Jiraiya led Naruto and Sakura to a small grove by the riverside, just outside the outskirts of Konoha. The sun filtered softly through the canopy of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the grass beneath their feet. It was a quiet, secluded spot — perfect for training, or for serious talks that the busy village life did not allow.
After learning from Sakura that Naruto could walk on water using chakra and had already mastered the Rasengan, Jiraiya looked thoughtfully at the golden-haired boy before him. Naruto's unmistakable hair color was like a flame in the tranquil forest, and it sparked something within Jiraiya's mind — a decision quietly taking shape.
Without another word, Jiraiya summoned his toad summon once more: Gamachan — the same armored toad that had appeared before. Sakura watched curiously as Gamachan retrieved the summoning scroll from behind his back, holding it carefully with his stubby legs. Naruto, following Jiraiya's lead, then successfully signed a summoning contract with Mount Myoboku.
"Does this mean I can summon this super cool toad too?" Naruto's eyes shone with excitement, practically sparkling as he looked at the impressive armored amphibian beside Jiraiya.
"In theory, yes," Jiraiya replied with a slight grin, watching the eager boy's expression. Naruto was just about to try the summoning technique himself when Jiraiya suddenly grabbed his hand, stopping the boy mid-sign.
Naruto blinked in confusion, his fingers still poised in the hand sign formation. Jiraiya then turned his head and glanced over at Sakura, who was sitting quietly nearby.
"Sakura," Jiraiya began, "since you want to learn the 'Ten-Gai Formation' from me…"
He paused dramatically, his expression turning slightly mischievous as he pointed at Naruto.
"…why don't you help me squeeze him dry?"
Naruto nearly choked on the words. He stared at Jiraiya with wide, incredulous eyes as his face instantly flushed bright red.
"Uh—hey, that's not cool…"
Though Naruto liked Sakura very much, he felt uneasy having others around when this kind of talk came up.
Plus, he wasn't sure if Sakura would even agree…
He nervously glanced at the pink-haired girl, who looked at Jiraiya with a hint of suspicion, trying to figure out what he was really after.
Jiraiya's grin deepened as he pointed again to Naruto. The message was clear: he wanted Sakura to drain Naruto's chakra.
Sakura's emerald eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she thought it through.
Most of Naruto's chakra was used to suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra inside him, leaving him only a tiny fraction of his true power to utilize for techniques like the Shadow Clone Jutsu — which alone required vast reserves to produce thousands of clones.
Now, Jiraiya wanted to drain all of Naruto's chakra. Clearly, this wasn't just about training — it was about helping Naruto learn to harness the Nine-Tails' power, and in tandem with the summoning contract, use that power to summon the mighty toads of Mount Myoboku.
Without hesitation, Sakura stood up and looked at Naruto calmly.
"I'll do it."
Naruto's jaw dropped in disbelief. Sakura had agreed!
He stared at her, eyes wide, but the next action she took caused his face to pale even more.
There were no romantic moments or blushing exchanges — instead, Sakura reached into her ninja pouch and pulled out a pair of black gloves. She slowly put them on in front of Naruto.
The last time Naruto had seen her wear those gloves was when she faced Orochimaru — a fight where her single punch had sent the snake villain flying.
Could this mean…?
A cold feeling crept up Naruto's spine. He sensed that the "squeezing dry" Jiraiya mentioned wasn't what he had first imagined.
"Naruto, come over here. Attack me with everything you've got," Sakura said, beckoning him forward with a firm motion.
Jiraiya stepped back with a smile, watching the scene unfold with great interest.
"Wait, attack Sakura? What if I hurt her?" Naruto hesitated, looking worriedly at the girl.
Sakura's eyes softened as she looked at the boy who cared so much.
"You don't have to worry about that," she said calmly. "At your current strength, you can't hurt me."
Naruto's eyes flickered with concern, but Sakura's words carried a deeper meaning. She gently furrowed her pink brows, feeling it was time to clarify things — though she knew this talk would have to wait until after Naruto finished training with Jiraiya.
"Naruto…" she started quietly, "you and I — we're not the same."
"You're worried I'll get hurt?" Sakura's lips curved into a faint, mysterious smile. She pointed to her chest, where scars from her battle with Orochimaru still faintly showed.
"This wound was caused by Orochimaru's sword — stabbed right through me in the Death Forest."
"If I were strong enough, this kind of pain wouldn't have touched me."
Naruto stared at her, struck silent by the thought of the girl before him enduring such suffering. He could hardly imagine the moment she was pierced, the sheer terror and pain she must have felt.
If he had witnessed that scene… he probably would have gone mad.
"If Naruto becomes strong enough," Sakura continued, "then Orochimaru won't be able to hurt me anymore."
"So, Naruto — I don't want to be weak anymore."
"I don't want to be a weakling. The only way is to become strong."
"And I've been working toward that goal, every single day."
A surge of powerful energy radiated from Sakura. Her pink hair floated softly around her as her chakra swirled visibly around her body.
Her emerald eyes blazed with fierce determination, so intense Naruto found it hard to meet her gaze.
"Naruto," she said, clenching her fists tightly, "you always say becoming Hokage is your dream."
"Our goals are the same," she added.
"I want to become Hokage, too."
"Do you think just becoming Hokage means everyone will accept you?"
Jiraiya watched quietly from the side, amused by how seriously Sakura took things. It was only a matter of draining Naruto's chakra after all — nothing to get so worked up about.
"Naruto, you're mistaken," Sakura said firmly.
"It's not that becoming Hokage will earn you everyone's respect."
"It's that you must earn everyone's respect first — only then can you become Hokage."
"Can you get my approval if you can't even bring yourself to attack me?"
Sakura wanted to grow stronger. She wanted to keep climbing — step by step — until she reached the very top.
She wanted to be the best.
She wanted to stand above all the mountains and see everything beneath her.
Six years had passed since she came to this world. Did anyone know how she had spent those years?
She trained tirelessly, even while grumbling aloud about the hardships. Her body, however, was honest — always moving forward, completing missions, sharpening her skills, and thinking strategically.
From being a boy to becoming a girl — in this world where strength was everything — whether it was him or her, their goal was the same.
If she had let fear of getting hurt stop her, Orochimaru's sword would have shattered her spirit long ago.
Techniques might protect the body, but never the mind.
All she could do was punch — again and again — smashing everything blocking her way.
Sakura knew maybe she was going a bit overboard, but Naruto's words had struck a chord deep inside her heart.
"Naruto," she said, voice steady, "don't disappoint me. Attack me as if you want to kill me."
"Otherwise… you will die."
It was a lie — with Sakura here, Naruto wouldn't die even if he tried.
The pink-haired girl raised a single finger high, and with Naruto staring wide-eyed, she slammed it down onto the ground with sudden force.
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End of Chapter
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