Sakura Haruno is Usefull

The Snowy Night

The bone-chilling wind roared, accompanied by a heavy snowfall.

At this moment, Sakura and her companions were hiding in a mountain cave. They did not dare to light a fire, even in this blizzard-filled night, for vigilance could not be abandoned.

The howling wind echoed in their ears. Sakura curled up near the entrance of the cave. Even for her, encountering such harsh weather during a mission was rare.

The cave was pitch black, but fortunately, all four of them had honed sensory abilities that made the darkness no barrier to their vision.

Even Kiba, usually the most restless of the group, remained quiet, seizing the moment to rest and replenish his energy.

As time passed by slowly, the black-haired boy silently rose and walked over to Sakura, gently tapping her on the shoulder, signaling her to take a break.

Sakura, ever vigilant and alert, stood up wordlessly and retreated to rest.

Suddenly, a faint crunching sound broke the monotony.

Even muffled by the wind and snow, it resounded in Sakura's ears like a clap of thunder.

This was not the sound of the wind—it was the sound of footsteps on packed snow, a noise they had become all too familiar with during this mission.

Sakura wasn't the only one on edge—Sasuke's expression also turned serious.

Both quickly concealed themselves deeper within the cave.

Upon entry, they saw Kiba and Shino already wide awake, ready for action.

Sakura signaled for silence, and the four of them swiftly found cover.

The crunching footsteps drew closer, and soon the voices of three or four cloaked figures could be heard as they entered the cave.

"What kind of cursed weather is this? Being forced to patrol at this hour is pure misery."

One of the men grumbled in dissatisfaction.

"Don't even mention it. Let's just get a fire going to warm ourselves."

With the flick of a lighter, the cave was suddenly illuminated. Flames licked at the gathered branches, driving away the chill.

Peeking cautiously through a narrow slit, Sakura observed the newcomers.

Three figures.

They were all dressed in white and gray shinobi uniforms, their foreheads bearing the insignia of the Hidden Cloud Village. Heavy cloaks shielded them from the snowstorm.

A Hidden Cloud patrol team in such weather? Talk about dedication...

Sakura couldn't help but mentally remark sarcastically.

She glanced back at her companions, who all directed their gazes toward her. Sakura subtly shook her head and quickly gestured:

Avoid combat if possible.

These patrolmen were no match for them. But if this patrol unit went missing, reinforcements would surely come. In times of war, the implications of a missing patrol team were clear.

Sakura could only hope these men would rest and leave without investigating further into the cave.

However, her hope was soon dashed. One of the patrolmen, who had just sat down, suddenly got up and began walking deeper into the cave.

Sasuke's hand quietly moved to the hilt of his blade, preparing to strike.

If discovered, he would swiftly eliminate the threat.

As the footsteps drew closer, Sasuke's eyes grew colder.

"Hey! What are you doing? Come back and warm yourself!"

One of the man's comrades called out.

"Oh, I just wanted to see if there were any mushrooms or something edible inside this dark cave."

Scratching his head, the man turned back toward the fire.

Just then, a faint sound echoed within the cave.

!!!

All eyes turned toward its source—it was Akamaru, Kiba's dog, shifting in his master's arms.

"A dog?"

"There's actually a dog here?"

The man was briefly stunned, then grinned as though ready to turn the dog into a meal.

"A dog?"

"Is it a husky?"

Another comrade perked up with interest.

Dogs weren't uncommon in snowy regions; on the contrary, they were vital transport companions. The most well-known breeds were huskies, Samoyeds, and Alaskan malamutes—dubbed the "three sled fools."

Upon hearing "husky," Akamaru stuck out his tongue, playing dumb to pass as one.

"Uh, not exactly..."

The patrolman frowned at his companion's assumption.

Sakura sighed inwardly.

Sasuke, however, coldly narrowed his eyes. Without warning, his blade sang as it was drawn from its sheath.

Clang!

The blade's gleam cut through the dimness, colder than the winds outside.

Like a predator concealed in shadow, the sudden slash struck with deadly precision.

"Tamai!"

With a shout of alarm from a comrade, the Cloud shinobi fell lifeless to the ground.

"There are Leaf brats here!"

Before they could react, Kiba and Shino had already charged.

"Fang Over Fang!"

"Parasitic Insects!"

A storm of black insects surged forward alongside Kiba's whirlwind assault, overwhelming the two remaining patrolmen, who were swiftly defeated.

Sakura was not surprised by their easy victory. Kiba and Shino were heirs to the Inuzuka and Aburame clans, wielders of secret techniques far beyond the grasp of ordinary shinobi.

Despite their success, there was no trace of triumph on Sakura's face.

Even Sasuke, usually calm and composed, wore a grim expression.

His glare fell on Akamaru in Kiba's arms, making the dog tremble.

"Akamaru didn't mean to..."

Kiba knew the dog had made a mistake but couldn't help defending his beloved companion.

"Do you realize the consequences of these men dying here?"

Sasuke's voice was harsh, his dark eyes ablaze.

Kiba bit his lip, knowing he was at fault, and remained silent.

Shino, ever quiet, watched the scene unfold without knowing what to say.

"Enough."

"Even without Akamaru, we were too close to avoid detection."

"Let's focus—assigning blame now is pointless."

Sakura quickly intervened, stepping between Sasuke and Kiba to diffuse the situation.

"We need to move faster now."

"With the patrol gone, the Cloud Village will soon notice something's wrong."

She pushed Sasuke back gently and softened her tone toward Kiba.

"We have little time left."

"Get to the destination as quickly as possible. Internal conflict is forbidden. Save any grievances for later."

Shino, sensing the tension ease, visibly relaxed under his collar.

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