"Training with Sakura-chan, training with Sakura-chan~"
On the path to Konoha's Training Ground 3, the blond boy was grinning from ear to ear.
After hearing from Kakashi that Sakura was going to train him, Naruto immediately rushed to the training ground without stopping.
There, he saw the girl in black Ninja Attire sparring with Sasuke amidst the trees.
Her pink hair was tousled by the airflow from her sword swings, sweat dripping from her smooth chin.
That heroic and spirited appearance shone brightly in Naruto's eyes, making him unable to look away.
It's just that…
"Why is it that bastard Sasuke!"
Naruto clenched his fists, his nostrils flaring as two puffs of white steam shot out.
"That's because you, dead-last, are too far behind!"
Easily dodging Sakura's casual sword swing, Sasuke flipped through the air to land near Naruto, balancing upside-down with one hand on the blond mop.
"Stuck-up Sasuke, what are you doing!"
Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand on his head with both hands and started spinning him around.
"You're here, Naruto."
Sakura raised a hand to wipe the sweat from her chin, tucking the wooden sword at her waist.
"Ah, Sakura-chan~ good morning!"
Hearing Sakura's greeting, Naruto immediately let go, flinging Sasuke away.
The black-haired boy spun through the air before his head embedded itself directly into a tree.
"Mmmpgh...! (I'll kill you, Naruto!)"
Watching Sasuke, with hands braced against the tree, struggling to pull his rear end out, Sakura remarked: "Hahaha, you two get along so well."
Their noisy bickering reminded her so much of Shanks and Buggy, making Sakura feel a bit nostalgic for her days on the Oro Jackson.
"I called you here today mainly to teach you a special Ninjutsu."
"First, an explanation of the principle. This technique materializes mental strength and fighting spirit into a weapon."
"There are two learnable techniques. The third one depends on talent."
As she explained, an aura invisible to Naruto gathered around Sakura's clenched fist. The girl's pink fist was already dyed a genuine black by the dense Haki.
Through Sasuke, a valuable research sample, Sakura discovered that Haki could be transmitted through a Chakra Connection.
Ultimately, the technique of turning willpower… momentum, killing intent, fighting spirit, into a weapon, of manipulating Spiritual Energy, could be classified as Yin Release within the Ninja's Ninjutsu System.
Sasuke, who had learned Haki under the influence of Sakura, a legitimate Haki User, was merely using Yin Release's power of 'creating form from nothingness' to reproduce and replicate Sakura's Haki.
So, summarizing Sakura's discovery with a simple conclusion: as long as one received detailed instruction on Haki from Sakura and endured enough beatings from the girl, they could learn Haki with the help of Chakra, this idealistic energy.
"Really? What kind of Ninjutsu? Can it help me beat that stuck-up Sasuke?"
The boy's smile was so pure and innocent that Sakura opposite him couldn't help but sigh with pity.
"Of course, if you learn it well."
Dropping her playful expression, Sakura switched into teaching mode.
"What I'm going to teach you next is the Sensory Jutsu among them. A technique to predict an enemy's attack trajectory through perception. Its name is Observation Haki."
"So, you must absolutely sense my punching trajectory and dodge. Otherwise, you might die, you know~"
Sakura raised a finger and lightly tapped the ground.
Without even using the Giant Royalty's strength or Boil Release chakra, she pierced a trench into the ground, the cracks snaking all the way to Naruto's feet.
Shaken by the ground's vibration, Naruto lost his balance, falling and getting his butt stuck in the earth's fissure.
At that moment, the girl's 1.8-meter tall figure completely covered Naruto's field of vision.
"Wait... Sakura, what are you doing? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
Naruto's face pale, he waved his arms frantically, struggling.
"How could that be? This is all for your own good~"
Sakura's delicate face wore a sweet smile as her fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, slammed down fiercely.
Boom!
Sasuke, who is still stuck in the tree, stiffened for a moment when he heard it, then struggled even harder.
"It hurts-!"
Naruto's hysterical roar startled every bird in the woods and shook loose many fallen leaves.
An hour later, Naruto, his head covered in bumps and his butt aching, rolled his eyes and collapsed to the ground.
"Rest ten minutes, then we continue."
Sakura took out a bento, found a nicely shaded spot under a tree, and sat down.
"Heh, serves you right!"
Finally escaping from the tree trunk, Sasuke, nose bleeding and hair disheveled, walked over.
"No, you're not exactly in great shape yourself, are you?"
Sakura pointed with her chopsticks at Sasuke's body, which was mottled in blues and purples.
"By the way, which Advanced Ninjutsu did you pick on the last mission?"
Upon hearing that, Sasuke took out the bento his mother had prepared and sat opposite Sakura.
"I chose Kakashi's Chidori, and that guy picked a Ninjutsu called Rasengan from the Scroll of Seals."
Although he said he hated Naruto, the dark-haired tsundere before them cared about the team's last member more than anyone else.
"Hmm, that's not bad. With Observation Haki and the Sharingan working together you can pretty well overcome that Jutsu's weaknesses."
Sakura picked up a meatball with her chopsticks, popped it into her mouth, and wore a look of bliss.
After eating her fill, she stood, went over to Naruto, and lifted him up.
"Time's up… the fun training session is about to start again!"
"Wait, Sakura, I haven't eaten yet!"
Like a pale old man, Naruto raised a trembling hand as his stomach let out a thunderous rumble.
"Of course not. I need to drain your Chakra, so why would I give you a chance to replenish it?"
Sakura looked at the boy before her and gave a smile that could become his eternal nightmare.
"No, wait, I..."
The Iron Fist of Love wrapped in Armament Haki swung again, and Naruto's screams echoed through the training ground.
Minute by minute time passed… the sun hanging high in the sky gradually slid toward the horizon, and the wan golden sunset fell across the pink-clad girl.
Before her, the blond boy named Uzumaki Naruto, whose injuries finally stopped regenerating rapidly, caused Sakura to at last lower her fist.
"Phew, finally."
Exhaling, Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow.
"Sakura, I'm so tired… is today's training over?"
Naruto had never felt this exhausted before… every time Sakura struck him it inexplicably drained a huge amount of his Chakra.
Now completely depleted of Chakra, his eyes were vacant and he only wanted to lie down and rest.
"What are you talking about? Reaching your Chakra Limit is merely a prerequisite for training to begin!"
A trace of recollection flashed in Sakura's eyes, recalling the torturous training she and Rayleigh had endured together. Today she had experienced it again.
She pulled a strip of cloth from her bosom and tossed it in front of Naruto, then snapped off a suitably sized branch from the trees behind her and swung it forcefully.
Sasuke could no longer bear it. He closed his eyes and left early, trying to avoid recalling that unbearable past.
"Now, Naruto-kun, cover your eyes… the real training begins."
The wooden stick clicked in the girl's hand, casting a demon's shadow under the sunset.
Naruto truly could no longer escape… he could only beg loudly for mercy.
"Sakura-chan, I have nothing left, not a single drop, please spare me…!"