Returning to the Ancient City of Rōran

The first thing Sakura Haruno did upon returning to Konoha was to let her parents and everyone know she was safe.

After all, they had all been terrified about this before.

In the Hokage's office, Sakura Haruno also learned from Tsunade about the recent events that had happened to Sasuke.

The incident itself wasn't very complicated; it's just that the underlying causes of the conflict were quite complex.

In short, the consequences stemmed from the unresolved issues surrounding the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

Although on the surface, the village has shifted all the blame onto Uchiha Itachi, covering up the fact that the Uchiha and the village had once distrusted each other and even broken up, it makes it seem as if Konoha has always trusted the Uchiha, both in the past and in the future.

Then I hope Sasuke will trust the village in the same way.

With only two Uchiha remaining and Uchiha Itachi taking the blame, there was no insurmountable obstacle between Konoha and Sasuke.

However, Sasuke had clearly sensed the problem – in fact, a long time ago, after Sakura Haruno accompanied him to the cat clan's warehouse, Sasuke vaguely realized that the Uchiha had once intended to rebel against the village.

Sasuke didn't pursue the matter further.

In fact... it was his inner cowardice that prevented him from investigating further.

He was afraid that he might see something that would change his long-held beliefs.

I fear that in the real story, the Uchiha were a foolish and incompetent clan who trampled their own glory into the mud.

In truth, Tsunade didn't care how much Sasuke knew. From a political perspective, there are some things that even if we know them, we can pretend to be confused and pretend we don't know... Doing so is good for everyone.

The saying "It's rare to be confused" perfectly illustrates this point.

After listening to Tsunade's explanation, Sakura Haruno felt a little regretful.

Her reply to Sasuke was only three lines long, and it probably didn't Sasuke much.

However, a mere letter isn't enough to change Sasuke's mind. In Sakura Haruno's opinion, Sasuke's obsession with clan matters stems from a narrow perspective and limited vision—in worldly terms, a lack of "magnanimity."

To put it bluntly, many ninjas from other countries have suffered the annihilation of their clans and villages, their families destroyed, and countless civilians struggling to survive. Even in the powerful and prosperous Land of Fire, there are countless people living in dire poverty—who will sympathize with the countless skeletons of farmers in parasitic disease-ridden areas where nine out of ten houses are empty?

This world is just so messed up.

In terms of tragic fate, Sasuke probably doesn't even rank among the worst. Why be so dramatic? Living well and cherishing the life you have now is the only real thing to do.

Of course, if Sakura Haruno could write something like "An Analysis of the Social Classes in the Land of Fire," "A Report on the Konoha Ninja Movement," "Why Can the Red Will of Konoha Exist?" and "The Fire of Konoha Can Start a Prairie Fire," Sasuke might have a sudden epiphany, and his perspective would be elevated...

But I cannot do it!

Furthermore, Sakura Haruno herself has both parents and hasn't experienced such suffering. What right does she have to criticize Sasuke for being pretentious after his parents and clan were massacred? What gives her the right to condescendingly judge Sasuke?

Thinking of this, Sakura Haruno couldn't help but sigh.

What can she do in this situation?

Stepping out of the Hokage's office, Sakura Haruno, preoccupied with her thoughts, headed straight for the Anbu building and found Sasuke —who was sparring with Hinata.

Well, the relationship between Sasuke and Hinata has always been rather bland, at most a nodding acquaintance, even though Sasuke and Hinata are Sakura Haruno's closest friends.

It's probably because I was taught from a young age not to befriend people with white or Red Eye.

The relationship between the two major families Dōjutsu is such that they are either irreconcilable enemies or would never interact with each other again.

However, after working countless overtime hours together in the Anbu, the two, whose Byakugan and Sharingan had both turned into panda eyes, became quite familiar with each other.

Sakura Haruno was somewhat surprised.

After exchanging pleasantries, Hinata realized that Sakura needed to speak with Sasuke, so she left first.

The training ground was suddenly empty except for the boy and girl, making it the perfect place for them to talk.

Sakura Haruno blinked and hesitated for a moment.

"Sakura..." Sasuke looked at Sakura Haruno and asked, "Do you have something to say to me?"

"If it's about what happened before, there's no need to do it anymore; it's all in the past."

He saw through Sakura Haruno's intentions and spoke frankly.

"It's nothing really." Sakura Haruno smiled apologetically and took two steps back. "I was thinking, that letter I replied to you before, it was only three lines long. Hmm... I guess I was a bit too careless."

"Did it have any adverse effects?"

She asked cautiously.

"I see." Sasuke smiled faintly and immediately said, "Of course not! Actually, you're very kind; every word you said addressed my concerns... Anyway, thank you."

He paused for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Alright, okay, let's not talk about these things anymore. I've already put them in the past."

"Is it over?"

Sakura Haruno stared intently at Sasuke's face. His expression was calm and serene, his dark eyes quietly returning the girl's gaze. The calmness in his eyes didn't seem fake; it seemed... he truly didn't care about this matter anymore.

She hesitated for a few seconds.

"Hmm, that's fine." The girl smiled serenely. "Then... Sasuke, how about I take you somewhere?"

"It's good for clearing your head."

Or perhaps, it's seen as broadening horizons, gaining market experience, and elevating one's perspective?

A few days later.

The Land of Wind.

Following the path that Sakura Haruno had once walked, the two quickly crossed the border of the Land of Fire. The scenery along the way gradually changed from forests and grasslands to barren plains, and finally to a desolate Gobi Desert.

The Sunagakure is not far from the Konoha, only a three-mile journey away. Sakura Haruno's destination is located near the midway point between the Sunagakure and the Konoha Village. In addition, both of them are extremely fast ninjas, so they did not spend too much time. In just two short days, they crossed a distance of more than a thousand kilometers and arrived at the ruins of an ancient city.

We arrived at dusk, just as the sun was beginning to set.

The yellowish hue quickly faded, and in the dim light, the ruins of the ancient city appeared even more somber.

We've arrived.

Sakura Haruno stopped, calmed her heaving chest, and said softly.

With a light leap, the girl landed on the roof of a ruined building, looking down with a touch of nostalgia.

I came up here exactly one year ago.

A year has passed, but it has brought no change to this desolate ruin. The ancient buildings and broken walls remain dilapidated and weathered, with only the accumulated sand and dust in the corners seeming to have increased. The cold wind howls through the ruins, stirring up strange cries that seem like nocturnal ghosts, adding a touch of gloom and terror to the desolate wasteland.

Night fell.

The full moon hung high in the starry sky, casting its bright light and draping the ruins under the night sky in a mysterious silver veil.

She hasn't been back here since she completed her time-travel experience here last time.

Sakura Haruno has always harbored a strong curiosity about this mysterious place, and now she finally has the opportunity to experience it again.

This time, she's going to try and take Sasuke with her on her journey through time...

She gazed silently at the scene before her, falling silent for a moment.

"Sakura, where is this place?"

Sasuke swiftly jumped up and stood beside Sakura, asking a question.

"The ruins of Rōran."

The girl smiled mysteriously.

[First Update]

[The previous chapter was absolutely obscene; I didn't even think about it when I wrote it. Enough already!]