At the main gate of Konoha Village.
Dressed in a sleek black ninja outfit, Sakura adjusted her gloves and slung a backpack over her shoulder, enduring her mother Mebuki's fussing.
"Eat well, sleep well, and don't cause trouble for Lord Jiraiya!"
"Yeah… yeah, got it!"
Sakura had intended to respond earnestly, but the second half of her mom's lecture turned all her warm feelings into half-hearted mumbles.
Over at the Ninja Academy, under some higher-up's directive, Sakura's enrollment had been put on hold, to be reinstated after her training journey was complete.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was thrilled at the prospect of this prodigy aligning with the Hokage's faction.
When he heard Jiraiya was taking Sakura out of the village for training, he'd rushed to handle all her academy paperwork.
How fast? The Anbu delivered the documents to the Haruno household in the middle of the night.
"Sakura-chan!"
Ino rushed forward, throwing herself into Sakura's arms.
Her petite frame trembled, clearly still shaken by the recent Root incident.
"Ino!"
Sakura untied the headband Ino had given her and fastened it gently around her friend's wrist.
"If you're still upset, focus on mastering the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques."
"I'm looking forward to the day you're strong enough to protect me, my best friend!"
Tears streamed down Ino's face as she hugged Sakura again, squeezing even tighter this time.
Sakura's gaze swept over the crowd of friends and family who'd come to see her off.
Her parents, Iruka, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Sasuke…
She hadn't realized how many people in the village cared about her until now.
This is nice. The world's gained another place where people are waiting for me to come back.
Finally, she turned back to Ino, who was still clinging to her, and gently wiped the tears from her friend's eyes.
"I've gotta go. Everyone, take care of yourselves!"
With a reluctant wave, Sakura turned and strode out of the village, heading toward the meeting spot she'd arranged with Jiraiya.
---
Outside the village, Jiraiya was waiting at the outskirts of the Valley of the End.
"Where are we going, Teacher Jiraiya?"
Sakura called out to the man lounging on a piece of deadwood.
"Hmm, 'Teacher'—I like the sound of that! How about we swing by the southern hot springs for some… research at a bathhouse?"
Crack!
Ice spread from Sakura's sandals, instantly freezing Jiraiya and the log he was sitting on.
"Didn't you say you were taking me out for training, you pervy sage?!"
Poof!
The Jiraiya on the log exploded into a cloud of smoke, and the real one appeared on a tree behind Sakura.
"It's Toad Sage! You're too wound up, kid. Training's gotta have a balance of work and play!"
Jiraiya flashed her a thumbs-up, his teeth glinting in the sunlight.
He hopped down from the tree, bickering playfully with Sakura as they set off on their journey.
---
The western region of the Land of Fire.
A tall and a small figure stepped onto a pathway overlooking a basin, below which sprawled a massive town.
Children darted through the crowds, vendors slathered sauce onto sizzling griddles, filling the streets with savory aromas.
Adults with sly grins slipped in and out of shops hidden behind tightly drawn curtains, while pachinko machines lined the streets, surrounded by eager gamblers.
"Hmm, come to think of it, I haven't checked where you're at with your ninja training," Jiraiya said, glancing back as he led the way.
"I've got the basics of chakra control down and trained in Water and Earth chakra nature transformations," Sakura replied, gripping the railing as she swung her body down the steps, counting on her free hand.
"For ninjutsu, I've got two D-rank genjutsu, Shadow Clone, Boil Release, ice manipulation, and Flying Thunder God."
"A dual Bloodline Limit ninja? Are you some kind of monster?"
Jiraiya scratched his head, suddenly feeling a pang of unease.
His last student was like this, and now this one too.
Teaching these prodigies was starting to feel like a mountain of pressure for a wanderer like him.
"Anyway, follow me!"
"Your teacher's gonna take you somewhere fun to unwind!"
Jiraiya led Sakura into a casino, casually picking an empty seat and plopping down.
As the clatter of dice filled the air, Jiraiya slipped effortlessly into the casino's vibe, blending in with the countless gamblers.
Meanwhile, Sakura was completely forgotten, left standing on her own.
"This pervy sage just wanted to come play himself! How's a casino supposed to be relaxing?"
Clutching a few low-value chips she'd been handed, Sakura stood bewildered in the crowd, grinding her teeth.
"That's not true, little lady!"
A raspy, deep voice sounded nearby. Sakura turned to see a burly, bald man with a scarred face and a thick beard.
He held up a pair of dice, grinning at her. "Wanna try your luck? Uncle here will show you the thrill of the casino~"
"Oh? You sure about that?"
Sakura flicked her hair back, revealing her emerald eyes, a red glint flashing within them.
"Heh heh heh!"
The rugged-looking man and his buddies at the table let out sinister chuckles.
Moments later, Jiraiya, who'd been dominating the tables, heard a commotion behind him.
He turned and was dumbfounded.
Sakura had amassed a pile of chips taller than she was.
Around the table, a crowd of drained men stood defeated. The five who'd first invited her to play had even lost their clothes, stripped down to their underwear and shivering in the cold breeze.
"Ugh, this isn't relaxing at all. I'm even more exhausted now."
Sakura lazily tossed another chip onto her growing mountain.
No matter the game, her mind-reading Observation Haki gave her a crushing advantage in the casino.
Soon, her reputation as a "gambling god" spread through the room, drawing the attention of a big spender.
Smack!
A blonde woman in a green coat plopped down across from Sakura with a swagger.
"Kid, I hear you're the gambling god around here?"
"Let's play a few rounds!"
The blonde swapped a loan for a stack of chips and slammed them onto the table.
Confident, she took over the dealer's role, passing cards to the other players.
—Sorry, kid, but I'm using your fame to shed my "big fat sheep" nickname today! Don't hate me; that's just the cruel world of adults…
"I win again!"
Sakura swept the blonde's last chips toward her, leaving her the only one with chips left at the table.
"Damn it!"
The blonde, who'd lost ten rounds straight, stood up and threw her cards onto the table.
"Really, Tsunade? Throwing a tantrum after losing to a kid?" Jiraiya's teasing voice came from behind her.
"Hmph, Jiraiya." Tsunade crossed her arms. "I can't treat you to drinks—I lost all my money to that kid."
"Hahaha, that's my new student! Pretty impressive, right?"
Jiraiya grinned proudly, pointing to a tavern across the street. "Wanna catch up over there?"
Sakura cashed out her chips and chimed in, "I'll treat, Tsunade-nee."
"Hey, kid, you've got potential~"
Tsunade's mood lifted at Sakura's words.
Her frustration from the table vanished. Sure, this kid won a ton of my money, but she called me big sister!
The generous Tsunade patted Sakura's shoulder, and the group headed to the tavern, chatting and laughing.
Gulp, gulp, gulp! Ah!
"Nothing beats a drink after the casino to clear your head!"
As the tavern staff brought out dishes, Tsunade grabbed a cup of sake and chugged it down.
"So, what's the real reason you dragged this kid here to ambush me? Don't tell me it's just for old times' sake or to show off your student."
Tsunade picked up a pinch of salt-baked dried fish with her chopsticks, popping it into her mouth.
"Tsunade-nee, I want to learn medical ninjutsu, so Teacher Jiraiya brought me to find you," Sakura said bluntly, cutting through Jiraiya's hemming and hawing.
"And you picked this guy as your teacher?"
"Hey, what's wrong with being my student?! I'm pretty awesome, you know!" Jiraiya shot back, indignant at Tsunade's jab.
"Forget that. There are medical ninjas in the village. Why go out of your way to track me down?"
"Because I want her to learn from the best…"
Jiraiya's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Of all the medical ninjas I know, you're the best! So…"
"Please, Tsunade!"
Jiraiya clasped his hands together, bowing his head low.
Tsunade stared at her old comrade for a long moment.
"Time's a funny thing. Never thought I'd see the day a pervert like you would grovel for a student."
She took the sake Jiraiya poured for her, then turned her gaze to Sakura.
"Fine, I'll take you under my wing for a bit."
"But let me be clear—my training is tough!"
"If you don't have the talent or can't handle the grind, I'll kick you out without a second thought!"
Sakura's eyes sparkled at Tsunade's words.
"Bring it on!"