Jiraiya led Naruto and Sakura to a small grove by a river on the outskirts of Konoha.
After learning from Sakura that Naruto could use chakra to walk on water and had also mastered the Rasengan, Jiraiya stroked his chin thoughtfully while looking at the golden-haired boy before him.
As he gazed at that familiar golden hair, Jiraiya seemed to make a decision. He summoned Gamaken, the armored toad, once again.
Under Sakura's watchful gaze, Gamaken retrieved the summoning scroll of Mount Myoboku from his back.
Under Jiraiya's guidance, Naruto successfully signed the contract with Mount Myoboku.
"Does this mean I can summon awesome toads like this one now?" Naruto asked, his excitement barely contained as he looked at Gamaken by Jiraiya's side.
"In theory, yes," Jiraiya replied with a smile, his eyes fixed on the bright-haired boy.
Naruto was about to attempt the summoning jutsu when Jiraiya suddenly grabbed his hands to stop him mid-seal.
Seeing Naruto's puzzled expression, Jiraiya turned to the seated Sakura and said, "Hey, little girl, since you want to learn the Celestial Veil Formation from me..."
"...how about you do me a favor?"
Sakura looked at Jiraiya, confused, unable to tell what he was plotting.
Pointing at Naruto, Jiraiya smirked mischievously. "Help me drain him dry."
?!
Naruto, hearing those words, blushed furiously.
He couldn't believe Jiraiya would say something so inappropriate!
"H-Hey, isn't that a bit much…" Naruto stammered. His mind raced, cheeks flushed red. Though he liked Sakura, there were people around! What if she wasn't okay with this?
He stole a glance at the pink-haired girl, then quickly looked away, his face burning even more. But despite himself, his eyes kept sneaking peeks at her.
Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly at Jiraiya.
She understood the situation. Most of Naruto's chakra was used to suppress the Nine-Tails' power, leaving him with only a small portion. Yet even with this, Naruto could use the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu to create thousands of clones.
If Jiraiya wanted her to deplete Naruto's chakra, it likely meant he wanted Naruto to begin harnessing the Nine-Tails' power. Combined with the summoning contract, this would allow him to summon Mount Myoboku's toads using the Nine-Tails' chakra.
"Alright," Sakura agreed, standing up and fixing her gaze on the oblivious Naruto.
!!!
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. She agreed?!
But his shock turned to dread when he saw what Sakura did next.
Instead of the romantic scene he had imagined, Sakura calmly pulled out a pair of black gloves from her pouch and slowly slipped them on.
The last time Naruto had seen her put on those gloves was during their encounter with Orochimaru.
Back then, she had sent someone flying with a single punch.
Wait… could it be—
"Naruto, come at me with everything you've got," Sakura said, her tone resolute.
Naruto's gut told him this was not going to end well.
From the sidelines, Jiraiya grinned and stepped back, clearly enjoying the show.
"Huh? Attack Sakura?" Naruto hesitated, looking at her uncertainly. "What if I hurt her…"
"You won't," Sakura said firmly. "With your current strength, you couldn't harm me."
Naruto faltered, concern for her flashing in his expression.
Sakura sighed inwardly. She knew she needed to make things clear to him—but only after he finished Jiraiya's training.
"Naruto…" she said, her voice steady, though a hint of something deeper lingered. "Are you worried about me getting hurt?"
Naruto nodded slightly, his brows furrowed.
Sakura's lips curled into an enigmatic smile. She pointed to her chest—the spot where Orochimaru had stabbed her in the Forest of Death.
"Getting hurt is what happens to the weak," she said quietly.
"I was stabbed here by that Orochimaru in the Forest of Death."
"If I were strong enough, that pain would never have touched me."
Naruto froze, staring at her. The thought of Sakura being injured, pierced by a blade, made his stomach churn. If he'd seen that happen in front of him…
He'd lose his mind.
"If you were stronger, Orochimaru wouldn't have been able to harm me," Sakura continued.
"So, Naruto, I refuse to be weak."
"To stop being weak, you have to become strong. Truly strong."
A wave of determination radiated from her as she clenched her fists. Her pink hair swayed with the force of her chakra, and her emerald eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve.
"Naruto, you've always said your dream is to become Hokage," Sakura said, her voice firm.
"Our goals are the same. I want to be Hokage too."
"But do you think becoming Hokage alone will earn you everyone's recognition?"
Jiraiya watched silently, slightly taken aback by Sakura's intensity. He had only intended for Naruto to expend his chakra—not for this to become a philosophical debate.
"Naruto," Sakura said, her gaze boring into his, "you've got it wrong."
"It's not becoming Hokage that earns recognition."
"It's earning everyone's recognition that makes you worthy of becoming Hokage."
"Now tell me: can someone who's too afraid to attack me earn my recognition?"
Sakura wanted strength—unceasing strength.
She wanted to climb to the top, step by step, without faltering. She wanted to stand at the pinnacle, looking down on everything below.
Having been in this world for six years, did anyone know how she had survived those years?
Day after day, she worked tirelessly. She might voice complaints, but her actions never wavered: relentless training, missions, strategy.
She had turned from a man into a woman in this world of personal power, but her resolve remained unshaken.
If she were deterred by something as trivial as fear of injury, then Orochimaru's blade would have crushed her spirit long ago.
The Strength of a Hundred Technique could protect her body, but not her spirit.
Her only choice was to punch, to keep punching, to shatter every obstacle in her way!
"Naruto," she said, her voice low and determined, "don't disappoint me. Attack me as if you're trying to kill me."
"Because if you don't…" She paused, her eyes narrowing.
"You'll die."
Of course, it was a lie. With her there, Naruto couldn't die even if he wanted to.
With that, the pink-haired girl raised a single finger high into the air.
In Naruto's dazed gaze, she slammed it into the ground.
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