Sorry for the long wait!

The air inside the tent was thick, impregnated with the aroma of sweat and dust that had accumulated. The suffocating heat barely allowed them to breathe, and small beads of sweat slid down Sakura's forehead, sticking her loose hair to her skin.

The place reflected only chaos: maps scattered on a wooden table, a half-lit oil lamp, and piles of papers full of reports and notes. It seemed that Shizune hadn't had time to come and impose order and responsibility on the Fifth Hokage's boldness. She heard that the brunette woman was on a medical relief mission. It must have been serious enough and someone important must have been there for her to go. Sakura would have gone, but when she arrived at the base after her own mission, they had already left.

She prayed that everything would turn out well.

In front of Sakura, her shishou remained calm... at least on the outside. Her expression was somewhat severe, with her brow slightly furrowed, but Sakura noticed that spark in her golden eyes, that spark that appeared when she was determined to win. Both were sitting on worn cushions, with a small rug between them, in a card game that had started hours ago. The deck was spread out in front of them, and at that moment, Sakura had to make a decision.

In her hands, she had five cards, of which only two matched in number.

Should she bet or not? An onigiri filled with meat was at stake. She didn't remember the last time she had eaten one.

She debated it for a moment until she finally decided to go for it, what did it matter? She was already tired.

The cards between her fingers were wrinkled from so much sweat, and fatigue dulled her senses. But she couldn't ignore the opportunity. Tsunade's lips curved into a half-smile that was always familiar to her when she tried to hide her emotions, and that gave Sakura the push she needed to act.

"I'm in" she said, pushing the cards towards the center of the table, at the same time that her shishou did the same.

The Hokage looked at her with a mixture of astonishment and irritation. The cards were revealed and Sakura, without much surprise, won.

Again.

Her mentor's expression immediately hardened, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Damn, I thought I had it this time. Again!" she demanded, her jaw clenched.

Sakura, however, let out a groan of exhaustion. They had been playing for hours. She felt the exhaustion in every muscle and, as much as she wanted to continue enjoying the rare moment of tranquility, she couldn't ignore how worn out she was.

"Shishou... we've been playing for hours..." she said as she moved her neck, hearing the cracking of her bones, letting her head fall back, staring at the canvas ceiling of the tent.

This rare moment of peace seemed almost unreal to her. How long had it been since the last time they could afford something like this? She didn't even remember the last time she had time for something as banal as a card game. The constant movement of the front lines, medical emergencies, strategies... everything had consumed her life. However, her shishou, without losing her impatience, leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with that characteristic stubbornness.

"Get up, girl. This is far from over"

She let out a small grunt with her eyes closed. "How do you have time for this?"

"We're waiting for a team to arrive with important information" she explained in an annoyed tone. "And until they arrive, we'll play"

I guess that explained everything. Sometimes she no longer knew if her shishou really liked to play or just did it for the fact that the game was like a kind of omen of the future. After so long forcing her to play, she confessed what happened when she won. To Sakura it sounded too superstitious and she even considered telling her if maybe age was catching up with her, but she decided that if she died, it should be fighting and protecting her friends.

Of course, Tsunade-shisou had won a few times, although always by very little. And yes, those times emergencies or attacks occurred, but they were at war and that happened all the time, so, for Sakura, they were still just coincidences.

Watching her shuffle the cards masterfully and deal them, Sakura sighed, knowing she couldn't say no to her. Finally, with resignation, she took the cards again, dropping her shoulders as she prepared for another round.

"Okay" she agreed, with a deep sigh.

Sakura only raised an eyebrow slightly at the hand she was dealt, a trio of Jacks, pretty good. She wouldn't bother changing or analyzing anything.

Her rival had her eyebrows furrowed. After so many years and many hours playing with her mentor, she could distinguish each expression and what it meant. The left eyebrow was slightly more wrinkled than the other and her eyes had a peculiar analytical glint. It meant that right now she possibly had a decent hand but that, if she risked changing, she could improve it even more. Which never happened.

If she wanted to lose so badly, she would take full advantage of it.

"I bet all my onigiri" Sakura spoke, looking firmly at her opponent.

The voluptuous woman narrowed her eyes further, considering the bet. Sakura had already won 4 of the 8 that had been brought to the Hokage, they were part of a batch that some allies got from a traveling family murdered by traitors. Those onigiri, in the middle of a battlefield, would be like betting thousands of ryo. In other times, her shisou would have accepted immediately, not for nothing her debts had been worthy of horror. The mere fact that she was considering it spoke of how bad they were, to the point of considering not betting on a meal, which in peacetime was so easy to get and was the first thing you did when you wanted something quick and easy. She didn't plan to leave her without tasting the delicious food if she won, she just wanted to stop playing and hoped that after losing everything worth betting, the stubborn woman would finally resign herself.

"Alright, I'm in" the blonde woman grumbled, as she changed two cards from her deck.

The legendary loser being the legendary loser.

Finally, she would have a meal with real nutrients. She was tired of rations and nutritional bars. You're supposed to get used to the taste of things no matter how bad they are, but somehow, the rations increasingly had such an unpleasant taste that she literally saw shinobis swallow them without chewing and with teary eyes.

Sad, really.

"Sakura"

The pink-haired woman came out of her lethargy at her mentor's calm tone.

"What's wrong, shishou? Bad hand?" she joked. "You can't back out of the bet, you know."

A tick of annoyance formed on the buxom woman's large forehead. "I know, silly girl," she spoke angrily and then let out a big tired sigh.

"Is something wrong?" A hint of concern seeped into her voice.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, in which the blonde woman seemed to be contemplating something distant that Sakura couldn't see, her shishou finally spoke, her voice sounding almost absent as she kept her gaze lost. "What would you like to do when all this is over?"

She blinked, bewildered. The question was so unexpected that it left Sakura taken aback. "When the war is over? I don't know, I haven't thought about it... Why do you ask?"

Tsunade frowned, her lips forming a thin line, and her eyes, though not looking directly at Sakura, seemed filled with a seriousness that weighed on the atmosphere. "You don't know? Then think about it now" she demanded, this time her tone firmer, almost impatient.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, feeling her rebellious nature surface at the demand. "Not if you don't tell me why" she replied defiantly, crossing her arms. However, as soon as her teacher fixed her eyes on hers, the rebellion died down as quickly as it had arisen. The intense gleam in her teacher's gaze sent a shiver down her spine. Maybe it wasn't the time to be stubborn.

"W-well..." Sakura searched for her words, feeling her own resistance crumble. "I'd like to keep improving my chakra control..." she confessed, though her voice became almost timid under the harsh gaze of her Hokage.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise, and her expression became somewhat less severe. "Even more?" Her tone bordered on disbelief. "Sakura, at this point, your control is even better than mine. It's not even a compliment, it's a fact."

The unexpected and direct comment made Sakura's cheeks flush, the heat rising from her neck to her face. "It's just that... control not only makes techniques easier for me," she murmured as her fingers fiddled nervously with the deck of cards in her hand, avoiding the penetrating gaze of the woman in front of her. "It also helps me understand how everything works... on a much deeper level."

She took a deep breath, gathering strength to continue as images of past battles flooded her mind, memories of bodies she had tried to save, only to feel their warmth fade in her hands. "If I can understand what's happening, I can improve it. I want to create more healing techniques, techniques that can heal any kind of wound... techniques that anyone can use, at least at some level." The words came out almost in a murmur, as her mind wandered through the pain she had felt at arriving too late so many times. "I want everyone to have more chances to survive" she concluded, in a barely audible tone.

Tsunade watched her student intently, her eyes narrowed as if trying to read beyond the words she had spoken. Her answer had not impressed her, or at least, not in the way Sakura expected.

"You have already created and improved enough techniques. All the medics have become quite competent under your command" she pointed out calmly.

"Y-yes... I suppose..." Sakura admitted, but she couldn't help her voice trembling a little. The pressure of her shishou's gaze was too much, as if she was looking for something more, something Sakura wasn't saying. Her nerves grew with each passing second in silence under her scrutiny.

Finally, the Hokage broke the silence with a sharp, direct question that cut through the excuses like a knife. "What really motivates you?"

She blinked, tensing up. "Huh? I just told you. I want everyone to have more chances to survive—"

"That? Or is it because you don't want them to depend on you?"

The question fell like a slab on Sakura. She was silent, her eyes wide open. She felt her cheeks start to burn again, but this time it wasn't shame that overwhelmed her, but something deeper... something she didn't want to admit, not even to herself. Tsunade-shisou had hit the nail on the head, and the truth of those words made the weight of her emotions fall on her like a heavy blanket. "T-that's not it! It's just that I..." the words didn't dare leave her mouth.

Tsunade, watching her apprentice with a lost look and a face full of doubt, snorted with a hint of frustration and tenderness. "Silly girl... If there's anyone who can understand you more than anyone, it's me." Her tone was stern but warm, like that of someone who had seen too much. "I remind you that this is not my first war. I was once exactly in your position."

"My position?" she repeated.

In an almost automatic gesture, the imposing woman raised her hand, instinctively searching for that bottle of sake that, in simpler times, always accompanied her. Her expression hardened as she remembered that she could no longer afford that luxury. The war had made even sake unattainable. She muttered small curses under her breath, resentful of the reality that surrounded her. Her shishou had always found comfort in alcohol, especially in conversations that stressed her out.

"Don't play modest with me, brat" she grumbled, narrowing her eyes in irritation. "For a long time now I've realized that I'm no longer the first option when it comes to health issues or medical emergencies. My role as Hokage may dissuade some, but I know it's mostly because they trust you."

Her honey-colored eyes gleamed, exuding a kind of pride that Sakura didn't expect to see. It was a silent, deep pride, the kind you only have for someone who has exceeded all expectations. That gleam warmed her heart, making her feel appreciated in a way she rarely experienced. However, that warmth also brought with it a wave of guilt that enveloped her completely.

"What I'm getting at" she continued, dropping the cards onto her lap with a tired gesture, "is that I know the burdens you carry. I know what it's like to constantly see horrors, misfortunes, and lose the people you love... and yet, everyone looks at you as if you could perform miracles, regardless of your pain."

Sakura couldn't speak. The words caught in her throat, choked by the wave of emotions the blonde woman had unleashed. She felt a knot in her chest, one that threatened to overflow if she tried to answer. If she opened her mouth, she knew that all that contained pain would spill out like a torrent, and she would end up sobbing at the feet of the woman she considered a second mother, as if she were a little girl again.

She knew she was being read like an open book. It had always been like that with her; her teacher knew her better than anyone. That thought terrified her, because it meant that she couldn't hide what she was really feeling, not even behind her facade of strength.

"Shisou, I..." Sakura's voice trembled, broken by the tears that finally found their way out. She couldn't hold them back anymore, and with each tear that fell, she released a fraction of the anguish she had buried in her heart. "I hate war, I hate seeing people die... I've already lost so many..." Her voice cracked, while her hands trembled slightly on her lap. She looked up, searching those honey-colored eyes for something, a solution to her pain. "How do you go on after this?" she asked, her tone pleading, seeking the answers she so desperately needed.

But all she received was an understanding look, tinged with sadness. "If I knew, believe me, I would tell you. But there is no answer for that" Tsunade replied in a soft, helpless voice.

Sakura lowered her head, disappointed. "I feel like this war will never end and even if it does..." She clenched her fists, watching the tears drip onto them. "We've already lost so many, I've already lost my parents, my friends... What do you do afterwards? Sometimes I don't think I can go on... I'm afraid of disappointing everyone, I'm afraid of disappointing you," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper. "You've spent so much time training me, and all I can think about is giving up—"

"I would never judge you if you do" Tsunade said, firmly and honestly. "I walked away from everyone for over twenty years because I couldn't deal with the pain of losing the people I loved most. I abandoned everyone, taking all my knowledge with me." Her voice was imbued with regret and pain. "At least you still have the desire to help others. That's already more than I did."

Through her blurred vision, she saw her shishou in a way she had never seen her before: vulnerable. The strongest woman she had ever known, the one who had always presented herself as an unshakeable pillar, was revealing for the first time the weight of her own pain and regret. That simple act made Sakura admire her even more, because she knew how difficult it must be for her to admit that weakness.

"That's not true! Anyone would have done what you did. That doesn't detract from all your achievements and-"

"Sakura" she interrupted sharply, her tone cutting, surprising her. "The war will keep taking and taking, because that's all it knows how to do. I want you to understand that very well."

Despite the apparent calmness in her voice, Sakura could perceive something deeper, almost imperceptible: an undercurrent of hidden despair. That despair seeped into every word, mingling with the exhaustion of the years, the losses, the pain they had both experienced.

"No one knows what awaits them in the future," she continued, her honey-colored eyes reflecting an intense gleam, as if behind that hardness there was something more vulnerable, a worry she didn't dare admit out loud. "And it doesn't matter" she added, as if trying to convince herself. "Just worry about being strong now."

The simplicity with which she said it contrasted with how difficult it really was. To be strong... what did it really mean? For Sakura, it was a burden that weighed more and more on her shoulders. But still, she didn't dare contradict her. There was something in those words that resonated deeply within her, a lesson she felt she would eventually understand later on.

"I understand, shisou" Sakura replied in a whisper, lowering her gaze to the ground. Guilt and fear mingled within her, making her feel small, insignificant in the face of her mentor's words.

She felt a warm hand rest on her head, a gesture that took her by surprise. Looking up, she met her shishou's soft smile, a rare smile, full of affection, but also something more that she couldn't decipher. Her eyes, normally hard and analytical, showed a glimmer of tenderness.

"Don't be afraid to do what you want when this is all over" she said in a soft, almost motherly voice. "I'm very proud of you."

That last part was enough to break any emotional barrier Sakura had built. Unable to bear it any longer, she threw herself towards her teacher, hugging her tightly, seeking comfort in her arms. The tears she had held back for so long finally broke free, and she sobbed on her shoulder. Her shishou gently embraced her, patting her reassuringly on the back, her embrace warm and safe.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until Sakura pulled away. A part of her felt light and warm with a comforting feeling in her heart. But another was full of fear, dreading the thought that maybe she would continue to lose more, maybe much more than she could bear.

But at that moment, she decided to cling to the only thing she could: the present. This rare moment of togetherness, this small respite of peace amidst the chaos. It was the only thing she could control.

"Thank you, shisou" she murmured as she wiped her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, her voice still choked with sobs.

Her teacher looked at her with a mischievous expression, half smiling. "You left me covered in snot"

A pillow flew across the room, easily deflected with a smile by the blonde woman, followed by laughter from her at the pout and reproachful look of her apprentice.

"I see how you like to comfort me," she retorted, settling back into her cushion, now also with a smile. "Although, to be honest, you still haven't told me why all this happened. These emotional talks aren't typical of you."

Her mentor's expression darkened slightly, but before she could answer, the tent flap opened abruptly.

"Hokage-sama! Team B has returned from their mission. They bring important information," a messenger announced with urgency in his voice. Then he seemed to notice her. "Sakura-sama! It's good that you're here. Team B has brought allies who are seriously injured. We need your help immediately"

Both women stood up instantly, the light atmosphere they had shared disappearing like smoke. Sakura felt a slight pang of disappointment. Despite not sharing the same passion for gambling as her teacher, she always enjoyed these little moments together. She didn't know when they would have another.

"Alright" replied the Hokage, her tone firm and authoritative. "Notify Shikamaru. I want him in five minutes in the meeting sector."

"Hai!" The messenger disappeared in the blink of an eye, running to carry out the order.

"Sakura" she called, already at the entrance of the tent, turning her head just enough to look at her out of the corner of her eye. "Don't forget it. Be strong." And with those words, she left.

The green-eyed woman stared for a few moments, still dazed. She shook her head, focusing on the now and prepared to go help quickly.

But, just before crossing the threshold, something stopped her. A small glimmer of curiosity, almost childlike. She turned on her heels and went back inside. Her gaze fell on the deck of cards her shisou had left on the floor. She couldn't resist it. She reached out and cautiously turned the cards over.

Seeing what it revealed, a knot formed in her stomach.

"Royal flush..."

Sakura stared at the ceiling of the room, barely paying attention to the details of the peeling paint that hung in thin sheets as if it had been carelessly applied years ago. The dirty, battered white seemed to have seen better days, and the shadows of the barely perceptible cracks formed patterns on the surface. The place smelled of dampness and confinement, and the echo of silence enveloped her.

Sitting on a simple, worn armchair, the only sound that broke the stillness was her own breathing. In front of her, a low table and a small coffee table gave the place a simple and functional appearance, as if it were a waiting room rather than an interrogation room. To her right, on one of the walls, hung a large map of the city. Her gaze drifted towards it for a moment, quickly locating the hospital where she worked.

With her hands bound by a strange suppressor that blocked her cursed energy, Sakura had little more to do than think. Calculations began to form in her mind. She clearly remembered the route from the hospital to this building. Speed, acceleration, curves, turning angles, everything intertwined in a logical sequence. She had felt each change of direction, each time the vehicle stopped or accelerated, which allowed her to mentally establish an approximate distance from the hospital to her current location. As her thoughts progressed, her eyes moved back to the map.

Five kilometers south, maybe a little more if you consider the variations in the terrain.

With these new calculations in mind and analyzing the scale of the map, she estimated the approximate distance to her apartment. About seven kilometers, at least.

The suppressor wrapped around her wrists behind her back, and although her energy tried to manifest itself reflexively, the device blocked it immediately, nullifying any attempt to break free. This fuinjutsu seemed quite interesting to her, whatever they called the branch of seals here. It was like reading a new language, if you already had experience learning languages. The words were different, but with experience, you began to notice certain similarities. Or at least that's the little she could see with her peripheral vision.

In her world there were several types of chakra suppressors, there were those that allowed you to move your chakra internally, but not manifest it, then there were the more advanced ones that suppressed it to your core, leaving you weakened. This one was like the first ones, which only spoke of how they didn't know her, in her dimension, they would never have considered giving her a slight chance to use her chakra, even internally. She could even still hide her energy with this.

Either they underestimated her or they didn't have any other type of suppressors.

Questions and more questions.

She was tired of thinking. Boredom weighed on her more than the feeling of confinement. How was Itadori-san? She hoped he hadn't had another attack. Just thinking about it made her anger burn again, her cursed energy moving frantically, wanting to escape and crashing against a wall.

Damn Ayumi.

How dare she? A large part of her still wanted to kill her, she would never forgive that violation of the medical oath. A person like Ayumi should never be taking care of people's health.

If it weren't for this stupid cursed energy, for this stupid power, for her stupidity, she would have done more than twist her wrist.

The cursed leaves technique, she had created it to compensate for her reserve levels. It required great precision, control and concentration. She never thought that her greatest virtues would ever work against her. Everything that had to do with controlling her energy was like second nature to her, so much so that her body did it unconsciously as a form of protection. Every ninja develops that.

But now it only brought her trouble.

Why did she even create it? Wasn't she supposed to be okay with living a quiet life? Why did she bother practicing something meant for battles? She could defend herself very well with the techniques she knew.

Why did she have to be so idiotic?

A headache was starting to form, which only made her more frustrated, since she could heal herself with her chakra, but then another kind of pain would appear.

Sakura looked back at the peeling ceiling, her mind now filled with darker thoughts and unanswered questions. How long would she have to wait?

How was Yuuji?

A feeling of oppression formed in her chest, the boy's anguished and confused face still fresh in her mind. Had they told him that she had medicated his grandfather incorrectly? Would he believe them?

She didn't even have time to explain to him what had happened, knowing that she had almost killed him had left her too stunned to analyze what was happening. She only vaguely remembered how, after her attack, police officers appeared who immediately handcuffed her, she didn't even put up any resistance, she just let herself be taken away. On the way out, she saw the director, but only managed to tell him that she took full responsibility and that he shouldn't tell Yuki anything.

It wasn't worth making her come, she really didn't want to keep bothering her.

It was before she got into the patrol car that two men dressed in black suits appeared. She didn't really get to hear what they were saying to the officers, she didn't care about anything at that moment. She only felt how they transferred her to another car and how they changed the ridiculous handcuffs that she could break as if they were paper, for the suppressors that she now had.

Her shoulders and arms were starting to hurt, maybe she should have been more attentive at that moment.

The door in front of her remained closed for what seemed like an eternity. Every time the sound of footsteps echoed in the outside hallway, her body tensed slightly, waiting, only to be disappointed to hear the footsteps continue on. Boredom and anxiety began to mix in her chest, making her heartbeat the only thing to accompany her.

Finally, the metallic sound of the lock turning filled the room. Sakura looked up, watching as the door slowly opened. A tall, thin man entered calmly, his footsteps echoing on the tiled floor. He had straight black hair that parted in two at the front of his forehead, small eyes, or so it seemed with those glasses. His cheeks were sunken, giving him a tired and bored look.

In his hands he carried a set of papers that he leafed through carefully. It was the same man who had spoken to the police officers and brought her here.

The man didn't say anything immediately. Instead, he walked with irritating slowness towards the table that separated them, shuffling the papers in his hands as if they were more important than the fact that she was there, tied up and waiting for answers. When he finally sat down, he did so with a relaxed posture.

"Sasahara Sakura, is that right?" he said, in a measured and professional voice, without looking up.

"Sakura."

Now the man fixed his eyes on her.

"Excuse me?"

"Call me Sakura," she replied dryly. She hated that they used the last name she was forced to use to maintain her cover.

The agent's small dark eyes gleamed with a mixture of surprise and curiosity, clearly not expecting such a request from someone in her situation. Then, after a brief silence, he nodded slowly.

"Sakura-san, then" he finally replied.

Sakura watched him, searching for some sign of his intentions, some clue in his behavior that would tell her what was going to happen. However, the man still maintained an impenetrable facade as he arranged the papers on the table. The room was plunged back into that uncomfortable silence, but now with a palpable tension in the air.

"My name is Kiyotaka Ijichi, I work as an agent at the institute of magic and sorcery. You do know about jujutsu sorcerers, don't you?"

She refrained from rolling her eyes. "Yes, I know."

"Good, then you are aware that you are an unidentified sorcerer and that—"

"I'm not a sorcerer" she cut him off sharply.

Ijichi observed the woman before him; despite her situation, she seemed calm, only betrayed by her tense shoulders, although of course, maybe the suppressors had something to do with it. But it was her green eyes, with that steely gaze, that sent a slight shiver down his spine. Was she a fighter? She didn't look like it, and he didn't feel like she had large reserves either, in fact, he barely felt it. And according to her own statement, she didn't consider herself a shaman.

"Well, a cursed energy user, then" Adjusting his glasses, he squared his shoulders. "You do know that you have committed several crimes? And not only civilian ones, but also the laws that involve jujutsu society"

Sakura didn't answer. Her lips tightened, and her hands, tied behind her back, clenched tightly.

Ijichi let the silence lengthen, apparently waiting for an answer he knew wouldn't come. With a slight sigh, he proceeded to speak, this time more directly.

"Let's start with the first thing" he said, leaning slightly forward, as if he were going to list a shopping list. "We have a complaint for medical malpractice. If it is proven to be true, you could face criminal charges. That, of course, not to mention that you would lose your license, which is also a crime, since..." Ijichi paused, with a subtly accusing tone "...you don't have a valid license to practice in the first place."

She gritted her teeth, holding back the words that struggled to come out.

'As if I needed a stupid licens' Sakura thought angrily.

Ijichi continued, unfazed.

"Then there's the physical assault. As I understand it, your co-worker is considering pressing charges against you. She claims that you attacked her without provocation."

Sakura let out a low, bitter laugh. 'Without provocation?' What nerve. That woman had been asking for it, but she knew that trying to explain herself would be useless.

The man, however, was unfazed and continued with the last and most serious accusation.

"Of course, your civil criminal situation doesn't matter because..." His tone became more serious, and the atmosphere in the room grew heavier. "There is the matter that concerns us, the sorcerers. There was a witness at the scene who claims to have felt a clear murderous intent from you. That indicates that you tried to attack civilians using cursed energy."

She felt a pang in her chest that prevented her from breathing for a moment. Of all the accusations, that was the only one that was real and unjustified. She lowered her eyes, ashamed.

"The most worrying thing" he continued impassively, adjusting his glasses with a finger, "is that, since you are not identified as a registered sorcerer, the use of cursed energy without official regulation makes you something dangerous."

Pausing, he let the words sink in deeply before dropping the final sentence.

"If the council so decides, they could consider you a evil sorcerer. And in that case, Sakura-san, you would be locked up indefinitely"

The young woman before Ijichi remained motionless, without looking up, without responding to the serious accusations he had just laid out. Part of him expected some kind of reaction, perhaps a justification, a plea... but nothing.

A slight pang of pity settled within him, although he was careful not to let it show on his face. Ijichi had investigated just enough about the civilian charges against her. He had asked a few questions here and there, enough to get an idea of what might have really happened, although he didn't have the clearest details. Something inside him told him that the charges, especially those related to the hospital, were not as straightforward as they seemed.

He particularly remembered the encounter with the nurse who had been assaulted. Civilians rarely possessed significant amounts of cursed energy and without control over it, they leaked it involuntarily. That energy mixed with the environment, creating curses. When you are a more experienced sorcerer and sensitive to your surroundings, you also feel those small leaks, the negative emotions, which help you know the true character of a person. And according to what he felt from that woman, well, she wasn't exactly a saint.

He sighed, none of this was his business, he didn't understand why Mr. Gojo forced him to come and interrogate this woman. He had better things to do. He also didn't understand how he knew about her and, if he did, why he allowed her to remain free without any control. What was so special about her?

He had long since reconciled himself to the fact that he would be at the mercy of the whims of that irresponsible man, but that didn't mean it didn't bother him.

'He's a slacker!'

With a deep breath, he squared his shoulders. The truth was that he would be lying if he said that after his inquiries he wasn't curious and that he had no idea about the reasons for the interest of that opportunistic sorcerer.

Ijichi had his doubts about the version of events that the assaulted nurse had given, since, according to what he had been able to find out, Sakura-san had no history of malpractice or negative medical records. But therein lay another problem. She had no records... of almost anything.

The only thing that was officially recorded was her place of birth, but even that became irrelevant because the place where she was supposedly born was a ghost town. And not just any ghost town, when he learned of the place, he intuited why Mr. Gojo would be interested. He remembered perfectly when and who turned that place into a cemetery.

Furthermore, according to the records, Sakura-san was born and raised there, receiving home schooling, so she probably would have been a teenager when she left. But there's the problem, there's a big gap of many years in the woman's life, there's no trace of her anywhere. It's as if she disappeared and appeared out of nowhere a few months ago, when she started working at Sugisawa Hospital.

He also heard the rumors and the nickname they had given her, 'miracle nurse'. There was nothing miraculous in this world, everything had a reason, and the reason for those miraculous healings obviously had to do with some kind of healing ritual.

Those kinds of rituals were very rare.

All sorts of conjectures about Gojo-san's intentions were already forming in Ijichi's mind, and he wasn't lacking in the desire to give the poor woman a slight pat on the shoulder.

That manipulative and narcissistic man always got what he wanted.

Ijichi knew that all too well.

"I'm here!" a cheerful voice shouted, echoing through the room with the unmistakable energy of the strongest and most unbearable man in the world. The tall, lanky sorcerer, with his usual carefree demeanor, entered with a stick of dango in his hand, as he popped one of the sweet balls into his mouth.

'Speak of the devil and he shall appear' That was the thought of the bespectacled man and, unknowingly, of the pink-haired woman as well. Sakura already sensed he was coming.

Ijichi immediately tensed up, almost as if an invisible spring had forced him to sit up straighter, and his breathing became somewhat erratic. Sakura, for her part, rolled her eyes at the sight of him, clearly unimpressed by the dramatic entrance.

"Sorry I'm late" Gojo continued with a smile as he walked towards them. "My students made me waste time, you know how it is."

"Or it was the other way around" the agent muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me, did you say something, Ijichi?"

"N-nothing!"

Sakura said nothing, but the almost imperceptible curve of her lips made it clear that she found his comment amusing. Gojo approached nonchalantly to where they were, and with his usual relaxed energy, placed a hand on Ijichi's shoulder, which made the man almost jump out of his seat.

"Well" he said, giving him a pat that seemed heavier than it should be to Ijichi, "I'll take care of everything now"

"I'd prefer Kiyotaka-san to continue" Sakura said flatly, looking at Gojo with an expression that revealed little.

"Who?" he asked, confused. "Oh, that's right! That was your last name" he let out a laugh while the man under him let out a tired sigh, not mentioning the fact that he had known him for years.

"Anyway, it's a shame because Ijichi is leaving now" he said, now looking at Sakura. "And besides, I'm a better interrogator"

"I doubt it" Sakura murmured under her breath.

Gojo, without losing his smile, squeezed Ijichi's shoulder a little tighter, enough to make the man visibly start to sweat. The agent swallowed, his tension increasing under the pressure, and he got up from the chair with unusual speed, stammering something resembling a hasty farewell.

"W-well, then... I'll be going... Gojo-san, Sakura-san..." he said, bowing slightly as he gathered his papers with trembling hands.

Sakura watched him in silence, feeling a pang of compassion for the man.

'Idiot, it's not necessary to treat subordinates like that'

After the sound of the door closing, Gojo settled into the chair the poor frightened agent had been occupying, as if it were his own throne, ready to take control of the situation. "So, dango girl" he began, eating the last of his dessert and crossing one leg over the other. "You do know how precarious your situation is, right?" he asked, his voice muffled and amused.

Of course this would amuse him. Because this was what he wanted, wasn't it? Anger began to bubble in Sakura's chest and she glared at Gojo, who was nonchalantly licking the remains left on the dango stick.

She wanted to hit him.

"Did you plan this?" she asked, looking at him with hard eyes.

At this, the bandaged man turned, surprised. "Huh? Hey, not everything revolves around you, you know?"

He wasn't one to talk.

"And you want me to think that all this was pure coincidence? Ayumi was obsessed with you. How do I know you didn't manipulate her to get what you wanted?"

Gojo raised an eyebrow. "And what is it that I want?"

"For me to work for you, for the school. And you took every advantage you had, you leave me in a position with no options other than to go with you. You want me to think it was a coincidence that there was just a person who felt my killing intent and that the agents just showed up to take me away? Are you really capable of putting an innocent person's life at risk just to get what you want?" The rage seeped into her voice without restraint.

Gojo's apparent amusement vanished, now looking serious. "Come on, calm down" he said in a conciliatory tone. "Your situation may be very convenient for me now, but I really had nothing to do with what that girl did"

Combing his hair seductively and smiling flirtatiously, he said: "That they obsess over me is an effect I cause"

Faced with Sakura's less than friendly expression, Gojo dropped the joke. "Sorry, sorry!" he let out a giggle before getting serious again. "Come on! How was I supposed to know she would go to those extremes? Some people are just crazy" he said with a shrug.

"So you admit that you did expect her to do something less serious to provoke me? You admit that you planned it all?" she accused him with narrowed eyes.

Gojo stiffened. Oops. She figured it out.

"Okay, fine, maybe I was the author of a small Machiavellian plan that got a little out of control and–"

"A little?!" Gojo winced, covering his right ear. "My patient almost died because of a woman you tricked! What the hell is wrong with you? You can't go around ruining people's lives to get them to do what you want"

Damn, this man was getting on her nerves. It was incredible how she went from hating to loving those damn suppressors, because without them she would have already unleashed chaos.

She wanted to unleash chaos.

She wanted to send everything to hell.

"Hey" the serious and imposing voice pulled her away from her chaotic thoughts. Gojo was now looking at her with a different kind of seriousness, the atmosphere becoming denser. "I told you, it wasn't my intention for this to happen"

"Why should I believe you?"

Shrugging, the sorcerer leaned back in his chair again. "That's not my problem anymore" he replied disinterestedly at Sakura's indignant look. "Besides, this would have happened sooner or later. That girl already held a grudge against you, it was only a matter of time."

And it was true, that's why Satoru chose her. The amount of negative emotions he felt from her every time he was near Sakura or they talked about her was enough to form a small curse on its own. She was perfect for his plans. He just didn't think the girl could be so cruel, considering her profession. On several occasions he had subtly mentioned to her that Sakura was working illegally and that it was reportable. The idea was that she would use that to get rid of the woman she hated so much.

And once she did, he would seize the moment to take her to the institute. It was really annoying to have to do all that, but it's not like they could go around and force people capable of using cursed energy to work in a profession with the highest mortality rate, like being a shaman.

He had to study the person, know their ideals, aspirations, desires. See what they are passionate about and if they would be suitable for the position. Once they are, pull the strings so that things go his way.

With Sakura, he first studied her, observed her at her job, the most important thing since it was the area where he wanted her to work once he took her. She seemed to be a committed person and genuinely cared about the patients, that was good and what he needed. They couldn't allow just anyone to work in a place as delicate and vulnerable as the medical area. Once that was done, came the proposal, which she didn't accept.

Bad, but expected.

Messages followed, he needed her to believe they were desperate (not so much of a lie) and that the option was always available. Then it was simply a matter of waiting for her to be fired and he was sure that she herself would have called him to accept the job. It was better that she believed she chose that for herself.

But his plans went to waste. That girl Ayumi was stupid enough to do what she did. He was still surprised by the idiocy of people, unable to control their feelings and letting themselves be carried away by them. Not only did she get a fractured wrist, but according to his investigators, the patient who was the victim, once he woke up, stressed with great emphasis and anger that "he wasn't an idiot who didn't see what they were giving him" his exact words.

The old man assured that the dango girl gave him his medication correctly and that someone else, when he was asleep, must have given him something else.

So, Sakura already had the victim himself and his grandson (who also kept stressing that his onee-san was innocent) on her side. Now they were in the process of an internal investigation at the hospital and it was only a matter of time before they discovered the culprit.

Yes, very idiotic indeed.

What a nuisance. It would be so simple to just do whatever he wanted and that's it. But no, he needed people to follow him of their own free will.

He looked at the pretty woman in front of him. If he was honest with himself, he didn't just want to take her because of her ability, although that was a big part of it, he hadn't seen her use it yet, somehow she had managed to evade him so far, he still didn't know how she managed to escape his eyes the first time they met.

But also... where did she come from? There were too many unknowns in her life. Who taught her to use cursed energy? Did she know about Suguru? That he was the one who murdered her entire village? Is that why she hid for so many years? Is that the reason why she doesn't want to join the institute?

Questions and more questions.

Never mind, he would find out everything one way or another.

"Look, you don't have to see this as a bad thing, but as an opportunity. You know, my offer still stands"

Sakura continued to look at him angrily. This idiot had the nerve to treat it as if it really were an offer and not practically an imposition, and all with a smile.

"And if I refuse?"

Gojo snorted and rolled his eyes, deflating in his seat. "Don't make this any harder" he pleaded in a tired voice. "I think you're smart enough to know what's good for you. After all, I know Ijichi has already filled you in"

The green-eyed woman could perfectly read the rather obvious connotations. He was telling her that she had no options. Accept or be locked up.

The Sakura who trained, fought, healed and protected for years, the one who, with effort, sweat, tears, blood, managed to fight alongside the people she loved as an equal, the one everyone trusted not only as a medic, but as a shinobi.

That Sakura was outraged.

Did they think they had her so easily? That her only option was to accept what they asked of her? They were foolish and confident. If she wanted to, she could go back to her house right now, grab Tora and her basic belongings and go back to the forest, all in less than a minute. They would never catch her if she didn't want to be caught.

The teenage Sakura would have even broken the suppressors and punched the imbecile in front of her.

But what did this Sakura want? The tired, scared and sad Sakura. The one who had nothing left. She didn't even have a job anymore, she couldn't support Tora anymore. Would she always live on Yuki's charity? Was she willing to live as a fugitive and do dishonorable jobs for despicable people?

She hated to admit it, but the offer wasn't bad. She just didn't trust herself being there.

Everything would be easier without that stupid promise.

"What makes you think I would accept? Especially considering you planned all this. Aren't you afraid to bring a person who holds a grudge against you to be near your students?"

Gojo held his chin with his hand, weighing her question. "Well, things didn't go as planned. You were supposed to happily accept sooner or later." Sakura raised an eyebrow at that.

'Happily? Yeah, right.'

"But it doesn't matter. Because... I like you!" he admitted with a big smile.

"Huh?"

"That's right! I told you, didn't I? I have a good eye for judging people"

Sakura's eye twitched.

"Really? You like me when you clearly know I can't stand you and yet you would risk the lives of your students?"

She really didn't understand.

Gojo didn't lose the smile on his face. "Are you saying that, because of your hatred for me, you would be capable of killing an innocent?"

Sakura pressed her lips together, not answering. She would never do that, but he had no way of knowing, did he? Or did he? Was she that easy to read?

"As I suspected" he laughed slightly. "You're too good. You wouldn't dare break your moral code"

The once (and always) shinobi stared at him, hating his expression of satisfaction.

Maybe he was right. She would never do such a thing for trivial reasons, but for the right reasons, she learned the hard way that she would be capable of anything.

She was no saint and many innocents regretted that.

She still said nothing, she would just let him believe what he wanted. She also learned that it was better when they underestimated her, in every way. That was the reason why this man still had his stupid handsome face without bruises.

"How is Itadori-san?" Sakura asked.

"Who?"

"The man who was Ayumi's victim. Is he really okay?"

The abrupt change of subject left Satoru a bit bewildered, what a strange woman. "Yes, according to what I've been told, he's fine. In fact, he came to your defense." When he got no response, he continued "It seems they're investigating the case now, I don't think it will take long for them to discover the truth. So don't worry, your reputation will be fine. And Ayumi will probably get what she deserves"

Satoru even considered getting involved in that. That idiotic girl gave him more work.

He didn't mind giving her that information, because she wouldn't be able to continue practicing without a license anyway. And even if she considered getting it legally, her case with the jujutsu council was still pending.

"I see" Sakura said, her gaze lost.

A great weight was lifted from her shoulders, so much so that her desire to fight and oppose was gone. Itadori-san was fine, that was what mattered. Yuuji-kun wouldn't think she was ruthless.

Everything was fine.

"What will happen if I accept?"

Gojo's smile couldn't have been bigger. 'Perfect.'

"You would start working almost immediately, of course, first we would show you how everything works and who would be in charge of you. You'll like it, I assure you."

Sakura only made a vague sound of affirmation.

"Besides, you'll have free accommodation. Isn't that great?" he continued, undeterred.

That made Sakura focus her gaze forward again. "Would I live at the school?"

"Yep, there's plenty of space. Don't worry" Gojo said with a gesture of his hands.

He only got another sound of affirmation.

Many things were going through Sakura's mind and nothing at the same time. Was she in a position to accept? She felt lightheaded, she wasn't sure if she was taking everything with due seriousness. But what did it matter? Again, she had nothing left, she refused to be a burden to her friend, she refused to do dirty work, she wanted to live well, without worries, just fulfilling the promise she made, as far as she could.

Just that.

If she felt she couldn't anymore, then she would just leave.

Nothing could stop her.

"Okay, I accept"

Sakura didn't know how those simple words would drastically change her life.

"I knew you would choose wisely! Great, you just have to sign the contract I have here..."

He started rummaging through his jacket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. An imaginary drop of sweat formed on Sakura's head. That idiot already knew how it would all end and he wasn't even trying to hide it, even a little.

"Wait"

Gojo stopped his attempt to smooth out the paper to look at her. "What's wrong?"

Sakura looked at him steadily and with resolution.

"I have a condition"