Last Time....
Sakura, on the other hand, looked so natural in every action but could hit a man's sweet spot of excitement and interest. This was probably also a kind of talent—what they call innate charm.
At this moment, the trees ahead suddenly thinned, letting bright light shine through from the front. After a few jumps, they landed in a clearing.
In front of them was a magnificent white giant dead tree spanning dozens of kilometers. Two blood streaks merged into the void above this dead tree.
Seeing this dead tree, Sakura felt her Divine Tree PTSD flaring up. "Don't you think this tree looks a lot like the Divine Tree? It's just withered."
-------------------------
Everyone found the scene eerily familiar; save for the absence of White Zetsu and the dense clusters of massive cocoons, it was virtually identical. Considering that this world harbored no living creatures whatsoever, it appeared to be—to all intents and purposes—a world where all life had perished in the aftermath of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Suddenly, everyone was reminded once again of the intelligence Sakura had gathered regarding the Otsutsuki clan during the Infinite Tsukuyomi: the Otsutsuki would plant a Divine Tree on any planet that caught their eye, draining away all life force to cultivate a Chakra Fruit for harvest, before leaving behind a lifeless, barren world.
"Could it be... that the Otsutsuki story is actually true?" Izuna asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Whether it is or isn't, there's no way to know right now. We'd best focus on tracking Sasuke and the others first. Obito, let's see if the world we perceive is the same." Having composed himself, Madara signaled for Obito to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan as well; as for Kakashi, he decided to let him rest a little longer.
With one pair of Rinnegan and one pair of Mangekyo Sharingan activated once more, two portals materialized in the space before them, revealing a desolate, pitch-black wasteland lying beyond.
Madara and Obito each shifted their gaze, observing the scene several times; only after confirming that they were indeed looking at the exact same world did they deactivate their ocular techniques.
"Alright! Now that we've confirmed everything, can we finally set up camp and get something to eat?" Seeing that the mission had reached a temporary pause, Hashirama immediately threw his arms into the air and cheered. He wore a look of utter grievance as he added, "I'm practically starving to death! I haven't had a bite to eat in a day and a half!"
Tobirama let out a sigh. "Oh, Brother... you really are something else. Fine—let's go find a suitable spot to set up camp."
No one wanted to camp and rest near what appeared to be the remains of a divine tree; moreover, there was no water to be found there. The group returned to the forest and soon discovered a clearing situated close to a water source.
The immediate priority was to fill their stomachs. The Senju brothers and the Uchiha brothers were capable of preparing only the simplest of wilderness meals—such as roasted fish, chicken, or rabbit. After all, they hailed from the noble elite of their respective ninja clans, where household servants handled every domestic chore; now, however, with no game to be found in their current surroundings, they naturally had little opportunity to demonstrate even those limited skills.
As for Obito and Sasori, having previously had no need to eat, they possessed absolutely zero culinary aptitude.
Ultimately, it fell to Itachi and Minato—both skilled cooks—along with Kakashi, who was accustomed to cooking for himself, to shoulder the task of preparing a meal for the ten-person group, with Sakura assisting as their helper.
Madara and Tobirama, steeped in old-fashioned feudal mindsets, held the firm belief that women were the ones meant to handle domestic chores—and, by extension, master the art of cooking. However, recognizing that culinary skills had no bearing on one's competence as a ninja, Tobirama wisely refrained from making any comments regarding Sakura's lack of cooking ability. Madara, on the other hand, looked utterly astonished as he voiced his skepticism:
"You mean to tell me—a woman—that you don't know how to cook?"
Sakura instantly reacted as if he had stepped on a sore spot; she leaped to her feet and retorted indignantly, "Who says women *have* to know how to cook? Besides, I *do* know how! It just... doesn't taste particularly good, that's all."
By the time she reached that last admission, however, Sakura's voice had lost much of its earlier conviction.
Itachi gently stepped in to offer an explanation on Sakura's behalf: "Sakura-san is diligently learning from me how to season dishes; she is genuinely committed to mastering the art of cooking."
Sakura cast a sidelong glance at Madara, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "See?" She huffed, "Exactly! And what business is it of yours whether I can cook or not? I'm certainly not making it for *you* to eat—hmph!" With that, she tossed her head aside.
The corner of Madara's mouth twitched; this little brat really knew how to dish it out. However, he truly couldn't argue at the moment that Sakura's cooking skills—or lack thereof—had anything to do with him. *Oh, well.* The wife of the Uchiha Clan Head didn't exactly need to be slaving away in the kitchen anyway.
Minato, Itachi, and Kakashi began discussing the menu for the evening. Minato smiled gently. "I'm actually more skilled at making Western-style dishes. I wonder if Lord Hashirama and the others would be used to that kind of food?"
The "Warring States Era" group had never tasted Western cuisine in their lives. Aside from Hashirama—who was brimming with curiosity and eager to give it a try—Tobirama, Madara, and Izuna all indicated that they preferred traditional Japanese-style food.
Consequently, Itachi and Kakashi settled on a Japanese-style set meal consisting of grilled marinated salmon, ginger-pork stir-fry with mixed vegetables, deep-fried tofu, and daikon-and-kelp miso soup, served with rice.
After asking Sakura about her preferences, Minato decided to prepare spaghetti with a tomato-and-meat sauce.
Sakura's eyes lit up, and she beamed with delight. "That's wonderful! I've missed tomato spaghetti so much—that sweet-and-tangy flavor is absolutely the best!"
Sakura's sheer anticipation instantly filled Minato with enthusiasm, and he was eager to show off his culinary skills.
Itachi, Minato, and Kakashi began unsealing their supplies one by one, retrieving their cooking knives, pots, and other kitchen utensils.
Those with limited culinary skills couldn't simply sit around waiting to be fed; the task of washing the vegetables was assigned to Tobirama and Sasori.
Obito was entrusted with the job of rinsing the rice—and, while he was at it, he took full responsibility for the subsequent cooking process as well.
Madara would be needed shortly to tend the fire in real-time, assisting Itachi, Kakashi, and Minato as they stir-fried the dishes.
Izuna was assigned the duties of slicing fish, cutting meat, and mincing ground meat—ostensibly because, given his exceptional swordsmanship, he was surely adept at handling a blade in the kitchen. Izuna, however, harbored a strong suspicion that this was yet another rotten idea cooked up by that white-haired Senju; otherwise, how would anyone even know about his swordsmanship? Surely they wouldn't just assume he was a top-tier swordsman simply because he carried a katana everywhere—even if, in his case, that assumption happened to be entirely accurate.
Hashirama, realizing he hadn't been assigned any tasks himself, immediately began peeking around the corner, asking, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Sakura, who was in the middle of peeling an onion, paused her work. Glancing left and right, she realized that—sure enough—no one had actually told Hashirama what his role was supposed to be. She pouted ever so slightly; after all, Lord Hashirama's assigned task was actually quite important!
Sakura flashed a charming, adorable smile, clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, and said, "Of course there is! We don't have any firewood for cooking; we lack a countertop for food prep, a dining table, or even chairs to sit on while we eat. Plus, we didn't pack any bowls, chopsticks, or cutlery back at the start—they take up too much space and are such a hassle to wash constantly. So, Lord Hashirama, could you possibly use your Wood Release jutsu to create all of these things for us? Is that asking for too much? Would it be too much trouble?"
Sakura adopted a bashful, yet utterly dependent and coquettish demeanor—a display that Hashirama found absolutely irresistible. A surge of excitement rushed through his veins; feeling a sudden burst of boundless energy, he threw back his head and laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! Sakura-chan, is that all? That's practically child's play! Just watch me!"
Hashirama clapped his hands together, and instantly, two long wooden dining tables and ten wooden chairs sprouted from the ground. He clapped his hands again, and a neat row of wooden bowls, chopsticks, and cutlery appeared atop one of the long tables. With a final clap, a large bundle of dry firewood materialized as well.
Sakura immediately burst into enthusiastic applause and cheers. "That's wonderful, Lord Hashirama!"
Watching the First Hokage look utterly delighted as Sakura bossed him around—sending him scurrying this way and that—Kakashi couldn't help but break out in a sweat-drop, muttering his commentary: "That girl, Sakura... she really knows how to handle men. The scary part is that it comes completely naturally to her—the only guy she ever seems to struggle with is Sasuke."
Izuna and Minato chuckled inwardly; indeed, that was exactly the case. Itachi and Madara sighed with resignation, yet the saving grace was this: Sakura provided such immense emotional value that, even when being ordered around by her, they did so willingly and happily.
Once she had finished slicing all the onions—tears still streaming down her face from the fumes—Sakura headed down to the stream to find Tobirama and Sasori, ready to swap her chopped onions for the washed vegetables.
Upon reaching the stream, she blinked her tear-filled eyes; for a moment, she worried that something might be wrong with her vision. But once she had blinked away the tears and focused her gaze, Sakura realized she hadn't been mistaken after all.
Tobirama and Sasori stood three meters apart in front of the stream—silent and motionless—yet it wouldn't be accurate to say they weren't working.
Hovering just above the stream, a large mass of water swirled and churned, tumbling a heap of vegetables within it like a spin cycle in a washing machine. Just as Sakura was wondering why the vegetables didn't simply fall back into the water, she noticed that each vegetable was actually tethered by a thin thread of chakra—clearly, Sasori was manipulating them to keep them from dropping.
Sakura's face instantly went deadpan. Leave it to these two to turn a simple task like washing vegetables into a bizarre novelty act. What on earth was this called? The "Puppetry-meets-Water-Style Ultimate Vegetable Washing Technique"?
Sakura called out to them: "Lord Tobirama, Sasori—I'm here to pick up the washed vegetables."
She had originally intended to ask them to wash the onions as well, but now she decided she'd better handle those herself.
Both men turned around simultaneously; one dispelled his Water Style jutsu, while the other retracted all his chakra threads. Sasori placed the washed vegetables into a basket, then glanced at the onions in Sakura's hand, remarking with a hint of disdain, "Chopped into such tiny pieces..."
"What's the matter? Are there too many, or are the pieces too small for you to manipulate?" Sakura teased, feigning ignorance with a playful smile.
"Hah! As if!" Provoked by her challenge, Sasori was instantly tempted to put on a demonstration to prove he *could* manipulate them. However, Sakura didn't have the patience to wait while he painstakingly attached a chakra thread to every single strand of onion.
Nor did she intend to let Tobirama use his Water Style jutsu on them. Instead, she simply took the basket and rinsed the vegetables herself in the stream. Once she was satisfied they were clean, she stood up, turned to face the two men, and smiled. "Let's head back now, Lord Tobirama, Sasori."
Tobirama noticed that Sakura's eyes were red and puffy. Unlike Sasori—who possessed a certain familiarity with "Western-style" ingredients like onions—Tobirama was completely baffled. He immediately asked with concern, "Have you been crying? What happened?"
Sakura detected the note of genuine concern in his voice. Smiling, she explained the peculiar properties of onions to him. Tobirama remained skeptical, but he picked up a few strands of onion and gave them a squeeze; only when he felt the stinging sensation of the pungent juices irritating his own eyes did he finally set his mind at ease.
Upon returning, Sakura quickened her pace at chopping vegetables; Tobirama, too, grabbed a knife and stepped in to assist. Although he wasn't a cook, his knife skills proved to be a natural extension of his other talents—given that his swordsmanship rivaled even Izuna's, it was hardly surprising that he excelled at slicing vegetables. Once he overcame the initial unfamiliarity, his subsequent cuts surpassed even Sakura's in quality; each piece was so uniform in thickness it looked as if it had been measured with a ruler, earning him a look of sheer awe and admiration from Sakura.
Tobirama felt quite pleased with himself; as a genius, there was simply nothing that could stump him, and Sakura's admiring gaze only served to heighten his sense of gratification.
Obito set about cooking the rice, staring intently at the water-level markings inside the pot.
Madara, meanwhile, unleashed a Fire Release technique, adjusting the intensity of the flames precisely according to the requests of Itachi, Kakashi, and Minato—it was, quite frankly, far more sophisticated and efficient than any modern gas stove.
Dinner was finally ready. Gazing at the array of exquisite dishes spread out across the long table, Sakura couldn't shake the illusion that they were hosting an outdoor party—an impression only reinforced by the massive, roaring bonfire blazing right beside them.
"Let's eat!" After pressing their hands together in unison, everyone reached out toward the food.
Sakura finally got to taste the spaghetti with meat sauce that Minato had prepared. His culinary skills were so exceptional that Sakura could scarcely believe it—they were every bit as impressive as Itachi's. "Wow, this is absolutely delicious!" Sakura exclaimed, her face alight with delight. "Lord Minato, this could easily rival the food at any restaurant!"
Minato smiled brightly. "I'm glad you like it, Sakura-chan. Lord Hashirama, would you like to give it a try as well?"
Hashirama, too, couldn't wait to fork several generous scoops into his own bowl. Upon taking a bite, his eyes lit up instantly. "Oh—is this what 'exotic flavor' tastes like? It's a style of seasoning I've never encountered before, but it's absolutely delicious!"
Hashirama enthusiastically urged his younger brother, Tobirama, and his sworn brother, Madara, to give it a try. Unable to refuse Hashirama's earnest request, the two each sampled a small amount. Tobirama, who had no fondness for sweet flavors, took a single taste and stopped there; however, the Uchiha clan generally favored sweeter palates, so—quite unexpectedly—the meat sauce spaghetti proved perfectly suited to Madara's taste. He, in turn, eagerly recommended it to his own younger brother, Izuna; sure enough, upon trying it, Izuna was delighted and gave it his seal of approval.
The massive basin of meat sauce spaghetti was ultimately devoured by Minato, Sakura, Sasori, Hashirama, Izuna, and Madara—the latter two having also polished off their own respective Japanese-style meal sets.
Once the food was gone, the dreaded task of cleaning up began. Fortunately, the bowls, chopsticks, knives, and forks conjured via Wood Release could simply be discarded; even the table required no wiping, vanishing into thin air with a single clap of Hashirama's hands. However, the actual cooking knives and pots still needed to be washed and reused.
Sakura loathed doing dishes and had absolutely no desire to touch the greasy, soiled plates. Yet, it seemed that not a single one of the men present felt inclined to lift a finger. Then, recalling the seamless teamwork Tobirama and Sasori had demonstrated earlier—combining Puppet Jutsu with Water Release to wash the vegetables—Sakura's eyes lit up with an idea: surely, that very same technique could be applied to washing the dishes, too!
"Lord Tobirama, Sasori—could I possibly ask you two to do the dishes? You know, using that Puppet Technique and Water Release? It's so fast and powerful; you could probably finish them in no time! Would you mind?"
Sakura's pitifully pleading and coquettish entreaties wore down both Tobirama and Sasori in short order; they soon capitulated, willingly heading off to tackle the dishes using their formidable combination of Puppet Techniques and Water Release. In all likelihood, this would now become a permanent, long-term chore for the two of them.
After the meal, the group dispersed, gradually drifting off to engage in their own activities; everyone needed a bit of private time to attend to their biological needs and wash up.
Sakura busied herself organizing her sleeping bag and toiletries, inwardly debating whether she, too, should head down to the creek to give herself a quick scrub—though, naturally, she would have to wait until everyone else had finished washing up first.
She stole a quiet, somewhat envious glance at the others. Men really had it easy: they could simply strip naked and jump right into the creek for a bath without a second thought. It wasn't like that for her; even setting aside the risk of being spied upon, she still had to worry about the fact that bathing in cold water was detrimental to a woman's physical health.
She used to be rather naive; whenever they were out on missions, seeing Naruto and Sasuke frequently jump into streams to bathe, she would disregard Kakashi-sensei's well-intentioned warnings and go for a dip herself. The consequences hit her hard later during her menstrual cycle—the cramps were so excruciatingly painful she felt as if she were dying. After that harrowing experience, she never dared to do it again and has since been extremely diligent about keeping her lower abdomen warm.
However, Sakura did an excellent job of concealing her secret longing for a proper bath. After all, she simply couldn't bear the thought of asking Hashirama to once again enlist the Second Hokage and Madara Uchiha to use their Water and Fire Release techniques just to heat up her bathwater. Doing so once or twice might be excusable, but to constantly trouble others? Sakura didn't consider herself thick-skinned enough for that. Moreover, back then, they were in their *Edo Tensei* bodies and possessed infinite chakra; how could she possibly have the audacity now to ask them to waste their precious chakra on something as trivial as a bath?
Spreading out her sleeping bag, Sakura looked up at the clear night sky and suddenly found herself missing Captain Yamato's *Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique*. Before Captain Yamato joined the team, Sakura had been quite accustomed to roughing it in the wilderness during missions. But everything changed once he became part of Team 7; even if the structures he created were simple, they provided shelter from the wind and rain, and—crucially—kept out all sorts of bizarre, creepy-crawly insects. It truly is a case of "easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury back to frugality."
Speaking of Wood Release, though... wasn't the perfect candidate standing right in front of her? Sakura couldn't help but steal a quick glance at Hashirama, only to immediately avert her eyes. *No!* she scolded herself. *Sakura, you just told yourself not to trouble others—how can you be so spoiled?*
She used to be rather naive; whenever they were out on missions, seeing Naruto and Sasuke frequently jump into streams to bathe, she would disregard Kakashi-sensei's well-intentioned warnings and go for a dip herself. The consequences hit her hard later during her menstrual cycle—the cramps were so excruciatingly painful she felt as if she were dying. After that harrowing experience, she never dared to do it again and has since been extremely diligent about keeping her lower abdomen warm. Yet Sakura did an excellent job of concealing her secret longing for a bath. After all, if Hashirama were to once again have the Second Hokage and Uchiha Madara expend their Water and Fire Release techniques just to heat her bathwater, she simply couldn't bear the embarrassment. Doing so once in a while was one thing, but to constantly impose upon others—Sakura didn't consider herself thick-skinned enough for that. Moreover, back then, they were in their Edo Tensei bodies and possessed infinite chakra; how could she possibly have the audacity now to ask them to waste their precious chakra on something as trivial as a bath?
Spreading out her sleeping bag, Sakura looked up at the clear night sky and suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for Captain Yamato's Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique. Before Captain Yamato joined their ranks, Sakura had been quite accustomed to camping out during missions; however, everything changed once he became part of Team 7. Even if those wooden structures were rudimentary, they still provided shelter from the wind and rain—and, crucially, kept out all manner of bizarre-looking insects. It truly is a case of "easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury back to frugality."
Speaking of Wood Release, though... wasn't the perfect candidate standing right before her? Sakura couldn't help but steal a furtive glance at Hashirama, only to immediately avert her eyes. *No!* she scolded herself. *Sakura, you just told yourself not to trouble others—how can you be so pampered and delicate?*