In the days that followed, Sakura endured Tsunade's brutal training while simultaneously studying.
But Sakura gritted her teeth and didn't give up. She wanted to become stronger, genuinely wanting to become stronger.
One evening, Naruto secretly knocked on Sakura's door, looked at the exhausted Sakura, and said, "Want to talk?"
Sakura nodded and let Naruto into the room. The two sat facing each other at the table.
Naruto poured himself a cup of tea as if he were at home and asked, "Sakura Bro, do you regret it?"
Sakura shook her head and replied, "This is an opportunity you worked so hard to get for me. I won't give up easily."
"For Sasuke?" Naruto immediately thought of this reason.
Sakura hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Maybe at first, but not anymore."
Naruto was shocked and asked, "You don't like Sasuke anymore?"
"How is that possible?" Sakura denied.
Naruto looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Then why do you say that?"
"I've just figured out some things recently." Sakura did have a bit of a desire to confide.
Naruto poured her a cup of tea, sat up straight, looking like an ancient drama's lord asking his strategist for advice: "I'm all ears."
Sakura was used to Naruto's occasional craziness and said, "Actually, when I first graduated from the academy, I didn't have any goals. My only dream was Sasuke."
Sakura showed a look of reminiscence: "Sasuke is handsome, confident, strong, such an excellent person..."
Naruto put down his teacup and interrupted, "Bro, I'm not here to listen to you praise him."
Sakura smiled, "Okay, okay, anyway, I've always admired him, but I've never really understood him. To him, I might just be a familiar person, right? Maybe in his heart, you sneezing would make him more worried than me getting stabbed."
That's not me, I didn't do it, don't talk nonsense! We have a pure friendship and brotherhood!
Mentally complaining, Naruto roughly understood Sakura's thoughts. A certain captain of the Fifth Division of the Soul Society once said, "Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding." Although it can't be ruled out that he was showing off when he said this, it's quite fitting for Sakura's situation.
Her feelings for Sasuke were like a fanatic fan's feelings for an idol, and then somehow it developed into a relationship. After that, she suffered enough from love, who told her to fall in love with a man who doesn't come home?
Sakura looked up slightly at the ceiling and continued, "I'm like a cherry blossom petal that has just fallen from the branch. When I see a tree I like, I desperately want to float over. I never considered whether he likes me, whether he needs me, or even whether I have the ability to float over."
Ah, Sakura Bro, you're suddenly so profound that it makes me seem childish. I just meet someone I like and go for it, and coincidentally, she likes me too, and then we get together. Naruto took a sip of tea to hide his embarrassment.
"In this regard, I've been completely outdone by Hinata."
Huh? Hinata's involved too?
Sakura said enviously, "Hinata has always had her own goals, and she's been working hard to become stronger. To be honest, I was completely amazed by Hinata during the Chunin Exams. If I were a boy, I would also like her, that gentle, beautiful, strong, and hardworking girl."
I love to hear that, but listening to Sakura's lost tone, Naruto wanted to say a few words of comfort, but he heard Sakura continue:
"But now I have a new goal."
Sakura's tone became invigorated again: "I want to become a powerful ninja like Teacher Tsunade. I don't want to be a cherry blossom petal drifting in the wind anymore. I want to grow into a real cherry blossom tree!
If one day Sasuke is willing to stand side by side with me, I hope it's not because of my persistence, not because he's moved by me, but because I'm worthy!
I am first and foremost a powerful Konoha ninja, Haruno Sakura, and then a girl who likes Sasuke!"
At this moment, Sakura seemed to radiate light.
Naruto was stunned by her. If Sasuke didn't cherish such a girl, he would be condemned by the heavens. So Naruto turned his head to look towards the door and said, "So Sasuke, do you understand?"
...
The air was silent for three seconds.
"Huh?" Sakura's expression froze, like a machine that had forgotten to be oiled, she turned her head stiffly towards the door, only to find that the door hadn't been opened at all.
Sakura was stunned for a moment, then she turned back with a whoosh and glared at the snickering Naruto.
Murderous intent!
"Haha..." Naruto laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head, "Well, I just thought it was too serious, just trying to lighten the mood..."
Bang! The table was smashed to pieces, tea spilled all over the floor, veins popped on Sakura's forehead, and she shouted in a low voice, "Naruto!"
Naruto darted to the door and opened it, poking his head in from outside and asking, "It's not that bad, Sakura Bro, when did you learn Super Strength?"
"The teacher just explained the techniques a little bit these past few days." Sakura cracked her knuckles, with malicious intent, "Want to practice with me?"
"No, no, I have something to do, I'll take off first." Naruto indicated that he wasn't Jiraiya, and didn't have that hobby.
Three seconds later, Naruto poked his head out again, looking at Sakura who was about to clean up the house, and said, "Well, Sakura Bro, there's something I have to say first, you smashed the table, so you have to pay for it yourself."
"Uzumaki Naruto!" The table was smashed even more thoroughly, and Sakura chased him to the door.
This time Naruto really ran away, Sakura clenched her fists, and gritted her teeth and said, "How did Sasuke manage to tolerate him for so many years without beating him to death?!"
[Sasuke: Maybe because I can't beat him?]
Sakura turned around and went back to prepare to clean up the room. After pouring out her heart and venting her frustrations, the grievances of being beaten up these days had eased a lot.
Thinking about Naruto coming to chat with her on purpose, and then acting goofy on purpose, Sakura's fists loosened and she laughed, "It's not so bad."
...
Time passed day by day, Jiraiya's injuries were almost healed, and Sakura trained even harder these days than before, and was injured by Tsunade fewer and fewer times.
Tsunade was very satisfied with this disciple, feeling that she was even more suitable than Shizune to inherit her Ninjutsu. After a while, when she had more knowledge, she might consider teaching her the Yin Seal.
When Jiraiya saw Sakura shatter a boulder half a person's height with one punch, and golden hair fluttered in front of his eyes, he seemed to see Tsunade's figure when she was young.
Wait, golden? Wasn't that little girl's hair pink?
Jiraiya turned his head and saw Naruto using the Chaotic Lion Hair Technique to extend his hair, dividing it into nine strands, resembling Kushina.
Naruto happily played with the Ninjutsu he had just learned, showing off to Jiraiya, "Hahaha, Pervy Sage, do you think I can practice a Nine-Sword Style · Asura · One Mist Silver like this?"
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 444+ fanfic and original translations or request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the RandomTranslator community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------