An unparalleled force surged through the slender fingertip of the girl, transmitting a terrifying power into the ground.
The earth beneath her finger cracked open violently, splitting apart to form a deep fissure that rapidly extended toward Naruto standing before her.
The sheer impact of the strike threw Naruto off balance, and he stumbled backward, falling hard onto the soil.
"Naruto, aren't you going to make a move?"
The girl's voice echoed firmly in Naruto's ears, stirring something deep within him.
"I've already made myself clear."
Her words lingered, weaving into Naruto's thoughts and igniting a sudden surge of resolve in his eyes.
"So this is what Sakura's real goal is?"
"To compete for my position as Hokage?"
Naruto's golden gaze hardened with determination as he rose quickly to his feet. His hands formed intricate seals, and his eyes locked onto the girl he had admired for so long.
"Sakura's place… will be behind me from now on!"
"I will become strong enough to protect Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, and everyone else!"
"No one will ever hurt Sakura again!"
His gaze drifted to the spot on Sakura's chest where she had just pointed—an unspoken vow reflected in his unwavering eyes.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A colossal surge of chakra erupted from Naruto's core, a fiery declaration of his indomitable spirit.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Hundreds, no—thousands of shadow clones suddenly materialized, encircling Sakura from all sides.
No, wait—did this guy even hear her?
She was trying to provoke him to strike with full force, yet here he was, trying to protect her?
Sakura narrowed her eyes at Naruto, then beckoned one of the clones forward with a sly finger curl, daring him to attack.
Without hesitation, that clone clenched his fist and charged headlong at Sakura.
But Sakura simply sidestepped with fluid grace, grabbed the clone's wrist, and spun swiftly.
The clone was thrown violently across the clearing by the sheer force of her strength.
That clone felt something unexpected—a faint pulse of chakra from Sakura infused into his body, reinforcing his form and increasing his resilience.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
The reinforced clone smashed through a line of other clones blocking his path, sending them flying in a cloud of white smoke.
"So that's it," murmured Jiraiya, watching intently. "By infusing her chakra into the clones, Sakura strengthens them into her own weapons to break through Naruto's clones."
"This technique requires extremely precise chakra control. Using brute force while simultaneously manipulating chakra at such finesse… not bad at all."
Jiraiya's sharp eyes gleamed with admiration as he observed Sakura's technique. The raw strength demanded perfect chakra mastery—something that few could achieve.
The clone, fortified by Sakura's chakra, finally crashed beneath a large tree and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Impressive…"
The Naruto hidden within the shadow clone formation swallowed nervously.
For the first time, he truly understood the vast gap between himself and the girl before him.
But even so…
He was determined to win!
He refused to…
To be weak…
To be left behind, like last time.
The last time, Sakura had sent him away to face the enemy alone, and he had only been able to hide behind her slender back like a fragile kitten.
No matter what, he had to become stronger.
And now, the person he most wanted to protect was standing right before him.
Naruto had completely forgotten the true purpose of this match—to drain his chakra, not to defeat Sakura.
Or rather, Jiraiya never expected him to beat her in the first place.
So what if he had a lot of chakra?
A ninja's victory was never determined by sheer chakra quantity.
If Sakura wanted, with her monstrous strength combined with giant-sized shuriken and shuriken shadow clones, she could wipe out thousands of Naruto's clones in an instant.
But that was not the point.
"Ahhh!"
"SAKURA!!!"
Countless shadow clones rushed from all directions toward Sakura, each bearing a fierce expression.
Surrounded by so many clones, Sakura's face remained calm and composed.
Massive numbers might be effective against opponents of equal or slightly greater power, but the gap between her and Naruto was clear.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
One by one, clones were flung aside, smashing through others on the way. In mere moments, most of the thousands of clones had vanished.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Once again, Naruto's clones filled the entire clearing. Sakura's expression did not change—Naruto's chakra supply was immense.
Draining it all would be a test of stamina.
"Naruto, you can use the Rasengan," Sakura called out, eyes sharp.
"No. No matter what…"
The clone closest to Sakura spoke, "I won't aim the Rasengan at her."
Tsk… without the Rasengan, this could drag on for hours.
Sakura pursed her lips. She understood Naruto's hesitation.
But if they kept fighting without taking things seriously, who knew who would end up drained first?
Since Naruto refused to use the Rasengan, she had to conserve chakra herself.
Thinking this, Sakura withdrew two kunai from her pouch, gripping one in each hand.
One in a normal grip for powerful attacks, the other held reversed for more subtle strikes.
"Starting to save chakra already?"
Jiraiya, seated cross-legged on a nearby stone, propped his chin on his hand and observed the pink-haired girl thoughtfully.
When he first heard that the old man had taken on a new disciple, Jiraiya didn't understand it.
He, like Hiruzen Sarutobi and other elders, thought: why bother teaching a disciple at such an old age?
The Hokage had endless political responsibilities—why add more trouble to an aging body?
But hearing the determination in Sakura's words changed his mind.
A child with this kind of heart, if left untrained, would be a regret—not only for the master but for the entire village.
If Sakura hadn't become Sarutobi Hiruzen's disciple, even Jiraiya might have been tempted himself.
But now, this girl was his comrade, growing step by step under the old man's guidance.
As time passed, the sun hung lower, bathing Sakura in the golden hues of the setting sun.
Sakura panted lightly, hands resting on her knees as she watched the golden-haired boy collapse to the ground, utterly exhausted.
Though Sakura was far stronger, Naruto's chakra reserves were incomparable to hers.
Finally, she had succeeded in draining the boy dry.
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End of Chapter
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