Chapter 32: Two and a Half Years
Kakashi was not in a good mood right now.
He used to think that after weathering so many storms, little could rattle him anymore. That no matter what he faced, he wouldn't be too emotionally stirred.
But now, it seemed… perhaps he was wrong.
Because sitting right in front of him was a pink-haired little girl, quietly sipping tea.
To be honest, she was kind of cute.
But Kakashi wasn't one to be deceived by appearances.
That pink-haired girl may look harmless and innocent, but deep down—her heart was anything but.
In the two and a half years since the Third Hokage had taken this girl as his personal disciple, all of Konoha—no, even the entire Land of Fire and the ninja world—had undergone drastic changes.
The most obvious among them was the spike in grain prices, which had soared to previously unimaginable heights. At the same time, the prices of iron, medicine, and minerals had plummeted dramatically.
And all of this had started the moment the Third Hokage took this little girl under his wing.
Kakashi would've much preferred to stay out of these affairs. But now, he had no choice but to get involved.
Two years ago, as grain prices steadily rose, a swarm of profiteers leapt at the opportunity and made outrageous fortunes. But the ones who suffered were the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Lightning.
These countries had never been major grain producers. They relied heavily on importing food from nearby smaller nations and the Land of Fire.
Now, things were tough for them.
Of course, they wouldn't sit around and just accept their fate. Which was why, today, the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire were holding a formal diplomatic meeting to discuss cooperation.
Kakashi and several other ninja were assigned to serve as security for this meeting.
Or more accurately—they were here to protect the pink-haired girl.
Sakura sat quietly behind a folding screen, calmly listening to the ongoing discussions beyond it.
She ignored Kakashi's watchful gaze from behind her.
This world didn't place much importance on economics, which was why her actions had such obvious and dramatic results.
After all, this was a world where great power could be concentrated in the hands of a single individual.
Everything was unfolding exactly as she had planned.
It was like a marionette show. All she had to do was pull the right strings, and the puppets would move just as she intended.
Still, Sakura was careful not to push too hard. These men, with their simple minds and powerful fists, might flip the whole chessboard in a fit of anger—and then everything would be ruined.
As she continued to listen to the increasingly silent and tense voices of the Land of Earth's delegation, Sakura already knew—
It was over.
The negotiations were done.
---
Konoha
CAWW!
A sharp, high-pitched cry echoed through the sky. A powerful black hawk sliced through the air like an arrow, descending rapidly before landing neatly on the windowsill of the Hokage's office.
Wearing the traditional red-and-white robes of the Hokage, the old man untied the small scroll bound to the hawk's leg and unrolled the note within. His eyes scanned the contents quickly.
A faint smile of relief appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's weathered face.
It seemed he could finally take a short break.
The cooperation with the Land of Earth had succeeded.
The pressure from their side could temporarily be lifted.
All they had to do now was maintain this delicate balance.
And it was all thanks to Sakura…
If it had been left to Danzo, who knows what kind of disaster would've occurred.
Hiruzen settled into his personal chair, leaning back with a rare moment of ease.
Taking Sakura in as his disciple had been a gamble from the very start.
But now? It was clear he had made the right bet.
Still, he couldn't afford to truly relax. The future remained uncertain.
Once Sakura returned, perhaps it was time to let the child take a proper break…
---
"Mom! I'm home!"
The moment she stepped through the door, Sakura kicked off her shoes and yelled toward the inside of the house.
"You loudmouth," a voice replied almost instantly. "Coming home is fine, but do you have to shout like that?"
Haruno Mebuki stepped out from one of the rooms, frowning at her daughter.
"Put your shoes properly! Every time, I'm the one who has to tidy them up. Honestly, what did I do to deserve this?"
She glared at the mess of shoes Sakura had left in the doorway. A throbbing vein popped on her forehead.
"I don't even know who would want a daughter like you."
"No one wants me?" Sakura responded with a smirk as she obediently arranged her shoes. "That's fine. I'll just stay at home forever. You can take care of me."
"You little—"
But before Mebuki could say anything more, the pink-haired figure had already darted into her room and shut the door behind her with a shout:
"I want fish for dinner!"
Mebuki stared helplessly at the closed door, muttering to herself, "Is she already going through her rebellious phase?"
---
Poof…
Back in her room, Sakura dove headfirst into her blanket.
One emerald-green eye peeked out toward the window, watching a pair of yellow songbirds chirping on a branch outside.
Thwip!
A pencil whizzed through the air, piercing cleanly between the two birds and embedding itself in the tree trunk.
Startled, the birds let out panicked cries and flapped away in opposite directions.
"I've already decided to stay single for life," Sakura muttered with a wicked grin. "No one's allowed to show off their love in front of me. Not even birds."
She chuckled at her own mischief.
Truly—"misfortune makes people flee on their own." The old sayings didn't lie.
With that, she buried her face deeper into her bedding and slowly closed her eyes.
Time ticked by quietly, her breath calm and steady.
Without realizing it, Sakura had drifted off to sleep.
It had been such a tiring stretch of time.
Everyone was relying on her for everything.
---
"Sakura?"
"Sakura?"
In a sleepy daze, Sakura felt someone gently nudging her awake.
"…Mom?"
She slowly opened her groggy eyes and looked up at Mebuki.
"You fell asleep just like that. Get up—it's dinner time."
Mebuki didn't know what her daughter had been up to lately. But ever since Sakura became a ninja, she seemed to always be busy, coming and going in a rush.
Still, knowing that her daughter was the Hokage's personal apprentice, Mebuki chose not to ask too many questions. She trusted the Hokage to guide her child well.
"Didn't you say you wanted fish?"
"I even went out and got it especially for you~~"
As she ruffled her daughter's soft pink hair, a rare tenderness filled Mebuki's eyes.
"I'm getting up now."
Sakura rubbed her forehead sleepily.
Then, almost by reflex, she scanned her chakra reserves.
Her Yin Seal was nearly full.
At this rate, the S-Rank jutsu would be ready in another two years.
From age six until now—it had taken her nearly six full years of accumulation.
"What are you thinking about?"
Mebuki asked curiously, seeing her daughter spacing out while sitting on the bed.
Just as Sakura opened her mouth to answer, a loud voice echoed from the living room.
"Sakura must be in need of some fatherly affection!"
"Daddy is coming!"
Haruno Kizashi's exaggerated voice rang out dramatically.
The pink-haired girl's face twitched. Her green eyes filled with speechless resignation.
With an utterly blank expression, she said,
"No. I refuse."
"Awwww, whyyyy~~"
Kizashi, who had just reached her door, instantly deflated like a popped balloon. His whole body seemed to turn grey, as if his soul had been crushed by rejection.
---
(End of Chapter)