Danzo Shimura slunk away with his Root ninjas in tow.
It wasn't out of kindness—Hiruzen Sarutobi had shown up with his Anbu in tow.
The Uchiha jonin who hadn't defected were hauled off to the Anbu prison, and Sakura was summoned to the meeting room in the Hokage Tower.
Woken up in the middle of the night and in a foul mood, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado pushed open the meeting room door, only to be hit by the mouthwatering aroma of food.
Following the scent, they spotted a girl gorging herself at the conference table.
In front of her was a mountain of various meats and fruits, disappearing at an alarming rate.
"What a mess, Hiruzen. What's going on here?"
Koharu ignored Sakura entirely and took a seat at the table.
"Just a little disturbance. And… some of the Uchiha have defected," Hiruzen replied.
With a kind smile, he watched Sakura devour her meal, though inwardly he winced at the dent this was making in his wallet.
She doesn't even look that big—how's she eating so much?
"What's that? Where were the Anbu? And Root? What were they doing?"
Hearing about the Uchiha defections, Homura perked up, sitting straighter.
"Hmph. Why don't you ask the genius sitting over there? Ask her what she's been up to!"
The meeting room door swung open, and Danzo Shimura hobbled in with his cane, casting a resentful glare at Sakura.
Koharu and Homura were stunned to hear such words from their usually cold-blooded old friend.
"Hahaha!"
Hiruzen, who had watched the entire ordeal unfold, burst into laughter, his face brimming with smug satisfaction.
Sakura's actions had been authorized by him from the start, based on the analysis report she'd submitted.
Losing a powerhouse like the Uchiha would be a massive waste for a Konoha already short on talent.
From Hiruzen's perspective as a leader, he couldn't let that happen.
So, based on her report, Sakura proposed a plan:
Orchestrate a controlled internal conflict within the Uchiha to split them into extremists and moderates. Then, deal with the extremists based on their choices to avoid catastrophic losses in fighting strength.
The plan was approved by Hiruzen and executed by Sakura, Itachi Uchiha, and Fugaku Uchiha.
Fugaku's dedication was meticulous, down to the exact timing of his own death.
"The advisors don't know the full story yet, Sakura. Fill them in," Hiruzen said, growing more impressed with the girl by the second.
Her clean background, immense strength, and sharp mind made him think that, with a few more years, she could carry Konoha's future.
"We orchestrated tonight's events. To avoid bloodshed, Itachi Uchiha led the extremists in a defection. That's all," Sakura said, shoving the last of the food into her mouth with a loud gulp.
The air filled with the unmistakable scent of her half-hearted explanation, leaving the three advisors choking on their disbelief.
A long silence followed, plunging Koharu, Homura, and Danzo into utter confusion.
Finally, their confusion erupted into a unified roar: "Explain yourself properly!!!"
With no other choice, Sakura sighed and laid out the entire plan in detail, then slumped back in her chair, letting out a satisfied burp.
"So, you let those rogue ninjas escape. That's what I'm hearing, right, Sakura Haruno?"
Danzo tapped his bandaged hand with his good one, sneering coldly.
Sensing Danzo about to stir trouble, Hiruzen frowned, ready to intervene—but Danzo beat him to it.
My turn, Hiruzen!
"According to the rules of Konoha's Assassination Tactics Special Forces, pursuing rogue ninjas is your duty, isn't it?"
"Knowing Itachi Uchiha defected, you not only failed to pursue him but obstructed me. That's a serious breach of duty."
Danzo stood, leaning on his cane, looming over Sakura.
The Anbu was the Anbu. Rules were rules. Over the years, everyone had grown accustomed to this unshakable consensus.
Even with Hiruzen's backing, Sakura's rule-breaking was undeniable.
And exploiting a young ninja's mistake within those rules? That was Danzo Shimura's specialty.
"For a ninja who violates Anbu regulations like you, I think it's necessary to send you to Root for proper Anbu training!"
Danzo's gaze swept over the three behind him, asserting his authority over Root's training grounds to claim her.
Koharu and Homura sipped their tea, staying out of the power struggle between Danzo and Hiruzen.
Hiruzen bit down hard on his pipe, his brow furrowed tightly.
The atmosphere grew heavy, but the next second, a clear, crisp voice shattered it.
"No need. Since I messed up, I'm ready to face the consequences."
Sakura casually rubbed her full stomach, the food already working to heal her injuries.
"So, I'd like to resign from the Anbu, Lord Hokage. Please strip me of my Anbu status."
With that, she stood, hands behind her back, tilting her head playfully.
She flashed a provocative grin at Danzo.
"By the way, Root isn't so short-handed that it needs to draft an 'ordinary' Konoha villager, right?"
Crack!
Danzo's cane splintered under his grip, letting out a sharp snap.
Hiruzen, snapping out of his tension, quickly seized the moment to settle things.
"Very well. Sakura Haruno's punishment for her actions as an Anbu is the revocation of her Anbu status and all associated privileges!"
"However, as a reward for an ordinary Konoha citizen preventing a major disturbance, she is permitted to learn one forbidden technique from the Scroll of Seals."
"As for the judgment of the Uchiha clan, that will be handled with the assistance of the two advisors. That's all!"
Faced with Hiruzen's blatant favoritism, Danzo's fleeting smugness froze.
Koharu and Homura, used to the squabbles between the two, simply stood and left the office.
"Hiruzen, indulging her like this—aren't you worried you're raising another Sannin?"
"Oh? Wouldn't that be a good thing?"
"Mark my words, Hiruzen, you'll regret this one day!"
"Don't forget, Danzo—I'm the Hokage!"
Bang! The meeting room door slammed shut.
Hiruzen sank back into his chair, rubbing his forehead with a long sigh.
"Sorry, Sakura. You had to see that mess."
"No way, that was awesome!"
Having witnessed the drama firsthand, Sakura was thrilled, only wishing she'd brought some snacks to enjoy the show.
Hiruzen pulled a prepared ninjutsu scroll from his sleeve and gently tossed it to her.
"This is the list of techniques from the Scroll of Seals. Pick the one you want."
"I'll have the corresponding scroll sent to you later."
Sakura caught it, understanding immediately.
This was clearly the reward Hiruzen had planned for her all along, only altered slightly because of Danzo's interference.
She didn't regret quitting the Anbu, though. She was fed up with their nonsense anyway.
The million ryo she'd saved up over the past few months would tide her over until graduation, so leaving wasn't a real loss.
Plus, old man Hiruzen had thrown in some severance pay, hadn't he?
Let's see, let's see!