In the sky, a fleeting fierce light streaked across, illuminating the massive outline of a creature with claws treading on flame clouds, its body lithe and slender.
Violent flames, like meteors, were plummeting towards the earth at a breathtaking speed.
The forest below burned under the dragon's breath. The Jonins lay scattered haphazardly among the broken trees.
Tsunade had already summoned Katsuyu and was transfusing her own Chakra into it, providing maximum treatment to the group of Jonins to prevent anyone from actually being burned to death.
"You people, why don't you listen to advice?" Sakura crossed her arms, looking at these overconfident Jonins.
Earlier, when she told them to evacuate, these Jonins had patted their chests and charged forward.
They probably expected a group of Jonins working together to have a good back-and-forth with the evil dragon.
Who would have thought that the next moment it would immediately turn into… "Help, sir!"
"Stop with the sarcastic remarks!"
Tsunade, her hands clasped together, tried to maintain a stable Chakra Transfusion. "Either come help with the treatment, or go deal with that thing in the sky, or prepare for me to come spank you tonight!!!"
"Sigh, I'll go bring him back." Seeing Tsunade getting anxious, Sakura hesitated no longer.
She reached into her ninja tool pouch and grabbed four or five kunai marked with the cherry blossom emblem.
After coating the surface with Fire Nature Transformation Chakra, Sakura used her unreasonable monstrous strength and hurled the kunai with one throw!
The kunai, gleaming with a dark light, streaked across the sky, shooting straight towards the clouds.
The next instant, a phantom flash of space-time flickered, bringing the girl's figure instantly near the giant dragon.
"You've caused trouble for so long, shouldn't you be about ready to stop?!"
Her pleasant voice echoed. The raised pink fist left behind a long and narrow trajectory of dark lightning in the void.
An unmatched spirit burned, transforming into a ball wrapping around her fist, emitting a cherry-blossom-pink light.
The dragon circling in the air sensed the danger and swung its dragon head around.
A massive tornado spun on the ground, instantly occupying the sky, while the cherry dragon's open maw surged with wild firelight.
Wind and fire achieved perfect coordination in this instant, cooperating with the lightning it summoned. Even the dragons of myth were nothing more than this.
"Roar—!"
The pink dragon's roar sounded again. The firelight accumulated to its extreme in its mouth was spewed out, catching the surrounding tornado and lightning, forming a massive storm of thunder and flame.
A conflagration fell from the sky.
An extra large-scale Ninjutsu, one that would require dozens or even hundreds of Ninjas to cast simultaneously, was so easily performed by the dragon.
"Hmph, just this much fire? Go light the candles on a birthday cake, you brat!" Sakura laughed and swung her fist forcefully.
In an instant, under the illusory light of countless falling stars, her iron fist wrapped in Haki struck the incorporeal thunder and flames, dispersing them.
Boom—!
A vast shockwave surged endlessly. The brutal power erupted from the girl's body, undiminished momentum as it shot forward, finally slamming into the void not far from the dragon's head. But it struck the void, causing it to deform.
Dark lightning shot into the sky, along with the dark clouds in the sky, tearing them apart with irresistible force, propping open a straight path in the void, extending all the way to the distant Konoha Village.
"Did... didn't hit?" Kakashi, lying in a pit, stared intently at the spot where the two students had clashed, his scarlet Sharingan wide open.
"The sky... split open."
Jiraiya, watching the show from behind Tsunade, narrowed his eyes, one hand stroking his chin in thought. "Tsunade, maybe we should reconsider the value of this technique!"
"...."
Tsunade didn't answer, silently outputting her Chakra, continuing to treat the ninjas and directing their orderly evacuation.
In the hollow night sky, the stars burst with burning light, witnessing the cherry-pink dragon being defeated, finally losing consciousness and falling from the sky.
After crashing to the ground, it slowly transformed back into human form.
Thump!
The sound of a heavy object hitting the ground rang out. The shattered earth sent up a large cloud of dust.
After a moment, Sakura emerged from it. Looking at Sasuke, now completely unconscious before her, she sighed lightly, walked over, and prepared to carry him.
"Sakura-chan! Sasuke!"
Naruto's voice came from the distance, making Sakura's eyes light up.
"We're here!" Sakura turned around and waved to Naruto.
Seeing the two safe and sound, the worry in Naruto's blue eyes finally disappeared.
"You two's sparring went way too far!" After jogging over, Naruto saw the Forest of Death transformed into scorched earth and couldn't help but exclaim.
"Perfect timing! You carry Sasuke back. I'll take care of the environment here." Sakura raised her hand and formed a few seals.
After injecting Wood Release Chakra, new trees quickly filled the area. Apart from a possible slight difference in the tree rings compared to before, it looked identical in every other way.
"Hmm, that should do it." Satisfied, she patted her hands together and chased after the direction Naruto and Sasuke had gone.
It took five or six minutes for Sakura to catch up to Tsunade and the others. Naruto, carrying Sasuke on his back, dashed to Tsunade: "Granny Tsunade, please treat Sasuke!"
"No need for such trouble. Sakura knows her limits. You just need to send him to Konoha Hospital later!" Tsunade waved her hand, leaving Naruto behind as she and Jiraiya and the other Jonins retreated first.
Sakura quickly arrived beside Naruto. Her eyes, still carrying the lingering force of the battle, swept over him. "What did you say to Tsunade-nee?"
"She said to take Sasuke to the hospital! Um... Sakura, I'm off now!"
Sensing the girl's fighting spirit hadn't been dissipated, Naruto, afraid of being caught and beaten unconscious, hastily hefted Sasuke and fled towards Konoha.
Watching the two boys' receding figures, a thought flashed through Sakura's mind.
'Since Sasuke could awaken Conqueror's Haki, could Naruto as well?'
'It seemed I should also find a suitable time to drag Naruto in for some training!'
…
A day later, following the spar between Sasuke and Sakura, any murmurs of discontent within the troops towards the two had basically disappeared.
That night, Sakura sat alone on the roof of the Haruno Residence, her hands pillowing her head, her emerald eyes gazing at the starry sky.
Tomorrow was the day she would accompany the troops north, heading for the northern border of the Land of Fire.
"The Land of Frost, huh!" A wistful sound echoed across the rooftop.
If things followed their original trajectory of fate, the Allied Ninja Forces of the five great nations would gather and then head to the Land of Frost to participate in the subjugation of the Akatsuki, finally resurrecting the Ten-Tails there.
But now, under the influence of her butterfly effect, the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning were at war, and the location was again the Land of Frost, where the final battle had occurred.
It was hard not to suspect that Obito had some trickery involved in the two great nations going to war.
"Otsutsuki, Onoki... these 'ki' (trees/wood) really are stirring things up together, leaving everyone unsettled."
"If you're worried, why not go and perfect your Sage Mode?" A gentle voice sounded from Sakura's sleeve.
Looking down, it was a slug shaking its antennae and eyes, crawling out from between her clothes.
"Oh, you haven't gone back yet?" Sakura reached out, plucking Katsuyu and placing it in her palm.
"The quality of your Chakra is much higher than before. Now I don't as easily disappear like others do when their summoning Chakra is exhausted!" Katsuyu explained.
Sakura nodded, then changed the subject. "But perfecting Sage Mode takes a long time!"
"You can go to that world. They have Natural Energy there too~" Katsuyu shook its head, finally revealing its true intention!
This idler from Shikkotsu Forest was simply bored, wanting to see rivers of blood flow on the sea.
"Fine! It's decided then!"
Sakura flipped down into the room below, prepared a few things, took the storage scroll from the cabinet, and put it in her pocket.
'Done! System!'
[At your will!]