Double-transformation: I, Sakura Haruno! Will crush the pirates!

Jiraiya's expression sharpened, and with a mature and gentlemanly demeanor, he took Haruno Meibu's hand and kissed it.

"Hey, Dad, your wife's about to be snatched away by someone else!"

Sakura, expressionless, reached out and tugged at Haruno, who was frozen to the side.

"Don't talk nonsense! These are the three legendary Sannin of Konoha! They are our pride!"

Haruno Chiu's eyes sparkled with admiration, and he held a picture book in his hand, seemingly wanting to ask for an autograph...

Sakura had hoped to find a savior, but instead found herself facing yet another victim. She clutched her head in exasperation.

I can't believe how heavily the fan filter is applied to this couple.

It's not their fault. In the 37th year of Konoha, the Second Hokage died in battle, and the entire Land of Fire was caught in a pincer movement between four countries, in a precarious situation.

In this situation, the actions of the three legendary ninjas stabilized the front lines and protected the Land of Fire.

His heroic image was deeply ingrained in the minds of the young people in the village at that time, and Haruno Chika and Haruno Mebuki should be among them.

But for Sakura, well... it felt like her parents' generation's washed-up idol had suddenly come to her house to freeload.

"Oh well, do as you please!"

The dinner was unexpectedly lavish, but the eerie atmosphere at the table made Sakura's toes grip the wooden floor tightly.

Ah, I want to escape to the sea right now!

[Announcement: The achievement 'The woman for whom Danzo Shimura went to jail' has been completed. Achievement points awarded: 40]

[Current balance: 40. The cross-border function is available. Activate?]

'No, System, you bastard, you really came here just because you smelled it!'

【Ah】

'Hey, you weird thing...'

Sakura listened to the system's gradually smoother voice and started arguing with it, which helped her get through the difficult dinner time.

After finishing dinner at the Haruno residence, Jiraiya bid farewell to Haruno Hō and Haruno Meibuki, and disappeared into the night.

Sakura thought the matter would end there, but as the number one unpredictable ninja of the previous generation, Jiraiya never played by the rules.

For a period of time after that, he would appear from all sorts of tricky angles every day.

Bushes, alleyways, river embankments, spring-field houses, training grounds...

In short, this guy is like a persistent ghost, forever and ever watching you from the shadows.

"Mo, what exactly are you trying to do!"

Inside the training ground on the south side, Sakura slung the ice greatsword over her shoulder, her Boil Release already heated with chakra.

He was just waiting for the right moment to kill the white-haired man in front of him with one blow!

"Just as you said, greed and selfishness are at play, and they want to take you as their disciple."

The man, who had spent his life walking the path of prophecy and lingering at the crossroads of fate, smiled.

"Well, you dare to use my moves against me!"

"Very well, since you're greedy and I'm greedy too, let's settle this with our sheer audacity today!"

The overlord unleashed his will, dark thunder roared in the void, and Sakura Haruno forcefully made a swinging motion, her fighting spirit rising from her body.

"Wait, wait, I'm not here to fight!"

Jiraiya lay on the ground with a roguish air, giving off a look that said, "If you dare hit me, you're bullying an old man living alone."

"Ah!"

Sakura was amused by his words, stuck the greatsword into the ground, and sat down cross-legged.

"Since you want me to be your disciple, let me ask you this: I want to learn medical ninjutsu, do you know it?"

"Uh...this..."

Jiraiya glanced sideways and began looking around.

"Then let me ask you, I have a talent for genjutsu, can you teach me how to counter the Sharingan's genjutsu?"

"Um... well..."

Jiraiya was speechless and began scratching his head in frustration.

"You don't have what I want. So tell me, how are you going to be my teacher?"

Sakura shifted to a more comfortable sitting position, using the greatsword as a backrest to adjust her posture.

"But I also know other techniques! Fire Release, Wind Release, Sealing Techniques, Summoning Techniques... Sigh."

Seeing that Sakura remained unmoved, Jiraiya let out a deep sigh.

A light, ethereal aura emanated from him, seemingly the taste of an ideal!

"Someone once told me a prophecy that my disciple would bring about world change! I believe you are someone who has that potential!"

"Whether it's medical ninjutsu or genjutsu, I can help you find a master in that field!"

"So, could you please follow me in your spiritual practice? I want to witness your future!"

Is there anything in the world more touching than a naive man naively explaining his naive ideals to you?

Moreover, he was not merely naive; he dedicated his life to his ideals and ultimately died for them. Jiraiya truly deserves the title of a hero.

Sakura pursed her lips, a complicated expression on her face.

Is it worth it just for a prophecy?

"Of course! This is an adventure that's all my own!"

As the sunlight streamed in, those eyes, brimming with starlight, were filled with happiness.

Jiraiya smiled so triumphantly, as if he wanted to make this moment last forever.

Chapter 52 Departure, the Big Fat Sheep of the West

Konoha Village, main entrance.

Sakura, dressed in black ninja attire, fastened her gloves and carried her bag while listening to Haruno Mei's rambling.

"Eat well and sleep well while you're out, and don't cause any trouble for Lord Jiraiya!"

"Yes Yes!"

Sakura, who had originally intended to give a serious answer, lost all her emotion upon hearing the second half of the sentence and gave a listless, perfunctory response.

At the Ninja Academy, under the instruction of a supreme will, Sakura's student status was sealed, pending her return to have it unsealed after completing her training.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was more than happy to see this genius join the Hokage lineage.

Upon hearing yesterday that Jiraiya was also taking Sakura out of the village for training, he quickly helped her complete all the formalities for the ninja academy.

How fast was that? The secret service delivered the documents to the Haruno residence in the middle of the night.

"Sakura-chan!"

Ino rushed over and threw herself into Sakura's arms.

Her petite body trembled incessantly, seemingly still harboring resentment over what happened at the Roots recently.

"Ino!"

Sakura took off the hairband Ino had given her and tied it on the hand of the girl in front of her.

"If you're still feeling sad, then practice the secret arts of the mountains diligently."

"I look forward to the day when Ino becomes strong enough to protect me, my best friend!"

Tears streamed down Ino's face as she hugged Sakura again, this time holding her even tighter.

Sakura's gaze swept over the many relatives and friends who had come up to see her off.

Haruno and his wife, Iruka, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Sasuke...

Unbeknownst to me, there are so many people in the village who care about me!

That's great, there's another place in the world where people are looking forward to my return.

Finally, he returned to Ino, who was clinging to him, and helped the girl up, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I have to go now, everyone, take care of yourselves!"

With a heavy heart, Sakura waved goodbye to them, then strode out of the village and headed towards the place she had agreed to meet Jiraiya.

In the suburbs, Jiraiya had been waiting for a long time on the outskirts of the Valley of the End.

"Where are we going, Jiraiya-sensei?"

Sakura Haruno walked up to the man lying on a piece of dead wood and called out to him.

"Hmm, what a wonderful name. How about we head to the southern hot spring area and find a bathhouse to gather some inspiration?"

Click!

Ice cubes spread from Sakura's sandals, instantly freezing Jiraiya and the withered tree beneath him together.

"Didn't you promise to bring me out to cultivate? What a lecherous immortal!"

Bang!

Jiraiya exploded into a cloud of smoke on the dead tree, and he himself appeared on the big tree behind Sakura.

"It's Toad Sage! You're putting yourself on too high a level. Cultivation requires a balance of work and rest!"

Jiraiya gave Sakura Haruno a thumbs up, his teeth gleaming white.

He falls down from the tree and embarks on his training journey amidst bickering and arguing with Sakura.

Western region of the Land of Fire.

Two figures, one large and one small, stepped onto the boardwalk above the basin, below which lay a vast town that spanned the entire basin.

Children run through the crowd, and vendors sprinkle sauce on teppanyaki grills, spreading the aroma throughout the street.

Adults with special smiles entered and exited a shop whose doors were tightly covered by curtains. Pachinko machines were everywhere, making the gamblers gathered around the machines eager for more.

"Hmm, speaking of which, I still don't know how far Sakura's ninja training has progressed?"

Jiraiya, who was leading the way, turned his head and asked.

"I have mastered the basics of chakra control, and I have also trained in the water and earth chakra nature transformations."

Sakura held onto the handrail of the steps, swaying her body to gain momentum as she went downstairs, using her free hand to count.

"As for ninjutsu, I have two D-rank genjutsu, Shadow Clone Jutsu, Boil Release, the ability to control ice, and Flying Thunder God Technique."

"A dual bloodline ninja? Are you a monster?"

Jiraiya scratched his head, suddenly feeling a tightness in his chest for some reason.

The previous disciple was like this, and this disciple is like this too.

It must be incredibly stressful to have someone as lost as him teaching these geniuses.

Anyway, come with me!

"Teacher, let me take you to a nice place to relax!"

Jiraiya led Sakura into a casino and randomly picked an empty seat to sit down.

With the clinking of dice on the gambling table, Jiraiya seamlessly blended into the casino atmosphere, becoming one of the thousands of gamblers.

On the contrary, Sakura Haruno was completely forgotten by him.

"That lecherous immortal, he clearly just wanted to have fun! How can anyone relax in a casino?"

Having been given a few of the lowest-value chips, Sakura stood bewildered in the middle of the crowd, gritting her teeth.

"That's not right, little sister!"

A hoarse, deep voice sounded from the side. Sakura turned her head and saw a strong man with a bald head, scars on his face, and a big beard.

He held up the dice and addressed Sakura Haruno, "How about a game? Uncle will show you the ultimate casino experience~"

"Huh? Are you sure!"