I've Heard So Much About You, Sakura Haruno

No matter how much they gossip behind her back, it won't harm a single hair on Sakura's head.

Therefore, she always thought it was just a gentle spring breeze.

But if she were to mention words like "human experimentation" in her report, rumors would likely take the opportunity to spread. Sakura never believed that the contents of her private letters would be completely safe from leaks, heh heh...

Konoha isn't a one-man show by the Hokage; the situation is very complex. If something were to happen, even if it weren't Danzo, it wouldn't be impossible for the higher-ups, or even the two Hokage Advisor, Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane, to use the opportunity to stir up trouble and disrupt the Hokage Faction.

In Konoha's political system, the Hokage Advisor and the Hokage Faction cannot be assumed to be on the same side. Sakura gradually came to understand these things after being taken in as a disciple by Tsunade and considered a member of the Hokage Faction.

Sakura hesitated repeatedly, putting down her pen several times before lifting it again.

"Sigh!" In the end, she sighed. Unwilling to step into this quagmire, she put down her pen and packed away the scroll.

With the scroll in hand, the girl headed straight for the Hokage's office.

She went straight to the office door, and no one stopped her—as a disciple of the Hokage, she still had the privilege of visiting the Hokage anytime, anywhere.

Just as he was about to push the door open, Tsunade's languid, slightly hoarse voice came from behind it. "Is that Sakura? Don't come in yet, wait a moment, there's a meeting here. If you need anything, come over after this is over!"

Sakura was about to leave when she heard a hoarse, stern, unfamiliar voice say, "It's alright, Lord Fifth Hokage. The meeting will start in a little while. Please have your disciple come in and speak!"

Then she recognized the Third Hokage's voice, her tone as gentle and kind as ever towards a junior in Konoha: "Alright. Sakura, come in."

Sakura frowned. The people speaking were clearly important figures, but she didn't recognize the voice of the old man in the middle and didn't know who he was.

With a hint of doubt, Sakura pushed open the door and entered.

The thin figure standing by the door, a pipe dangling from his lips, puffing out smoke, was the Third Hokage she recognized. She quickly bowed and greeted him, "Good afternoon, Third Lord Hokage."

Next up was Tsunade, sitting behind her desk with half her face obscured by a mountain of documents. Sakura could vaguely see her faint dark circles, suggesting she hadn't had much rest since becoming the Fifth Hokage. The girl nodded and greeted her, "Good afternoon, Master."

Finally, there was the third person in the room, his head wrapped in thick bandages, completely covering one eye. He turned his head, squinting with his exposed eye, his hawk-like, sinister gaze fixed on Sakura, and a gloomy aura suddenly enveloped the girl.

The man scrutinized Sakura for a moment, then slowly said, "Sakura Haruno, is that right?"

His voice sounded like dried-out, rotten wood on the ground, dry and hoarse, carrying a sense of desolation.

As a time traveler, Sakura naturally recognized that the old man, who simply stood there exuded an aura of authority, was Danzo.

However, Sakura "shouldn't" know him, so she simply nodded and looked at Danzo with a hint of doubt. "Yes, that's me. And you are...?"

"I am Danzo. I have long admired your name, Sakura Haruno..." Danzo meaningfully.

Sakura's brows furrowed slightly without her noticing. She was 16 cm tall (note), not much Danzo than Danzo, who was 1.7 meters tall, but Danzo looked down on her with a condescending gaze.

This is an extremely tough person.

Sakura didn't draw this conclusion from the manga in her previous life, but rather from the man's expression, actions, and words.

What appears to be a polite greeting actually carries a deeper meaning.

As the leader of Root, for a ninja to express such ulterior motives by admiring your name was, in Sakura's eyes, practically tantamount to saying, "We've been keeping an eye on you for a while now."

Sakura believes herself to be an upright and honest person, without any ulterior motives, and certainly not the kind of sneaky transmigrator. As a legitimate Konoha of the Konoha family, Sakura Haruno can withstand scrutiny and is not afraid of being noticed by anyone or any organization.

However, being spoken to like that to one's face is unpleasant no matter what. To say such a thing—even if Danzo might not think Sakura understood—can undoubtedly be seen as a form of protest.

If Orochimaru is a venomous snake lurking in the shadows of a forest, waiting to devour its prey, then Danzo is like a giant crocodile hiding deep in a swamp, its body shrouded in mud, waiting menacingly for its prey.

How was this person described on the internet in her past life? Sakura had almost forgotten a lot of it, but now she can recall it again.

"Greetings, Danzo." Sakura gave a slight bow and said calmly.

Despite her dissatisfaction at being pressured and tested by Danzo's aura and words, she couldn't show it in front of the three important figures. So she simply responded politely, without any sign of displeasure.

From an outward perspective, there is absolutely no way this girl could be considered disrespectful.

But strangely enough, neither Danzo nor Tsunade and the Third Tsunade, who were present, could detect any respect from Sakura.

Her cool tone, her slightly narrowed eyes, her lowered gaze, the gentle curve of her lips, her graceful and independent posture, even her hands clasped together on her abdomen.

Even the cold Chakra hidden beneath her quiet exterior.

Sakura would certainly not choose to confront Danzo directly—nor would the two Lord Hokage support her doing so. Not only should she avoid conflict, but she should also demonstrate the courtesy of a subordinate to a superior.

However, she also had the ability to express an emotion, to express a response to Danzo's suppression of his juniors.

The Third Hokage took a deep drag of his cigarette, smacked his lips, and turned to look out the window, as if a white cloud had suddenly caught his attention.

Tsunade seemed to suddenly get sleepy. She yawned, leaned back, and settled into a comfortable position on her high-backed office chair.

Only Danzo from a stubborn rock, remained motionless, his cloudy eyes revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Sakura, however, suddenly felt a dryness in her throat.

The air suddenly became quiet.

A gentle breeze drifted into the office, lifting the pristine white curtains and rustling as the documents on the desk were flipped through.

It also stirred a Danzo's forehead.

His expression finally shifted; his eyes, which seemed perpetually half-closed, opened slightly for a fleeting moment before returning to their rock-solid stillness. Sakura gazed at him, unable to fathom what this man was thinking at that moment.

After a while, he remembered that he hadn't returned the greeting to Sakura, so he gave her a barely perceptible nod.

It was as if a switch had been activated, and the air suddenly started flowing again.

Tsunade, who had somehow regained her seated posture, asked Sakura, "Alright, what brings you here?"

Sakura stepped forward and handed over the scroll. "Master, the Ice Clone has been fully developed. This is its ultimate technique scroll."

"And this too," she said, pulling out another scroll and handing it to Tsunade, "Is a summary of issues related to the development of new Ninjutsu. Please take a look."

Tsunade took the first scroll, glanced at it casually, and set it aside. She then took the second scroll. "Is it the one based on the Body Pathway Derangement?"

Seeing that Sakura nodded, he put down the scroll and said, "Alright, leave the things with me for now. I'll take a look at the second scroll when I have time, and have Shizune deliver it to you after I've finished answering it."

"Ice Clone?" the Third suddenly interjected. "Has that Ninjutsu been fully developed?"

Sakura nodded and smiled, "Yes, it's all finished this morning. The materials you gave me have given me a lot of inspiration."

"Heh heh... Even without those materials, you would have developed it sooner or later. This kind of Ninjutsu is no challenge for you." The Third Hokage waved his hand with a smile, not taking credit for it.

He approached Tsunade's desk, took the scroll Ice Clone, and began to peruse it.

The Third Hokage, known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, reached the pinnacle of Ninjutsu mastery, and many of Sakura Haruno's Ninjutsu were taught by him. The Third Hokage also contributed to the development of the Ice Clone Ninjutsu.

"Ice Release Clone Technique? That's a good idea. What's your thought...?" That was what the Third Hokage thought at the time. It was shortly after the Chunin Ninja Exams, and the Third Hokage had just recovered. When Sakura visited him, they chatted for a while and the topic of Ice Clone came up.

"Developing Ice Release Clone Technique by referencing Shadow Clone? That's a good idea, but that alone won't fully unlock the potential of the Kekkei Genkai Clone Technique." At that time, the Third Hokage was still somewhat weak, but he was still radiant and full of energy, not like an old man who had just recovered from serious injuries.

Holding his pipe in his remaining left hand, the old man tapped it repeatedly on the table. Amidst the billowing smoke, he seemed lost in thought, "When it comes to powerful and practical Clone Technique, the Wood Clone of the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, is undoubtedly number one. Clones created using the Kekkei Genkai Wood Release are far more powerful and closely resemble the original body than ordinary attribute clones or Shadow Clone, possessing an absolute advantage in every attribute."

He started talking, reminiscing about his youthful days and the glorious past of fighting alongside the first and Second Hokage, rambling on like an ordinary old man.

Finally, he concluded, "Ice Release is also a Kekkei Genkai, and in principle, it's on the same level as Wood Release. If we take Wood Clone as a reference, the power of the developed Ice Clone would likely rival that of Wood Clone and far surpass other types of Clone Technique. Of course, the power of Ninjutsu varies from person to person; the First Hokage..."

The Third fell silent, as if deep in thought, and stopped talking.

And so, the discussion about Ice Clone ends here.

Before leaving, the Third Hokage gave Sakura the scroll Wood Clone Hashirama Senju.

This is why Sakura emphasized the Wood Clone in the scroll.

As Sakura briefly recalled the previous scene, the Third Hokage had already reviewed the Ice Clone Technique scroll she had submitted with remarkable speed. He nodded with a smile, clearly satisfied with the new Ninjutsu Sakura had developed.

"Sakura, why don't you demonstrate your Ice Clone here? Let us see it for ourselves." The Third Hokage said kindly, his eyes narrowed. "Kekkei Genkai Clone Technique? We haven't seen one in a long time!"

(Note: According to official data, Sakura Haruno was only 161 cm tall at the time of the final battle. Sakura's height of 16 cm here is because her physical development was positively stimulated by Ice Release.)

(In short, girls who are slightly taller tend to look better than shorter girls.)

(Danzo is a very contradictory character. My writing may deviate slightly from the original work because I considered that the Third was still alive and Danzo's ambitions hadn't yet become so inflated.)

(Still asking for recommendation votes~)