Tranquility

Sakura Haruno and Sasuke stayed in that other world for about three months.

After teaching Cherry Blossom Impact and Nintaijutsu, the two chose to return voluntarily.

Sakura Haruno's modified Monstrous Strength Technique has evolved into a Nintaijutsu that increasingly resembles a Taijutsu system. Unlike Monstrous Strength Technique, which focuses on enhancing the power and destructive force of punches and kicks, Nintaijutsu comprehensively improves a ninja's explosiveness, endurance, and destructive power—that is, the force and speed of punches and kicks. Combined with Cherry Blossom Impact's enhancement to reaction speed, Sakura, who masters these two techniques, will experience a significant increase in strength, transforming into a violent ninja primarily using Nintaijutsu.

What will happen to that world after that?

Sakura Haruno and Sasuke had already returned to their original world at that time, and they may never have the chance to return to that world again; it is unknown whether they will.

She simply believed that they, in that other world, would have a happy ending.

A few days later.

Main world, Konoha.

It was already early September. After the start of autumn, the lingering summer heat began to wreak havoc on the Land of Land of Fire, making the air unusually muggy.

Having just returned from the dry, cold Konoha in early winter to the humid, warm world of late summer and early autumn, Sakura Haruno felt a little uncomfortable all over.

The afternoon sun was extremely harsh that day.

However, the Hokage's office was unusually cool— Tsunade had extravagantly placed Ice Release seal inside the Hokage building, using it as an air conditioner.

This is a treat prepared for the big spenders; doesn't Sakura Haruno understand her?

Ah, woman.

After dismissing the Anbu who were secretly lying in wait, the office door was locked, leaving only the Fifth Hokage, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke inside. Tsunade sat at her desk, her expression serious, listening attentively to her student Sakura Haruno's report.

"... In short, Pain is extremely powerful and is an unprecedented enemy for us!"

"Yes, that's basically the situation."

The girl's expression was solemn as she spoke slowly.

"Pain's strength... is he really that powerful?" Tsunade frowned, her expression showing a hint of doubt.

Six clones, each with unique and powerful skills; a full-force attack could level the entire Konoha Village... or even turn it into a deep crater; this level of power has surpassed the limits that ordinary ninjas can imagine!

"He calls himself a god..." Sasuke said solemnly, "Judging solely from his strength, this title is not an exaggeration."

"All right..."

Tsunade, lowered her head, and silently processed the information presented by the two men, remaining silent for a long while.

"I understand." After a long silence, the Fifth Hokage finally looked up, nodded, and said, "The intelligence you've gathered is crucial. Well done."

"However... I have a question: where did you obtain this information?"

The boy and girl exchanged a glance in front of Tsunade.

They had considered this issue when they returned.

Information from unknown sources is obviously less credible; but what can be done? To be honest, this story is a bit too fantastical.

Sasuke tends to make up an excuse, such as running into Akatsuki members while out and about... or obtaining information from them after a major battle.

Sasuke wanted to treat the events of the past few days as some secrets he and she shared.

That excuse sounds more plausible than traveling the world.

However, this logic still has many flaws. Even Sakura Haruno could easily find many inexplicable loopholes, let alone the Tsunade.

After racking her brains for a long time but still unable to come up with a perfect reason, Sakura Haruno simply decided to tell the truth.

--Anyway, there's nothing to hide.

"You might not believe it..." Sakura Haruno blurted out in her familiar sentence structure, "We... um... traveled to a world a year in the future."

"What?"

Tsunade's eyes widened, and she almost spat out the tea she was drinking.

Sakura and Sasuke tried to explain, "We used the ley line energy from the ruins of Rōran to travel to another world—"

They all started talking at once.

However, Tsunade didn't believe her at all. "Alright, alright, I understand, stop explaining."

The earth vein energy of the Ancient Kingdom of Roran? Time travel? Meeting their counterparts from another world? The story is quite well-crafted; it must have been quite a feat for those two. Tsunade.

"Your imagination is good. But if they really are two similar worlds, why did Sakura and you change the most in that world? Why is the past history the same, and why did things only start to change from the beginning for you? That's too much of a coincidence." She shook her finger and retorted.

Tsunade found it hard to imagine that her spirited and powerful disciple would become shy, gentle, weak, and timid in another world.

In fact, if Sasuke hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have been able to imagine what Sakura Haruno looked like.

Tsunade, stopping Sasuke from explaining further.

"I understand."

She blinked, looked at the two of them, and said with a smile.

What do you even know?!

The girl was internally ranting, but couldn't say it due to the occasion, which was really frustrating.

"Ours is real..." Sasuke said weakly.

"Haha, if you don't want to, that's fine! You've already accomplished a great feat by gathering such important intelligence. I won't ask any more questions."

The blonde beauty stood up and patted the girl on the shoulder with the air of a kind elder.

"You're starting to have your own secrets too, Sakura..." She smiled with a look of relief.

"The most important difference between a woman and a girl is whether she has her own secrets." Tsunade in the girl's ear, brushing aside her hair, her lips parted slightly, "You've grown up, Sakura!"

Sakura Haruno's face twitched slightly.

I have absolutely no idea how to respond.

"Go back and get some rest!" she said to the two of them as she walked back behind her desk. "This was supposed to be a vacation for you, but you've turned it into a work assignment..."

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged a glance, then turned and left the office.

Stepping out of the cool building and onto the sun-drenched, sweltering street, Sakura Haruno sighed silently.

"I knew it, but the Lord Hokage wouldn't believe me," Sasuke said, hurrying to catch up with Sakura.

"At least what we're telling the truth."

The girl didn't turn around when she spoke.

If others don't believe the truth, that's their problem; if they don't believe the lie, that's your problem.

"Alright..." Sasuke pondered for a moment, then walked to stand beside the girl and asked, "What are your plans lately, Sakura?"

"If Master Tsunade hasn't assigned any special tasks..." Sakura Haruno stroked her smooth chin, pondering, "It'll probably be helping Kakashi-sensei train, and training myself, right?"

With her successful mastery of Sage Mode, Sakura Haruno is now considered a top-tier fighter, and ordinary missions will no longer bother her.

This also means that after all three children in Sakura Haruno's Team graduated, Sakura Haruno now has a lot of free time.

Even Jiraiya was given a mission to gather intelligence and then ran all over the world, was the same.

--Although she didn't think she would be very idle.

Turning her head to glance at Sasuke, who seemed about to speak but hesitated, Sakura Haruno smiled slightly and said, "I know what you're thinking."

This time travel, while yielding a wealth of information, also left the two with many questions.

If it's inconvenient over there, Sasuke still has a lot of questions he wants to discuss with Sakura Haruno when he gets back.

"Don't ask me now... I was exhausted from training Sakura all night last night, I need to go home and get some sleep!"

She stretched lazily, revealing the slender, fair waistline beneath her shirt, and said languidly.

The Konoha in the afternoon were peaceful and serene.

Only...

The world over there is already engulfed in war; how long can this peace last?

[First update. 1 AM this morning (according to the lunar calendar)! Making up for last night's update.]