Chapter 219: Sakura is Also Returning to Konoha!
Hidden Sound Village.
Morning sunlight poured through the specially made transparent dome, enveloping the entire village in a gentle glow. There was none of the post-war desolation of Konoha, nor the noise of rebuilding ruins. Only the tranquility of technology perfectly merged with nature.
Sakura Haruno pushed open her door and walked into the living room.
"Good morning, Sakura."
Kizashi Haruno was sitting at the dining table, holding a cup of steaming tea. A gentle smile was on his face, just like in her memories.
"Dad."
Sakura responded softly, sitting down beside him. Mebuki Haruno walked out of the kitchen carrying a freshly made breakfast.
"It seems there's some special event in the village on TV today. Do you want to go see it?"
Sakura nodded but didn't speak. Looking at her parents before her, a complex emotion welled up in her heart. Warmth, but also an unspeakable sense of discord.
Their smiles were real, their care was real. Lord Orochimaru had brought them back using the Impure World Reincarnation, binding their souls to these unfamiliar bodies and this village.
But for this moment, she chose to indulge in this illusory warmth, even if only for a fleeting second.
After the meal, Sakura walked alone to the edge of the village. There, a massive launch tower pointed straight to the sky, the silvery-white rocket body gleaming coldly in the dawn light.
RUMBLE—
A low roar sounded, and the earth trembled slightly. Fiery flames erupted from the tail of the massive rocket, pushing the behemoth slowly into the sky. Then, with an unstoppable momentum, it pierced the clouds and disappeared into the blue horizon.
Sakura looked up, an indescribable shock surging in her heart.
Konoha… no, the entire ninja world was still fighting endlessly for land and resources. Meanwhile, in the Hidden Sound, Orochimaru's gaze had long been cast towards the boundless universe beyond this sky.
This huge gap in cognition made her feel inexplicably dizzy. Many things she once firmly believed in seemed to shrink into insignificance at this moment.
She returned to her room, a simple yet futuristic dwelling.
The mirror reflected her figure, and the Soul Gem on her chest.
Becoming a Magical Girl, signing a contract, gaining power… Then, the Soul Gem gradually tainted by corruption, eventually turning into a Witch, spreading despair. This was the fate they were bound to face.
During her time in the Hidden Sound, she had accessed more data about Magical Girls and Witches, deepening her understanding of the cruelty of this endgame.
"How long… can I hold on?"
She asked herself softly, fingertips brushing over the cold surface of the gem.
Rather than waiting for the end in despair, it was better to do something. Leave something behind.
Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.
She thought of Suigetsu. That boy with a Kekkei Genkai who always chewed on a straw and looked cynical, but possessed amazing talent in certain fields because of a specific wish. He seemed to be researching a technology for knowledge transmission recently.
"Suigetsu."
Sakura found him in a corner of the laboratory. Suigetsu was staring blankly at a pile of complex circuits and flashing chips. Hearing a sound, he looked up lazily.
"Yo, Sakura. A rare guest. What brings you to me?"
"About your memory chip research," Sakura got straight to the point, "I want to learn about it. Maybe… I can help."
Suigetsu raised an eyebrow, looking at her with some surprise. "Oh? You're interested in this?"
"Some things, if they can be recorded and passed down, might be very meaningful."
Naruto's eternally sunny face flashed through her mind, along with Sasuke's eyes that once struggled in darkness. If one day she was gone, could these memories, these feelings, be known to them in some way?
Suigetsu stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly grinned.
"Sure. Since you're so sincere, I'll show you."
Just as Sakura was preparing to delve deeper into this research, Orochimaru's summons interrupted her plans.
Stepping into Orochimaru's core experimental center, forever filled with the smell of disinfectant and unknown energy fluctuations, Sakura's heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
Inside the massive ring-shaped space, dozens of holographic screens flickered with eerie blue light, projecting dazzling data streams and images.
One screen displayed a satellite orbital map around the moon, labeled "Preliminary Concept for Extraterrestrial Life and Lunar Base."
Another screen showed real-time energy fluctuation monitoring titled "Abnormal Disturbance Analysis of Tsukuyomi Space."
Further away, screens displayed "Retrieval Plan for the 'Box of Ultimate Bliss' at Hozuki Castle," "Capture of 'Mōryō' in the Land of Demons and Exploration Plan for Demon World Rift," "Analysis and Application of the 'Reaper Mask' Ruins in the Land of Whirlpools"…
Every title represented a grand plan capable of overturning the ninja world's understanding, even touching upon the origin of the world.
Sakura felt her breath hitch. Was this Orochimaru's ambition? It had long transcended mundane power and authority, pointing towards even more unknown domains.
"The shadow of the Fourth Great Ninja War is already looming over the Hidden Sound Village."
A low voice came from the corner. Kimimaro stood in the shadows, with Jugo's tall figure beside him.
"Is the space program and the deployment of lunar surveillance satellites still proceeding?"
"And about Hozuki Castle, are we departing?"
"Or should we wait until after dealing with the Ninja Alliance's assault on the Hidden Sound?"
"The plan will not be delayed."
Orochimaru's voice came from behind the main console, carrying his characteristic huskiness and magnetism. "You can go with peace of mind."
He turned around, his snake-like golden vertical pupils looking at Sakura.
"Sakura, come here."
Sakura stepped forward as instructed.
"You should have heard of the Akatsuki," Orochimaru said, bringing up a new screen displaying profiles of Akatsuki members, each radiating an ominous aura.
"Their goal is to collect Tailed Beasts. One member, codenamed 'Three Platforms' (Santai), Hidan, possesses an immortal body and worships an existence called 'Jashin' (Evil God)."
"His immortality trait, and his so-called 'Jashin', might be connected to the 'Reaper' I am currently researching."
"He is a very valuable research subject."
He handed a scroll to Sakura.
"My surveillance network distributed in Konoha just captured Hidan's traces at the border. The Akatsuki is likely about to make a move. This scroll contains the latest tracking data. If you encounter danger you cannot handle, use it directly."
"Your mission," Orochimaru's voice was devoid of emotion, "is to capture Hidan and bring him back."
Sakura took the scroll, feeling its cold touch.
Akatsuki… Hidan…
Her heart sank heavily. Naruto, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, was one of the Akatsuki's primary targets. If Hidan appeared near Konoha, did it mean…
And with the Fourth Great Ninja War looming, Konoha…
She looked up at Orochimaru. "I understand."
Walking out of the experimental center, the cold wind sobered Sakura slightly.
She was a rogue ninja of Konoha, a subordinate of Orochimaru, and a Magical Girl destined for the fate of a Witch. But before all that, she was Sakura Haruno. A member of Team 7 who once fought alongside Naruto and Sasuke.
"Naruto… Sasuke…"
She whispered these two names, tightening her grip on the scroll. No matter what, she couldn't let anything happen to her comrades. Even if they were only former comrades.
The lights of the Hidden Sound outlined a cold silhouette in the distance, and Sakura disappeared into the darkness…