Chapter 23: 100% Monster Strength
"Wow, this fish is huge!"
"All thanks to Sakura! I definitely wouldn't have been able to reel it in without her!"
In a clearing deep in the forest, Naruto stared at the massive fish roasting over the fire. The fish, which was larger than Naruto himself, lay skewered and lifeless, eyes rolled back. Naruto's mouth watered at the sight.
"Uh… haha, is that so…"
Sakura sat to the side, propping her face up with one hand, wearing an expression of disbelief as she looked at the gigantic fish.
She had spent the entire afternoon fishing without catching a single thing.
Then Naruto casually threw in his line and—bam! A monster catch. If Sakura hadn't jumped in and punched the fish unconscious, Naruto might have been dragged straight into the lake by the brute force of it.
To make things even more ridiculous, fish started biting Naruto's line one after another like they were under some sort of spell. Sakura's hook was right next to his, using the exact same worm bait... and yet, she didn't get a single bite.
Why was she the only one with zero catches?!
In the end, the fish was so huge that there was no way Naruto and Sakura could finish it by themselves, so Naruto released all the other fish back into the lake.
The sky gradually darkened, night settling over the forest. The only light came from the flickering flames of the campfire.
"Hehe, Sakura, looks like it's finally ready to eat!"
Naruto had picked up some cooking skills lately and could tell at a glance when the fish was perfectly roasted. With a proud grin, he carved off a chunk of fish meat, stuck it on a cleaned tree branch, and offered it to Sakura.
"Thanks."
Sakura accepted it without any fuss.
It didn't have much seasoning, just a faint salty taste and the rich flavor of grilled fish meat. But compared to that creepy "Heaven's Spider Lady" dish from before, this was a huge step forward.
"Tastes pretty good. You've improved a lot, Naruto," Sakura complimented sincerely.
"Hehehe, of course! I studied that recipe book you gave me really hard!"
Naruto stood up proudly, hands on his hips, his face glowing with pride.
"You're the best, Naruto,"
Sakura said absentmindedly while chewing on the fish meat.
"Right?! Right?! I'm awesome!"
"And not just at cooking—someday I'm gonna beat that stuck-up Sasuke too!"
Naruto perked up instantly from the compliment, like he'd just gotten a power boost. His whole body radiated enthusiasm.
"If you don't eat soon, the fish's gonna burn, you know~~"
---
News of Haruno Sakura being taken in as the Third Hokage's final disciple spread like wildfire.
Her name quickly entered the conversations of many Hidden Leaf ninjas.
Haruno Sakura.
Age: Eight.
Entered the Ninja Academy at six, graduated at eight.
On graduation day, she was accepted as the personal student of the Third Hokage.
The same Hokage who once trained the legendary Sannin had, after several decades, taken on another apprentice.
And this time, it wasn't the child of some elite clan, but a seemingly ordinary girl from a civilian family.
Naturally, this stirred up a lot of whispers and speculation from those who always had a little too much time on their hands.
---
"Hahahahahaha!!!"
"I knew my little Sakura was amazing!"
"To become the Hokage's disciple... it's just...!"
Around lunchtime, Haruno Zhaō was rarely home, but today the whole family was having a rare meal together.
"Must be some serious ancestral luck,"
Sakura's mother, Haruno Meko, rolled her eyes as she smacked her husband lightly on the head to stop his dramatic laughter.
Then she turned to her daughter, who was quietly eating without saying much, and gently said,
"Sakura, do your best. Don't let the Hokage down."
"Yep, Meko's right," Zhaō nodded enthusiastically, shaking his signature starfish-shaped hair. "But then again, this is our Sakura we're talking about! She'll shock the entire village!"
"I'm done eating."
Sakura stood up, wiping her mouth. "Also, Dad, try not to be too loud at work, okay?"
She waved to her parents and headed out.
As they watched her go, Haruno Zhaō and Meko exchanged glances.
"She doesn't seem that happy about this, does she?"
Zhaō frowned.
"Well, unlike you, she doesn't run around all day like a total idiot," Meko replied, resting her head in her hand. "Honestly, I don't even know why I fell for you back then."
"What?! Weren't you the one who chased after me?"
Zhaō protested.
"Shut it!"
Meko quickly covered his mouth, blushing with embarrassment.
---
Hokage's Office
"Old man Hiruzen, why didn't you discuss this with us?"
"Exactly, Hiruzen. Koharu is right—you're not young anymore. Can you even handle the responsibility of training a student?"
"If you really thought the girl had potential, you could've just handed her over to Kakashi."
"Totally agree. Koharu makes a good point."
"And furthermore—"
Sakura paused at the door, hearing two familiar cranky voices droning on from inside.
"It's Sakura. Come in,"
Hiruzen's voice cut through the noise. The grumbling stopped immediately.
"Master,"
Sakura said sweetly, ignoring the two grumpy elders beside him as she entered. Her polite address made their faces twitch slightly with discomfort.
"Good girl,"
Hiruzen smiled in approval. "Let's go stretch our legs a bit—maybe quiz you a little on your recent training."
He gave her a gentle pat on the head, and the two of them walked out together, leaving Koharu and Homura behind.
Watching them leave, Koharu muttered,
"Do you think Hiruzen's planning to build his own faction again, even at his age?"
Homura sighed.
"I've said it before—Hiruzen is not like Danzo."
"Next time something like this happens, you handle it. I'm too old to argue like this anymore."
With that, he swept his robes and walked off.
"Hey! You agreed to it before, you old geezer!"
---
Third Training Ground, Hidden Leaf Village
"Sakura, feeling the pressure?"
Hiruzen asked gently, looking at the young girl before him.
"Not at all," Sakura replied casually. "People can say whatever they want—it's their mouths, I can't exactly stitch them shut."
Her tone was relaxed, but something in her expression made Hiruzen pause. For a moment, he got the distinct impression that she would sew their mouths shut if she could.
"Er… haha… just joking, no need to take it seriously."
Now that he had officially taken Sakura under his wing, Hiruzen didn't intend to waste time. Even with his limited schedule, he would carve out moments to personally train her.
"Sakura, show me how well you've mastered your monster strength."
He smiled, eager to see what she could do.
Sakura glanced around. The training ground was empty.
She looked back at Hiruzen, a slight hesitation in her voice:
"All out?"
"Full power,"
Hiruzen confirmed, nodding with certainty.
At his confirmation, Sakura's gaze sharpened. Even her previously soft and delicate eyebrows tightened into something dangerous.
She clenched her pink fists.
That fierce look in her eyes made Hiruzen's heart skip a beat.
Could it be…?
Serious Punch — 100% Monster Strength!
Target: My newly sworn master!
---
(End of Chapter)