Haruno Sakura
Looking at the enormous scroll summoned by the Monkey King Enma before her, Sakura pricked her finger and wrote her name on it.
"With that, you are now a summoner contracted with the Enma Clan, Sakura."
Looking at the name after Hiruzen Sarutobi's, Enma could not help but speak.
She could actually possess contracts with both Enma and Katsuyu.
This child was truly fortunate.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Sakura before him and stroked the short beard on his chin.
"Since the contract has been completed, Sakura, give the Summoning Jutsu a try."
Katsuyu, perched on Sakura's shoulder, spoke gently.
"When using the Summoning Jutsu, you only need to silently think of the Summoning Beast you wish to summon."
Hiruzen Sarutobi added from the side.
Haruno Sakura nodded. While the blood on her finger had yet to dry, she quickly formed the seals in sequence.
Hand Seals
"Summoning Jutsu!"
As white smoke drifted away, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Enma both fell grim-faced when they saw the tiny thing Sakura had summoned.
"My, my, what a cute little monkey~~"
Katsuyu, resting on Sakura's shoulder, could not help but laugh at the little fellow before her.
"Uh, hehe, I must have run out of Chakra, so..."
Seeing what she had summoned, Sakura broke out in a cold sweat and scratched her head awkwardly.
There was no other reason: what Sakura had summoned was a white baby monkey still wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Heaven knew how this little guy had answered Sakura's summoning call...
"Ababa..."
The little monkey opened his bright, lively eyes and stretched out his arms, asking to be held.
Sakura nearly burst into tears at the sight. She had summoned herself a dad...
Even so, Sakura carefully picked up the little monkey.
"I never expected you to summon my son, who is only a month old. What a surprise."
Enma sat to one side and looked helplessly at the little monkey in Sakura's arms.
He had never imagined that his son would respond to Sakura's summoning.
"Your son?"
Sakura looked at Enma in confusion.
By then, the little monkey had already wriggled free of his swaddling clothes and climbed onto Sakura's head.
"Yes. This is my son, Enra, who was born not long ago."
Enma's words left Sakura stunned.
So the little fellow on her head was that unruly monkey from the arena who threw banana peels and bombs everywhere.
Still, that was fine. Sakura could block~~~
"It seems you lacked the Chakra to summon other monkeys, so you summoned my son instead. Once you recover your Chakra, you should be able to summon normally."
Enma held the monkey on Sakura's head in his palm and explained.
"If that's the case, can Sakura grow up together with Enra~~"
Katsuyu looked at the little monkey in Enma's palm.
"Not quite. Because of our Enma Clan's Indestructible Body, our growth cycle is very slow."
"By the time this little guy grows up, Sakura's children will probably already be old enough to buy soy sauce."
Enma teased the son in his palm, making little Enra bare his teeth.
"But if Sakura needs my help in the future, just call for me. I'll come whenever summoned. I have nothing much to do at home anyway."
Enma picked up the swaddling clothes Enra had escaped from and skillfully wrapped him back up, clearly not for the first time.
"Thank you, Lord Enma!"
While Hiruzen Sarutobi was teaching Haruno Sakura, a one-eyed man in a black-and-white robe, with bandages wrapped around one eye, sat in the Hokage's Office—in Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal seat.
This feeling...
The man named Shimura Danzō leaned back in the chair, narrowing his eyes with an indescribably... pleasant expression.
Hiruzen was truly getting senile. At his age, he ought to be thinking about retiring early, yet he was imitating young people and taking on disciples...
How utterly ridiculous.
Using the Hokage's exclusive vantage point, Shimura Danzō glanced out at Konoha, and his expression shifted.
He noticed an exam paper buried beneath several documents.
The visible words read...
"Haruno Sakura's Will of Fire"
The disciple that old fool Hiruzen had taken on seemed to be named Haruno Sakura...
Heh, let me see what this disciple of that old fool Hiruzen was made of.
Thinking this, Shimura Danzō casually pulled out the exam paper hidden underneath.
Time passed second by second, and Shimura Danzō's expression changed again and again.
Disdain, raised brows, seriousness, solemnity, trembling...
This...
This...
This was truly a genius!
Divide the realm in two, ruling from opposite sides of the river!
It was said to divide the realm in two, but according to this strategic deployment plan, the Land of Earth would be Konoha's for the taking!
Once the Shinobi World was unified, the Land of Water far across the sea would be a turtle in a jar, a frog at the bottom of a well!
Taking it would require no effort at all!
Hiruzen Sarutobi had truly taken in a fine disciple!
Shimura Danzō's gaze flickered as his thoughts raced.
Wouldn't such wisdom be wasted in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands?
Only he could lead Konoha down the path to becoming truly strong!
Only he was the most suitable candidate for the Hokage position!
Shimura Danzō tucked the exam paper into his sleeve and was about to leave when the office door was pushed open.
"Danzo?"
"What are you doing here?"
Having just finished Sakura's training, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as he looked at Shimura Danzō, who had clearly just risen from his seat.
"Heh, am I not allowed to come?"
"I heard you took on another disciple?"
Shimura Danzō showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he sneered at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"So what?"
"Hiruzen, you can't handle the village's geniuses. Hand them over to me—that would be the best arrangement."
Hearing Shimura Danzō's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi was almost angered into laughter.
"So?"
"What do you want?"
"Hand that child named Haruno Sakura over to me. I can make her realize her greatest value!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned at Shimura Danzō.
Had this guy taken the wrong medicine today?
Why was he spouting nothing but nonsense?
"Impossible. Sakura is my disciple. You'd better not touch her!"
"If anything happens to Sakura, I'll hold you responsible!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi decisively rejected Shimura Danzō's demand.
Shimura Danzō gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a deep look and instinctively spoke the words he had no idea how many times before.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this."
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi blurted out the words almost as an instinctive response.
Bang!
With the sound of a door slamming shut, Hiruzen Sarutobi was left alone in the office.
Looking at his desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his heart skip a beat.
Oh no!
Sakura's exam paper was gone!
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