Just as the charging Sakura was about to collide with her clone, an immense force suddenly clamped down on her arm, bringing her to an abrupt halt, unable to advance even half a step.
Sakura's vision momentarily darkened as a figure appeared directly in front of her. The sound of tearing air followed close behind as multiple figures flickered into place. When she focused again, she found herself surrounded by ANBU.
And the figure standing before her was none other than the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade-sensei.
"Ma... Master..." the Sakura Clone stammered blankly.
"You can go rest now," Tsunade said, glancing sideways at the clone behind her.
"Um... Master... she's... er..." The Clone trailed off, freezing mid-sentence. Realization dawned: this damn troublesome woman was her original body! With so many people present, she absolutely couldn't expose her. Ah, forget it, better keep my mouth shut. Looks like I really am an idiot after all.
The Clone cast a sympathetic glance towards her original body, then stood up, dusted off her backside, and quickly walked away. This was definitely not a place to linger.
Tsunade frowned, studying the unfamiliar woman before her. That diamond marking on her forehead was unmistakably the Yin Seal, yet her overall aura... it didn't quite feel like Sakura.
"Surrender quietly!" Tsunade demanded sharply.
Sakura remained silent. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she wrenched her hand free from Tsunade's grasp and retreated several steps. Just then, a short ANBU operative flickered into place between Tsunade and Sakura.
"Lady Hokage, please leave this to me!" the short ANBU member said, facing Sakura but addressing Tsunade.
"Very well. Be careful," Tsunade nodded. She recognized this ANBU operative – it was Sasuke, who had joined not long ago. This would be good training for him.
Sakura, feeling utterly emotionless under the Yin Seal's influence, looked at the ANBU operative. "You're weak," she stated flatly. "Don't stand in my way."
Sasuke flinched inwardly at her words but quickly regained control of his emotions. His status was different now; he couldn't let himself be so easily provoked.
Weaving through hand seals—Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger—Sasuke inhaled deeply. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" A massive sphere of roaring flame shot towards Sakura.
Sakura registered the familiar opening ninjutsu. Fueled by the Gelel energy, her mind worked rapidly. That ANBU... it's definitely Sasuke. With a flicker of movement, she evaded the Great Fireball and immediately turned to flee outwards from the village center.
"Stop!" Sasuke yelled, instantly giving chase as the woman fled.
"Follow them!" Tsunade ordered the surrounding ANBU. Moving the confrontation away from the village proper suited her perfectly.
Sakura moved with incredible speed towards the Hokage Monument. Behind the monument lay a large, uninhabited area frequently used by village ninja for training.
Reaching a clearing, Sakura skidded to a halt. Instantly, ANBU surrounded her. Glancing at the masked figures and Tsunade-sensei, Sakura quickly produced a small, pen-like injector and jabbed it into her arm.
Seeing her action, the surrounding ANBU tensed, raising their weapons warily. In their experience, this often meant an enemy was using some kind of stimulant or combat drug.
Sakura deactivated the Strength of a Hundred Technique. The flood of Gelel energy receded back into the Yin Seal. Apart from a sudden wave of drowsiness, she felt... nothing else.
Looks like it worked, she thought dimly. The sedative had suppressed the volatile emotional backlash that usually came with deactivating the Gelel-enhanced state. The sleepiness was likely a combination of the alcohol and the sedative kicking in.
"All of you, fall back! Secure the perimeter around this area. Dismiss any incoming backup!" Tsunade commanded, stepping forward, her expression grim as she addressed the ANBU.
The ANBU exchanged confused glances, disbelief clear in their body language.
"Lady Hokage!" Sasuke protested, sounding anxious. This was his first official mission as an ANBU.
"You too, Sasuke!" Tsunade stated, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Yes, ma'am!" Sasuke replied, reluctance clear in his voice, but he still obeyed the order.
Once the ANBU had withdrawn, a cold night breeze swept through the clearing. Sakura shivered involuntarily. Looking at her master's thunderous expression, her earlier drunken 'lofty ambition' of challenging Tsunade evaporated completely.
Master must have sent everyone away because she realized who I am, Sakura figured. After all, she knows the Strength of a Hundred Technique and the Yin Seal better than anyone. Anyone else might not have been so sure; there were plenty of bizarre jutsu out there. Someone else might have just thought the marking was face paint.
"Hehe, Mast—"
WHAM!
A sickening thud echoed through the clearing. Sakura felt an explosion of pain in her stomach as her entire body was lifted off the ground, flying backward uncontrollably until she slammed hard against a large rock. Where Sakura had stood moments before, Tsunade now occupied the space, fist still extended.
Clutching her stomach, Sakura's face went deathly white. The Transformation Jutsu flickered and died. With a soft poof of smoke, her original appearance was revealed.
Tsunade approached, her face like storm clouds. "Stand up!"
Sakura silently, meekly pushed herself to her feet. Master's really furious, she thought numbly. Head bowed, she stood obediently to the side, waiting for judgment.
"Was that fun?" Tsunade asked, looking down imperiously at the disciple who caused her so much trouble.
"I..."
"Are you trying to betray the village?!" Tsunade cut her off, her voice sharp.
"I didn't..." Sakura protested weakly.
Suddenly, Tsunade held out her hand, palm up. "Your forehead protector!"
"Wh... what...?" Sakura stared blankly at her master's outstretched palm, murmuring the words, her mind failing to process the demand.
"Hand over your forehead protector!" Tsunade repeated, her voice devoid of any emotion.
"Ma... Master... I... I..." Sakura stammered, utterly lost on how to explain her behavior.
"Hand over your forehead protector!" Tsunade said again, her voice cold.
Sakura looked into her master's unwavering eyes, and for the first time, true panic seized her heart. While Sakura didn't always place immense importance on being a ninja, the protector still represented the village's acknowledgment of her. Tsunade-sensei demanding it back... it felt like being abandoned. Panic, confusion, terror – a storm of negative emotions flooded Sakura's mind.
Stiffly, slowly, she reached into the tool pouch on her back and retrieved the forehead protector she hadn't worn in ages. Trembling slightly, she placed it into Tsunade-sensei's outstretched hand.
Tsunade snatched the protector from Sakura's hand and turned abruptly to leave. She was clearly livid. Usually, for minor issues that didn't cross fundamental lines, Tsunade might overlook Sakura's mischief. But this time... not even mentioning the underage drinking...
...using a transformation jutsu, injuring village shinobi, causing property damage... enough to warrant the Hokage personally intervening meant a Level 2 alert had likely been issued. A Level 2 alert signified the potential outbreak of war. Regardless of the reasons behind it, Sakura's actions themselves had crossed a serious line.
Tsunade stalked away, radiating anger. She hadn't decided on the full punishment yet, but stripping Sakura of her status as a ninja was the first step. Hopefully, none of the ANBU back there had recognized the 'intruder' as Sakura herself; everyone had seen the clone causing trouble in the night market earlier.
Sasuke was a slight complication, though. They were teammates. If he thought about it later, he might piece together the intruder's identity. But surely he wouldn't be foolish enough to spread it around, Tsunade reasoned.
Sakura remained sitting numbly on the cold ground, her eyes vacant. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, trying to offer herself some small comfort.
"Just like that... I'm expelled... Master expelled me..."
Her mind was a chaotic mess, yet her gaze remained fixed blankly ahead. Thoughts of Ryuta, Keita, or any nebulous 'dark forces' had completely vanished. She had no capacity left to consider them.
Being rejected by the person closest to you... it cut deeper than any enemy's blade.
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