Chapter 36

The rain gradually stopped. The dark clouds dispersed, and the sun shone down again.

Valley of the End.

After tirelessly traveling along the way, I have finally arrived here!

On the way here, I sensed two powerful Chakra erupting here. It must be Naruto and Sasuke fighting! Then there was no more sound. The drop of water on Sasuke's body must have been destroyed in the battle. The battle is probably over. I was a step too late!

After several leaps, we landed on the head of the First statue. Bai and I shouted "Naruto!" and "Sasuke!" as we looked down, searching for the two figures.

"There!" Bai pointed to the two figures on the ground and said to me!

"Ice Release Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"

Haku and I appeared at the bottom of the valley at the same time, only to find Naruto lying on the ground, his life hanging in the balance!

"Don't worry, he's still alive, just unconscious. I didn't use my full strength..." Sasuke's voice rang out from the side!

I turned my head and saw Sasuke standing to one side, staring at us expressionlessly.

"... Sasuke," I said, looking at him with mixed feelings, "You know I'll stop you..."

"This is just a Shadow Clone," Sasuke calmly. "The real me left long ago, and you couldn't stop me... You don't need to waste your energy trying to persuade me anymore. There's no going back now!"

Shadow Clone...? I lowered my hand, which was about to form Hand Seals, and sighed. Sasuke's mind was made up; I had no other choice, and I couldn't even continue the pursuit.

Moreover, as Sasuke said, from the moment he left the village, there was no turning back. Even if a rogue ninja is spared imprisonment upon returning to the village, he will constantly face discrimination and distrust from the villagers... It won't end well. Tsunade only sent the three of us, probably because she understood this! If she really wanted to bring Sasuke back, Tsunade could at least have dispatched the Anbu directly under the Hokage.

If Sasuke is to return to Konoha, Sasuke must at least become a powerful Kage Level ninja and not become an enemy of the village. Then, if Sasuke wants to return, Konoha will never push away Kage Level ninja. As for what happened in the past, as long as it didn't directly harm Konoha's interests or kill Konoha ninja, it can all be ignored.

Thinking about all this, I am speechless at this moment.

Forget it, you can't force things. Maybe he'll come back after Sasuke gets his revenge!

"Sasuke, if you insist on doing this... the next time we meet, we might be enemies! Is it worth it for power?"

"To gain the power to take revenge, any price is worth it!" Sasuke said without hesitation. "Next time we meet, I'll be stronger than you... Don't worry, I'll go easy on you!"

"Hmph..." My lips twitched, but I didn't manage a smile. "You're dreaming! I'm growing stronger too! Next time we meet, you still won't be able to beat me!"

"Tch... so stubborn..." Sasuke dismissively, scoffing.

"The Valley of the End... Rumor has it that it was created by two best friends who turned against each other and fought here. How ironic! You actually fought here!" I looked at the cratered battlefield around me and said, "Sasuke, Naruto... he's become very strong now, right? You used the power of that Cursed Seal, didn't you? I fought those Sound Ninja, and after activating the Cursed Seal, my strength definitely increased significantly. Orochimaru can give you this kind of power, no wonder you chose Orochimaru! But, if I were you, I wouldn't use this kind of power from an unknown source! There's no such thing as a free lunch. Power gained out of thin air may come at an unimaginable price! This might be my last piece of advice to you..."

Sasuke lowered his eyes and remained silent.

I won't try to persuade him anymore. This is the path Sasuke has chosen himself. What he gains or loses is his own business. From this moment on, we and Sasuke will walk different paths...

"No..." I gently picked up Naruto, "Let's go!"

"I hope that when we meet again, you'll still be you...!" I carried Naruto on my back, ready to return to the village.

Taking this step of parting ways is so heavy. Six years of friendship, parting ways here, and perhaps our next meeting will be a battle!

"Goodbye!" I paused for a moment, finally arriving. Then I turned and left without further hesitation!

"Take care of yourself...!"

Bang! Sasuke's Shadow Clone vanished into thin air!

"Bai... let's go!" I said calmly.

Bai and I silently hurried back to the village.

"Sakura... next time we meet, will you really fight Sasuke?" Haku suddenly asked on the way.

"Who knows... maybe not!" I stared at the sky, feeling a little lost.

Although we don't know what will happen next, following the pattern of shonen manga, an even stronger boss will inevitably appear later, perhaps even behind Akatsuki there's a mastermind behind it all... As for Sasuke, will he return to Konoha to fight alongside us, or will he stay by the boss's side and become his accomplice? If he chooses the latter—

"Perhaps... I might kill him with my own hands...!"

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The mission failed.

They paid the price of Naruto being seriously injured and unconscious, killed four of the Sound Five, and captured the Tayuya, but still... they couldn't bring Sasuke back.

Although I've convinced myself that I'm no longer bothered by Sasuke's defection, I still sometimes think, what if things had been different if I had been quicker, much quicker, in taking down the Sound Five?

Despite creating such a powerful Ninjutsu, and completely countering their fighting style... I still couldn't cleanly defeat them. After severely injuring Kisame and defeating Orochimaru, I seem to have gotten a little cocky! This time, in the battle against the Sound Ninja, the Water Gun Technique was significantly countered. The Water Gun Technique, which had repeatedly proven its effectiveness against Orochimaru and Kisame, was surprisingly ineffective against Kimimaro...

I could have easily killed Kimimaro with just one hit, but I just couldn't hit him! After witnessing my Water Release, the enemy quickly devised a way to counter it—as long as I couldn't hit them! As soon as they sensed my Chakra fluctuations, they would immediately dodge regardless of whether I was about to use Water Gun Technique, making it impossible for me to lock on; they would leave one fast enough to restrain me, while the rest would attack from the shadows; they would use intangible attacks or elemental attacks like Fire Style to counter the Azure Water Release...

When I meet Akatsuki's characters again, will they find even more ways to control me?

Sakura Haruno, you're still not a flawless ninja! I thought to myself. So, I can't just focus on developing these Ninjutsu! I need to become stronger and more flawless, and then those who thought they had found my weakness will meet their demise!

Outside Naruto's hospital room at Konoha Hospital.

I sat on a chair in the corridor, anxiously awaiting Tsunade's diagnosis while silently reflecting on my own actions.

"It's all alright now... Sakura!" Tsunade said to me Teuchi the door.

"That's good..." I forced a smile, "But the mission failed, and Naruto was seriously injured..."

"Sakura, you've done enough...!" Tsunade comforted me. "Actually, it's my fault. I didn't expect Orochimaru to send such strong ninjas! It's already a surprise that you were able to defeat them!"

"No, it's still not enough... I can do better! Tsunade- sensei, please train me!"

"Alright... Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you my original Ninjutsu!" Tsunade said with a smile. "Why don't you go into Naruto's room and keep him company? I'll go get some medicine!"

I Gate of Opening.

Naruto had woken up, his body wrapped in bandages, and he was silently staring at the ninja Forehead Protector Sasuke had left behind, marked with a slash signifying his defection.

"Sakura, you're here!" Naruto was initially delighted to see me, but the joy quickly faded, and he said with a pained expression, "Sakura... I'm sorry... I couldn't stop Sasuke!"

Seeing the somber expression on Naruto's face, a face that was usually so sunny and optimistic, my heart ached. Sasuke's defection had caused Naruto immense damage, not only physically but also psychologically!

"You don't need to apologize to Naruto!" I said with a smile, as if Sasuke's defection was nothing more than a minor incident. "Actually, it's all my fault for not arriving in time. I thought you could definitely persuade Sasuke to change his mind, so I sent you to chase Sasuke alone, but you ended up injured like this! By the time I found you, Sasuke had already left, and I couldn't continue the pursuit, so I had no choice but to bring you back first..."

"So let's just give up! I've already given up... Sasuke's mind is made up, there's no way we can change his mind! We can't find him, let alone bring him back to the village! Let's stop looking for him... Forget about him!"

"Sakura! How could you say such a thing! Sasuke is a member of Team 7!" Naruto said angrily. "He's our friend! If we don't find him quickly, Orochimaru might kill him!"

"Sakura is right..." Jiraiya, suddenly burst through the hospital room window. "You should just forget about Sasuke!"

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise.

"Couldn't you just come in through the door, Uncle Jiraiya!" I couldn't help but complain about Jiraiya's quirks! "You're here to see Naruto, right? What's up?"

"There's something I need to say," Jiraiya, taking a sip of sake. "Naruto, I'm here today to formally accept you as my student... After you're discharged from the hospital, I'll take you away for three years of training! Also, don't worry about Sasuke's matter..."

"Why?!" Naruto asked, frowning.

"First, you already know that Orochimaru Sasuke Sasuke to defect in order to be reincarnated into his body, but recently he couldn't wait for Sasuke's arrival and has already reincarnated once. According to my intelligence network, Orochimaru's next reincarnation will be at least three years later! That means Sasuke is still safe during this time! But, more importantly, Sasuke went to Orochimaru voluntarily... No matter what you do, you can't change his mind!"

"I've seen many ninjas, and I can tell that Sasuke and Orochimaru are the same type... For power, they can abandon all bonds! So you'd better give up this idea! If you insist on going to find Sasuke, I'll have to give up on taking you as my apprentice, order the Anbu to monitor you, and forbid you from leaving Konoha!"

"Because you are no ordinary ninja... The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox is sealed within you! You are Akatsuki's target, and one day you will face an enemy stronger than Orochimaru...!"

"This is your fate, Naruto... A ninja must cultivate the ability to make sound judgments. Chasing Sasuke was a foolish and unwise move. So, forget about Sasuke... Stop harboring such foolish thoughts! To survive in this cruel ninja world, you must learn to be smarter!"

Naruto's hands had unconsciously clenched so tightly that blood seeped through the bandages. He remained silent for a long time, head bowed, before finally speaking—

"... I... I understand..." Naruto raised his head, his eyes resolute, and said, "If this is what they call being smart... then I'd rather be a fool for the rest of my life!"

"Sakura, Jiraiya, I will use my own strength to create even more powerful Ninjutsu, defeat Orochimaru, defeat Akatsuki! And then... bring Sasuke back!"

Naruto confidently replied!

Is this the charm of the protagonist? Even though he made such a declaration like a fool, I had a strange feeling that he wasn't lying, that he could actually do it! Although I think Naruto is more about stubbornness, perhaps in this cruel world, only the obsessive can succeed!

They'll go down a path to the bitter end, refusing to turn back even when they hit a wall, but instead continuing to smash through it until they carve a bloody path through! Such a path is incredibly difficult to succeed on! However, once such a person succeeds, their achievements will far exceed what ordinary people can imagine!

"Idiots are beyond help... but if it's a really big idiot, maybe there's still some hope!" Jiraiya summoned a giant Toad, which jumped onto him without turning around, and said, "If you rely on your own strength, you'll probably only be able to develop some boring Harem Jutsu Ninjutsu! Forget it, after you're discharged, let me give you a good workout!"

Jiraiya sat on the Toad's head and quickly left.

"Tsk, Jiraiya is such a soft-hearted idiot with a sharp tongue!" I said, guessing that Jiraiya couldn't hear me anymore.

"Sakura! And what about you?"

"What?! I have no interest in finding Sasuke... Never mind," I conceded under Naruto's pleading gaze, "I'll help you later!"

"As for you, remember to train properly with Uncle Jiraiya! If you still can't beat Sasuke when you come back, I'll definitely beat you to a pulp!"

We mere mortals often hesitate and hold back when it comes to doing things because we overthink and worry too much... But someone as single-minded as Naruto can often overcome all difficulties and forge ahead! That's why we're happy to help Naruto and see just how far he can go!

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A few days later, at the Konoha Hyuga Clan.

"Neji, stop for a moment! We have guests!" I heard Hyuga Hiashi's voice from afar; it seemed the Byakugan had already spotted me.

Guided by someone from the Hyuga Branch Family, I arrived at the training ground where Neji and Hiashi were practicing, and Hinata was indeed making tea for them.

"Excuse me!" I waved to them and said, "I'm here to see Hinata!"

"Hinata- nee, it seems they want you to come with them to say goodbye to Naruto, right?" Neji picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and then turned to me, "Sakura, hello, long time no see!"

"Sakura... hello! That farewell... I...!" Hinata blushed and lowered her head.

"Hinata, are you still bothered by what happened last time? Don't worry, Naruto definitely won't care!"

"That incident last time?" Neji was slightly taken aback.

I laughed and said, "A few Hinata went to the hospital to visit Naruto, and when she saw that Naruto was covered in bandages, she was so scared that Naruto fainted in front of him!" I still find it a little funny when I think about it now, but Naruto has probably forgotten about it a long time ago!

"Sakura, please stop...!" Hinata was extremely embarrassed.

"Let's go then!"

I grabbed Hinata's soft hand and forcefully pulled her out of the Hyuga Clan. Being Hyuga compound, facing the stoic Hiashi and my former defeated rival Neji, always made me feel incredibly awkward and stressed!

Konoha Gate.

Naruto looked around nervously, thinking, "She told me to wait for her here, why hasn't she shown up yet!"

"They're here!" I pushed Hinata in front of Naruto. "Look who I've brought!"

"Ah! Hinata," Naruto said with a big laugh, "You came to see me off too!"

"Um, um..." Hinata was so nervous she could barely speak. In the end, she just handed Naruto a box of ointment, said, "Take care of yourself!", and then ran away in a panic!

"Thank you!" Naruto looked at Hinata's departing figure, somewhat puzzled. "What's wrong with her?"

I chuckled and handed Naruto a scroll, "Naruto, just ignore her, let her be shy for a while! This is a training guide for the next stage of the Rasengan. Remember to train under Jiraiya's guidance!"

"That's about it..." I patted Naruto on the shoulder. "Keep it up! When you come back, we'll have a match and see how much you've improved! You absolutely can't let Sasuke leave you behind!"

"Don't worry! I'll train hard!" Naruto looked at me earnestly and said, "By the time I come back, I might be even stronger than you!"

"Hmph—" I ignored Naruto's boastful words. "When you come back, you have to become a tall and handsome boy! And—"

I glared at Jiraiya standing to the side. "Uncle Jiraiya, if you dare to teach Naruto any bad habits, I'll definitely have a serious 'talking' with you when you get back!"

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Jiraiya's forehead.

"Goodbye!"

Naruto gave me a thumbs up, and then gradually walked away...!