The Sakura Legend

Hokage's Office

"Naruto has a massive amount of chakra sealed within him. The sealing jutsu was performed by the Uzumaki clan themselves, so normally, there's no problem. However, when Naruto experiences strong emotions, that immense chakra resonates with his feelings and transforms him into what you saw that night," the Third Hokage explained, taking a puff from his pipe.

"In that state, besides the physical strain on his body, Naruto's mind is also consumed by that enormous chakra. He'll attack indiscriminately. Therefore, if Naruto hadn't been resisting that power, you likely wouldn't have survived until our arrival." The Third Hokage cautioned Sakura, hoping she understood the implications and wouldn't be accidentally injured if it happened again.

"I understand, Lord Hokage," Sakura replied.

"Good. As Naruto's friend, I hope you'll look out for him."

"Naruto is my friend. I will. If there's nothing else, Lord Hokage, I'll head back to class. I broke the classroom window when I left earlier... I don't have to pay for that, do I?" Sakura asked sheepishly.

"Hahaha... No, you don't have to pay for it," the Third Hokage said with a hearty laugh. "Wait a moment, there's something else I want to give you." The Third Hokage, seeing Sakura about to leave, took a scroll from his drawer and handed it to her.

"This is...?" Sakura asked.

"This is a scroll containing some ninjutsu training methods. Take a look," the Third Hokage said.

"This...? This is for me?" Sakura was surprised. She took the scroll and discovered that it didn't contain low-level ninjutsu. There were quite a few advanced techniques.

"Yes. Actually, you probably already suspected it, but the village noticed you when you were three years old. After observing you all these years, the village has decided not to waste your talent. So, we hope you'll make good use of your abilities and grow to become a pillar of the village." The Third Hokage was frank with Sakura. Since the higher-ups had unanimously decided to focus on cultivating Sakura, it was better to be upfront early on to avoid any future misunderstandings.

"Thank you for your faith in me, Lord Hokage. I will work hard," Sakura said solemnly. Although she had vaguely guessed, Sakura hadn't expected the Third Hokage to be so open with her, whether it was about Naruto's situation or admitting to monitoring her. The Third Hokage was truly a ninja who would sacrifice himself to protect the village, living up to the title of "Kage."

"Then, Lord Hokage, I'll be going now."

"Yes, go ahead."

After Sakura left, an ANBU operative appeared in the Hokage's office.

"Lord Hokage, we've received a reply from Jiraiya-sama," the ANBU reported, kneeling on one knee.

"What did he say?" the Third Hokage asked.

"Jiraiya-sama said he will return to Konoha soon," the ANBU replied meticulously.

"Alright, I understand. And have you found Tsunade?" the Third Hokage inquired.

"I apologize, Lord Hokage. Tsunade-sama seems to be intentionally avoiding us, so we haven't been able to locate her yet."

"Sigh... Alright, then halt the search for Tsunade for now. We'll talk about it again when Jiraiya returns," the Third Hokage said with a sigh.

It seemed Tsunade had realized he was sending people to find her. If Tsunade was deliberately avoiding them, the ANBU wouldn't be able to find her. It seemed this matter would have to be left to Jiraiya. If it were Jiraiya, Tsunade probably wouldn't intentionally avoid him.

Sakura looked at the ninjutsu scroll the old man Hokage had given her. It contained quite a few techniques: Earth Release, Water Release, sealing jutsu, and even medical ninjutsu training and insights. Medical ninjutsu had the most extensive section, including not only training methods but also insights into the techniques and medical knowledge.

"So the old man Hokage has figured out my strengths, huh? Precise chakra control is the key to learning medical ninjutsu. No wonder the Third Hokage said not to waste my talent; he was referring to this. But medical ninjutsu isn't as simple as just knowing the techniques; it requires a lot of practice."

Forget it, I'll worry about medical ninjutsu later. First, I'll learn the basic techniques. If I really want to study it later, I have Tsunade to teach me. For now, I'll see if there are any defensive Earth Release techniques. Sakura recalled the fear she felt when those enemy ninja had stabbed her repeatedly with shuriken. It was better to learn some life-saving techniques first. She wasn't in a hurry for powerful ninjutsu; she'd wait until she had the Yin Seal.

Although her body's chakra capacity was increasing as she grew, it was still nothing compared to Naruto's freakish reserves. For now, she'd choose some practical ninjutsu to practice.

Two days later, Naruto finally returned to school. But seeing Sakura, Naruto's initially joyful expression quickly dimmed.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, puzzled by Naruto's downcast demeanor.

"It's... nothing," Naruto replied. He remembered the whispers he'd overheard in the Sealing Corps, and he had a rough understanding of what had happened that night.

No department in Konoha understood the Nine-Tails better than the Sealing Corps. Although the Third Hokage had personally issued a gag order, it couldn't completely suppress the villagers' aversion to Naruto. So, while Naruto was in the Sealing Corps, he overheard snippets of discussions about that night's events. Perhaps the Sealing Corps members had intentionally let Naruto hear them.

Seeing Sakura, Naruto couldn't help but feel he should distance himself from her. He was afraid that if he transformed again, he would hurt her. Although he didn't want to be alone, he would rather endure loneliness than hurt his friend. Perhaps he really was a plague, as the villagers said.

Sakura saw Naruto say nothing and walk past her towards the classroom. After a moment's thought, she understood Naruto's intentions. He... he was afraid of hurting her again. Naruto was just that kind of person; he would rather silently endure loneliness than hurt his friends.

"Naruto," Sakura called out, stopping him. "I went to see Lord Hokage the other day. He told me everything about you."

"Oh, is that so?" Naruto didn't turn around, continuing to walk forward.

"Stop right there. Do you want to avoid me for the rest of your life? What about the promise you made to me? You said you'd protect me forever," Sakura said, her voice rising in anger as Naruto continued to ignore her and walk away.

"Sakura-chan, I... I don't want to hurt you. You showed me the meaning of friendship, but... but I'm afraid..." Naruto said, tears streaming down his face.

"Do you think running away will solve anything? If you don't want to hurt me, then train hard and control that power," Sakura said, looking at Naruto. "Lord Hokage told me that if you become strong enough, you can control that power. Do you want to break your promise?"

The Third Hokage hadn't actually said this to Sakura, but she understood better than the Third what Naruto needed to do. She said this deliberately to prevent Naruto from blaming himself.

"That power is incredibly strong. You need to become stronger to control it. I believe you can control that power and protect me."

"Th-Thank you... Sakura-chan..." Naruto was sobbing uncontrollably.