Hokage

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard as he looked at Pink Little Girl inside the Crystal Ball.

Although Haruno Sakura's way of dealing with Second Pillar had been somewhat biased, it was already enough to satisfy Hiruzen Sarutobi.

When words could do nothing for a classmate whose emotions had spiraled out of control, the best course was to subdue him first, then talk him down.

Clearly, it had worked well.

This was Konoha's future...

Recalling what had just happened, Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, as though he had made up his mind about something.

"Huff~"

Sakura leaned against a thick tree, breathing lightly as crystalline sweat trickled down her cheeks.

Second Pillar's matter had not affected Sakura much. She bore Sasuke no ill will.

He was just a pitiful child.

She had just finished a thirty-kilometer endurance run. At only seven years old, she could tell that this was the limit of her current body.

Continuing any further would damage her body.

"Sakura?"

"What are you doing here?"

A somewhat aged yet vigorous voice rang out with confusion.

The pink-haired little girl turned to look and saw a slightly balding old man in casual clothes examining her from not far away.

"Lord Hokage?"

Haruno Sakura revealed a surprised expression and tried to stand, but she had little strength left. After struggling twice, Hiruzen Sarutobi pressed a hand onto her shoulder.

"Since you're tired, rest properly."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked kindly at the pink-haired little girl before him.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Haruno Sakura pursed her lips, looking at the kindly old man with a puzzled expression.

"Why are you here, Lord Hokage?"

"Hahaha, of course I came to see our little genius ninja."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat beside Sakura and smiled as he patted her head.

Since Haruno Sakura had made no attempt to hide her talent, word of her genius had already spread. It was only natural that Hiruzen Sarutobi knew about it.

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Sakura pursed her lips and said nothing more.

"What is it?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked as he looked at the silent Sakura.

The child did not seem very happy.

Sakura pointed to the sweat on her face and her body, which was nearly too weak to stand.

"The word 'genius' completely covers up all the effort behind me."

"People can't see my hard work. They only think my excellence is something natural."

Though she had deliberately publicized her talent, Sakura had spent every night studying by lamplight over the past year, while making time during the day for training of a certain intensity.

Although she had indeed achieved her goal, she had also shed a great deal of sweat for it.

"I see... I was careless. Sakura is a very hardworking child."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression could not help softening.

He had already thought highly of the child before him, but now a trace of heartache rose within him as well.

"Then may I ask why Sakura works so hard?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words made Haruno Sakura straighten up.

She pointed in the direction of the Hokage Building—or, more precisely, in the direction of Hokage Rock.

Even though Hokage Rock could not be seen from here.

Hiruzen Sarutobi followed the direction Sakura was pointing.

"I want to become the first female Hokage!"

"To protect Mom, protect Dad, and protect the village!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared blankly at the little girl before him.

He had already thought highly of her. Now, combined with the impression that she was diligent and hardworking, and hearing words nearly identical to those once spoken by that red-haired Blood Red Habanero...

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to see the shadows of other people in this child.

She possessed strength like Tsunade's, ambition like Kushina's, and a personality like Minato's...

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes could not help growing moist. It was as if he saw the shadows of three different people in this child.

Because of the angle, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not see Sakura's somewhat unnatural and embarrassed expression.

Saying something like that in front of an old man in his sixties was pretty awkward.

Lying to an old man was only a temporary expedient.

"I see. That is a wonderful ambition."

"This old man has high hopes for Sakura."

Hiruzen Sarutobi wiped away the moisture from the corner of his eye, rubbed Sakura's head, and smiled.

"If there is anything you don't understand or any problem you have in the future, you can come ask me."

Then he stood and vanished from Sakura's sight.

Wait... Lord Hokage, you're just leaving like that?

Sakura could not help sighing as she watched Hiruzen Sarutobi disappear.

Hmm?

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something left where Hiruzen Sarutobi had been sitting.

It was a scroll.

Holy crap, the old man dropped loot!

Sakura eagerly picked up the scroll and opened it at once.

Two large words met her eyes on the first page.

Monstrous Strength!

Honestly, she was a little disappointed.

But it did not matter. At least she would be able to use Monstrous Strength openly from now on.

As she continued reading, Haruno Sakura's eyes brightened.

It was different from the Monstrous Strength her body naturally possessed.

Monstrous Strength was a high-level Nintaijutsu created by Tsunade. It gathered Chakra in one part of the body before explosively releasing it in an instant.

It demanded extremely precise Chakra control, but for that very reason, it also recorded how to control Chakra in a simpler and more effective manner.

Although Sakura had already mastered Monstrous Strength thanks to her golden finger, she was still not very proficient in this kind of precise Chakra manipulation.

Ninjas were beings who fought using Chakra.

Chakra control was practically the foremost priority for every ninja—except for Uzumaki Naruto, that filthy rich guy with absurd amounts of Chakra.

If she could master Chakra properly, she would be able to learn almost every technique more quickly.

And Hiruzen Sarutobi had said before leaving that she could go to him with anything she did not understand.

Hehe, Lord Hokage, I don't understand any of it!

Carefully putting away the scroll, Sakura hummed a tune as she walked lightly toward home beneath the setting sun.

"The vast horizon is my love~~~"

"Flowers bloom beneath the endless green mountains~~~"

The sparkling lake reflected the girl's cheerful figure. By the familiar riverbank, a lonely figure silently stared blankly at the water.

"Yo, Naruto, what are you spacing out there for?"

"It's getting dark. Aren't you going home to cook?"

"If I catch you eating instant noodles again, I'll tell Iruka-sensei that one cup of noodles costs you two hundred ryo~~"

The girl's cheerful voice made the blond kid turn around.

What entered his sight was a radiant smile that nearly made his heart stop.

"You're spacing out like an idiot. It's getting dark, so hurry home already."

"O-okay!"

Naruto froze for a moment, then immediately broke into a smile.

I made a group chat. Anyone interested can join.

Thanks to Tea Rice Life, Moonwatcher's Rabbit, and Tea-Drinking Super Method for the tips.

Thanks to Moonwatcher's Rabbit, Akselkaya, That Era of Flowing White Robes, Tea-Drinking Super Method, Yaolinlin Bar No. 6, and Tea Rice Life for the monthly votes.