Naruto clutched his stomach, grimacing as he struggled back to his feet. His face was full of grievance and confusion.
"Sakura, why did you hit me? I'd never get you hurt! I didn't even do anything!"
"Didn't do anything?!"
Sakura was so furious she was trembling. She pointed up at the sky.
"How could you tell that old man about the Divine Technique?! And you even said it so clearly!"
Only then did Naruto realize what she meant. He gave an awkward laugh, trying to defend himself.
"I—I didn't tell him the actual cultivation method or anything… and Third Grandpa, he—"
"Shut up, Naruto!"
Even Yamanaka Ino couldn't stand it anymore. She rushed over and cut him off, her expression unusually severe.
"Do you really still think that old man is some purely good person? Didn't you see his expression just now? He'll definitely covet Sakura's Divine Technique! He'll use every possible means to obtain it! You've just dragged Sakura into mortal danger!"
Ino's words were like a bucket of ice water dumped over Naruto's head.
His body stiffened.
Yeah… the Third Hokage's reputation was already in shambles.
He had swallowed up his parents' assets and house, and had even deliberately concealed Naruto's identity as the hero's son—
And just then, Sasuke Uchiha, who had been watching coldly from the side, let out a merciless scoff.
Arms crossed, his icy gaze swept over Naruto.
"Hah. So that's why, in the first Sky Screen, when you were destroying the world, I was the only one trying to stop you… and Sakura was nowhere to be seen."
He paused, his eyes sharp as blades, stabbing straight into Naruto's heart.
"So that's it. She was already killed by you."
"I… I killed Sakura?"
Naruto was struck as if by lightning. He froze where he stood, blue eyes wide with confusion, terror, and disbelief.
Sasuke's heart-piercing words—combined with the future destruction Naruto might cause, and Sakura's absence—
Made it terrifyingly plausible.
That cold speculation sent ripples through the Ninja Academy—and triggered massive resonance across the entire shinobi world.
"That's it! That has to be it!"
"I knew it—who wouldn't be greedy for that kind of power?"
"Konoha's higher-ups… hmph. All righteous on the surface, filthy behind the scenes!"
"Secretly killing a genius girl who just saved the village to seize the Divine Technique? Way too likely!"
Almost no further evidence was needed.
Countless viewers had already accepted this as fact.
Sakura Haruno's disappearance in the future had to be connected to Sarutobi Hiruzen's coveting of the Divine Technique.
Naruto's unintentional slip of the tongue had been the fuse.
Schemes and killings over treasures and secret techniques were far too common in shinobi history.
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen truly felt wronged beyond words. His old face flushed red, his heart filled with indescribable bitterness.
"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!"
He was so angry his beard trembled.
"How could I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, be the kind of person who would stop at nothing for power and harm the village's young saplings?! This is a misunderstanding! A massive misunderstanding!"
He knew himself well.
Though he had compromised before, and made decisions under pressure, his bottom line had always remained intact.
Toward the village's children—especially promising juniors like Sakura and Naruto—he had always sought to protect and guide them.
How could he possibly lay a hand on them out of greed for some so-called Divine Technique?
That was nothing less than the greatest insult to the Will of Fire he had upheld his entire life!
Which meant—
The Sky Screen must be incomplete. Or unreliable.
"Danzo! It must be Danzo!"
"Yes—Danzo definitely did something behind my back!"
Hiruzen immediately thought of his old partner. Only the dark methods of ROOT matched such suspicions.
Just as everyone expected—
Trouble came knocking quickly.
The next day, Sakura Haruno was walking home alone when a figure wearing an animal mask and dressed in ANBU attire appeared soundlessly before her, blocking her path.
"Sakura Haruno. Come with me," the masked shinobi said coldly.
Sakura stared at him warily. "ANBU? What is this about?"
The masked man ignored her question and repeated flatly:
"This concerns Sasuke Uchiha. You are required to cooperate with an investigation."
At the mention of Sasuke's name, Sakura's heart clenched.
Despite her doubts, anything involving Sasuke made her grit her teeth and follow.
She was led to the entrance of a secluded, hidden underground facility.
The moment she entered, a cold, oppressive atmosphere washed over her—utterly different from the sunlight-filled Konoha above.
Soon, a figure stepped out of the shadows.
He wore a high-collared robe. Half his face and his right arm were wrapped in thick bandages, and an unsettling gloom clung to him.
Danzō Shimura.
Danzo's single visible eye swept over Sakura, who was clearly on guard. His voice was hoarse with interrogation.
"Sakura Haruno. Why did you allow the rogue ninja Sasuke Uchiha—who attacked the village and caused massive destruction—to escape yesterday? What is your relationship with him? Or could it be…"
"…that you intend to become a rogue ninja as well?"
That accusation hit like a thunderbolt.
Sakura froze for a split second—then rage surged straight to her head.
She glared at Danzo furiously.
"Who do you think you are?! How dare you slander me like that! A rogue ninja? As if! You think you're the Hokage or something—whatever you say goes?!"
That last line was spoken in pure anger—
Yet it struck Danzo's deepest wound with uncanny precision.
Becoming Hokage had been his lifelong obsession.
"Impudent!"
Cold light flashed in Danzo's single eye. He exploded into rage and suddenly lunged, reaching straight for Sakura's shoulder at astonishing speed!
Sakura hadn't expected him to attack outright. She barely managed to twist aside, narrowly avoiding the grab.
"You—you actually attacked me?!"
She was shocked and furious, instantly taking a combat stance.
"Who are you really?! Are you the rogue ninja?!"
Danzo steadied himself and sneered coldly.
"Rogue ninja? That accusation has only ever gone from me to others."
Before his words even finished—
Several ROOT operatives burst out of the surrounding shadows, blades flashing as they launched lethal strikes straight at Sakura's vitals!
The instant the deadly assault arrived, the last of Sakura's restraint snapped.
She didn't dodge.
Facing the slashing chakra short blade, she simply threw a punch.
Crack!
BOOM!
A familiar scene played out once more.
The chakra blade shattered into fragments the moment it collided with her fist.
And the ROOT operative wielding it was blasted away by the terrifying force that followed, slammed hard into the wall, his fate unknown.
"Hm?"
Danzo's single eye lit up, filled with shock—and an uncontrollable greed.
"A body that ignores physical attacks… absolute destructive power… such a strange and powerful secret art…"
His voice trembled faintly with excitement.
"So this… is the Divine Technique?"
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