The rain continued to fall. As the news spread, more and more people began to arrive. It wasn't just ninja; many civilians were also making their way toward the Sarutobi compound.
The Third Hokage had served for forty-eight years. He had lived through the First Great Ninja War and led Konoha through the Second and Third, ending them in victory for the village. Throughout his tenure, he had been diligent and conscientious, making immense contributions to Konoha.
And now, he had died suddenly in his own courtyard.
"What exactly was the situation at the time? Can you tell me, Sakura?" Tsunade asked again, looking at Sakura's lost and desolate expression. Although the examination had confirmed that Sakura had nothing to do with the Third's death, she still needed to understand what had happened.
"I..." A pained look crossed Sakura's face. A heavy stone seemed to be lodged in her chest, making it difficult to even breathe.
"It's alright, take your time. What did Lord Third want to talk to you about?" Tsunade could see that his death had hit Sakura incredibly hard, but a quiet sense of relief washed over the Hokage. She's still the same Sakura, Tsunade thought. She hasn't been changed by what happened before.
But Sakura's current state wasn't just because she was devastated by the Third Hokage's death. It was because, in his final moments, he had checkmated her. The Third Hokage had used his own death to extract a promise from her.
He knew he didn't have long to live, yet he had chosen to meet with her just before he died, attempting to appeal to her heart and persuade her not to do anything that would harm the village.
"Heh..." A bitter smile touched Sakura's somber lips. It was a trap, but one she had no choice but to walk into. Because she wasn't truly devoid of humanity. Even if it was the Third Hokage's trap, it was a trap born from genuine emotion.
He knew he couldn't stop her. He knew that even if he exposed her plans, it would only create a deeper rift between her and Konoha. Besides, there was no concrete evidence; Sakura hadn't even begun to act yet. So, the Third Hokage had decided to take the secret to his grave, using his last moments of life to secure her guarantee.
Is this what it means to be Hokage? Even when facing death, his last act wasn't to see his family, but to offer the last embers of his life for the sake of the village.
The Third Hokage's death had shaken Sakura to her core, even more so than the death of her parents. She was a transmigrator, someone from modern society.
The prevailing value in the modern world was that every man for himself was the law of nature. Even in a society awash with materialism, where flashes of humanity still existed, that light was far too faint. It was a world dominated by egoism and a refined, pragmatic self-interest. Even if you didn't want to go along with the crowd, the environment would force you to.
In this moment, across two lifetimes, Sakura's heart was truly and deeply moved. No amount of flowery language could describe the profound shock the Third Hokage's actions had dealt her. All Sakura could do was remain silent.
With a sudden whirring sound, two shuriken shot toward Sakura's back without any warning. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Sakura tilted her body slightly and raised a hand, catching both projectiles with ease.
"It was you! It was you... You're the one who killed my grandpa, aren't you?!" Konohamaru's childish roar came from behind her.
Sakura turned slowly to see a furious Konohamaru, looking like a little lion cub, being held back tightly by Iruka.
"Konohamaru, calm down! There's no way she killed Lord Third! The medics just said that he died from a relapse of his old injuries!" Iruka desperately tried to explain, struggling to restrain the boy.
"Let go of me, Iruka-sensei! Grandpa..." Konohamaru yelled through his tears. "Grandpa was always perfectly healthy! He couldn't have just died like this! She was the only one with him before he died! She must have killed him! Let me go, Iruka-sensei!!"
"Iruka-sensei," Sakura said, her voice calm. "Let him go."
"Sakura! You..." Iruka looked at her in disbelief.
"Or do you think he can actually hurt me, Iruka-sensei?" Sakura interrupted.
"Let him go, Iruka," Tsunade commanded. It would be better to let Konohamaru vent his frustrations now.
Helpless, Iruka released his hold on Konohamaru.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" As soon as he was free, Konohamaru pulled out all of his remaining shuriken and threw them at Sakura in a single, furious motion.
Sakura didn't even blink. Her arm moved in a blur, too fast for the naked eye to follow, as she plucked each shuriken from the air.
"I'm not done yet!!! Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!!" Konohamaru formed the hand seals, his cheeks puffing out as he gathered his strength.
"No way," Iruka muttered, shocked that Konohamaru was attempting the Great Fireball Technique. He was just an Academy student. How could he possibly use a jutsu like that?
Although the Great Fireball was a signature jutsu of the Uchiha clan, its cost-effectiveness meant that most of Konoha's fire-style users could perform it.
But it was not to be. Though Konohamaru managed to successfully unleash the jutsu with all his might, the fireball was extinguished the instant it met the pouring rain.
Sakura watched and shook her head. "Not strong enough," she told him.
"Shut up! huff, huff..." The Great Fireball had used up all of Konohamaru's chakra, and he was now panting heavily.
"Even if I have to use my bare hands, I'll get revenge for my grandpa!!" Konohamaru pulled out his last kunai and charged at Sakura.
Splat.
The ground was too wet, and Konohamaru was exhausted. He only managed two steps before he slipped and fell flat on his face.
Sakura waited for a moment, but Konohamaru didn't get up. He just lay there, facedown. She walked over to check on him, only to find him sobbing uncontrollably into the mud.
"I understand how you feel right now," Sakura said softly.
"Don't... don't give me that..." Hearing her voice, Konohamaru's body trembled as he pushed himself up onto his hands, his voice choked with sobs. "You... you could never understand what it's like to have your grandpa's killer right in front of you and be powerless to get revenge!"
"I didn't kill your grandfather," Sakura said slowly. "I have no reason to kill the Third Hokage. I believe you can figure that out. Have you calmed down now?"
"Waaaaah~~ Grandpa~~~ Waaaaah~~" Konohamaru's limbs trembled as he held himself up. He had already understood, just a moment ago. He knew he was just lashing out senselessly, but he couldn't accept that his grandfather, who had always seemed so healthy, could just suddenly die. And so, Sakura had become the target of his grief.
Sakura watched him in silence, then slowly raised her hand. A small, blue sphere of light appeared in her palm. The light drew Konohamaru's attention, and he looked up, his eyes red and swollen.
"Do you want to learn ninjutsu?" Sakura offered a faint smile. "I can teach you. You can come find me anytime." With that, she gently pressed the hand holding the Rasengan to the ground.
There was no deafening explosion. When Sakura lifted her hand, a perfectly smooth, hemispherical crater remained in the earth, as if it had always been there. It was a testament to her astonishingly precise chakra control.
Konohamaru was stunned into silence by her display, staring blankly at the hole in the ground.
"Konohamaru." Iruka came to his side. "Let's go home for now. We need to prepare for Lord Third's funeral. You don't want him to see you like this."
"I... I know, Iruka-sensei." Konohamaru slowly climbed to his feet, his body still shaking. Pushing himself to use that jutsu had left him completely drained.
"Master." Sakura stood up as well and turned to Tsunade. "Before Lord Third passed away, he..."
"Don't say any more for now." Tsunade cut her off, glancing at the ever-growing crowd of ninja. "Right now, we need to prepare for what comes next."
"Yes," Sakura said with a nod.