Double-transformation: I, Sakura Haruno! Will crush the pirates!

Tsunade smiled, her smile radiant and cheerful.

"what?"

Sakura couldn't help but gasp in surprise, as if she had seen someone light a firecracker in front of her and then kick it into a cesspool...

Is it really necessary? It's just a garrison mission. They're not even sure if people will start fighting, and they've already thrown in a nuclear weapon like a human jinchūriki?

Is Tsunade awakening her "funny" side and wanting to see rivers of blood?

“I didn’t intend for him to be on the front lines; that would cause misunderstandings.”

Tsunade tidied the documents on the table and began signing and stamping them. "It's just that with his current strength, it's a bit of a waste for him to always be doing genin missions, but that idiot's rank just won't go up, so I plan to send him to the battlefield..."

Got it, it's a promotion on the front lines.

Tsunade's explanation was incomplete, but Sakura already had a knowing look on her face.

Given Naruto's current impetuous state of mind, he definitely wouldn't succeed in the regular Chunin Exams.

However, the various ninja villages did not have overly strict restrictions on rank promotion, since unexpected factors such as wars could sometimes prevent the Chunin Exams from being held.

In such a situation, if a newcomer performs exceptionally well on the battlefield, the village can activate wartime regulations and directly appoint Naruto as a Chunin or even a Jonin.

As for the lack of knowledge, we can make up for it gradually later.

"Okay! Here, take this."

Tsunade handed the signed transfer order to Sakura, which had Naruto's picture and name on it.

Having accepted this, Naruto can now be considered officially her subordinate.

"Alright, I'll take this one." Sakura shook her head and smiled as she accepted the documents.

"Oh, by the way, I need to tell you something here..."

Tsunade started rambling on and on, while Sakura, bored, propped her chin up and watched the blood-red sunset gradually set outside the window.

When she walked out of the Hokage Building, it was already completely dark.

After listening to Tsunade's instructions for a while, she was somewhat dazed. Following the flow of people on Konoha's streets, she unknowingly arrived outside the Uchiha clan's territory.

"Hmm, isn't this Sakura-chan?"

Naruto, carrying a shopping basket, walked up behind her, looked at the girl in front of him curiously, and greeted her.

Sakura turned around to look in the direction the voice came from, and saw a blond boy wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt, a black and white striped apron hanging in front of his chest, an apron rope tied around his waist, and the hem hanging down between his legs.

With the shopping basket hanging on his arm, he looked like a housewife who had just returned from the market.

"No, why are you dressed like this?" Sakura couldn't help but twitch her eye when faced with this ninja who was the most unexpected.

Could it be that this guy has finally achieved his goal with Sasuke in the Uchiha clan these past few days?

"I was helping Aunt Mikoto cook, and then I realized we didn't have enough ingredients, so I went out and bought some."

Naruto led Sakura toward Sasuke's house, took out his key at the door, and went inside as if it were his own home.

After Sakura and her parents moved out, Naruto, who already lived alone, accepted Mikoto's invitation to stay at the Uchiha residence.

Perhaps it was because he truly felt the long-lost maternal love from Mikoto Uchiha that Naruto unexpectedly agreed to stay with her and has been living there ever since.

"Oh right, I'm here to deliver Tsunade's orders." Sakura took out the transfer order that Tsunade had signed for her from her pocket and handed it to Naruto.

"Hmm, battlefield, medical unit?" Naruto's head was filled with question marks as he raised his finger and pointed at himself in confusion.

Are you serious about sending him to the medical corps?

"Anyway, that's what Tsunade ordered. It's up to you to decide whether or not to go to the battlefield." Sakura nodded at the end of the document.

If he just wants to gain promotion experience while ensuring Naruto's safety, the staff headquarters where the Ino-Shika-Cho trio resides is the best place for him.

But by deliberately placing Naruto next to her, a user of Wood Release, it's clear that Tsunade's ulterior motives are quite obvious.

Wow!

Just as the living room fell silent, the sound of a wooden door being pushed open came from inside.

After finishing the Jonin team meeting at the Hokage Building, Sasuke went to the Nakagawa Shrine to attend a clan meeting.

As soon as I got home, I saw Sakura and Naruto sitting in the living room, drinking hot tea.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke walked over and sat down cross-legged next to the low table.

Naruto instinctively handed him a cup, then picked up the ceramic pot and filled it with tea.

"To convey the Hokage's order: bring someone to the front lines!" Sakura gestured towards the documents on the table.

"Placing the Jinchuriki next to a Wood Release ninja, is it for the sake of the Tailed Beasts?" Sasuke pondered, lowering his head.

Having become a Jonin, he had access to a lot of information within the village, so it was impossible for him not to find out what his teammate Naruto possessed.

"That's up to Naruto to decide." Sakura's eyes held a meaningful look.

Tailed beasts are, after all, intelligent beings with self-awareness. To gain their help, it ultimately depends on what qualities Naruto possesses that can attract them.

"Oh, don't worry, it's just a big fox, I'll definitely handle it!" Naruto's composure lasted no more than three seconds before he revealed his characteristic smugness.

"Hmph, idiot." Sasuke rolled his eyes at him, but inwardly he was happy that Naruto was becoming stronger.

However, Naruto has found his way forward and is about to embark on a long journey, but where does his own path lie?

Seeing Sasuke's bewildered look, Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Sasuke took a deep breath and proposed, "Sakura, please fight me!!"

Chapter 304 On the Development of Devil Fruit Abilities

Outside Konoha Village lies the Forest of Death.

Sakura and Sasuke stood facing each other, while Naruto, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and other Jonin were watching from a tree trunk not far away.

"Speaking of which, Lady Tsunade has also come to watch these two children's fight. Aren't you busy with official duties?" Kakashi glanced at him slightly.

He originally only encountered three students from Team 7 on the road, but unexpectedly, more and more Jonin followed him along the way, eventually even alarming the Hokage.

"Hmph, let's just consider this the last relaxation before the war, and let everyone witness the strength of the new generation." Tsunade waved her hand dismissively.

But in fact, the reason she appeared here was not as she claimed. She mainly wanted to see what her disciple's so-called ability was all about and to confirm whether it was a power completely different from ninjutsu.

"Hmm, they're about to start!" Naruto sensed the clash of their auras with his Observation Haki and shifted his focus. "Tsunade, Kakashi-sensei, and the other seniors, let's retreat further or we might get caught in the crossfire."

The blond boy gave a reminder, and then Jiraiya slipped away.

In the heart of the forest, the black-haired boy was the first to draw his chakra-conducting metal longsword.

"Sakura, I want to ask you a favor. Can you fight me using your Devil Fruit powers?" Sasuke took a deep breath and pleaded.

"Are you seeking to develop your Devil Fruit abilities?" Sakura put the Flying Thunder God kunai she had taken out back into her ninja tool pouch at her waist.

"Yes, if this fruit could really grant me the power of a dragon, I should also be able to use it to control the power of wind and lightning, but..." Sasuke gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that he almost crushed the bandages wrapped around it.

Clearly, he was very dissatisfied with the development of his Devil Fruit. Although his trip to Ryuchi Cave taught him Sage Mode, the lack of a real life-or-death struggle prevented him from further integrating with the will within the Devil Fruit and developing the fruit to a deeper level.

“Alright, let’s go then.” Sakura stepped forward, her fists crackling with intense Armament Haki.

The flowing light pink coat is being gradually soaked into pure white, and the surrounding heat is being rapidly stolen away.

The earth solidified into fertile soil, snowflakes fell from the sky, and a pale white glow rose up, transforming the entire world into a snow kingdom.

——Low Temperature Mode: Snow White Warrior!

"Then I won't stand on ceremony!"

Sasuke had been holding the Tang Bamboo pose for a long time, and his natural energy had been fully accumulated.

The next instant, flames erupted, and after absorbing a large amount of natural energy, horns and scales grew on Sasuke's body. A thick dragon tail slammed into the ground, creating spiderweb-like cracks in the earth.

"One-Sword Style: Thunder Dance!"

Sasuke moved with lightning speed.

However, even faster than lightning was a streak of iron light that followed closely behind. Armament Haki, concentrated to its limit, transformed the longsword into a black blade, which moved through the void as if to tear everything apart.

"No!" Sakura frowned.

He swiftly raised his arm to block the long sword that was swinging towards him.

Click!

Under the control of Life Return O Karma, the flowing Armament Haki penetrated Sasuke's sword through his skin.

Immediately afterwards, the expensive chakra sword shattered, and the fragments shot back like bullets.

Sasuke's pupils contracted upon seeing this, and he immediately turned his Sharingan to lock onto each fragment, preparing to unleash the Paper Drawing technique, one of the Six Powers, to dodge the fragments.

"That's not right. What exactly did the snake demon in Ryuchi Cave teach you?" the girl asked eloquently.

The sound of stomping on the ground and the crackling of air rang out simultaneously, and Sakura's figure appeared behind Sasuke in an instant.

A jet-black fist grabbed his chin, lifted the half-dragon Sasuke up, ignoring his panicked punches, kicks, and dragon tail lashes.

"Developing Devil Fruit abilities, like Haki, requires an indomitable spirit and a willingness to disregard life and death!"

Sakura exerted force in her arms, steam billowing out and blowing through her long hair, revealing a devilish smile, "Those who have already embarked on this path have no way back, otherwise at best they will not make any progress in their strength, at worst they will waste all their skills and become useless!"

The violent force pulled Sasuke and slammed him hard to the ground. In her turmoil, Sakura even used some throwing techniques.

——Mermaid Karate O Sea Taiko!

The impact, carried by the moisture in the air, entered Sasuke's body.

At the same time, amidst the violent tremors, the air seemed to roar as it was struck, and with the ripples spreading, the earth collapsed and trees were shattered.

Even though the world had transformed into a snow country, a sense of thirst and restlessness lingered around everyone.

"Domineering aura has this kind of risk?" Tsunade stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Looks like we'll have to raise its jutsu level by another grade!"

Kakashi, standing next to Tsunade, looked up at the sky and scratched his cheek. "Speaking of which, I... won't be crippled, will I?"

Jiraiya glanced at him, a hint of curiosity creeping into his eyes.

How did Kakashi, with his laid-back attitude, learn Observation Haki?

Might Guy, standing to the side, gave him a thumbs up: "My eternal rival, it seems your passion hasn't died down yet. You're still young at heart. Please accept my 103rd challenge!"

"Oh, what did you just say?"

"Damn it! He truly is my lifelong rival!"

...

In the center of the battlefield, Sasuke lifted a piece of rubble and crawled out of the crater.

With the aid of Sage Chakra, he softened all the rocks and soil the moment he was slammed into the ground, thus avoiding being knocked unconscious by Sakura's attack.

Even so, his condition was still very bad.

Several bones in his body were broken, his jaw was completely numb, his head was still spinning, accompanied by severe tinnitus that interfered with his hearing, and he was unable to concentrate.

However, even with his body covered in injuries, Sasuke's heart was beating faster and faster.

His blood seemed to be ignited, urging him to fight, to ravage, to turn everything into resources and trample it underfoot, to rise above all things.

"Don't even think about defeating me so easily!!!"

The boy's roar echoed through the ruins, a brutal light suddenly erupted, and a magnificent and boundless aura spread, yet it did not seek to cause any harm.

"As expected, you have one too!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Sakura's emerald eyes.

Immediately, he felt an undisguised joy and delight, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Does the fruit make the strong, or does the strong make the fruit?"

With questions in mind, the girl's light steps trod on the snow, her burning will gathering into an indomitable spirit.

The dark lightning surged, transforming into a violent thunderstorm that roared through the void.

The two powerful auras collided in mid-air, unleashing a deafening roar that shook the heavens and the earth.

The domineering entanglement tore apart all the mixed colors, making two pairs of eyes with a flamboyant spirit appear in everyone's hearts.

Sasuke abandoned all fixed forms, lying on the ground like a wild beast, raising his proudly smiling face, and said:

"Well then, let's move on to the second round!"