Last Time ...
To save time, Madara and his team didn't return to the real ninja world. Instead, they continued to travel to the world at the critical point after each failed crossing, saving considerable time and allowing them to cross over once more each day.
A month passed, then two. One-eighth of the Allied Shinobi Forces were already on life support. At the current pace, it would theoretically take another seven months to cover all the ninjas, seemingly a tangible end. However, this completely failed to consider the ninjas' current need for nutrient solutions. Adding that time would double the time, taking over a year to complete the work. They had no idea if the ninjas could survive until then. Massive numbers of the elderly, weak, sick, and young among the common people had begun to die, turning into White Zetsu.
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Every time Sakura passed by those "people" who had become like White Zetsu while replenishing her nutrient solution, she felt a deep sense of guilt and pain. She was forced to abandon ordinary people, but this pang of conscience wouldn't easily disappear. What confused Sakura even more was whether sacrificing her conscience to save ninjas was truly meaningful. Could they wait for hope to arrive?
In the past two months, Kakashi had only returned twice, the last time three days ago, bringing news of absolutely no progress.
Sakura's anxiety, irritability, and rage grew with each passing day. She felt she was being crushed by these endless, hopeless days. She was the only living person in this world; the other living person, Kakashi, was thirty worlds away. In this real world, Sakura often wondered if she, too, was already dead.
Hashirama also noticed that Sakura's mental state was getting worse and worse. She became more and more silent, spoke less and less each day, and mechanically did things without putting any attention into them. Hashirama tried hard to cheer Sakura up, but unfortunately, it only worked for the first few days. Recently, he could not get any response at all. Sakura would either give a forced and absent-minded "Is that so?" or say, "Hashirama-sama, I'm sorry, what are you saying? I wasn't listening."
The Infinite Tsukuyomi halted all life, but it couldn't stop the climate change. Nearly four months had passed since the day of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and it was now January, the coldest month of the year when water freezes instantly.
Late at night, in a military tent, Sakura huddled under a blanket, shivering. She felt incredibly cold, almost frozen to death, yet then suddenly felt incredibly hot, as if she'd been thrown into an oven. Her mind sluggish for a moment before she realized she might have a fever. She wanted to get up to find some medicine and try to use medical ninjutsu to alleviate her discomfort, but Sakura was too exhausted to move.
"I can rest a little longer," Sakura thought, and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Sakura didn't appear. Hashirama, Sasori, Itachi, and Izuna assumed she was sleeping in, but as the sun rose high in the sky and Sakura still hadn't emerged, they began to sense something was wrong.
Hashirama strode quickly to the tent door and softly called out, "Sakura-chan? Are you awake?"
The tent remained silent. After calling again without response, Hashirama's expression turned tense and serious. He raised his voice slightly, "Sakura-chan, I'm coming in." He then zipped up the tent.
The pink-haired girl was curled up quietly in the blanket, wrapped up in a small ball. Her lips were pale, but her face was an unnatural flush, making her look unusually weak and pitiful.
Hashirama's expression immediately changed. He reached out and touched Sakura's forehead, but his reanimated body couldn't accurately sense temperature changes unless it was extremely hot or cold. Hashirama quickly called for a doctor. "Sasori, come in quickly, Sakura seems to be sick."
When Hashirama brazenly barged into Sakura's tent, Sasori, Izuna, and Itachi politely remained outside to avoid suspicion. However, upon hearing Hashirama call for help, they disregarded their manners and rushed in to investigate.
Sasori, being a semi-professional doctor, saw that Sakura's condition was not good. He turned and went out to retrieve medical supplies. After taking her temperature, Sasori waved for Hashirama, Itachi, and Izuna to turn around, then inserted a stethoscope under Sakura's clothes to listen to her heart and lungs. Although it was an ambiguous action, there was no romantic undertone at the moment; Sasori professionally made a diagnosis.
He said calmly, "High fever, a bit of mild pneumonia. She's been working too hard. I told her before, she's still alive, not like us resurrected beings who don't need rest. Now look what's happened, she's worn herself out. Let her get an IV. I'll go get some fever reducer."
After Sasori finished speaking, he looked at Hashirama. Hashirama immediately understood, clapping his hands together, and a miniature IV puppet appeared. Sasori mixed the nutrient solution and saline solution, then skillfully inserted the puppet needle into Sakura's vein.
"Alright, let her rest. Let's go out." Sasori stood up, leaving the medicine by Sakura's pillow and writing a medical record by hand. Once she woke up, the little girl would naturally understand what to do.
Hashirama shook his head. "I'll stay here with her. People are so vulnerable when they're sick. What if Sakura wakes up and sees no one around? She might think no one cares about her and get upset."
Sasori's temple throbbed slightly. He felt Hashirama's words made a lot of sense, but he didn't want Hashirama to stay. He coldly said, "First Hokage, aren't you going to do your work for today?"
Hashirama patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, I'll make up for it all after Sakura wakes up."
Sasori had no reason to object. He could only leave the tent with a casual "Whatever."
Itachi looked at Sakura and said, "Haruno will probably be hungry when she wakes up. I'll make some light, easily digestible food."
Sakura mostly ate energy bars or soldier rations, occasionally a few biscuits and instant noodles to tide her over. Itachi had long felt her diet was unhealthy, but it felt strange to offer to cook for her, so he had kept quiet. Now, it was a natural thing to let her eat something better.
"That's a great help, Itachi," Hashirama smiled.
Itachi left, and Izuna strolled over. He sat cross-legged beside Sakura and looked at her, saying to Hashirama, "This girl isn't just tired; her mental stress is clearly overwhelming. She seems on the verge of a breakdown."
Hashirama sighed, troubled. "Yeah, but my comforting words are useless. We're all with her, so why is Sakura-chan's stress only increasing?"
Izuna scoffed, "Because we're all dead. Anyone would go crazy facing a bunch of dead people and a hopeless world every day."
Hashirama was speechless. "Then, bring Kakashi back?"
Izuna nodded. "Next time, I'll go to the Critical Point World in Kakashi's place. I think Haruno needs Kakashi's company more."
Izuna stood up, reached out and lifted the tent flap. He was about to go out, but seeing the fine, white snowflakes falling from the sky, he seemed to remember something and turned back inside. He smiled.
"You've all done something for Haruno, it wouldn't be right for me to do nothing. It looks quite cold. We, in our Edo Tensei forms, can't sense temperature, but this little girl needs to keep warm. I'll build a fire for her. Hashirama, get some firewood."
Hashirama laughed heartily and praised. "Oh, Izuna, you didn't mention it, I almost forgot about temperature. This Edo Tensei form is so inconvenient; everything is so dulled."
He clapped his hands, conjuring some evenly sized wooden strips. After piling them into the shape of a fire a short distance from Sakura, Izuna joined two fingers together, formed a hand seal, and blew a fireball from his lips.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" He controlled his chakra perfectly, avoiding any exaggerated attack, yet instantly igniting the entire pile of firewood.
The warm orange flames flickered and danced, illuminating the cold, dim tent with a bright, cozy glow. The warm air spread throughout the small tent, and Sakura's furrowed brows relaxed considerably.
"Alright, Izuna waved and left."
In her dazed state, Sakura felt her previously cold and aching body gradually warming up. She felt hot and lifted the corner of the blanket, but quickly a pair of large hands covered her again. Sakura felt sweat on her forehead and a sticky, uncomfortable feeling in her neck. Those large hands then used a damp cloth to wipe her forehead and neck, making her feel much more comfortable.
Was it her mother? Was her mother taking care of her? Sakura was delirious with fever, instinctively seeking her mother's comfort. With her eyes closed, she murmured incoherently.
"Mommy, I feel so bad, touch my forehead."
A pair of hands gently touched her forehead, but they weren't the warm, soft hands she remembered. Instead, they were large, cold, and slightly stiff hands. Sakura shuddered and muttered involuntarily.
"Your hands are so cold, Mommy. I want warm hands, not cold ones."
The hands left, but quickly returned. Some method seemed to warm them slightly, but it couldn't hide the stiffness and coldness beneath, as if they belonged to a dead person.
Sakura shivered and suddenly woke up. Opening her eyes, she saw Hashirama's face, shattered and cracked. The black whites of his eyes were completely different from those of the living. The fine dust constantly trembling from his body smelled earthy and chilling.
"Sakura-chan, you're awake? Feeling better? How about taking your medicine? Itachi went to make you something to eat; he should be here soon," Hashirama asked with a gentle smile.
Sakura just stared blankly at Hashirama. Although his eyes were full of concern, and his smile was warm and considerate, Sakura felt an overwhelming urge to cry. Her heart felt so heavy. She knew she was being dramatic, but the absence of any living person by her side was unbearable.
Sakura knew humans were social animals and couldn't survive in isolation, but she had never realized that this group and society required living people. Even the dead, carrying the same souls, couldn't bring her complete relaxation and peace. An invisible sense of isolation and alienation overwhelmed her senses, making her feel incredibly lonely.
Sakura pressed her arms to her eyes and sobbed softly, "Lord Hashirama, why did you all die?"
Hashirama's cheerful smile vanished, replaced by sadness and guilt. He lowered his head and whispered... "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."
The downcast, sighing apology reached Sakura's ears, making her suddenly realize how unreasonable and hurtful her words had been. She quickly moved her arm away, struggled to her feet, and apologized hastily.
"No, Lord Hashirama, it's my fault. I suddenly lost control of my emotions. Please forgive my rambling."
The First Hokage died almost a hundred years ago. It was her generation who disturbed his rest, forcing him to fight and shoulder the responsibility of saving the world. Now, she's acting unreasonably, and Hashirama is silently bearing it all, even though it's not his fault at all!
Hashirama gently pressed Sakura's slightly weak body back onto the bed and smiled. "I, as Hokage, am deeply responsible for failing to protect my people. I'm sorry I can't be resurrected. As a dead person, nothing I do may be enough, but I will always be by Sakura-chan's side."
Sakura looked at Hashirama with a mixture of shame and gratitude. "I'm sorry, Lord Hashirama, thank you."
At that moment, Itachi called out from outside. "Itachi. May I bring in the food now?"
Hashirama smiled at Sakura. "It seems Itachi has prepared the food. Let's eat it while it's hot."
He raised his voice slightly towards the door. "Come in, Itachi. Sakura-chan just woke up too."
Itachi opened the tent door, carrying a tray. He knelt down beside Sakura's bed, placed the tray in front of her, and said gently.
"Haruno, I made egg porridge, a stir-fried mixed vegetable dish, and a grilled fish. Do you like it? If not, what would you like? I can make more."
Sakura sat up slightly, looking at the set meal on the tray. A black clay pot held egg porridge, its orange-yellow color blending with the white rice, sprinkled with finely chopped green onions—a delicate yet appetizing dish. A plate of stir-fried carrots, cabbage, and bean sprouts looked refreshingly simple. A palm-sized river fish was smoked until brown, its aroma enticing, with half a lemon slice beside it for added flavor.
The comforting aroma of the food suddenly whetted Sakura's appetite, which had previously been poor. She swallowed hard; she hadn't had a proper meal in ages. Her relentless work left her no time for such mundane matters. Besides, since she was the only one eating, Sakura felt awkward about preparing anything complicated, as if she were irritating someone.
Sakura looked up at Uchiha Itachi. His face was gentle, his demeanor calm. Sakura hadn't expected to eat a meal prepared by Itachi himself; the feeling was somewhat surreal, yet also slightly embarrassing and awkward.
"Thank you, Itachi-san. This food is very good. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. Try it and see how the seasoning is. I didn't know your preferred level of saltiness, so I didn't put in too much." Itachi's smile was extremely faint, fleeting like a flower in bloom.
Sakura nodded, took the tray to herself, and first scooped a spoonful of egg porridge into her mouth. The porridge was delicious and soft, with the aroma of scallions adding a touch of freshness. Sakura's eyes lit up immediately, and she exclaimed, "So delicious!"
She quickly scooped up several more spoonfuls and eagerly stuffed them into her mouth. The warm porridge went down her throat, gently soothing her stomach. Sakura sighed contentedly. She then tried the stir-fried mixed vegetables. The vegetables were crisp and just cooked through, with an excellent texture. The seasoning was light and slightly sweet, perfectly suited to her taste. The grilled fish was also crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Sakura ate one bite after another, her round cat-like eyes narrowing with happiness.
As she ate, she excitedly praised, "Itachi-san, your cooking skills are amazing! It's so delicious!"
Sakura was surprised that Itachi Uchiha had this culinary skill. Wasn't he the heir to the Uchiha main clan? Logically, he should have been born a young master, yet he could cook for himself. Could it be because he became a rogue ninja after the clan's massacre, with no one to serve him, so he taught himself? Sakura chewed like a little hamster, her mind wandering aimlessly.
Itachi smiled slightly. "I'm glad you like it. I can cook more often in the future."
Sakura didn't eat delicately, taking small bites and eating slowly, but she ate with great relish, giving Itachi a sense of satisfaction, like he had successfully fed her.
Hashirama also watched with satisfaction as Sakura seemed to have improved considerably. Indeed, people need some pleasures in life, like good food, beautiful women, fine wine, and even a gamble. Hashirama enjoyed these things; they were absolutely essential for life, excellent tools for boosting happiness.
Sakura finished the entire meal, put down her chopsticks contentedly, and sighed. "If there were some sweet filling after the meal, it would be perfect."
"Haruno likes sweets too?" Itachi asked with interest, as if he had found a kindred spirit.
"Yes, sweet filling is my favorite dessert. Although other desserts are good too, if I had to choose, sweet filling would always be number one!" Sakura answered, then noticed the word 'too' in Itachi's words and asked curiously.
"Itachi-san likes sweets too? What's your favorite?"
Itachi's smile widened slightly when talking about his favorite foods. "I love three-color dumplings. They're simple, but delicious."
"Three-color dumplings, huh? I love them too. Ganligan's three-color dumplings are super delicious." Sakura's mouth watered as she thought about them.
"Yes, that place has the best three-color dumplings. I used to go to Ganligan often." Itachi agreed wholeheartedly.
"Really? Then why haven't I seen it..." Sakura was about to say that she was a regular customer and wondered why she hadn't seen Uchiha Itachi at Ganligan, when she suddenly remembered that this person had basically never returned to Konoha after betraying the village at the age of 13. It would be strange if she ran into him.
Sakura quickly changed the subject without pausing, "Does Lord Hashirama like sweets?"
Itachi naturally noticed Sakura's abrupt change of topic, but tacitly ignored it as well.
Hashirama smiled brightly. "Yes, I love it! My favorite is red bean dumpling soup."
Sakura immediately replied enthusiastically. "Ah, I like that too. It's probably my second favorite sweet. In winter, it might even temporarily surpass Miku to take the top spot. Drinking a bowl of hot, sweet soup in winter feels so blissful."
"Yes, that's right, a bowl of mochi soup is a must during the New Year!" Hashirama chimed in excitedly.
Itachi silently noted it down, thinking he could look for the ingredients for red bean dumpling soup in the surrounding villages; there must still be some left.
Having eaten and drunk her fill, Sakura felt sleepy again. She yawned, trying to stay awake, when Hashirama reminded her.
"Sakura-chan, take your medicine first. After you take it, you can rest a little longer. Don't do anything else today."
Sakura said she was fine and could continue working in the afternoon, but Hashirama's gentle yet firm refusal left her with no choice. She looked at Sasori's medical records and prescription, finding nothing to complain about, and obediently took the medicine, lying down to rest.
Seeing that Sakura was much better both physically and mentally, Hashirama went into full-on work that afternoon, determined to catch up on all the work he'd missed that morning.
After waking up in the evening, Sasori came again to check on her. Sakura awkwardly admitted that as a doctor, he was quite responsible and diligent, conducting very detailed examinations. However, this time, Sakura firmly refused to listen to her heart and lungs. Although he used to be a puppet and was now dead, and it didn't really matter to him, he was still a man, and Sakura wasn't incapable of checking herself.
Sasori didn't mind, casually shoving the stethoscope into Sakura's hand and getting up. "Since you can do it yourself, I'll be going."
Izuna also came by before nightfall. Sakura and Izuna weren't actually close, especially facing that face so similar to Sasuke's, which made her feel complicated and awkward. However, Hashirama had told her that Izuna had helped light the fire in the tent, so Sakura thanked him sincerely.
Izuna smiled. "It's nothing. I also told Hashirama that in a couple of days, when Kakashi returns, I'll replace him and let him stay here with you."
Sakura exclaimed in surprise. "Huh? No need, I'm fine. Kakashi-sensei's researching that barrier thing, right? There's no need for him to come with me."
Izuna rephrased, "We need someone who can travel through space to stay here, otherwise, if something urgent happens, we won't be able to notify them, right?"
That was true, and Sakura immediately fell silent.
Three days later, Sakura had fully recovered. During those three days, Itachi Uchiha cooked for her every day, even making red bean dumpling soup as dessert. When she drank it, Sakura almost cried with emotion. Now, she found Itachi Uchiha more and more pleasing to the eye; indeed, one is beholden to those who feed them.
Thinking that her patient benefits would be gone once she recovered, Sakura felt a little melancholy. However, on the fourth day, when she saw Itachi bring her another breakfast, Sakura froze.
"What's wrong, Haruno? Aren't you going to eat?" Itachi seemed puzzled and asked.
Sakura quickly accepted the breakfast. Since it was prepared, she figured she had to eat it; otherwise, it would be a waste, as no one else could eat it. She quickly explained, "Ah, I was just thinking that now that I'm better, I don't need to bother Itachi-san anymore."
Itachi seemed a little disappointed. "Are you already tired of it?"
Sakura blurted out. "No! How could I be tired of it? It's super delicious! It's just that I feel so bad troubling Itachi-san to cook for me every day, while you don't even get to eat any yourself." Sakura blushed.
Itachi smiled slightly. 'Oh, I see. Then it's alright. I don't find it troublesome at all. I quite enjoy cooking. As long as Haruno doesn't get tired of it, I can keep cooking.' "
Although it started out of guilt and a desire to compensate for the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Itachi now genuinely doesn't mind cooking for Sakura. Unlike Sasuke's awkwardness, Sakura is very frank, always looking happy and satisfied while eating his food, which gives Itachi a lot of enjoyment in feeding her.
Sakura hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the food and readily accepted his kindness.
"Thank you, Itachi-san. Now that I'm better, I can cook with you from now on. I can help out, although my seasoning and cooking skills are terrible. Being around you is a good opportunity to learn secretly." She stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed.
"It's okay, there's no secret recipe. If you want to learn, I'll teach you." Itachi's tone was gentle.
Sakura nodded, then scratched her cheek, a little shyly saying, "Itachi-san, you can just call me Sakura. I've already called you by your first name, it feels a little strange that you still call me by my surname."
Itachi smiled. "Then, I'll call you Sakura-san." "
Itachi truly embodied politeness and refinement; even towards Sakura, who was younger than him, he used respectful terms of address.
A few days later, Kakashi returned. He had come to collect food supplies. When he learned that Sakura had been ill a few days prior, and that he had heard from Hashirama that Sakura had nearly suffered a serious mental breakdown, he was immediately shocked. He no longer cared about researching the invisible barrier and immediately agreed to Izuna's request for a rotation. After all, he was basically just there to make up the numbers; he didn't understand the real research, relying entirely on the Second Hokage and Minato. As for the space-traveling experiment, well…" His eyes were exactly the same as Obito's; one more wouldn't make a difference.
After sending Izuna to the Critical Point World and explaining the situation, Kakashi quickly returned. Minato and Obito naturally didn't want anything to happen to Sakura again. Madara and Tobirama, while thinking the little girl was indeed a bit spoiled, felt it was unreasonable for their teacher to rush back to comfort his student.
Madara snorted and crossed his arms. "Whatever, Kakashi's pretty useless anyway. Now that Izuna's here, I can work with him to figure out how to reawaken his Rinnegan."
Izuna naturally felt most comfortable with her Madara brother, even with the annoying white-haired Senju standing next to her.
Tobirama was speechless, once again feeling that Kakashi's educational approach was problematic. "Kakashi spoils Haruno too much! Doesn't he understand that strict teachers produce outstanding students? How will Haruno succeed like this? She can't always run to her teacher for help every time something happens, can she?" "
Minato naturally knew this wasn't out of a teacher's affection for a student, but rather a man's doting affection for his woman. However, he couldn't say it aloud, otherwise the Second Hokage, who adhered to the old-fashioned tradition of respecting teachers, would probably personally clean house. He simply smiled.
"Sakura-chan is still young, it's normal for her not to be mature yet,"
Tobirama remarked. "She doesn't look young anymore. In the Warring States period, 7 or 8-year-old boys were already capable ninjas. Girls her age would have already been married and had children. She's still as innocent as a little girl. Times have definitely changed."
Madara and Tobirama always referred to Sakura as a "little girl," partly because her age, relative to their own, truly made her a young girl, and partly because Sakura herself acted like an innocent and immature young girl. In the Sengoku period, 16 or 17-year-old girls were considered mature women and wives; they would never treat her like an immature child.
"Haha, just like you said, times have changed. Isn't this exactly what you and the First Hokage wanted to see? Everyone can grow freely according to their age."
Minato laughed. He quite liked Sakura like this. A young girl should have the brightness and innocence of a young girl; it was the distorted era that forced children and teenagers to grow up prematurely, displaying a maturity inappropriate for their age—a maturity that was heartbreaking.
Tobirama remained silent. Well, this was what they called "you can't have your cake and eat it too."
To Be Continued ...