Funeral

Hmm? Repairing and rebuilding houses?

Sakura closed the task list. Ah, I must have opened it wrong.

Sakura cleared her throat and solemnly opened it again.

"Repair and rebuild houses, responsible area..." Naruto, leaning closer, read out each word carefully.

"We need a ninja who is proficient in the Clone Technique... Hmm..." Sasuke nodded meaningfully. As for Water Clone, Sakura can create a hundred at a time.

Someone's face turned a deep purplish-red, and he glared at Kakashi with eyes blazing with anger.

Kakashi-sensei, I need an explanation!

"Ahem," Kakashi's eyes narrowed into crescents, "Sakura, aren't you extremely skilled at Water Clone...?"

Sakura nearly spat blood onto Kakashi's face. "My specialty is Wind Blade Torrent and Ultra-Pure Water Ninjutsu, okay?!"

Under the resentful gazes of Naruto, Sakura, and the other two, Kakashi had no choice but to explain, "There's no other way. These days, the jobs suitable for Genin are basically all these tedious and heavy tasks. Actually, you two could have gone on patrol, but since you're both proficient in the Clone Technique, I think this mission is more suitable for you."

"Yesterday's joint invasion caused great losses to Konoha. Many people are still homeless and had to sleep in makeshift houses built with Earth Release techniques last night. So I hope you can help them rebuild their homes as soon as possible. That's why so many highly skilled ninjas have been selected for this mission. If you still believe in the Will of Fire, then you should understand that the importance of this mission is no less than that of patrol or combat missions."

"Okay, I understand!" Sakura shrugged. Since things had come to this point, she could only express her understanding.

Actually, she didn't want to do this kind of mission because she thought patrolling and fighting were "cool" like Naruto and Sasuke. Rather, she could tell at a glance that rebuilding houses was dirty and tiring, while patrolling, although dangerous, was a very easy thing for her.

However, Kakashi even brought out the "Will of Fire," so Sakura had no choice but to back down and stop protesting.

That evening, when Sakura returned home soaking wet and covered in mud, shivering, she startled her mother and Haku.

Speaking of Haku, I'd like to add a bit more. Because of her excellent performance in this invasion, saving many civilians, she gained the approval of a high-ranking official in Konoha. Her political vetting process was completed ahead of schedule, and her application to join Konoha Hospital has been approved.

Despite his great strength, Haku doesn't like being a field ninja or fighting; instead, he prefers being a medical-nin, which many people find a bit of a pity.

Let's leave aside the idle chatter for now.

The following day was the day of the funerals for the victims of the incident.

The color isn't very good; it's been gloomy since the morning.

Just like people's feelings.

The funeral was held in Memorial Stone.

The power of the butterfly effect is gradually becoming apparent. In the original story, this was the funeral of the Third Hokage held on the stage of the Hokage Building, but now it is the funeral of the victims in Memorial Stone.

The Third Lord Hokage did not come.

He had just pulled through the critical period but was still unconscious. Orochimaru's snake venom had inflicted deep damage on the old man, and even though Tsunade saved his life, this once-mighty man would likely never regain his former glory.

When Team Kakashi arrived, the plaza in front of the Memorial Stone was already densely packed with ninjas dressed in black. It seemed that there were no particular matters or missions for the ninjas, and there were about one or two thousand of them, all standing quietly, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The original work only depicts the main stone tablet here; the actual Memorial Stone is a group of tablets, with about ten secondary tablets in addition to the main one. Each secondary tablet represents a major casualty event in Konoha Ninja Village, and the names of the deceased ninjas are engraved on them. The more people who died, the larger the tablet becomes. From the ninjas who died when the village was first founded, to the First, Second, and Third Shinobi World War, and the Nine-Tails Incident, etc., now, a new tablet has been added here.

Suddenly, a light rain started falling.

No one held up an umbrella, and no one even used their Chakra to shield themselves from the rain.

Tsunade's voice, as she presided over the funeral, seemed ethereal in the rain, like the distant call of loved ones, like heroic spirits playing a hymn in the air. Holding the list of the fallen in her Tsunade, she read out the names of the heroes one by one. Her speech was slow, each word pronounced with great force. The seven-person list seemed to drag on endlessly, yet also ended in an instant.

Those who were known or not were buried underground, buried in people's hearts. For Sakura, and for many others present, it was the first time they had heard these names, and perhaps the last time, just like the thousands of names on other Memorial Stone, representing not being remembered, but being forgotten. Perhaps behind each name lies a story, but now the story has ended, leaving only those memories that are gradually being forgotten.

But those things buried deep within, after decaying, will nourish this land again, until something new sprouts, grows leaves, and blossoms on this land.

"For a ninja, how they live is irrelevant; how they die is what matters most. The value of a ninja's life is not determined by how they live, but by what they accomplish before they die."

"Today, the thirty-seven heroic spirits who have left us were all ordinary ninjas, with their own parents, brothers and sisters, friends, lovers, and comrades from their villages—these most important and precious people in their lives. Because of mutual trust and support, they formed the most important bonds. Therefore, they did not sacrifice themselves for any grand principles, but rather to protect these important people, these precious bonds, and our shared home, and gave their precious lives."

"This is the choice that every person with bonds in their life makes; this is the choice of a hero."

"Wherever leaves dance in the air, fire will burn, its shadow will illuminate the village, and new leaves will sprout. They did not die in vain; they left behind something important—this is the Will of Fire."

May the light of fire forever shine upon Konoha.

May their spirits rest in peace.

The ceremony is complete.

After the funeral, Sakura's days suddenly became leisurely.

Konoha, like a wild beast sealing its wounds, temporarily shut down its mission system. While the high-ranking ninjas reflected on why this invasion could suddenly erupt in the middle of the village, they began to reorganize and even rebuild their defense system.

The Genin began secondary training, focusing on the issues exposed by the incident. This was to help some genin who had forgotten how to fight after a long period of peace to rediscover the feeling of combat. Of course, those Genin who had experienced plenty of battles after graduation didn't need to waste time; their training was arranged by their own instructors.

In Sakura's case, Kakashi had nothing left to teach her, and her real mentor Tsunade, was acting Hokage and was extremely busy, so she didn't have much time to guide her; it was basically a hands-off approach.

There were no tasks, no mandatory training content, and no one to supervise them.

Sakura, who rarely gets to enjoy a leisurely time, finds herself unable to relax completely.

Before she transmigrated, she could surf the internet, read books, play games, or go out for fun; there were plenty of entertainment options. But in the Hokage world, there was no internet, no games, and the stories were incredibly boring. As for going out, there was nothing for an underage girl and ninja to do anywhere. More importantly, the lack of entertainment options had made her accustomed to a full life over the years. Once that became a habit, she developed a deep-seated aversion to entertainment that wasted time.

So even though she could have slept until late morning, the girl woke up at six o'clock, and while telling herself she could lie in bed a little longer, she realized how torturous it was to be awake in bed.

Then, as usual, I washed up and ate breakfast. When I went out, even though I didn't know where to go, my feet automatically led me to the meeting place of Team Kakashi.

I was initially laughing at myself for not coming since I was on vacation, but when I walked into the training field, I was shocked to find two idiots standing there staring blankly at me.

"Okay, a holiday? I came here for a walk, do you believe me? Although I don't know why a walk would end up on the training field! With so many of you here, I really don't feel like I'm on holiday!"

Sakura felt a slight headache.

"Even though it's a holiday, there's nowhere I want to go!" Naruto said boredly, his hands behind his head.

"I figured you guys would probably come, so I came." So, you came looking for us because you were bored by yourself? Tsundere Sasuke!

"What are we doing? Training?" Sasuke asked.

All three of them wore expressions of utter confusion. Okay, Sasuke admitted it was a really bad idea.

Sakura lightly punched her right palm with her left fist, having come up with a good idea:

"How about you come shopping with me? I broke my ninja shoes last time and need to buy a new pair. Also, let's see if they have any new ninja tools?"

The two boys' conflicted expressions instantly turned into constipated looks.

Naruto: "I will never go shopping with girls!"

Sasuke: "We have more ninja tools than we can use, no need!"

"You two are destined to be alone for the rest of your lives!" Sakura's face seemed to show a dark line.

"How about we go eat at Ichiraku Ramen?" Naruto.

The girl rolled her eyes at Naruto and flatly rejected his suggestion. "We just had breakfast!"

"And it's always Ichiraku Ramen, it's so boring!" Sasuke chimed in with a complaint.

"So what do we do? Train?" This time it was Naruto's turn to ask.

This was clearly an incredibly difficult question; even Sakura, who considered herself a talented young woman, pondered it for a long time without finding an answer.

The three of them fell into an eerie silence for a long time... each lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Sasuke broke the silence.

He looked at Sakura with a very serious expression:

"Let's have a serious fight, Sakura!"