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

Sakura casually formed hand seals, and the burst of smoke blurred their vision.

Once the dust settled and visibility improved, none of the three Sakuras standing in front of them could tell the real one from the fake one.

There were three separate entities: one ate at the Uchiha family's house, one ate at the snack stalls on South Street, and the other ate at home.

Today, Ms. Ying's time management is still impeccable.

Ten minutes later, at the Uchiha clan's territory.

Due to the defection of the hawks, many Uchiha clan members left Konoha.

Some people in the clan's territory also quietly moved away and scattered to live in other parts of the village.

The once bustling little street now appears somewhat desolate.

"Did Uncle and Auntie who run the hand-cooked rice cakes move away too?"

Following behind Sasuke, Sakura, holding her head in her hands, sighed with emotion.

“Their child followed…” Sasuke bit his lip, “and after that, they moved to live in the village.”

"It's okay. As long as you're alive, there's still hope."

Sakura Haruno's emerald eyes were half-closed, making a slight sound.

It was like a soft sigh of satisfaction and contentment.

"Yes... still alive..."

Sasuke Uchiha responded in a muffled voice, and then fell silent.

Stepping into Sasuke's house, not much had changed compared to four years ago.

However, the huge house is now empty of people who should be living there, and a sense of loneliness pervades some parts of it.

Where is Aunt Mikoto?

Sakura Haruno kicked off her sandals and sat casually on the tatami mat.

He picked up two teacups from the low table and waved them at Uchiha Sasuke.

His bright eyes seemed to say, "Go, pour me two cups of tea."

"Going to buy groceries, seriously? You really don't consider yourself an outsider!"

Sasuke said it, but his body language betrayed him. He took the cup, took out the tea bag, and headed towards the kitchen where he could make tea.

Just as he came out carrying the tray, Uchiha Mikoto arrived home.

"Sakura-chan!"

The beautiful woman carrying the vegetable basket showed a delighted expression upon seeing Xiaoying.

"I thought Sasuke would be too shy to invite you!"

"mom!"

Sasuke, who was standing nearby, lost his balance and burned his hand on the spilled tea.

"Just kidding~, wait a minute, dinner will be ready soon!"

Mikoto was in a great mood after teasing her son and walked into the kitchen humming a song.

Mikoto Uchiha moved quickly; a sumptuous dinner was a simple matter for her, a former ninja.

At the dinner table, Mikoto, who hadn't entertained outsiders in a long time, made an exception and drank a little wine.

Then she shared Sasuke's embarrassing moments and trivial matters of life with Sakura. When she got excited, she would occasionally complain about the desolate state of the clan's territory, which made it difficult for her to even buy groceries.

Sakura listened quietly as Mikoto recounted the story of this woman who had lost her husband and whose eldest son had run away, and how she had managed to maintain her daily life with all her might.

Bang!

The chair scraped against the ground with a dull thud, and Uchiha Sasuke suddenly stood up.

"I'm stuffed!"

After saying that, Little Black Hair dashed off in a flash.

"Oh dear, I accidentally let myself get a little carried away..."

Mikoto's expression darkened, then she looked up at Sakura Haruno with a slightly apologetic expression.

"It's alright. It was my oversight that I was too busy with my cultivation to visit Aunt Mikoto."

Sakura's Observation Haki detected that Sasuke was running further and further away, heading towards the Uchiha clan's training grounds.

She exhaled and looked earnestly into Mikoto Uchiha's eyes: "Aunt Mikoto, I ran into Itachi while I was out this time!"

Upon hearing her eldest son's name, Mikoto Uchiha's shoulders twitched, but she didn't say anything.

"He and the Uchiha who had defected formed the Rogue Ninja Group, making a living by taking on missions."

"Aunt Mikoto, I..."

Sakura had just opened her mouth when Mikoto Uchiha, who was prepared, covered it.

"Sakura is such a kind child. I've known about you and Fugaku for a long time, so there's no need to bring it up again!"

There were some tears welling up in Mikoto Uchiha's eyes, but the determination in those eyes could not be shaken by any external force.

Women are inherently weak, but become strong when they become mothers.

"For Sasuke's sake, no matter what happens, I will live on!"

"If you want to help Auntie, please take good care of my Sasuke. He's been working a little too hard lately."

Mikoto sat back down in her chair, clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture.

Even though she had been retired for many years, how could Mikoto Uchiha, who had once been a Jonin, not know about the changes in her son during this time?

"Alright, I'll go take a look!"

"Hehe, I love Sakura the most, be my daughter~"

"No way! Hehehe~"

.

.

Meanwhile, inside the training field.

"Art fire escape ho fireball!"

Sasuke gathered his chakra and unleashed another blazing fireball.

The scorching flames burned through the soil, bursting forth with charred smoke and intense heat.

His lips were already blistered from the heat, and his body was sweating profusely from the scalding temperature, but Sasuke continued to refine his chakra again and again.

"Practicing relentlessly, are you trying to turn yourself into a cripple?"

Hearing the sound, Sasuke looked up and saw a girl in black ninja attire crouching in a tree.

"It is you."

Uchiha Sasuke replied coldly, then turned to continue refining his chakra.

call out!

A low rumble, as if time and space were being torn apart, echoed. A flash of pink light appeared, and Sakura pinned Uchiha Sasuke to the ground.

"Let me go!" Sasuke struggled, using both feet to free him. "You should know, that guy, if he doesn't..."

Snapped!

As she released Sasuke, Sakura punched him without hesitation.

First, don't let the people who love you worry!

"Secondly, how can someone as weak as you, who has lost his composure and rationality, possibly contend with Uchiha Itachi?"

Sasuke, who had been punched in the head, gritted his teeth, his voice rough and hoarse, filled with the urgency of being burned by flames.

"Then tell me, what should I do?"

The clan's decline, the clansmen's indifference, and the villagers' rejection.

All of this stems from that shame! So I must correct this mistake myself!

It has to be me!

It has to be me!

Because a stigma can last a lifetime!

"There's a way, brother, there is!"

Sakura grinned silently, her mind already flashing through various scenarios: Sasuke with Armament Haki, Sasuke with Observation Haki, Sasuke the Great Swordsman, Sasuke the Devil Fruit User...

"I just don't know if you... can endure such a hell?"

The girl pressed her hands together against her face, her emerald eyes flashing with a dangerous light.

Before her, the boy trembled and swallowed hard.

'Gudu~'

Chapter 68 The Land of Waves That Was Missed

A week later, at the training ground outside the village.

Under the afternoon sun, crystalline beams of light pierced through the gaps in the leaves, sparkling like crystals. The numerous beams of light gathered together, resembling a crystal forest growing in the crevices.

Bang!

The fist slammed heavily into the ground, irregular cracks spreading across the rocky surface, and the dust kicked up covered the training ground, obscuring the figures of the boys and girls within.

"Missed it~ What a pity~"

Sakura's face was flushed, and her muddy cheeks curved into a smile.

"You woman, did you come here to kill me from the very beginning?!"

Upon hearing Sakura's words, Sasuke's eyes bulged, revealing his shark teeth as he roared at the girl in front of him.

His back was soaked with cold sweat and he was covered in bruises. After roaring, he had no strength left and couldn't even get up.

"I've already told you that's hell; you brought this on yourself."

Sakura pouted, loosened her fist, and held her hand up in front of the boy.

In that instant, Sasuke's will was elevated under the pressure of life and death.

He used it as a weapon, briefly extending his senses to dodge Sakura's punch that was aimed straight at her head.

Is this the world as you see it...?

Sasuke grabbed Sakura Haruno's hand and was pulled to his feet by her.

In that instant, his perception of the world was elevated to a new level, completely different from the awakening of the Sharingan.

That unbridled, clear experience of the world is more exhilarating and intense than anyone else's; it's called the urge to live.

"Well, as a power for survival, Haki should be able to neutralize some of the effects of the Sharingan's Yin Release on you."

"As for chakra and secret techniques, you should ask Aunt Mikoto for guidance."

Sakura tugged at her ninja outfit, letting the cool breeze blow over her body.

Sweat dripped from her flowing pink hair, which was finally bound by the ninja's headband.

"Mom...Mom? Why?"

The sound of the wind disappeared from Sasuke's ears, causing the boy's expression to freeze.

"You don't even know that Aunt Mikoto was once a Jonin in the village?"

As if sensing something amusing, someone grinned, her face obscured by shadow.

"Wait, Mom being a Jonin means..."

Having figured out the key point, Sasuke's clothes, covered in dust and sweat, shook violently.

Because he had fooled his mother countless times by relying on his ninja skills.