Sakura Haruno is Usefull

Hokage's Office

Hiruzen Sarutobi observed the woman casually lounging on the sofa before him, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

If Orochimaru had once been his most favored disciple, and Jiraiya the one most like him, then Tsunade was undoubtedly the one he cherished the most.

To Hiruzen, Tsunade had always been like a daughter he doted on.

Although now, it seemed he had gained another "daughter."

No—more accurately, a "granddaughter."

"Old man, if you've got something to say, say it already. Why did you call me back here?"

Tsunade glanced at the sofa beneath her, which was clearly new, a trace of regret flickering in her eyes.

Another remnant of her great-uncle's era in Konoha had been replaced.

Hiruzen wasn't bothered by Tsunade's impatience. Calmly, he recounted recent events, including the upcoming arrival of the Kazekage and Tsuchikage.

Tsunade sat quietly throughout, idly twirling the teacup on the table as she listened.

When Hiruzen finally finished, his throat dry, he noticed with dismay that the antique teacup in Tsunade's hand had been reduced to fragments.

Another piece gone...

Hiruzen felt a pang of sorrow.

"So, you're telling me you passed on my monstrous strength and Yin Seal to some little girl I've never even met?"

Tsunade arched a brow, glaring at Hiruzen in clear dissatisfaction.

She had no interest in the Kazekage, Tsuchikage, the Chūnin Exams, or even Orochimaru. Her attention was laser-focused on this new disciple Hiruzen had chosen.

After all, her assignment was simply to act as a deterrent should anything unexpected happen during the Chūnin Exams.

"Uh... haha..."

Hiruzen chuckled awkwardly, clearly attempting to evade the question.

"Hmph. Where's this little girl? I want to meet her."

Tsunade snorted, casting a sidelong glance at the old man before standing.

"Sakura should be training at the Third Training Ground right now."

"Tsunade, I think you'll like this child," Hiruzen said with a knowing smile, stroking his short beard.

"What I like is none of your business, old man," Tsunade retorted before striding out of the Hokage's office without a second glance.

Only the shattered teacup on the table remained as evidence of her visit...

Konoha's Third Training Ground

Sakura stood alone in the empty training ground, poring over the scroll on the Heavenly Cover Formation in her hands.

After learning Sasuke's whereabouts, Ino had bounded off happily, leaving Sakura to her training.

Sakura was a quick learner, especially with techniques like this.

Now, she was entirely focused, preparing to test the Heavenly Cover Formation.

The technique spread a thin layer of chakra outward from the user, creating a sensory field filled with microscopic traces of chakra.

Any contact with an object would cause the chakra to reflect back, allowing the user to detect its presence immediately—similar to a radar.

The formation's range was about a 100-meter radius, which, though less extensive than abilities like the Kagura Mind's Eye or Byakugan, was more than sufficient for Sakura.

Sakura formed seals slowly, circulating her chakra in preparation for her first attempt.

Monkey → Ox → Rabbit → Dog → Rat.

As she finished the seals, she closed her eyes, sensing her chakra rapidly spreading outward. Even with her eyes shut, she could perceive every detail in her surroundings.

The ants under the trees, the birds in the sky, the fish in the water—everything came into sharp focus in her mind.

A faint smile curved Sakura's lips. She was just about to test the effectiveness of combining the technique with the Body Flicker when three presences entered her sensory range.

One of them... felt like Asuma?

But the other two were unfamiliar to her.

"Not bad," came a voice from below the trees.

Tsunade stood with her arms crossed, watching the pink-haired girl from afar.

As someone familiar with Jiraiya's Heavenly Cover Formation, Tsunade could tell that this was Sakura's first time using the technique. Yet, the girl had succeeded.

This revelation slightly softened Tsunade's displeasure toward Hiruzen's decision to teach her techniques to someone else.

"She's clearly the old man's prized pupil," Asuma remarked, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

He reached for his lighter but froze when Tsunade shot him a sharp look. Sheepishly, he returned the cigarette to its pack.

"If you don't want an early death, you'd better quit those things," Tsunade remarked disdainfully before walking toward the pink-haired girl, Shizune trailing close behind.

Asuma quickly followed, prepared to intervene if Tsunade's temper flared.

Sakura straightened as the group approached, her lips pressing together slightly.

During the Chūnin Exams, she had heard from Hiruzen why Asuma had been absent: he had been sent to retrieve the woman now standing before her.

Tsunade was supposed to be her mentor, yet now they were, in a sense, equals.

"Senior Sister," Sakura greeted respectfully, bowing to Tsunade.

"You're not shy, are you?"

Tsunade scrutinized the pink-haired girl with a critical gaze.

She wanted to see for herself what made this girl, supposedly so similar to her, special.

Hah.

How, exactly, were they alike?

A head full of pink hair, a frail, delicate appearance—it was hard to find any resemblance.

And flat, too. Where was the similarity?

Tsunade's expression turned skeptical as she looked at Sakura.

Sakura bit her lip, remaining silent.

"I hear the old man gave you my monstrous strength and Yin Seal?"

Tsunade raised a brow, her gaze settling on the purple diamond-shaped mark on Sakura's forehead.

She was well aware of how difficult the Yin Seal was to master.

According to Hiruzen, Sakura had obtained the Yin Seal at the age of eight and, with the help of a member of the Uzumaki clan, mastered it in just four years.

It was thanks to the Yin Seal that she had been able to fend off Orochimaru in the Forest of Death.

Such talent was undeniably impressive—especially considering that Shizune, who had trained under Tsunade for years, had yet to master the technique.

"That's correct, Lady Tsunade," Sakura replied.

------

more chapters on

pat reon.com/yuuwand