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Beneath the shade of the trees, Sasuke's eyes snapped open. He gasped for breath, cold sweat trickling down his temples.
After being overwhelmed by countless versions of Sakura and realizing that resistance was futile, he had decisively withdrawn from her inner world.
"Sakura!"
His first instinct was to turn in her direction.
--
The powerful gust from the punch sent Sakura's pink hair flying wildly. At that moment, the defiance and untamed spirit in her emerald eyes gave way to sheer confusion.
She stared at Tsunade's fist, which had stopped just inches from her face, her eyes widening slightly.
"Oh."
"Looks like you're back." Tsunade remarked, glancing at the fist she had pressed against the girl's abdomen before retracting her hand.
"How did it go?"
Tsunade studied the girl in front of her, shaking her slightly sore hand.
This girl's strength was no joke. So far, Sakura was the only one who could go toe-to-toe with her in raw power.
Sakura slowly came back to herself, still reeling from the mental barrage of Gatling guns firing at her in that chaotic space. Her brow furrowed deeply.
"I failed. That inner world was too chaotic."
There was an edge of frustration in her voice.
"Is that so?"
Tsunade stretched her sore muscles, looking unfazed by the answer.
"Don't dwell on it. Nothing ever goes smoothly the first time."
"Learn from the experience and try again."
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi approached, his gaze kind and reassuring.
"You already understand that, don't you?"
Sakura glanced at the old man before recounting everything she and Sasuke had experienced.
Chaos. Disorder. Irrationality.
That was her inner world.
"Hmm... In a way, Sakura's inner world is a perfect reflection of her personality."
Hiruzen stroked the short beard on his chin, lost in thought, before beckoning to the black-haired boy standing to the side. His voice was gentle.
"Sasuke, why don't you share your thoughts as well?"
"You were there with her, after all."
Sasuke, who had been hesitating about stepping forward, felt a flicker of recognition in Hiruzen's words. He exhaled slightly and took a step ahead, gathering his thoughts.
"Once I entered that world, I noticed my mental energy was draining at an alarming rate."
"Normally, I can keep my Sharingan active for two or three hours. But this time, I was completely drained after just half an hour."
A surge in Yin Release consumption...
Upon hearing this, Sakura, Tsunade, and Hiruzen reached the same conclusion.
"Yang Release!"
The three of them spoke in unison.
"Tch, so it all comes back to Yang Release in the end." Tsunade clicked her tongue in irritation.
Sasuke looked at them, thoroughly confused.
Yin Release?
Yang Release?
Aren't there only five elemental chakra natures in ninjutsu—Wind, Lightning, Water, Earth, and Fire?
"It seems we'll need to focus on cultivating Yang Release after all." Hiruzen mused, his voice carrying a trace of nostalgia.
He remembered how Sakura had once proposed training in Yang Release. Back then, she had wanted to combine the efforts of himself, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and her own knowledge to develop a Yang-based ninjutsu technique. The goal was to use it alongside the Strength of a Hundred Seal to withstand the corrosive effects of the Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Pool and master Sage Mode.
At the time, Hiruzen had felt there was no need to rush. He believed Sakura was already strong enough and should instead focus on learning the responsibilities of a Hokage under his guidance.
But now, it was clear—Yang Release wasn't just something to dabble in. It was something they needed to prioritize and accelerate.
"This is going to be a headache..." Tsunade sighed in resignation.
She knew Yang Release could, to some extent, alleviate Sakura's condition.
But why hadn't she suggested it sooner?
Because Sakura's Yang Release was already formidable.
Medical ninjutsu, which Sakura excelled at, was inherently tied to Yang Release. Her medical skills were second only to Tsunade's, and she had even mastered the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
By all accounts, her Yang Release should have been sufficient.
And yet, despite this, the manifestations of her Yin Release had completely overpowered it.
That was the absurdity of her inner world.
To Tsunade, it was outright ridiculous.
How could someone's Yin Release be so overwhelmingly dominant?
That was why she had initially intended to counter Inner Sakura with an equivalent level of Yin Release—if not to destroy her, then at least to suppress and dismantle her influence.
But now, it seemed the entire world inside Sakura's mind was shaped by Inner Sakura.
From Sasuke and Sakura's descriptions, Tsunade could tell that every version of Sakura in that world was an extension of Inner Sakura. Even the buildings, the streets—everything.
That also explained why Sasuke's Yin Release had been drained so quickly.
"If I can use someone else's Yin Release to suppress Inner Sakura..."
"Could I also use someone else's Yang Release to do the same?"
Sakura pondered the thought.
Who in the Leaf Village had exceptionally strong Yang Release?
Tsunade, of course.
But then, her eyes lit up.
Karin. Naruto.
Karin, as a pure-blooded Uzumaki, had inherited the clan's immense life force.
Her Body Pathway Derangement was currently the most potent form of Yang Release in the ninja world.
And then there was Naruto. Though his Uzumaki lineage had been diluted by Minato's genes, the Nine-Tails inside him was the Yang half of Kurama.
That was pure Yang Release chakra.
Sakura stroked her chin, deep in thought.
In fact, there was one more powerhouse in the ninja world with terrifying Yang Release.
A true powerhouse.
Nagato.
Even in a crippled body—enduring the strain of the Outer Path Statue, sustaining a Rinnegan that wasn't his own—he wielded power far beyond the Kage of the Five Great Nations.
Three years from now, he would descend upon the Leaf Village alone.
With a single Almighty Push, he would reduce the village to rubble.
He would overpower Sage Mode Naruto, battle Nine-Tails Naruto, summon Planetary Devastation, and still have enough strength to perform Rinne Rebirth, reviving everyone he had killed.
Without an unfathomable level of Yang Release sustaining his frail body, any ordinary person would have been drained dry countless times over.
Yang Release was almost synonymous with a ninja's lifespan.
Nagato's level of Yang Release was simply monstrous.
If he were to share even a fraction of it, it would undoubtedly work.
But of course, that was wishful thinking.
Nagato would never help Sakura, and Sakura wasn't foolish enough to seek him out.
"That idea... might be worth trying." Tsunade hesitated but nodded.
She knew exactly who Sakura was thinking of.
Karin.
The girl who shared the same Kekkei Genkai as her grandmother.
Karin's Yang Release was terrifying—even Tsunade had to admit she paled in comparison.
In some ways, the Strength of a Hundred Seal was almost redundant for Karin.
Karin was someone born with what others had to train a lifetime to achieve.
Truly blessed by the heavens.
As for the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, Tsunade didn't even consider it.
Tailed Beast chakra was laced with the beast's will. Unless the jinchūriki and the beast reached complete harmony, its chakra was nothing more than deadly poison.
If they tried to use the Nine-Tails now, it would kill Sakura on the spot.
Sasuke, meanwhile, stared at the two of them, utterly lost.
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