Visitors from Another World?
"Summoning Technique!"
Sakura Haruno immediately Hand Seals and unleashed Summoning Technique on the Sage Katsuyu.
Thud!
The girl slapped her hand on the dusty floor, and black, tadpole-shaped magic symbols instantly spread from her palm, then—
As if somewhat reluctant, a Katsuyu over ten meters long was summoned.
"Lady Sakura Haruno?"
The Katsuyu bent down, looking at the girl in front of it with a puzzled expression.
Is this Sakura Haruno? The Katsuyu of this world, sensing the familiar yet strange Chakra emanating from the girl, was filled with questions.
Wait, this doesn't seem to be Sakura Haruno... although she looks a lot like Sakura—maybe her features are more delicate and her hair is a bit more mature.
The Katsuyu carefully sensed the girl in front of it, its doubts only growing stronger: in its memory, the new contractor, Sakura Haruno, did not have such a special aura, let alone the powerful energy hidden in her slender body.
Sakura Haruno isn't that amazing!
"No, you're not Lady Sakura! Who are you?" The Katsuyu took a step back warily and asked in a deep voice, "Why can you summon me?"
The two people in front of it exchanged a glance, their expressions showing a sense of helplessness.
"It recognizes me, so it must be from the time after I became a disciple of my master... at least 60 years after Konoha." The girl spread her hands, gazing at the Katsuyu's bewildered words.
"It seems that Sakura Haruno in this world isn't too different from you!" the boy said in a deep voice.
"That's difficult."
The conversation between the two left the Katsuyu completely bewildered. "The Sakura Haruno of this world"? What on earth is this?
Who exactly are you?
The Katsuyu looked wary and coldly repeated the sentence.
The girl who looked a lot like Sakura Haruno chuckled, seemingly unconcerned about the Katsuyu's wariness. "We have no reason to hide anything from you... so I'll tell you the truth."
"I am Sakura Haruno."
The Katsuyu clearly showed disbelief. "You think I wouldn't recognize my own contractor—"
"To be precise, I am Sakura Haruno from another world."
Sakura Haruno directly revealed the answer.
"What... you're kidding me!" the Katsuyu exclaimed in astonishment, waving its antennae excitedly. "Do you think I'd believe such absurd nonsense?"
"Of course you'll believe it, because it's the truth!" Sakura Haruno laughed. "In my world, I've also been to Shikkotsu Forest and seen your true form."
She casually recounted some secrets about the Shikkotsu Forest and the Sage Katsuyu.
These seemingly minor details, known only to contractors, are precisely what prove Sakura Haruno's identity—at least that she did indeed visit Shikkotsu Forest and meet the Sage Katsuyu.
The Katsuyu knew very well that, in recent years and decades, the only two people who had ever been to Shikkotsu Forest were Tsunade and Sakura Haruno.
Could she really be Sakura Haruno?
The Katsuyu was clearly shaken.
The fact that it could be summoned already clarifies many things—the true form of the Sage Katsuyu cannot be fooled by any tricks or demons; only a true contractor can send its body into the spirit realm!
"Anyway, we're not bad people." The girl smiled calmly at the Katsuyu's hesitant and indecisive look, and added, "At least I didn't summon you to do anything bad..."
"I just wanted to ask you, what year is it in Konoha?"
The pink-haired girl and the black-haired boy stared intently at the Katsuyu, awaiting its answer.
"Okay, I can answer that question..." the Katsuyu thought for a moment and said.
"This year marks the 6th year of Konoha."
"Six years?" Sakura Haruno and Sasuke stared wide-eyed at each other, bewildered.
The two could never have imagined that their journey would go so awry, and they would actually find themselves in...
Future.
The future, one year from now!
Sakura Haruno regained her composure first and calmly continued, "So, has anything major happened recently?"
"You didn't know?" The Katsuyu carefully examined the expressions of the two. "I finally believe you are indeed Konoha Ninja from another world."
"Because... Konoha was just completely destroyed not long ago."
The Katsuyu answered in a somber voice.
"The whole world already knows this news."
"What?!"
Sakura Haruno couldn't help but open her mouth and gasp in surprise.
She never imagined that the story of Shippuden would develop to this extent!
"Could you please..." Sakura Haruno said coldly, her pretty face darkening, "Explain the whole story."
"Alright, guest from another world, listen carefully."
The Katsuyu took two steps back, found a comfortable spot to sit, and began to recount the story in detail...
Sakura Haruno and Sasuke also tensed up and listened carefully.
Sakura Haruno and Sasuke visibly breathed a sigh of relief when they heard Pain use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive those who had been killed.
"Wait!" Sasuke frowned after hearing the Katsuyu's story. "What was 'I' doing all this time? Why was it always Naruto appearing?"
"Where's Sasuke Uchiha? Is he dead?"
"Sasuke Uchiha...?" Katsuyu glanced at Sasuke and said calmly, "He defected from Konoha."
"Defected?" Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise.
"Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi all stayed in Konoha, how could he have defected? That's impossible!"
The black-haired boy exclaimed incredulously.
Even during his most emotionally charged period recently, the thought of defecting from the village never crossed his mind...
Because the only remaining bonds he cherished were in the village.
How could he, from another world, possibly abandon these bonds and defect from the village?
"That's a question for you to answer..." the Katsuyu replied indifferently, "Sasuke Uchiha."
"If there's nothing else, let's end this psychic communication here. I need to inform my main body about this," it added.
"Alright, Katsuyu, after you go back," Sakura Haruno interjected, "Please remind Sage Katsuyu to keep our affairs a secret for now; we don't want to reveal our identities."
Revealing the secret to the Sage Katsuyu is fine, since it doesn't concern itself with worldly affairs and is very discreet.
"No problem."
After uttering those words, the Katsuyu vanished in a puff of smoke.
In the empty, ruined hall, only the boy and girl remained once again.
"Do you have any ideas, Sasuke?" Sakura Haruno asked, noticing Sasuke's pensive expression.
"I want to see the version of myself in this world," Sasuke coldly. "I need to find out why he left Konoha... Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well..."
Sasuke simply couldn't accept him like that!
"And then, I want to meet you and Naruto in this world too!"
When it came to Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke finally managed a slight smile on his usually stern face.
What kind of people are the valiant and reliable Naruto, and the gentle and graceful Sakura Haruno?
"And you?" he countered.
"Me too." Sakura Haruno laughed. "I'm also very interested in myself in this world, Naruto, and you..."
"If that's the case, we might have to split up, because we're not together in this world..."
The girl slowly walked out of the hall.
The moonlight outside the hall was the same as when I arrived.
The full, bright moon and the dazzling starlight hung high beneath the dark purple night sky, like jewels embedded in the darkness, radiant and shimmering.
Under the beautiful night sky, Sakura Haruno, who had just learned of Konoha's many misfortunes, felt somewhat relieved.
"Let's rest first, Sasuke!"
She turned around and smiled Sasuke, who was still standing in the middle of the hall, his legs seemingly rooted to the spot.
"These things can't be rushed... Get some rest first, we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning!"
"Okay... whatever you say."
Sasuke sighed and followed the girl's retreating figure out of the ruined hall.
Night deepened.
[Third update]
[After 11 o'clock, my energy completely failed me, and I started to feel sleepy as soon as I closed my eyes... I managed to finish writing by drinking cold water to stay awake.]