Sakura decided that from today on, she would be a neat and resolute kunoichi.
Naruto and Sasuke? Let them play together. She didn't care anymore.
"I also think this hairstyle suits me, so I cut it. This way, it's more convenient as a ninja."
"I-Is that so?"
Indeed, after cutting her hair short, Sakura completely swept away her previous weak appearance and became much cooler.
When they first met again, even Ino almost didn't recognize her.
If Sakura hadn't called her name first.
'That's good too, now that Sakura has cut her hair short, she won't be…'
"Then to celebrate your haircut, let me give you a gift," Ino took Sakura's hand and prepared to return to the flower shop to pick a pretty flower for her.
Only—
"Ah, sorry!"
Distracted and impulsive, Ino wasn't paying attention to the front and accidentally bumped into a soft body.
After apologizing and lifting her head, Ino saw standing in front of her, a big sister with long reddish-brown hair.
Such long, beautiful hair… and a hairstyle that also revealed only one eye, similar to her own.
Of course, and that very effective buffer her head just landed on. Her chest was so large, even the Ino from her dreams might not be able to compare.
All of this made Ino feel shocked and amazed.
'What a seductive big sister…'
"It's you? And Kage's here too…", Although Ino didn't recognize Terumi Mei, Sakura instantly recognized the long brown-haired kunoichi.
After all, during the battle in the Land of Waves, the moment when her clothes dissolved and she became exposed was something hard to forget.
'But why will this kunoichi from Kirigakure be here, and even holding Kage's arm?'
'Isn't she an enemy?'
Sakura was full of question marks.
"Kage…"
And only then did Ino realize that the arm she had been holding onto was now being held by an unfamiliar big sister.
Combined with the different hair color but strangely similar hairstyle—
'Crap, a cow's here!'
'Someone is pretending to be my grown-up self to get close to Kage!'
Seeing that next to this brown-haired big sister stood Uchiha Kage, Ino was completely stunned on the spot.
"Ino, this is the future Mizukage from Kirigakure. She wants to take a look at your flower shop," It wasn't until Uchiha Kage reached out his hand to pat her head that she finally snapped out of it.
"So she's an honored guest from Kirigakure!"
'Oh girl, I almost thought it really is a cow.'
Ino immediately switched to a smiling face toward Terumi Mei.
"My flower shop is the best one in Konoha. You've got good taste."
"Heh… I do have good taste."
Looking at the two girls in front of her, then glancing at Uchiha Kage beside her.
Terumi Mei said with double meaning.
Then, as if to assert her claim, she tightened her hold on Uchiha Kage's arm, deliberately increasing the friction between his arm and her large chest.
"You…", All of this was caught by Sakura at the side.
But Sakura noticed that Ino didn't seem to see it, as she had just turned around to lead the way.
'Damn it, as expected, this kunoichi from Kirigakure still has wicked intentions, showing up in front of Kage again.'
'To keep Ino from being cowed, I, the good bestie, must take action.'
"Is Kage with this… Miss Terumi Mei because of ANBU duties?"
"Yeah," Uchiha Kage looked a bit surprised at Sakura's short hair.
For a moment, he even thought it was the Sakura from the dream space who had come out.
'Although she wasn't forced to cut her hair during the Chūnin Exams, did she still cut it short later for some other reason?'
'Kind of feels like a historical inevitability.'
"Your new hairstyle looks great."
'But yes, short hair really suits Sakura.'
'This girl is super A… whether it's her aura with short hair or her chest.'
"Thank you…"
'Great! Even Kage likes my short hair. Cutting it is the right choice.'
'Ino, thank you so much for the suggestion.'
She didn't expect Uchiha Kage to take the initiative to compliment her. Sakura's eyes sparkled with stars for a moment, and she temporarily forgot to remind Ino to be careful of this kunoichi from Kirigakure.
"Tch, what did she bring back…"
Madam Yamanaka, who was sitting in the flower shop watching the store, looked at her daughter returning with the Uchiha boy trailing behind and the big-chested lady clinging closely to him. Her face was full of "subway old man looking at phone" expression.
'My foolish and useless daughter…'
'I told you to go confess, not to go out and get cowed!'
———
"Danzo?"
"Yes, probably because of the last incident, Danzo's situation is very bad now."
Kabuto briefly reported to Orochimaru that Danzo had sent someone to contact them again.
"And what does that have to do with us?"
Uchiha Itachi and that mysterious masked man gave Orochimaru a massive headache.
Honestly, with the level of improvement he had made to the Edo Tensei forbidden technique, summoning the First and Second Hokage should make defeating Hiruzen Sarutobi not too difficult, but with Uchiha Itachi in the mix, things became unpredictable.
And then there's that masked man eyeing him like a tiger…
If it weren't for the fact that the arrow was already on the string, Orochimaru would've wanted to leave Konoha and find another chance to execute the Konoha Destruction Plan.
Even if he wanted to leave now, that masked man probably wouldn't let him go.
And also, his dear old teacher…
"That Danzo guy has fought my teacher his whole life and lost every time, what a loser."
'No, wait. Summoning just the First and Second Hokage might not be enough. What if I add one more person?'
'To deal with Sharingan, you need Sharingan.'
Orochimaru suddenly thought of a way to break the deadlock.
"Danzo said he has intel crucial to your survival…", Kabuto didn't have any good feelings toward Danzo either.
Only someone as twisted as Danzo could do something like making him and the orphanage head who raised him kill each other.
"Crucial to my survival? Another one?", Orochimaru casually took the intel scroll from Kabuto. After just one glance, he tossed it away.
'Seriously? Everyone knows I am planning the Konoha Destruction Plan?'
'And they all know Uchiha Itachi will be sent to stop me, and yet I, myself, am still clueless?'
"This is absurd. Are these people just planning to be spectators at my performance?"
The intel scroll from Danzo also said that Uchiha Itachi would be Sarutobi Hiruzen's secret weapon against him.
"Did he say anything else?"
After calming down a bit, Orochimaru asked again.
Knowing Danzo's personality, giving information like this was surely in exchange for something.
There's no way he'd give it for free.
"He said he wants to invite you back to Konoha as the next Hokage, like in the old days."
"Hokage? Heh, I'm not like that old geezer, spending my whole life dreaming of being Hokage."
Orochimaru scoffed, 'Hokage? I stopped wanting that long ago.'
"Still… we don't have to completely refuse. I need something from him too."
'To counter Mangekyō Sharingan, you need a Mangekyō Sharingan user.'
Orochimaru thought of a perfect candidate for Edo Tensei.
But that person's body had been missing.
'Maybe only that old fox Danzo can find it for him.'
'If I can successfully summon that person…'
'Hmph, whether they want to be spectators or participants, I fear none of them!'
———
[Afternoon]
[Dango Shop in Konoha]
For some reason, four girls from Konoha gathered together and sat at a table like they were having a tea party.
"So that big-boobed woman is using her position to bully Kage…", After hearing Sakura and the suddenly-joined Tenten's account, Ino finally let out a sigh of relief.
'But didn't he say he likes my long hair before? Why is he now praising Sakura's short hair?'
Had she known, she wouldn't have pushed Sakura to cut her hair.
Thinking back to how Sakura's smile bloomed after being complimented by Uchiha Kage, Ino felt like she'd lost more than she gained.
Of course, more than that, what truly infuriated her was her mother's "so you got cowed" mocking look earlier, and that big-boobed kunoichi who wouldn't let go of Uchiha Kage's arm.
"I heard that woman even wants to use diplomatic means to get Hokage-sama to agree to Kage marrying her…", Tenten shared everything she overheard at the ninja tools shop with the others.
"No way! That kunoichi was an enemy before! She definitely has ill intentions toward Kage!", Sakura also spoke of her past confrontation with Terumi Mei in the Land of Waves.
"So that Kirigakure kunoichi Kage let go before, that was her?", Ino finally understood why Sakura was so shocked upon seeing Terumi Mei.
"This is bad. That woman was seen naked by Kage, she definitely won't let it go easily!"
She also realized the seriousness of the problem.
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