Encounter

"The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki seems to have a thing for you!" Sakura Haruno said.

Sasuke ignored her.

Girls who are attracted to him because of his good looks have been coming in droves since the Ninja Academy. The group of fangirls I met in Sunagakure a few days ago didn't even know who he was; they just started swooning over his appearance. To be honest, I'm used to it.

Many girls are willing to pay him, which sounds like a wonderful thing, but when these things happen repeatedly and even seriously affect his daily life, it becomes very distressing.

Sometimes he even had to resort to certain methods to remind these superficial girls that love isn't something you can just cling to just because you're attracted to a handsome guy, and that love isn't so shallow.

Two years ago, Sasuke used a similar trick on Ino, using Genjutsu to wake her up and make her realize that she wasn't really in love with Sasuke, but was just indulging in a dating game.

Among the girls who liked Sasuke, Ino's figure and appearance were top-notch, and her family background, Ninjutsu, and strength were also quite good. Sasuke didn't even like a girl like her, who else could he possibly like? Indeed, many girls were deterred by Sasuke's high standards, and for a long time afterward, Sasuke became much quieter.

However, the peace and quiet only lasted for a short period of time.

Over the past year, these girls have started to get restless again. Firstly, Sasuke has grown up, transforming from a handsome boy into a dashing young man, entering the sphere of influence of more women. He's no longer just popular with teenage girls as before, but has also gained the attention of young aunties and middle-aged women...

Secondly, Sakura Haruno was rumored to be inseparable from Sasuke, was proven not to be dating him; their biggest rival, Sakura Haruno, who had the huge advantage of being a childhood friend and classmate, and whose strength and appearance were outstanding, actually failed to win over Sasuke!

This greatly excited the women whose minds were filled with gossip and romance. With those two competitors gone, the remaining women were actually all about the same...

Is Sakura Haruno waiting for that idiot?

There are rumors speculating like this. It has to be said, some people have incredibly vivid imaginations, even surpassing Sakura Haruno's.

Team 7 has no tendency to create melodramatic soap operas. The various soap operas, love triangles, and even multiple love triangles that people gossip about in private are all baseless rumors. As Team 7's fame grows, they also become known to the people of Konoha. As Sakura Haruno, the protagonist of the rumors, can only feel both amused and exasperated about gradually becoming the subject of gossip.

Fortunately, her strength and status are undeniable, so others dare not spread rumors about her, and the gossip remains confined to a state of helplessness.

Sasuke had no interest in these infatuated girls. Romance wasn't on his mind; the only reason Fu was even remotely acknowledging him was because she was the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki.

"She doesn't like me as a person..." Sasuke said calmly, "She only likes my appearance."

Fu's gaze was no different from that of Ino and the infatuated girls in Konoha.

Fu couldn't catch Sasuke's gaze, but she saw Sakura Haruno's eyes, who was brazenly staring at her from beside him. The expectation and shyness in her eyes vanished the moment they met Sakura's gaze, replaced by disdain and contempt. She glared at Sakura and then turned her head away.

That's quite frivolous indeed.

Sasuke caught a glimpse of her movement out of the corner of his eye and shook his head slightly.

Fu's partial Tailed Beast Transformation is used very freely, and she is more skilled at using the power of the Tailed Beast than Gaara and Naruto. Therefore, since she can use most of the Seven-Tails' power, she is theoretically stronger than Gaara.

That is, "Shadow" level.

As a Kage Level ninja, her frivolous personality and obsession with this kind of romance game surprised Sasuke. Perhaps it was because her strength didn't come from her own hard work.

Sasuke once fantasized about gaining power without effort, like the Orochimaru Cursed Seal on him, but it remained just a fantasy. Power bestowed by others can easily be taken away by them; now he prefers to improve his strength step by step through practical training in Lightning Release. This is the power that truly belongs to him, and this solid feeling brings him peace of mind.

In contrast, Fu's personality seems very superficial and frivolous.

Sakura Haruno, who had just been glared at by the beautiful girl, blinked innocently. "Whatever she likes about you... I think she holds a grudge against me?"

She turned and glanced at Sasuke, saying helplessly, "Just because I'm standing next to you?"

Sasuke was speechless at Sakura's teasing.

He wasn't keen on continuing the conversation, but glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eye and said seriously, "If the person we're supposed to protect starts to dislike us, our mission will be in serious trouble."

Takikage has decided to send Fu to Konoha for refuge, and they'll go to Konoha together with Sakura Haruno and the others since they're going the same way.

When this topic came up, Sakura Haruno's faint smile vanished, and she became serious.

"The trouble isn't the worst part," Sakura shook her head, speaking seriously, "What I'm most worried about is that Fu doesn't realize she's being protected."

Sasuke lowered his voice. "She's Jinchūriki; she has to learn to protect herself."

The Waterfall Ninja were all listening to Takikage's speech, while the two boys and girls stood outside the crowd, watching them and whispering to each other. Apart from occasionally turning their heads to steal glances at Sasuke and Fuu glaring at Sakura Haruno, no one paid attention to them, so the two didn't worry that the Waterfall Ninja would hear their conversation.

"Judging from her expression, she's completely preoccupied with jealousy and rivalry." Sakura Haruno pouted. "Do you think she's capable of protecting herself?"

"Then we can only hope that the Akatsuki won't ambush us on our way back to Konoha..."

Sasuke in a solemn tone.

Sakura gently shook her head.

"The chances are slim."

"I had a vague feeling yesterday that someone was watching us..." she said in a low voice.

When Sakura used the Water Mist Freedom Technique to investigate, she sensed unusual Chakra. Although the feeling was fleeting, she still recognized who it was.

A year ago, when she killed Deidara, she had seen that cowardly guy.

It resembles a pitcher plant, always hiding underground, with extremely weak Chakra fluctuations, making its existence completely undetectable.

He peeked out and was touched by Sakura Haruno Chakra's chakra, which was shrouded in mist. Otherwise, she would never have imagined that someone from Takigakure!

If it weren't for the barrier protecting Takigakure, he probably could come and go freely even inside the village.

"Will we encounter members of Akatsuki?" Sasuke asked in a low voice.

"To be precise, we've already encountered members of Akatsuki," Sakura Haruno said. "They also discovered our presence. Akatsuki is always very swift..."

Before she could finish her thought, a loud round of applause interrupted Sakura. It turned out that Takikage had finally finished his lengthy speech.

A senior executive from Takikage walked onto the stage—of course, instead of continuing Takikage's topic with "just a few more words"—and directly began assigning tasks.

"... Anyway, get ready." Seeing their gazes turn towards her, Sakura Haruno uttered a brief sentence, ending her whispered conversation with Sasuke.

Sasuke's Crow came true.

Just as Sakura Haruno had feared, Akatsuki acted swiftly.

If the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki hadn't been sent to Konoha for refuge, or even if no one from Konoha had sent anyone to Takigakure, Akatsuki might not have been provoked and wouldn't have acted so quickly.

They might wait until the right time before launching their plans.

In short, while Konoha was using various means to unite the surrounding ninja villages against Akatsuki, Akatsuki was not a wooden puppet and naturally made its own responses; the changes happened one after another.

The journey of the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki from the protection of Takigakure to Konoha presents Akatsuki with the best opportunity and their last chance to strike.

Sakura Haruno and her group didn't even leave the borders of the Land of Waterfalls.

The second time after leaving Takigakure.

On the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waterfalls.

Sakura Haruno gazed at a distant stone mountain and suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Aunt Ryōko," she said gravely, "Please take your student back to Takigakure! Only after we confirm their safety should you proceed to Konoha..."

"What happened?" the Jonin in Jonin asked, puzzled.

"The Akatsuki have arrived," Sasuke explained coldly.

An eerie crimson light appeared in his eyes. In the distance, within Sakura Haruno and Sasuke's line of sight, two figures wearing straw hats and Akatsuki cloak emerged from the mountaintop.

"Could you please hand over the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki?" A very burly man pointed a large sword at Sakura Haruno and the others, speaking coldly.

His powerful and vast Chakra surged undisguisedly, demonstrating his presence.

He removed his straw hat, grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth and a cold, ferocious smile.

(My old computer was bought during my student days, and it's so slow now. It keeps crashing when I write a lot of text, which makes it easy to lose my drafts... So I bought a new computer during Singles' Day, and this is the first chapter I wrote on it! It feels great!)