Chapter 15: The Elders' Opposition (Part 1)
"Meteors?!"
The Third Hokage nearly choked on his smoke. Throughout history, he had never heard of a ninja who could control meteors. If such a power really existed, it would be nothing less than a strategic weapon.
"That's right. My power can't control huge meteors, but small ones? Absolutely. If one isn't enough, I'll just throw a few every day. If I can't kill them, I'll at least drive them crazy."
Sakura's reasoning was simple. She didn't want another Ninja World War, but if Kumogakure was the source threatening war, then it was only fair for them to suffer a bit.
"If you don't believe me, Third Hokage, how about a sparring match?"
Worried that the Third might doubt her, Sakura boldly issued a challenge. She also wanted to test just how much power she could unleash now.
"Are you sure?" The Third Hokage looked at her, surprised. "Fighting can be dangerous, and at your age, you probably haven't even learned to harness chakra properly, right?"
"I'm not using chakra!" Sakura shook her head. She wasn't even sure what chakra really was. "And don't worry about me getting hurt—I'm strong!"
"Alright then, this old man will spar with you!"
Perhaps because he felt rejuvenated, the Third Hokage suddenly had the urge to fight. He stood up and led Sakura toward the training grounds.
At the training ground, he shed the Hokage's ceremonial robe, revealing his battle attire—an image of the legendary 'Ninja Hero.'
"Sakura, you start. Let this old man see the future of Konoha!"
He felt a flicker of hope. Sakura and her generation were undoubtedly the future pillars of Konoha, but how far could they grow?
"Alright…"
Sakura nodded, stepping onto her magic sword. Under the watchful eyes of the Third Hokage and the Anbu guards, she calmly rose into the air, ascending several dozen meters before stopping.
"Third Hokage, let's begin…"
The Third gazed at the sky silently. Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, only the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and the Second Mizukage had the ability to fly. At Sakura's current height, no ninjutsu he knew could reach her. Even if he summoned Enma, the Monkey King, and transformed him into his staff, wielding a several dozen meter-long staff from the ground to hit someone in the sky was impractical—the agility just wouldn't match.
"Alright, no more joking. Third Hokage, please be careful…"
Sakura smiled awkwardly. This tactic was a bit unfair, and seeing the Third's speechless look, she quickly lowered her altitude. A red gleam flashed in her eyes.
"Reality…"
Dozens of crimson kunai, as if forged from red crystal, materialized around Sakura. At her command, they shot straight toward the Third Hokage.
"Hmph? Not bad. Earth Release: Earth Wall…"
The Third's eyes sharpened, battle spirit surging. With quick hand signs, a thick earthen wall rose from the ground, blocking the kunai.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The kunai slammed fiercely against the wall, tearing it to shreds. But when the dust settled, the Third Hokage's figure was gone.
"Behind me—space…"
Sakura immediately sensed him suddenly appearing behind her. Without hesitation, she activated the Space Stone's power. A blue light enveloped her, and when the Third Hokage reached to grab her shoulder, his hand bizarrely passed through her body.
"Not physical… an illusion? No, my chakra flow is normal!"
His pupils contracted sharply. He stomped hard on the ground, forcing his body to change direction, then leapt several times away from Sakura.
"Fire Release: Fireball…"
The Third Hokage was still unsure exactly what kind of power Sakura had just used, so he decided it was best to probe her abilities a bit first.
Crimson flames burst forth. Known as the "The Professor", the Third Hokage was a master of all five elemental nature transformations. Even a simple fireball technique was greatly amplified in his hands.
"Power…"
Sakura murmured under her breath. The incoming flames instantly transformed into pure energy, which she held tightly in her palm. Then, with a forward thrust, a surge of purple energy mixed with blue chakra shot toward the Third like a thunderbolt.
"Not good! Shadow Clone Jutsu! Water Release: Water Array! Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
The Third's eyes narrowed. He sensed a dangerous aura in that lightning-like shockwave. Without hesitation, he quickly created a shadow clone—the original used a water array while the clone formed an earth wall. The earthen barrier and the water curtain rose simultaneously, blocking the attack.
The purple lightning shattered both the earth wall and the water array like they were paper. It then pierced through the Third Hokage's body with unrelenting force.
"Phew, Third Hokage, don't dodge—I can see you…"
Sakura seemed indifferent to the fact that the Third was hit through his body. Instead, she glanced helplessly toward the corner of the training ground.
"Hahaha, that last attack was strong!"
The Third emerged from the shadows, a pipe dangling from his mouth, a smile on his face.
"It was just a surprise strike. Otherwise, I wouldn't be defeated by your earth clone!"
Sakura sighed, sitting cross-legged. Close combat wasn't her strength. More importantly, her body couldn't sustain the power of the Infinity Stones for long in battle. Otherwise, few could match her. The power to destroy worlds was no joke.
"Still, this is impressive. I never imagined anyone could have such power at just four years old!"
A gleam of pride flashed in the Third's eyes. "With the future of Konoha in your hands, I can rest easy. Even if I pass on to the afterlife, I'll have the face to meet my teachers."
"So it seems you've made up your mind, Third Hokage!" Sakura sensed the resolve in his voice.
"This old body of mine can hold on for a few more years—long enough to see you all grow up!"
He took a long drag from his pipe, a fierce aura radiating from him. "Before that happens, I will never allow anyone to destroy the peace of Konoha. Although Konoha isn't at its peak anymore, I still have the strength to fight Kumogakure!"
"This is the real 'Ninja Hero'!" Sakura couldn't help but sigh. While the Third Hokage often seemed conciliatory in the original story, he was firm when it truly mattered—though unfortunately, he was often swayed by Danzo.