She raised three fingers, her eyes sweeping over the gathered group.
"Three days," she declared. "We'll resolve the Sand Village issue."
The room fell silent, the atmosphere tensing instantly.
Everyone stared at Sakura, stunned.
What was she saying? End this war in three days? They'd been fighting tooth and nail for months!
"My arrival at the front lines is no secret," Sakura continued, unfazed. "There's no need to hide it. When it's time to act, we act. Our target isn't just the Sand ninja—it's Kakuzu. My team's mission is to take him down."
Menma frowned, deep in thought. Her words made sense, but…
"Are you suggesting a full-scale assault, Sakura?" he asked.
Sakura nodded. "This war may have only lasted a few months, but the casualties far exceed those of the previous Shinobi World Wars. I'm sure you all understand this better than I do."
Menma remained silent, weighing her words. He trusted Sakura, but defeating the Sand Village in three days seemed almost childish. In his mind, war was a game of back-and-forth: probing, ambushing, luring, encircling, attacking, and defending. Sure, there was such a thing as a blitzkrieg, but that typically involved a small, elite team led by one or more exceptional shinobi to execute a decapitation strike…
Wait. A few exceptional shinobi?
Menma's gaze shifted to the pink-haired kunoichi before him, then to Kakashi Hatake and Terumi Mei standing behind her.
"Our target is Kakuzu," Sakura said. "Until he's dead, our shame remains unavenged. But knowing I'm here, don't you think they'll make me their primary target?"
She paused, her eyes locking onto Menma's. "Put yourself in their shoes, Elder Menma. If you were the Sand Village's commander and learned of my presence, what would you do?"
Menma fell silent.
What would he do? If a rising star like Sakura emerged with overwhelming momentum, he'd stop at nothing to eliminate her. Even if it meant sacrificing the bigger picture, he'd pile up bodies to ensure her death. Letting someone like her grow unchecked was unthinkable.
"S Subjective," Menma said hesitantly, "are you planning to use yourself as bait?"
It was a solid plan—Chiyo, the Sand Village's elder, would never pass up such an opportunity. But it was also incredibly risky. Sakura was Sarutobi Hiruzen's chosen successor. Her performance suggested she was destined to become the Fifth or Sixth Hokage. Gambling with her safety was a massive risk. If anything went wrong, Hiruzen might never recover.
"Exactly," Sakura confirmed. "The moment I show myself, I'll be their top priority. We want Kakuzu dead; they want me dead. So let's see whose fist is harder."
Her tone was calm, almost casual, as if placing herself in such a dangerous position was no big deal.
"Sakura," a new voice interjected. It wasn't Menma, the commander, or Shikaku, the strategist, but Yamanaka Inoichi—Ino's father.
The man with hair as pale blonde as his daughter's looked at his daughter's friend with a serious expression. "Can you tell me what gives you the confidence to do this?"
Sakura extended her hand, palm open. At first, there was nothing. Then, a brilliant blue chakra flame ignited in her hand—a manifestation of chakra materialization.
But that wasn't all. At the center of the blue flames, a faint golden spark emerged. It was a mere flicker, fragile as if it could extinguish at any moment. Yet everyone in the room widened their eyes at the sight of it.
Especially Akimichi Choza.
The Akimichi clan, experts in the Multi-Size Technique, had studied Yang Release for centuries. In all that time, no one had ever achieved Yang Release chakra materialization.
This display wasn't just about mastery of Yang Release—it required extraordinary talent. No one in the Akimichi clan's history had ever wielded such potent Yang chakra.
Feeling the tangible vitality emanating from the golden spark in Sakura's hand, Choza swallowed hard. This wasn't merely chakra materialization. It signified something far greater: Sakura was walking a path no one else had ever trodden.
Perhaps the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, could have pursued Yang Release, but he had chosen Wood Release instead. Now, another shinobi had chosen the path of Yang Release.
"Sakura…" Choza's breathing grew heavy.
"My confidence, my strength, comes from my Yang Release," Sakura said, her voice as steady as the flickering golden flame, radiating an unshakable conviction.
Yang Release governed the body. Sakura's innate abilities—her monstrous strength, medical ninjutsu, and now Yang Release-enhanced taijutsu—had been comprehensively amplified. Strength, speed, recovery, reflexes, dynamic vision: every aspect was enhanced without a single blind spot. Even her chakra reserves had grown significantly.
And this was just the beginning.
The core of her Yang Release was nurturing—nurturing the 130 trillion cells in her body. The longer she nurtured them, the stronger her body would become. Infinite growth. In simple terms, as Sakura aged, she would only grow more powerful. Yang Release was shaping her into a perfect being.
This was Yang Release. This was the path Sakura had chosen.
Already, Sakura had mastered monstrous strength, the Yin Seal: Release, and the summoning of the Monkey King and Katsuyu, placing her among the strongest Kage-level shinobi. With Yang Release taijutsu, she had evolved further.
If one had to categorize her strength, it would be… Super Kage.
A gatekeeper, perhaps, but a Super Kage nonetheless. And this was only the start.
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