Konoha, underground prison.
Footsteps echoed from the spiral staircase above, accompanied by the flicker of torches being lit one by one.
Shimura Danzo, locked behind bars, lifted his head to see his old friend coming to bail him out.
"You're finally here, Hiruzen!"
Danzo gripped the bars, his voice tinged with urgency.
"You went and restarted the Hashirama cell experiments behind my back? And you even grafted them onto yourself?"
A freshly printed report, still smelling of ink, was flung into the cell, white pages fluttering like snow.
Danzo didn't even glance at it. It hadn't been weighed yet, so it didn't matter.
Besides, he trusted Hiruzen Sarutobi would understand—everything he did was for Konoha!
—Monkey, you get me, right?
"Shut down all your experiments. And what else have you been hiding from me?"
Hearing his friend's tone, Danzo froze, taking a long moment before answering in a low voice, "Which thing are you talking about?"
Silence spread through the cell.
Hiruzen: "…"
His frail hand trembled as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it with force and inhaling the sharp tobacco deeply.
Hiruzen took several long drags to steady his near-exploding lungs.
"Everything!"
Danzo clamped his mouth shut. Though he looked calm, the bandages on his back were soaked with cold sweat.
Could he really tell Hiruzen about the shady stuff he'd done? No way, he couldn't even begin to open that can of worms!
So Danzo's brain kicked into overdrive.
—Think, you idiot! Come up with something to fool Hiruzen!
Right—the pink-haired girl!
"Ahem, Hiruzen, there's something I need to report!"
Danzo dropped his usual icy demeanor, eagerly raising a hand to snitch.
"Haruno Sakura, that girl—she knows my secrets. Her intel sources are shady! She must've stolen village secrets! Hiruzen, a dangerous kid like her should be left to me to—"
He shouldn't have brought it up. The mention of Sakura only stoked Hiruzen's anger, his piercing gaze slicing through Danzo like a knife.
"You think I don't know who killed Shisui?"
The will, the body, even the eye Shisui left to Itachi Uchiha—Hiruzen had been cleaning up Danzo's messes!
Not to mention, as Itachi's junior, Sakura, who was fully involved in the Uchiha rebellion, would've been warned about Danzo's threat.
"Enough. I've already entrusted that girl to Jiraiya. Don't even think about touching her again!"
Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the bars, and the metal melted instantly, leaving a gaping hole.
"Stay put in the village with Root for now. If you cause any more trouble, you'll answer to me!"
Dropping the same stern warning he'd given countless times, Hiruzen turned and left without looking back.
Danzo stood alone, staring at the Hokage's robes, a sigh of longing and ambition echoing in the cell.
---
Meanwhile, having turned down Jiraiya, Sakura returned home.
As she stepped inside, a shock of white hair and a wrinkly, chrysanthemum-like grin greeted her.
Oh no! The creep followed me home!
"Oh, Sakura-chan, you could've told us Lord Jiraiya was coming to visit!"
Haruno Mebuki emerged from the kitchen with hot tea and snacks, playfully scolding Sakura.
She set the tray on the table in front of Jiraiya, warmly inviting him to dig in.
"No, ma'am, I'm the one who's rude for dropping by unannounced."
Jiraiya's expression sharpened, and with a gentlemanly flourish, he took Mebuki's hand and kissed it.
"Hey, Dad, your wife's about to get stolen!"
Sakura, stone-faced, tugged at her father, Haruno Kizashi, who stood frozen nearby.
"Don't talk nonsense! This is one of Konoha's legendary Sannin! Our pride!"
Kizashi's eyes sparkled with admiration, clutching a colorful book, clearly itching to ask for an autograph.
Hoping for backup, Sakura found another victim instead. She clutched her head in frustration.
Seriously? Are their fan filters this thick?
It wasn't entirely their fault. Back in Konoha Year 37, when the Second Hokage died, the Land of Fire was caught in a four-nation siege, teetering on collapse.
The Sannin's heroics stabilized the front lines, saving the Land of Fire.
Their legendary image was etched into the hearts of the village's youth back then, including Kizashi and Mebuki.
But to Sakura? It felt like her parents' washed-up idol crashing at their house to mooch food and drinks.
"Ugh, do whatever you want!"
Dinner was surprisingly lavish, but the weird vibe at the table had Sakura's toes curling into the wooden floor.
—God, I wanna escape to the sea right now!
[Notification: Achievement Unlocked — 'The Woman Who Landed Shimura Danzo in Jail.' Achievement Points Gained: 40]
[Current Balance: 40. Cross-World Function Available. Activate?]
'No, you sneaky system, sniffing around for trouble, huh?'
[Heh.]
'Hey, you shady thing…'
Trading barbs with the increasingly slick system helped Sakura survive the awkward dinner.
After finishing the meal, Jiraiya said goodbye to Kizashi and Mebuki, vanishing into the night.
Sakura thought that was the end of it, but as the previous generation's No. 1 wildcard ninja, Jiraiya never played by the rules.
For days after, he popped up from every obscure angle.
Bushes, alleys, riverbanks, the Haruno house, training grounds…
The guy was like a relentless ghost, always watching from the shadows.
"Ugh, what do you want?!"
At the southern training ground, Sakura hefted her giant ice sword, her Boil Release chakra simmering.
One good chance, and she'd take out this white-haired pest in one strike!
"Like you said—greed, selfish motives. I want you as my disciple."
The man who'd walked the path of prophecy, lingering at the crossroads of fate, flashed a grin.
"Oh, you've got some nerve, using my moves against me!"
"Fine, if you're greedy, I'm greedy too. Let's settle this with sheer willpower!"
Sakura unleashed her Conqueror's Haki, dark lightning roaring through the void. She swung her sword like a bat, her fighting spirit blazing.
"Wait, wait, I'm not here to fight!"
Jiraiya flopped to the ground like a rogue, giving her a look that screamed, Hit me, and you're bullying a lonely old man.
"Pfft!"
Sakura burst out laughing, planting her sword in the ground and sitting cross-legged.
"If you want me as your disciple, let me ask you—can you teach me medical ninjutsu?"
"Uh… well…"
Jiraiya's eyes darted, looking everywhere but at her.
"Then let me ask you—I've got a knack for genjutsu. Can you teach me to counter Sharingan genjutsu?"
"Ahem… that's…"
Jiraiya faltered, scratching his head.
"I want things you can't offer. So let me ask you—how are you supposed to be my teacher?"
Sakura shifted to a comfier position, leaning against her sword like a backrest.
"But I've got other skills! Fire Release, Wind Release, sealing techniques, summoning jutsu… ugh."
Seeing Sakura unmoved, Jiraiya let out a deep sigh.
A fleeting, dreamlike aura seemed to emanate from him—the taste of ideals!
"Someone once told me a prophecy: my disciple would change the world! I think you're someone with that potential!"
"Medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, whatever—I can find you the best teachers for those!"
"So, please, will you train with me? I want to see your future!"
Is there anything more moving than a naive man earnestly sharing his naive ideals?
Jiraiya wasn't just naive—he'd lived for his ideals, died for them. The man was a true hero.
Sakura pursed her lips, her expression complicated.
"All this for a prophecy? Is it worth it?"
"Of course! It's my adventure!"
Sunlight poured down, and his starry eyes brimmed with joy.
Jiraiya's smug grin seemed to freeze the moment, as if to make it eternal.