Konoha Village
Evening. Sakura emerged from her bedroom, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes and shuffling along in her slippers. Lately, she felt like she'd turned into a complete night owl.
"Sakura, you're awake!" Karin greeted her, a blush coloring her cheeks as Sakura stepped out.
"Ah~~~ Where are Mom and Dad?" Sakura stretched, letting out a yawn. She noticed Karin was the only one in the living room.
"Uncle and Aunt went out for a bit. You must be hungry, there's food left for you on the table," Karin said.
Sakura planted herself at the table and started wolfing down her meal. If her mother, Mebuki, were there, she'd surely be scolding Sakura about her lack of table manners.
"Sakura, someone came looking for you earlier tonight..." Karin said, her voice hesitant as she watched Sakura eat with decidedly unladylike enthusiasm.
"Who was it...? Gulp, gulp..." Sakura grabbed her teacup and took a long drink, soothing her throat after eating too fast.
"It was... Uchiha Sasuke..." Karin's voice trembled slightly as she said his name, still clearly a little afraid of him.
"Pfft~~~!" Sakura sputtered, spraying tea. "Is he... is he all healed up? ...What did he want with me?"
Sakura had assumed it would be Naruto or Jiraiya looking for her. She'd been lazing around at home for days. After the Third Hokage had given them their mission, Jiraiya seemed to have completely forgotten about it. She'd thought Jiraiya was finally ready to depart.
"He didn't say. He just said to meet him at the Uchiha clan's training grounds behind the compound when you woke up..." Karin relayed Sasuke's message faithfully.
"Alright, I got it..." Sakura scraped up the last of her rice and grilled fish. "I understand."
"Here, take this. It's the instructions for the Mystical Palm Technique, along with some notes I've taken on my own training." After finishing her meal, Sakura retrieved a scroll from her study and handed it to Karin.
After all, they came from kind of a ninja family, so, Whenever Sakura had some free time, she jotted down notes on her training. It would be useful later, whether for teaching disciples or whatever. Ultimately, it was just a way for her to be lazy.
"Are you going to see Sasuke?" Karin asked, accepting the scroll.
"Yeah, I am. I'll go see what he wants." Sakura sat on the stool by the entryway and started putting on her shoes.
"I'll go with you..." Karin offered, her worry evident on her face.
Seeing Karin's expression, Sakura instantly understood what she was thinking: Karin was afraid they'd end up fighting again, and Sakura would get hurt. But did Karin forget that Sasuke couldn't beat her?
It wasn't Karin's fault for being so nervous, though. Sakura had rescued Karin from a truly terrible situation. In Karin's heart, Sakura was an incredibly important person. Even knowing that Sakura was stronger than Sasuke, Karin couldn't help but worry.
"You don't need to... Actually, Sasuke wasn't always like this. It's just... some things happened that changed him. So you don't need to worry..." Sakura reassured her with a smile.
"I... I just want to help..." Karin mumbled, looking nothing like the strong woman she would become. She probably only showed this side of herself to Sakura.
"If you really want to help, learn the ninjutsu on that scroll I gave you. That would be a huge help..." Sakura nodded towards the scroll in Karin's hands.
Hearing this, Karin relented.
Leaving home, Sakura looked out at the restored streets. Small vendors were setting up their stalls, their calls filling the air, creating a scene of bustling prosperity. She couldn't help but marvel. This truly was the wealthiest country. Even after suffering such a devastating blow, it had recovered so quickly. This was probably why other countries were always so envious of the Land of Fire.
Sakura went to a familiar eatery she often frequented, planning to pick up something for Sasuke. After all, she had beaten him up pretty badly, and she felt a little guilty about it.
"Auntie Misa, can I get four skewers of three-color dango? And add some natto, please." Sakura asked the shop owner.
"Ah, Sakura! It's been a while..." Misa began preparing the food, chatting with Sakura.
"I can't help it, Auntie Misa. Being a ninja doesn't leave me as much free time as I used to have," Sakura replied, making small talk.
Sakura was a regular at this shop. Ever since her Academy days, she'd come here from time to time for snacks. After returning from her three-year training trip, she continued the habit, although she had less time after becoming a genin.
The shop was open 24/7, which made it popular with ninjas. If Sakura finished a mission late, she'd often drag Naruto and Sasuke here to eat. The shop had all sorts of snacks and small dishes, a very wide selection.
"Thank you for your business!" The owner handed Sakura the packaged food.
"Bye, Auntie Misa!" Sakura took the food and left the shop.
When Sakura arrived at the Uchiha clan's training grounds, Sasuke was there alone, training furiously. This place was where it all began; so much had happened here.
Watching Sasuke's intense movements, Sakura was lost in thought. This boy carried the burden of a bloody family feud, deceived by his own brother. Sakura didn't want to judge whether Itachi's actions were good or bad, but for Sasuke, who was in constant danger, it was the most effective approach. It wasn't just Sasuke who was impatient; Itachi also desperately wanted his younger brother to grow stronger quickly, to have the power to protect himself.
Sasuke finally stopped, panting heavily. Seeing him rest, Sakura emerged from the trees and sat down beside him.
"Are you hungry?" Sakura asked.
"No," Sasuke replied stiffly, his voice curt when he saw it was Sakura. But his stomach betrayed him with a loud rumble, causing his face to flush slightly.
"Eat. I bought this for you," Sakura held out the dango. "If you don't eat, you won't have the strength to beat me..."
Sasuke didn't argue this time. He took the food container and started eating the dango. However, his face turned slightly sour as he looked at the three-color skewers.
"What's wrong? Not eating?" Sakura asked.
"Why is it three-color dango...? And with natto? I don't like these," Sasuke said, a hint of disdain in his voice.
"So, you'd rather eat my fist?" Sakura narrowed her eyes, cracking her knuckles.
Sasuke's body involuntarily trembled slightly at the sight. He stopped complaining and quickly started eating.
"I know you don't like sweets," Sakura said after Sasuke had taken a bite. "But I figured you're probably training, so I got you something sweet to give you some energy."
Sasuke heard Sakura's words, but he continued eating his dango without a word, lost in his own thoughts.
"People shouldn't make their lives so painful," Sakura said, seemingly to herself. "While you're moving forward, it's good to stop and look at the scenery around you. You might find something unexpected."
Sasuke knew Sakura was speaking to him. Perhaps he was finally starting to wake up. After being utterly defeated by Sakura yesterday, Sasuke had started to calm down and think about the path he truly needed to take.
So-called Talk no Jutsu doesn't exist. Only fists are the true path to understanding.
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