Cang Yue Returns! Respect Your Teacher! (Continued)

The pupils of her eyes had begun to dilate, and her body hung limp. If not for the occasional twitch, everyone would have thought Sakura was already dead.

"S-Sakura..." Tsunade struggled to get up, trying to pull the black receiver from her own body.

But the next second, Pain drove another black receiver straight through her without mercy.

Tsunade collapsed to the ground.

"Sakura!!!" Naruto shouted as he fought.

"Sakura!!" Sasuke panicked too. He usually couldn't stand the violent girl, but after surviving so many life-and-death battles together, he had come to care about her. How could he not worry now?

Tsunade watched Sakura's life fade, despair filling her eyes.

Tears blurred her vision. The person before her no longer looked like Sakura,

but Dan and Nawaki.

Was she about to lose someone close to her again?

Cangyue, where are you? Where on earth are you, Cangyue?

Tsunade cried out to Aogetsu Hyuga in her heart.

But she knew how slim the chances were. He was probably still on his way to Takigakure.

By the time he returned, Konoha might be nothing but ruins.

Sakura, Master, I'm sorry...

Tsunade closed her eyes. Once again, someone close to her was slipping away, and she was powerless to stop it,

just as she had been decades ago.

Her hands began to tremble. When she saw blood seeping from her wounds,

terror seized her, and dizziness washed over her.

Her fear of blood was coming back.

Even after Aogetsu Hyuga's treatment had eased it, the sight of blood could still undo her.

Tsunade's heart sank.

Still caught in the Preta Path's grip, Sakura closed her eyes, almost relieved. Apart from the spasms running through her body, she could no longer move.

Hum!

A strange ringing reached her ears.

Sakura paid it no mind—or