Ninja World, Year 63 of Konoha Calendar, Haruno Residence.
"I'm back!"
Smelling the familiar scent of her room, Sakura's heart immediately settled.
She took out the storage scroll and released Leviathan.
"Oh~, so this is~ Sakura's home~"
The agile night sparrow flew a circle around Sakura's room before landing on her dressing table.
"So small~, doesn't look~ as comfortable as my belly~"
A lazy voice sounded.
Leviathan raised a wing and rubbed her own belly.
"Well, we won't be sailing for a while. I'll take you around the village to have some fun."
Sakura stood up and scratched the beak of a certain little jealous bird with her finger.
After changing into a loose set of home clothes, she threw herself onto the bed. Soon, her breathing became even.
Leviathan's small eyes kept glancing toward the girl on the bed. Finally, she flapped her wings, burrowed into her arms, adjusted her position comfortably, and also closed her eyes.
The next day.
Seeing her mother in the dining room after so long, Sakura gave her a big hug.
"Morning, Mom."
"Ara, why are you so clingy today, child?"
Mebuki looked suspiciously at her daughter, her heart skipping a beat.
'Don't tell me something else in the house got burned down?'
Sakura, in a cheerful mood, finished breakfast, completely unaware that her mother was about to turn the entire house upside down because of this.
Full and satisfied, two Anbu wearing masks suddenly materialized on either side of the dining table.
"Haruno Sakura, Hokage-sama requests your presence!"
Sakura cleanly tossed a Flying Thunder God Kunai to them.
After accepting it, they bowed slightly to Sakura and vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
Sakura also stood up and called out to her mother, who was rummaging through things inside: "Mom, I'm heading out! Won't be home for lunch!"
Whoosh!
The light of the Flying Thunder God flashed in the ordinary home, and Sakura's figure disappeared.
The next instant, she abruptly appeared on Hiruzen's desk, sending the documents he had just organized flying everywhere.
Hiruzen: "…"
Sakura: "…"
"Old man, you can't blame me for this. Who told you to leave the Flying Thunder God Kunai on your desk!"
Watching his face gradually darken, Sakura hurriedly shifted the blame.
"Get down from there this instant!"
Knowing he was partly at fault, Hiruzen could only shoot her an exasperated look.
A few minutes later, having tidied the office, he walked around the desk and sat on the sofa opposite Sakura.
"Do you know why I called you here?"
Hiruzen took out his pipe, tamped down the tobacco inside, and lit it.
"The Chunin Exams?"
Sakura leaned back on the sofa, snuggling in comfortably.
"Jiraiya told you? Cough, cough."
Hiruzen was somewhat surprised. A mouthful of smoke caught in his throat, making him cough twice.
"Just a guess. My Sensory Jutsu detected too many unfamiliar Chakra Signatures in the village today."
Sakura acted like it was routine, casually mentioning her ability to sense the entire village.
Her breezy, unconcerned attitude made Hiruzen grind his teeth in frustration.
"Keep that kind of thing discreet. Don't let others find out." After a moment of silence, the old man with the pipe reminded her.
"Don't worry~"
Sakura held up three fingers in an OK gesture.
"Back to the Chunin Exams. This time, participants include four major nations and sixteen minor nations."
Hiruzen's expression was solemn. He tapped his pipe on the table.
The Ninja World hadn't seen war in nearly a decade. Peace had given many minor nations, dissatisfied with their status, some ideas. They were beginning to stir, both in their actions and diplomacy.
The major nations were holding the joint Chunin Exams to remind these minor nations and also to observe each other's situations.
The Land of Fire, Land of Earth, Land of Lightning, and Land of Wind were participating. Sixteen other minor nations were also involved.
The Land of Water, as usual, seemed to be playing the recluse, having no communication with the others.
"It's a rare opportunity. The other major Ninja Villages will certainly send exceptionally skilled Ninja. Be careful."
Hiruzen looked at Sakura with a kind expression, taking a file from a hidden compartment in his desk and placing it before her.
Sakura's eyes scanned the words on it, 'Good grief!'
'The granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, a member of the special Explosion Corps… the student of the Fourth Raikage, inheritor of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode… the sons and daughter of the Fourth Kazekage...'
Clearly, the upper-echelons of the four great Ninja Villages had a tacit understanding to dominate the competition. One could only imagine how demoralized the Genin from the smaller villages participating this year would be.
"Hmm?"
A name at the very end of the list made Sakura's slender eyebrows rise slightly.
[Sabaku no Gaara]
"Is there a problem?"
Hiruzen took the list back from Sakura, a look of confusion on his face.
'Seriously, old man? You don't see that huge Jinchuriki's name on the list?'
"Sunagakure stuffed a Jinchuriki in there, and the village doesn't care?"
Sakura looked helplessly at the old man in front of her who was playing dumb.
'Don't tell me the village is also unaware of Sunagakure's Jinchuriki? Information on Jinchuriki, these nuclear weapons, is transparent among the Five Great Nations.'
"Well, it's not like they're the only ones with a Jinchuriki."
Hiruzen showed a shrewd, calculating smile. His abacus beads were practically flying into Sakura's face.
'Understood. This old fox also plans to have Naruto participate. If something goes wrong, he can push the allied Sunagakure out as a shield first.'
"Ahem, after all, this exam requires three-person teams. You and Naruto happen to be teammates in the same team. It's mainly to ensure you can participate smoothly."
Feeling a little embarrassed by Sakura's disdainful look, Hiruzen coughed.
"Fine, you're the Hokage, you call the shots. But I'm giving you a heads up."
"If the One-Tail goes on a rampage in the village and I end up killing it, causing a diplomatic incident, I won't be cleaning up the mess."
The pink-haired girl leaned back on the sofa, crossing her legs, her aura overwhelmingly arrogant.
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. He sucked on his pipe, making the embers glow brighter.
'Has this child's strength already reached such a level?'
"It's fine. If you can truly kill the One-Tail, diplomacy will be the least of our problems."
Hiruzen waved a hand, endorsing Sakura's plan.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'm off."
Sakura waved at him, Chakra rising around her.
"Wait!"
It was only because Hiruzen's sensing abilities hadn't deteriorated too severely that he managed to stop her before she teleported. Most people wouldn't be able to halt a Flying Thunder God's User.
Sakura calmed her Chakra and glanced at Hiruzen with confusion.
"Sakura, it's just... have you encountered any difficulties in your life recently?"
"Old man, get to the point, or I'm leaving."
Accustomed to the directness of life on the high seas, a certain pirate couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Sigh, that child Naruto... his Chakra Control has improved recently too. Could you help Kakashi train him a bit?"
Blowing out a large cloud of smoke, Hiruzen looked at Sakura with an expectant, yet guilt-tinged, gaze.
"That's it?"
The phantom light of the Flying Thunder God Technique flashed. Sakura's figure had already dissolved into the void, but a sentence echoed in Hiruzen's office.
"Fine. Tell him to come find me at my training ground later."