Sakura Haruno is Usefull

"Hahaha, the arrival of the Kazekage truly brings great honor to this humble place of mine."

In the Hokage's reception room, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing his Hokage robes, warmly shook hands with the middle-aged man before him.

"I'm touched that, despite your busy schedule, you've made time to host me, Hokage-sama."

The brown-haired man gazed at the elderly Hokage, his lips curling into a faint, polite smile.

"Not at all. The Sand has always been an ally of the Leaf. It's only right to extend our hospitality."

Hiruzen invited the Kazekage to sit and instructed his attendants to serve tea.

Sakura stood silently behind Hiruzen, her emerald eyes fixed on the Kazekage before her.

He's changed. Things really have changed.

The man who was supposed to have been killed by Orochimaru long ago—Rasa—was now alive and standing here.

Is this the result of Konoha's changes?

Did Orochimaru discern the true objective behind the resource war and decide not to target Rasa?

Or is he waiting to see whether Hiruzen can still keep Konoha's wheels turning?

But if that's the case, why is Orochimaru still here in the village?

"And who is this?"

Rasa took a sip of tea, his gaze landing on Sakura, who stood behind Hiruzen.

Hiruzen had not hidden information about his new apprentice, so naturally, Rasa was aware that the Hokage had taken on another disciple.

"This is just my little apprentice, nothing worth mentioning," Hiruzen replied with a chuckle, waving his hand dismissively.

"So, she is the esteemed Hokage-sama's protégé. A talented young shinobi."

"Gaara, why don't you greet her?"

Rasa glanced at his children standing behind him—Temari and Gaara.

As for Kankuro, he had been left behind after losing to Iwagakure's Kurotsuchi and was not brought to Konoha to meet the Hokage.

"Hello," Temari greeted Sakura politely, while Gaara simply nodded with an expressionless face.

Sakura returned their gestures with a calm demeanor.

Hiruzen watched the interaction between the younger generation with a smile, while Rasa remained silent.

After all, during every Shinobi World War, be it the first, second, or third, Sunagakure had been the first to turn against the Leaf.

Even as allies now, what does that really mean?

Allies?

Real benefits are far more reliable.

"I thought the Kazekage-sama would take a bit more time before arriving in Konoha. I didn't expect you to come so soon," Hiruzen said with a smile.

Rasa narrowed his eyes slightly at the remark.

Currently, the Land of Wind was suffering from a severe food shortage and soaring prices. The small nations nearby couldn't possibly meet their needs.

Only the Land of Fire had the capacity to provide what the Land of Wind required.

The daimyo of the Land of Wind had given a strict order: if negotiations failed, they would resort to war.

Rasa agreed with this sentiment. If they couldn't secure enough food, what use was an alliance with the Land of Fire?

The daimyo had even loosened the military budget for Sunagakure, a rare occurrence.

Rasa glanced at the attendants around him and then at Sakura standing behind Hiruzen.

Hiruzen understood the signal and gestured for Sakura and the others to leave the room.

"You two, leave as well," Rasa instructed his children.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama."

Temari bowed respectfully to Rasa before leading a silent Gaara out of the room.

Sakura glanced back briefly at the Fourth Kazekage before leaving without hesitation.

Although Hiruzen was getting on in years, his mind was still sharp. The Kazekage's early arrival clearly indicated issues with resource shortages.

Such a matter couldn't be resolved in just one meeting.

It would take weeks of discussions to reach an agreement.

Sunagakure... still an enemy at its core.

Outside the Hokage's building, Sakura noticed Temari and Gaara waiting at the entrance for their father.

"Haruno Sakura."

Gaara suddenly called out to her.

"Yes?"

Sakura turned back to face him.

"As the Hokage's apprentice, are you strong?"

Gaara's shadowed eyes held barely concealed hostility.

Temari, worried that her brother might lose control, quickly waved her hand apologetically at Sakura and tried to calm him down.

This is the Hokage's building! If Gaara goes berserk here, who knows what will happen to him—but I'll definitely be the first to die!

"Heh, you're welcome to find out," Sakura replied, meeting Gaara's gaze with a challenging look.

"My apologies! Gaara didn't mean it!" Temari said hurriedly, trying to defuse the tension between them.

Gaara glared at Sakura silently while she scoffed and turned away, disappearing around a corner.

Whether Gaara lost control wasn't her concern, but if he tried anything here, Sakura wasn't one to back down.

She'd happily show him what a fist the size of a sandbag felt like.

Sakura exited the Hokage's building and glanced up at the third-floor reception room.

With the Fourth Kazekage alive, the future events were no longer something she could rely on the original storyline to predict.

It wasn't just Rasa—there was still Onoki, the Tsuchikage, who had yet to arrive.

But fortunately, Tsunade had already returned to the village, and Jiraiya was aware of the significance of the upcoming Chunin Exams. Unlike before, he wouldn't just focus on Orochimaru's summoned beasts.

Clenching her fists, Sakura's eyes shone with determination.

She wasn't made of clay.

Even if Onoki got involved, as long as she wasn't directly hit by his Dust Release, so what?

She'd break that old man's back with a single punch!

Meanwhile, Rasa and Hiruzen's discussion was wrapping up.

As Sakura had anticipated, Rasa didn't expect to resolve everything in one meeting.

Hiruzen's delays meant he'd have to return in a few days to renegotiate the matter of food supplies.

But even if Hiruzen had agreed to cooperate, Rasa wouldn't feel grateful.

The situation in Sunagakure was different from that in Konoha, Kumogakure, or Iwagakure.

After years of budget cuts, the daimyo's rare increase in military funding was an opportunity Rasa couldn't waste. He needed to secure substantial resources from the Land of Fire.

If he didn't act now, it wouldn't be long before Sunagakure fell back into its former state of destitution.

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