White Light in the Ruins (First Update!)

The following evening, in the desert between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.

Sakura Haruno's solitary figure trudged through the sand dunes.

No, that's not right—the word "trekking" sounds heavy and difficult; in fact, she was using extremely skillful Chakra manipulation techniques to stroll leisurely through the vast desert.

Their steps were light and agile, showing no sign of the hardships of trekking through the desert, leaving only a series of afterimages.

When the silver moon hangs high and the stars begin to rise.

Sakura received a message from the Ninja Hawk.

The Fifth Hokage and the examinees have entered Konoha's defensive perimeter; the escort mission has been successfully completed.

The Anbu can return to the village on their own.

"Go back to the village on your own?" Under the frosty moonlight, Sakura finished reading the briefing in her hand and muttered to herself, "That means I don't have to rush anymore; I can go back leisurely."

I glanced at the sky; it was probably around 7 or 8 pm.

At home, she would have already finished dinner and showered by this time, and would be practicing her Ninjutsu for the night; it's not so convenient when she's on a mission. Especially for Anbu missions, which generally require covert operation, she can only eat some dry, cold rations at night and sleep fully clothed in a makeshift bed and a shack made of Ninjutsu.

Now that the mission is complete, it's time to relax. She can stop following the rules of the Anbu; build a fire, have a hot meal, take a bath, build a comfortable house, and sleep in. This is the kind of outdoor camping she likes.

But...

How do you start a fire if you have nothing to burn?

Sakura Haruno isn't Fire Style ninja, so she can't use Chakra to create a campfire that can burn all night; there's also no firewood to burn in the desert.

This was the first time she had ever camped out alone in the wild.

In the past, these trivial matters were always handled by the captain or others, but now she has found that some problems can also stump her, a "Quasi-Kage" level expert.

Tsk tsk, strength doesn't mean everything.

"Ice Release has been developed quite well; I can focus on other attributes from now on," she thought. "If I knew even a little bit about Fire Style, I wouldn't be in such a predicament now."

That's a good idea.

With her current strength, mastering another basic attribute shouldn't be a problem. She could learn it in a few hours, just like having another skill. Anyway, Sakura didn't plan to study it in depth.

However, that's all for the future. A distant solution can't quench an immediate thirst.

She still has to find a way to solve the problem herself.

The girl stood atop the sand dune, gazing into the distance. All around her was sand, nothing but sand; there was no usable fuel.

He rummaged through the scrolls he was carrying.

"Spare clothes, the map Temari gave me..." Her luggage was simple, and she quickly rummaged through it all. "Even if I burned it all, it wouldn't burn for long."

I looked at the map.

"There doesn't seem to be an oasis around here!" Sakura unfolded the map and examined it carefully. Soon, a place name that Temari had just outlined with her eyebrow pencil caught her eye—

"Ruins of the Ancient Kingdom of Roran"

"Ancient city ruins? Not far from here..." Sakura Haruno thought for a moment, then made a decision, "Let's go take a look!"

Traveling at high speed in the direction indicated by the map, the yellow sand underfoot gradually turned into hardened mud, and the desert transitioned into the Gobi Desert; the distance of over a hundred kilometers quickly disappeared under Sakura's pace, and the ancient city ruins soon appeared before her.

Sakura Body Flicker Technique appeared in the ruins.

The crumbling ruins are badly weathered, and the sand and soil at the corners are about to engulf the low buildings; it looks like no one has been here for at least several decades. The unmaintained ruins have an eerie and terrifying feel under the night.

She walked deeper into the ruins, then suddenly stopped.

"Strange, there seems to be a faint but present energy?"

Unlike the Chakra of a living being, this was the first time Sakura had sensed this energy. It showed no signs of life and was as rigid as a rock.

Her curiosity was piqued.

It shouldn't be a ghost, right?

Whatever it is, with her strength, protecting herself shouldn't be a problem; if all else fails, she can use reverse spirit communication to go to the Shikkotsu Forest to avoid trouble.

Although she was just scaring herself, the girl still activated Cherry Blossom Impact... She curiously looked around, and following the direction she sensed, she quickly leaped several times, soon penetrating deep into the city.

"If you're just looking at it for the sake of it, it's quite atmospheric," Sakura muttered to herself. She was standing in a large hall, and her words echoed all around her. The energy that Sakura Haruno sensed was right beneath her feet, directly below.

Energy is surging up...

Sakura frowned slightly, ready to use the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals to dodge at any Body Flicker Technique.

The feeling is getting stronger and stronger!

She looked down, and this inexplicable energy seemed to resonate with her in some way. It was a complex feeling; although this energy didn't belong to her, but—

A sudden burst of white light!

A blinding light enveloped her in an instant, and a strange energy enveloped the girl. Then, she suddenly felt weightless beneath her feet, and the ground spun around her, giving her the sensation of performing an ultra-long-range Space-Time Ninjutsu!

No, that's not right. It seems completely different from the feeling of spatial teleportation; it's more like a familiar feeling from a distant past!

Strangely, Sakura subconsciously felt there was no danger here, so instead of immediately using her Ice Body Flicker Technique to escape, she stood quietly, letting the white light engulf her, waiting for things to develop further...

Snap!

As the white light faded, Sakura Haruno landed on the ground, swayed slightly, and then regained her balance.

What happened?

All around was pitch black, and the girl's clear, cold voice faintly echoed and reverberated.

Sakura blinked and realized she was still standing in the same spot, in the same hall, without having moved an inch.

Clearly, that feeling of spatial teleportation was an illusion...

She touched her face and hands, but there was no change; she sensed her Chakra, but there was no reaction either.

No, that's not right. There's a strange energy inside the Yin Seal, cold and rigid, completely uncontrollable; however, this energy has absolutely no contact or effect on her, and has no influence whatsoever.

In addition, I felt uneasy and something was wrong with me. I always felt like something was pulling me, but other than that, nothing else changed.

It was like there was a flash of white light, and then nothing happened.

That's all?

Sakura Haruno was a little taken aback. It was as if, well, all the prelude to the battle had been done, all the verbal sparring had been exchanged, and then the other side chickened out and ran away...

What's with all this teasing?! Isn't this white light and energy a prelude to something suddenly changing? Something's about to happen!

It just adds some inexplicable energy, which is completely uncontrollable.

"Forget it, let's not worry about that."

Sakura Haruno stepped out of the hall. The moonlight outside was cool and clear, and the night was extremely beautiful.

She found an intact house and blew off its roof.

Then, several Ice Clones were created. "Numbers one through five are responsible for trivial tasks such as starting fires, cooking, and cleaning; number six will stay behind."

Next, Sakura took off her clothes and carefully checked them again by the moonlight, but found nothing.

"I've checked everything. I didn't find anything unusual behind it," said Ice Clone Number Six.

Sakura frowned immediately, feeling a little uneasy.

"Strange, could it be that I'm overthinking it?" the girl muttered to herself as she washed herself with Water Release.

Was I too reckless just now? Sakura wondered to herself.

She quickly finished her shower, and there her Ice Clone had already prepared a simple meal and cleaned a room and bed.

She quickly ate dinner and lay down in bed.

Something feels off... I'll go back to my master tomorrow morning to have my body and the Yin Seal checked!

Thinking this, she drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Sakura woke up in the soft morning light.

(This is the first guaranteed chapter! Please vote with monthly tickets! I only need 8 more monthly tickets for an extra chapter!)

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