บท 18: Shadow
Under the watchful eyes of the two gate-guarding ninjas, Haruno Sakura climbed the stairs leading to the Hokage's office.
"She's quite something…" one of the guards murmured.
"It seems we have an outstanding young ninja in the making."
The guard who had spoken first recognized the advanced coding on the scroll Sakura had shown him—a mark of the special techniques entrusted by Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, to someone of high potential.
"Hey, doesn't your boy happen to be just a couple of years older than her?" his companion teased with a grin.
The gatekeeper's smile faded. "Don't get me started on him," he sighed, shaking his head.
"That rascal applied hair removal cream to the Inuzuka clan's ninja dogs. Now the poor beasts are running around as bald as they can be, and every time they catch sight of him, they're chasing him down."
Meanwhile, Sakura reached the second floor of the Hokage Building. The outdated surroundings made her wonder if this was truly the heart of Konoha's administration. The place looked like it might leak during the rain.
The Hokage's office was easy to spot, with a sign marking its door. It was slightly ajar, and as Sakura knocked, the door opened wider.
"Is that you, Sakura? Come on in," called the old yet firm voice of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Sakura entered and bowed respectfully to the elderly Hokage, who sat at his desk wearing his signature red and white robes and hat.
"Hokage-sama," she greeted him, starting to reach for the scroll she carried.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and waved her forward. "No need to be so formal. Just call me Grandpa Hokage," he said with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Grandpa Hokage," Sakura replied, adjusting quickly to the casual title.
Sarutobi led Sakura to a sofa and motioned for her to sit beside him. He had expected her to come to him shortly after he had given her the scroll, but half a month had passed. This piqued his curiosity—had she truly mastered the basics of the super strength technique so quickly?
Sakura took out the scroll he'd given her and laid it open on the coffee table, pointing to the section on efficiently circulating chakra within the body.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at her in mild surprise. She was focusing on the advanced chakra training method and hadn't asked about the basic steps at all. Could she have already mastered the strength technique?
Suppressing his curiosity, Sarutobi Hiruzen carefully explained the chakra circulation method. As a master of all five chakra natures, he had a depth of understanding matched by only a few in the ninja world.
"Actually, Sakura, you're still very young. As you grow, your muscles and tendons will develop, and your chakra will flow more naturally and effectively," he explained gently.
Then he added, almost in wonder, "Have you already mastered the super strength technique?"
"Yeah," Sakura replied nonchalantly. She scanned the room and locked her gaze on a teacup on the table. Picking it up, she applied enough pressure to shatter it between her fingers.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was momentarily speechless. Strange strength, or super strength, was a technique on par with the most difficult A-rank jutsu, nearly as challenging as an S-rank skill. To have learned it in half a month was astonishing.
Sakura misinterpreted his silence as indifference. Thinking she needed to demonstrate more, she reached for the teapot and, with a soft crack, destroyed it as well.
"Wait, wait, enough!" Hiruzen said, his face twisting in mild dismay as he realized his cherished tea set had become training material.
Sakura tilted her head, wondering if she hadn't impressed him yet. Her eyes wandered to his desk in search of sturdier items.
"No, no, that's quite enough," he said, stepping between her and his desk, imagining the destruction she could wreak on his furniture.
Just then, the office door opened, and two elders, Mito Kado and Utane Koharu, entered. Seeing them, Sakura guessed why Sarutobi Hiruzen had known she was coming so soon; it seemed the elders had access without needing to knock.
"If you have business to attend to, Grandpa Hokage, I can take my leave," Sakura offered, ready to excuse herself.
"Wait, Sakura," he said, ignoring the curious looks from his two old friends. He walked to his desk, shuffled through some scrolls, and handed one to her. "Here, study this. Once you've learned it, come back and see me."
"Thank you, Grandpa Hokage!" Sakura's eyes sparkled as she took the scroll and quickly slipped out of the room, clutching her new prize.
As the pink-haired girl disappeared, Mito Kado glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen with curiosity.
"Monkey, who is that child?" Mito Kado asked, noting his old friend's unusual warmth toward the young girl.
"The future of Konoha," he said quietly, watching her leave with a sense of pride.
Utane Koharu, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you being a bit dramatic?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. "No, not at all. I see shades of Tsunade and even a bit of Minato in her…"
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