Late Time ....
Although each time the development was the same, and Sakura seemed to remember nothing of the previous Infinite Tsukuyomi, everyone noticed that the speed at which the cycle restarted after Sakura's death was significantly slower. After the 26th Infinite Tsukuyomi, the scene froze for almost an eternity before the Tsukuyomi restarted. Everyone realized that perhaps Sakura's time to break free from the Infinite Tsukuyomi was near.
Sure enough, after the 28th cycle, the darkness passed, only to be replaced by blinding light. Everyone involuntarily closed their eyes, and when they opened them again, they found themselves back in Obito's Kamui dimension. Clearly, Sakura had finally completely broken free from the Infinite Tsukuyomi after the 28th cycle.
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"Uchiha Madara! You bastard! Die!"
A sharp shout suddenly rang out, followed by a small fist aimed at Madara's face.
Madara immediately tried to block with one hand, but the force was unexpectedly great. He hurriedly crossed both hands to block in front of his face, but even with all his strength, he couldn't stop the massive momentum. He could only slide backward to offset the force, but even so, the power increased, and finally, Madara was sent flying off the stone pillar platform.
He crashed into another white giant stone pillar with a bang, the force so great that Madara was embedded in the pillar. The boulder behind him cracked, and after a few more cracks, the white stone pillar instantly broke and collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust. Madara's already cracked Edo Tensei body also developed more massive cracks, falling apart piece by piece.
Tsk, this little girl didn't hold back at all, she beat him to death. If he weren't resurrected with Edo Tensei, he would definitely be a super-level mortal injury with all his bones shattered. Madara thought to himself as he pushed aside the boulders and crawled out of the ruins.
Madara didn't feel he was in the wrong; investigating the Infinite Tsukuyomi was a necessary step. However, the girl's pitiful state had softened his heart. If a few beatings would make Sakura feel better, he was happy to oblige.
Although their battle was lightning-fast, everyone present was either a Kage-level or higher ninja, so no one was caught off guard. Seeing Sakura's flushed face, her shame and rage, everyone wisely remained silent, secretly taking a few steps back to keep themselves away from Madara, who was walking right into the crossfire, and from Sakura, who was clearly in a berserk, fire-breathing state.
But clearly, the men had underestimated the woman's pettiness and vengeful nature. While she didn't attack them directly like she had with Madara, in the next instant, she stomped the ground with a powerful kick, launching herself off the platform to continue her pursuit of Madara.
The ground beneath their feet, naturally, couldn't withstand Sakura's kick. Like an earthquake, it shattered into pieces, destroying another stone pillar. The others quickly dodged, leaping onto other pillars.
The battle between Sakura and Madara Uchiha was earth-shattering, a veritable demolition crew, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, turning everything in its path into rubble and ruins.
Kakashi was initially worried, but seeing that Madara was only defending and parrying without launching any attacks or using any ninjutsu, he knew Madara wasn't going to get serious.
Obito, looking at the miserable state of his Kamui dimension, which resembled being plowed multiple times by a Tailed Beast Ball, was also speechless. Obito had always thought Sakura was a gentle and kind girl, much like Rin, but seeing her like this, Rin was practically a gentle angel, while Sakura looked like a ferocious little devil wagging its tail. Obito swallowed hard, sweating profusely.
"Sakura's so fierce! I thought she was like Rin, a gentle girl."
Kakashi, with a deadpan expression, made a sarcastic comment about his female student.
"Then you've got it wrong. Sakura and Rin are completely different. Rin is gentle, generous, cheerful, and considerate. She's a good girl. Sakura, on the other hand, can only be gentle when she's with Sasuke. She was spoiled and willful when she was young, and she was also a bit two-faced. Although she's become more mature as she's grown up, she still has a lot of temper. She's always awkward when she's being considerate and caring towards others, and she can be quite willful and unreasonable at times. She's not very polite to me and often complains about me as her teacher."
Obito stared blankly at Kakashi. Although Kakashi was praising Rin, it felt more like a polite, social compliment. As for Sakura, while every word seemed derogatory, the gentle look in his eyes and the smile in his voice clearly indicated he didn't mean it that way. It was a casual, almost familial, disdain for someone he knew.
Obito suddenly fell silent. Was Sakura more important to Kakashi than Rin?
"Sakura has truly inherited Tsunade's mantle. I can almost picture Tsunade beating up Jiraiya-sensei," Minato said, landing beside them with a laugh.
Sakura's temper was similar to Kushina's, but far more terrifying. Her destructive power far exceeded Kushina's; she was a mini-Tsunade.
"Yeah, Naruto often gets beaten up by Sakura too," Kakashi casually remarked, then remembered Naruto was Minato's son and quickly looked at him.
Minato chuckled, unconcerned. "That's a carbon copy of Tsunade and Jiraiya, me and Kushina. Should I remind Naruto to seize this opportunity?"
Kakashi paused for a moment before speaking. "Neji is dead."
Minato's smile vanished instantly. His cobalt blue eyes darkened slightly. He glanced at Kakashi, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Sasori stood gracefully on a stone pillar, watching Sakura and Madara's battle. He recalled his own fight with the girl. Although only a year had passed since then, Sasori could see Sakura had improved considerably—her movements were smoother, her reactions faster, her speed greater, and her strength greater. Of course, it was also possible that her current power spike was due to her berserk state fueled by rage.
Itachi stood silently as always. Reflecting on Sakura's tragic life in her Tsukuyomi, Itachi felt he also needed to take responsibility. As for his foolish younger brother, he was truly foolish!
Kakashi and the others remained stationary, observing from the sidelines, but Tobirama was constantly moving. His footholds were inexplicably caught in the aftermath of Madara and Sakura's battle and destroyed. After several such incidents, Tobirama was certain that, besides Madara, he was also a target of Sakura's deliberate attacks.
He was either nearly hit by stones thrown by Sakura or had buildings around him or beneath his feet destroyed by her seemingly unintentional punches, forcing Tobirama to dodge falling rocks and debris. What infuriated Tobirama even more was that Madara seemed to have noticed Sakura's intentions, and while defending, he began to deliberately cooperate, intentionally or unintentionally diverting Sakura's attacks and counterattacks onto Tobirama.
Izuna watched with schadenfreude as Tobirama Senju was beaten and dodged everywhere. As for his own Madara, he was simply playing along with Sakura, and he seemed to be having a lot of fun. Fighting and dancing were his passions, though the girl probably didn't even realize it.
Tobirama finally had enough. Veins bulged on his forehead as he glared at Madara. "Madara, you bastard! Did you think I wouldn't see through your sneaky help to attack me?!"
Madara ignored him without a second thought.
Tobirama sighed and could only teleport directly in front of Sakura, speaking with a hint of helplessness.
"Haruno, it was wrong of me to agree to spy on your Infinite Tsukuyomi memories. If you're unhappy with me, you can come at me directly. I definitely won't retaliate. You don't need to resort to underhanded tactics."
Hashirama, watching Madara and Tobirama get beaten, laughed heartily and shouted to them.
"Oh, you're right, Tobirama. Anyway, you and Madara can't kill him, so it's good to let Sakura-chan vent her anger."
Having been exposed by the First Hokage, and with the Second Hokage intervening in her battle with Madara Uchiha, remaining unmoved and seemingly at her mercy, Sakura, though still angry and humiliated, found it difficult to continue her momentum once it was broken. She could only stop, feigning ignorance and giving Tobirama a fake smile.
"Second Hokage, what are you saying? How could I possibly be dissatisfied with you? It was truly an accident during the battle."
Tobirama was practically inexperienced in dealing with women. Momoka was strong-willed, more like a man than a woman; Mito and he maintained a polite distance, and as her sister-in-law, he needed to avoid suspicion and minimize contact. Although he had a female student named Koharu, he was a stern and authoritative teacher, and Koharu was always respectful and rarely showed her emotions in his presence; the two were completely distant. As for his other subordinates, they were even more indiscriminate in their relationships, lacking any distinction between men and women.
So, although Tobirama could tell Sakura was blatantly lying, and her tone was somewhat sarcastic, he didn't know how to respond to the girl's little tantrum. He was speechless for a moment before awkwardly coughing.
"Okay, it's good that you're not upset."
Sakura actually felt she might have been a bit too rude. She was a polite child, respectful to the Hokage, especially the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, who was her favorite Hokage when she was little because he was intelligent and invented many ninjutsu. Sakura had actually wanted to be a ninja like Tobirama when she was young.
But Sakura was truly aggrieved now. Who could accept embarrassing themselves, especially in front of their idol? It was so humiliating that even their idol seemed less lovable. If she could beat anyone here, she would have been tempted to kill them all and cover her tracks, so no one would know about her shameful memories.
Thinking of this, Sakura glared at Uchiha Madara again with resentment, making a mental note to retaliate one day. She stormed past Madara, snorting coldly, "You'll get off easy this time!"
Madara Uchiha dusted off his red armor, finding the little girl's "revenge is a dish best served cold" attitude and her persistent, vengeful gaze somewhat intriguing. He'd see what she'd do next.
Sakura hurried towards a corner, head down, not glancing at anyone. Although she'd already taken some small revenge on the culprits, Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju, and wasn't as embarrassed anymore, she still felt awkward around others. She planned to find a secluded spot to calm down and reappear when she could act as if nothing had happened. Suddenly, a green vest appeared before her. Without looking up, Sakura knew it was her teacher, Kakashi.
Kakashi, slightly hunched over to match her height, cautiously looked down at Sakura, trying to find something to comfort her. "Sakura, are you alright?"
Sakura looked up. She felt awkward around others, but not so much around Kakashi. After all, Kakashi in the Infinite Tsukuyomi had seen all her vulnerable moments, and he had always been her supporter. In the Tsukuyomi, at 32, she could still force a smile and maintain an adult's dignity and maturity, not wanting Kakashi to worry too much. But facing Kakashi now, he seemed younger, and his mind seemed immature too. Sakura suddenly felt an indescribable sense of grievance, as if she had been bullied and wanted comfort from someone she trusted. She sniffed, and tears welled up involuntarily.
Kakashi was immediately at a loss. "Sakura, what's wrong? Don't cry, don't cry, your teacher is here."
Sakura wanted to confide in her teacher, but she also felt ashamed to cry to him about her grievances. She was conflicted, but ultimately, she couldn't shake the feeling of being upset. She clutched Kakashi's clothes, buried her face in his vest, and sobbed softly.
"Kakashi-sensei, I'm so unhappy. Why is Sasuke like this? I keep telling myself it's all fake, but I can't stop thinking about it. Am I shameful? Am I useless? I don't like that kind of future. I'm so afraid that it will really come true."
Kakashi stroked Sakura's hair and said in a deep voice. "No, Sakura, that kind of future will never come true. I promise you, and you're not ashamed at all. Why would sincere feelings be shameful? It's you who should feel ashamed for letting Sasuke down. You were very brave, constantly fighting against the Infinite Tsukuyomi. You were the only one who escaped it, weren't you? You're so amazing. I'm so proud of you."
"Really?" Sakura asked, her voice muffled and choked with emotion.
Kakashi's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Why would I lie to Sakura? Of course it's true. I know you're sad, so cry, but remember to cheer up afterwards~"
Sakura, as if granted permission, burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably, as if trying to release all the bitterness, frustration, and sadness in her heart.
Kakashi stood there quietly beside Sakura, one arm around her shoulder.
In the distance, watching the teacher and student, Tobirama frowned again. "Isn't Hatake Kakashi spoiling Haruno Sakura a bit too much? Besides, isn't it inappropriate for a teacher and student to hug?"
"It's not really a hug. Children who are wronged naturally want to go to their parents." Hashirama stroked his chin. "However, their teacher-student relationship is unusually good. I don't have any female students, so I don't know how they usually get along. How's it with you, Haruno?"
"It's good enough that she doesn't avoid me. Why would she come to me to complain?" Tobirama's lips curled slightly.
Hashirama laughed heartily. "You're being too serious. Koharu is afraid of you. But that just shows Kakashi is a good teacher, which is why his students trust him so much."
Izuna smiled. "Really? I have a feeling Kakashi Hatake likes Sakura Haruno. A man who doesn't like a woman doesn't have that much patience to comfort her."
Madara Uchiha's romantic instincts were completely oblivious; he instinctively thought Izuna was overthinking it. "Izuna, don't talk nonsense. They're teacher and student; their relationship is naturally beyond what ordinary women can compare to."
Izuna flicked her thin ponytail, deciding not to argue with her brother. Anyway, it didn't really concern him.
Tobirama also thought Izuna was overthinking it, but Hashirama suddenly seemed to understand.
The Sengoku group chatted idly in one place, while Minato's team watched Sakura and Kakashi from a slightly further distance.
Although Obito felt somewhat ashamed to face his teacher Minato after his repentance, subconscious tendencies are hard to change. So, unconsciously, Obito always stood closer to Kakashi and Minato.
"Kakashi's finally learned how to charm girls now that he's grown up. I always thought his emotional intelligence was hopeless," Obito remarked, recalling Kakashi's perpetually indifferent attitude towards Rin back in Minato's class.
Minato smiled slightly. "While that's possible, I've always thought Kakashi had pretty good emotional intelligence."
Obito was incredulous. "Huh? Pretty good emotional intelligence? Forget about me, his attitude towards Rin often infuriated me."
Minato's narrow eyes narrowed slightly, his words carrying a deeper meaning. "There's no such thing as being clueless about romance or unable to speak properly; he just hasn't met the right person."
Obito, now older, could at least understand the implied meaning. He abruptly turned to look at Minato, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"Minato-sensei, you mean Kakashi's feelings for Sakura... that can't be, right? What about Rin? Rin has always…"
Obito's first thought was still Rin.
Minato sighed. "Obito, even if Rin were still alive, do you think Kakashi would have had the chance to fawn over her all the time if he truly loved her? Just look at recent examples—how my foolish son treats Sakura, how Sasuke treats Sakura. You should understand, loving someone means favoritism, special treatment. Do you think Kakashi treated Rin that way?"
Obito was speechless for a moment before speaking. "They're not a good match. Kakashi doesn't even know how old he is, and Sakura is only a few years old."
Minato smiled. "Yes, after Tsukuyomi's visit, Kakashi's feelings are obvious. But Sakura doesn't seem to consider Kakashi as a romantic interest. Kakashi won't dare let Sakura know his feelings for now. I still want to help my son out, so let's leave it at that for now."
Obito's feelings were complicated. He felt conflicted. He didn't like the idea that Kakashi liked Rin, but he also didn't want Kakashi to actually dislike her. That would give Obito the feeling that Kakashi had betrayed Rin. Rin was so wonderful, the world's greatest goddess; how could anyone not like her? However, Sakura was also a good girl, and it wasn't incomprehensible that Kakashi would like her.
Obito sighed, torn, and decided to stop thinking about it. No matter what, Rin and he were dead. The dead have no future, but Kakashi and Sakura were still alive, and the living had to move forward.
The two former Akatsuki members—Itachi and Sasori—stood further away, maintaining a considerable distance from each other.
Itachi felt it was somewhat inappropriate for Kakashi to be embracing his future sister-in-law, Sakura Haruno. However, the reason Sakura had cried and rushed into Kakashi's arms was because of his own foolish younger brother, making it impossible for Itachi to say anything to stop her. Besides, frankly, he had no right to stop her.
Sasori twirled his puppet strings, a strange sense of irritation creeping over him. He wanted to remove Kakashi's hand and pull Sakura away from his embrace, but there was no reason for it. What they did had nothing to do with him, right? Sasori could only look away; if he didn't see, he wouldn't be bothered.
Sakura finally finished crying, rubbing her swollen eyes as she stepped out of Kakashi's arms. She said apologetically,
"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei, I got your clothes all dirty."
Kakashi casually patted his vest. "It's nothing, just tears. It's not dirty at all. It'll dry."
But speaking of dirty clothes, Sakura suddenly realized she hadn't changed her clothes since the Fourth Shinobi World War. Her pupils contracted sharply as she looked down; she was still wearing her black ninja uniform with one sleeve missing and black pants.
To Be Continued .....