Sakura Haruno is Usefull

At the First Opportunity.

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately arranged for 800 ninjas to prepare for a surprise attack on the Land of Grass.

The objective was clear: capture the Land of Grass as quickly as possible!

Among those in the lineup were Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke!

As for Naruto, due to his special identity, Hiruzen managed to coax him into joining Asuma's Ino-Shika-Cho squad under the pretense of a mission to the Land of Bears.

Ordinarily, it would be challenging for a force of 800 ninjas to swiftly conquer a small, militarily independent nation.

But the one leading this unit wasn't just anyone—it was none other than the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of Both Scales!

Since Onoki was already heading back to the Land of Earth to oversee the situation there, capturing a small nation along the way seemed both reasonable and convenient.

The night sky spread like a curtain, and dark clouds obscured the moon.

Speed was essential for success. That very night, the departure of the 800 ninjas didn't alert a single villager.

Seated on a chair carried by Akatsuchi, Onoki remained silent, listening to the wind whistling past.

Not just Onoki—everyone else in the group was equally silent.

Sakura wore a calm expression, leaping forward across massive trees.

For Sakura, since she had made her decision, she was prepared to sacrifice everything for it.

The wind tugged at her pink hair, reminding her of the desire that had once sprung from the depths of her heart.

Or perhaps, it was a desire that everyone harbored.

To climb to the top.

And this was the first step of her ascent!

The fall of Kusagakure would mark the first step on her path to supremacy!

With this thought, the determination in her emerald-green eyes grew even firmer.

At this moment, a figure landed beside her.

"Sakura."

The black-haired boy's face showed a trace of unease.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?"

Sakura turned to the boy beside her, speaking softly.

"Is... war really here?"

Sasuke hesitated as he looked at the girl.

In his memory, the word "war" had always felt distant.

Having lived in the peace of Konoha, the sudden announcement of war had caught him completely off guard.

"Yes, Sasuke."

"But don't worry. The Tsuchikage is leading us."

"We will win this war."

Sakura's soft reassurance wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of the Tsuchikage up ahead.

The nearly seventy-year-old Onoki, who was as old as Hiruzen, opened his eyes and glanced at the pink-haired girl.

One had to admit that Hiruzen Sarutobi was quite bold, entrusting his young disciple and the last Uchiha survivor to him.

Did Hiruzen not fear that Onoki might eliminate his little disciple on the spot and take the Uchiha boy back to Iwagakure to breed a new Uchiha clan?

After a brief look at the two young Konoha ninjas, Onoki closed his eyes again, resting on the chair carried by Akatsuchi.

Age had made him less capable of staying up late, and with a battle ahead, he needed to conserve his energy.

Sasuke looked at the girl beside him, his face slightly awkward.

Unexpectedly, in this moment, his mental fortitude felt weaker than hers.

It was often said that surviving the battlefield was what made a ninja truly strong.

Sasuke knew that the Fourth Hokage, who had sacrificed himself, had been a formidable presence on the battlefield, capable of influencing the tide of battle single-handedly.

This surely required immense battlefield experience.

With this in mind, the boy clenched his fists tightly.

Uchiha Itachi, just you wait...

I will gain enough strength to kill you.

To honor my parents, my kin, and the entire Uchiha clan.

"Sakura..."

As they moved forward, Sasuke glanced at the girl beside him again.

"What is it?"

Meeting her gaze, Sasuke hesitated before pulling two silver objects from his ninja pouch and handing them to Sakura.

"This is...?"

"A gift for your promotion to jonin."

Ever since the Konoha invasion plan orchestrated by the Sand Village and Orochimaru, the green vest Sakura now wore made her rank evident.

Jonin.

Though Sasuke wasn't sure if she was a special jonin or a full jonin, it was clear she had earned the rank.

Looking at the two silver items in Sasuke's hand, Sakura was slightly surprised.

She had always thought Sasuke was clueless about interpersonal relationships, but he had unexpectedly done something thoughtful.

"Thank you, Sasuke."

Sakura took the items from his hand—two knuckle-dusters.

They suited a ninja like Sakura, and each striking point was shaped like a cute cat's head.

But knuckle-dusters and cats seemed like an odd combination.

Noticing Sakura's puzzlement, Sasuke's cheeks flushed slightly, and he spoke awkwardly:

"These were made by the Ninja Cat Clan."

"Uh, they always like leaving their mark on weapons."

Seeing Sasuke's embarrassed expression, Sakura smiled and said, "Thank you, Sasuke. I really like them."

She tried on the cat-shaped knuckle-dusters, finding them a perfect fit and easy to use.

Though the grinning cat heads on the striking points felt a bit out of place, Sakura didn't mind such details.

The Ninja Cat Clan was renowned as master blacksmiths in the ninja world, and their creations were among the best.

"These were crafted using materials from Zabuza's Executioner's Blade," Sasuke explained.

"Combined with the Ninja Cat Clan's techniques and chakra metal reserves from the Uchiha Clan, they are capable of channeling chakra to enhance punch strength and are indestructible."

Hearing this, Sakura's eyes lit up.

Weapons that could self-repair when stained with blood, made with chakra metal and top-notch craftsmanship—these knuckle-dusters were just as valuable as the gloves she had spent four years' savings on.

If circumstances allowed, Sakura would have loved to test the damage these could cause.

Seeing the delight on Sakura's face, Sasuke glanced at her subtly.

This girl was unique.

Despite her pretty appearance, her demeanor and actions were more like a boy's.

Sometimes, Sasuke even subconsciously saw her as a peer.

Yet this pink-haired girl, with her tomboyish traits, didn't annoy Sasuke at all.

Perhaps, deep within, there was even a hint of conflicted affection.

Such was the budding admiration of youth.

At that moment, Sakura suddenly felt a slight shiver. She instinctively turned toward Sasuke.

Realizing his gaze had been on her, Sasuke averted his eyes awkwardly.

Seeing this, Sakura barely resisted the urge to curse.

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