"Jiraiya!"
"Sorry, I'm late!"
The pink-haired girl burst straight into the main tent, her voice reaching everyone inside before she did.
"Sakura's here, huh? Not late at all—perfect timing," Jiraiya said cheerfully as he looked at her, clearly just woken up, and motioned for her to sit beside him.
"Hmph. No manners," came a slightly aged voice.
Only then did Sakura take in the full scene within the tent.
Aside from Jiraiya and Kakashi, there was a woman nearly in her seventies, and an unfamiliar man and woman.
When Sakura saw Koharu Utatane's perpetually sour expression, the corner of her mouth twitched.
So this old hag is the so-called "negotiation team" sent by the Hokage?
She glanced at Koharu and gave a small snort, flopping into the seat to Jiraiya's right with a dismissive flick of her lips.
Fine, I'll be the bigger person. For the sake of respecting my elders, I won't stoop to argue with this wrinkled fossil.
Koharu's brows, already deeply furrowed with age, tightened even further as she looked at Sakura's defiant posture—like the world revolved around her.
"Heh. Koharu-senpai, there's no need to be so harsh. After all, Sakura played a pivotal role in this war," Jiraiya chuckled, trying to smooth things over before quickly launching into business to give Koharu no room to respond.
"Since everyone is here, and we still have a bit of time before the negotiation begins, let me give a brief and concise rundown."
As he spoke, Jiraiya swiftly pulled out a scroll and laid it before them.
It contained the intel they'd wrung out of the Raikage's mind over the past few days, along with the list of demands Konoha would be making.
Sakura glanced at the long list and gave a satisfied nod.
Pretty greedy. I like it.
"First—something everyone already expects: war reparations."
"We can tentatively set that at five billion ryo."
Hearing that, Sakura tilted her head thoughtfully. How many Asumas is that?
142.8 Old-Masumas~~~
"Ahem, of course, that number is negotiable," Jiraiya added after catching the look on Sakura's face, realizing she was probably calculating how to pry that kind of money out of Kumogakure's pockets.
"Given how harsh the environment in the Land of Lightning is, getting them to cough up that much might be impossible."
Sakura shot him a glare. You could've just said it. Why say it to me?
Are you insulting my intelligence?
"Next on the list…"
Jiraiya went on at length—reparations, territorial concessions, military occupation.
If they had no money, gold, jewels, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings would do. If it was all gold, even better.
"And of course, the most important point," Jiraiya finally said, tapping his finger on the last item on the scroll.
Just four characters: The Truth-Seeking Waterfall.
Sakura glanced at the last line, her expression unreadable.
Now that the Raikage's body was in Konoha's hands, with the Yamanaka Clan's abilities, extracting intel on Turtle Island and the Truth-Seeking Waterfall was no problem.
In fact, it would've been strange not to get that info.
"If we secure that location, then even if the reparations, territorial claims, and military occupation end up being symbolic, it won't matter at all."
No one in the room reacted to the statement.
It was clear Jiraiya had already briefed them beforehand—this reminder was clearly for Sakura's benefit.
But Sakura's reaction disappointed him. She simply leaned on the table, cheek in hand, waiting for the meeting to be over with an indifferent look.
"Uh, Sakura, aren't you curious about what this place is?" Jiraiya asked, unable to hide his disappointment. He'd been hoping the pink-haired kunoichi would respond with her usual energetic curiosity.
Sakura looked around the room and immediately understood. Then, donning an exaggerated expression, she turned to Jiraiya with a mock-enthusiastic voice full of fake wonder.
"Wow, what's that place?"
"Come on, tell me~~"
Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle at her over-the-top act, not taking it to heart. Koharu, however, looked at Sakura with even deeper disapproval.
"Such disrespect! Did Hiruzen not teach you any manners?!"
Koharu stared at her, her cloudy eyes brimming with disdain.
"Huh?"
"Manners? My rules are the only manners I need," Sakura shot back without missing a beat.
Sure, old people liked throwing their weight around. Sakura got that. But they better not try to pull that crap with her.
Otherwise, if things got ugly, don't blame her.
"You brat—do you think that just because you have a bit of strength, you can act however you like?!"
Seeing her usual posturing wasn't working, Koharu's face twisted in anger.
"Yes," Sakura answered without hesitation, then added calmly, "With that bit of strength, I defeated Kumogakure. What are you going to do about it?"
It had been three days.
Sakura's achievements had already spread beyond the frontline, throughout Konohagakure, and even to the front lines in the Land of Rivers.
At this point, Sakura had solidified her title as the top of the new generation.
Not just in Konoha—but in the entire shinobi world.
And after the war, she hadn't stopped—she went straight to the medical unit, working non-stop for two days treating the wounded, making many see Tsunade's shadow in her.
Tsunade's prestige hadn't just come from her status as the First Hokage's granddaughter, but also from her founding of the medical system and her personal dedication—treating all wounded ninja equally, no matter their rank or background.
Nearly every Konoha shinobi had received her help at some point.
And now, a genius who could match—or perhaps even surpass—Tsunade had emerged.
"You little brat! I've had enough of you!" Koharu's chest heaved with rage as she stared at Sakura's unflinching expression.
When had anyone other than Tsunade dared speak to her like this in all of Konoha?
"You old hag! I've had enough of you too!" Sakura shot up from her seat with a sharp retort.
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