Chapter 286: Morning Trials and the Floating Spectator

Chapter 286: Morning Trials and the Floating Spectator

The crisp air of early morning wrapped around them, it did little to improve the mood Malik found himself in as Sakura trudged ahead, pulling Malik along effortlessly. His hands rested lightly on her shoulders, his body hovering just a few inches behind her, floating lazily as she walked.

"You could fly on your own, you know," Sakura muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I could," Malik replied smoothly, grinning, "but why waste perfectly good effort when I have a strong, determined cherry blossom to carry me? Plus you got these strong shoulders, it would be a waste not to feel your hard work first hand, or more accurately with hand. Also why are we walking so early in the morning again?"

Sakura sighed, though Malik caught the tiny twitch at the corner of her mouth—she was amused, even if she wouldn't admit it outright.

Ahead of them, Tsunade marched forward, leading the way into the dense forest, the towering rock formations in the distance standing, staring, and looming like a silent Rock God over the deep shade beneath their peaks.

"For the last time," Tsunade called over her shoulder, her tone sharp, "you didn't have to come, Malik."

Malik scoffed, releasing Sakura's shoulders as he drifted forward, flipping mid-air before settling beside Tsunade, floating backward as he faced her head-on.

"And miss spending three whole days with my sweet, thorny cherry blossom?" Malik placed a hand over his chest, mock-offended. "That would be criminal."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, though she didn't slow her pace.

"This is serious training, not one of your romantic vacations."

"Says you," Malik mused, spinning up midair and then down again before settling comfortably behind Sakura again, still letting her pull him along.

Tsunade ignored him, pressing forward toward the clearing.

The forest opened into a wide clearing, the towering rock formations looming overhead, casting large patches of cool shade beneath their jagged peaks.

The ground was firm, the perfect terrain for high-impact movements, and the space was secluded enough that no stray interference from Konoha's more curious onlookers would disrupt them.

Sakura stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders as she eyed Tsunade expectantly.

"So, what are we working on today?"

Tsunade cracked her knuckles, her piercing brown eyes locking onto Sakura with unwavering focus.

"You're ready for the advanced stage," she said, her tone firm. "No more holding back. It's time to sharpen your power, refine your chakra control, and perfect your endurance."

Malik hovered midair, watching the exchange closely, his golden-and-pink eyes flickering with amusement.

"Malik," Tsunade said abruptly, turning to him sharply, "buzz off. I wouldn't want to hurt little sensitive you on purpose. I mean—by accident."

Malik grinned, placing a dramatic hand over his heart.

"Wow. Threats before sunrise? Brutal."

Tsunade snorted, shaking her head.

"If you stay here, don't get in the way."

Malik smirked, looking at Sakura.

"You hear that? Don't let this big bully push you around too much."

He leaned forward, placing a big motivational kiss on her cheek, earning an exasperated sigh from Sakura—though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her actual feelings.

Malik snapped his fingers, summoning multiple plush, soft, and expensive pillows seemingly out of thin air, stacking them neatly beneath the largest tree in the clearing.

He descended gracefully, settling onto the pillows before pulling out a fan from the ether, his magic ensuring it fanned itself on him automatically.

"Ugh, it's too early for all of this," Malik muttered, waving a hand dramatically as he adjusted his pillows.

Sakura and Tsunade ignored him entirely, preparing for the first round of training.

Malik sighed, settling in.

"And I can already tell," he added, adjusting the angle of his fan, "this is gonna be a hot day."

The clearing beneath the towering rocky mountain was cooler than expected, with shade cast over most of the field. But despite the relief from the sun, the air was thick with tension—the weight of Tsunade's presence, the unrelenting pace of Sakura's training, and the amused gaze of Malik as he lay comfortably sprawled out under a tree with plush pillows stacked beneath him.

"Alright, Sakura," Tsunade called out, cracking her knuckles, Her sharp brown eyes fixated on her student, unwavering and intense, carrying the weight of unspoken expectations. There was something powerful in that gaze—a quiet authority, a demand for focus, for readiness. It was not just observation but an assessment, a challenge, as if her very stare could strip away uncertainty and hesitation, leaving only determination in its wake. The depth of her eyes held experience, wisdom, and the fire of discipline, ensuring her student knew that under her watch, failure was not an option. "We've passed the basics. You don't get to call this training anymore—you call this survival."

Sakura nodded sharply, determination flickering in her emerald-green eyes.

She was dressed for it today—a sleeker, more flexible outfit, custom-designed for agility and endurance, fitting her body like a second skin.

A tight crimson sports top, exposing her toned midsection for better cooling.

Matching form-fitting training leggings, reinforced for movement.

Her long pink hair, tied back securely to keep out of her way, but Malik couldn't help but notice—

It was getting longer.

He liked that.

"A future wife who can punch a boulder to death? What a dream," Malik mused lazily, watching her stretch, admiring the way the sunlight caught faint strands of pink in her hair.

Tsunade wasted no time.

She had Sakura start with intense endurance runs, weaving through the uneven terrain of the training ground, forcing her to push past the muscle fatigue in her legs.

"Faster, Sakura," Tsunade barked, arms crossed as she watched. "Your strength means nothing if you can't last a fight!"

Sakura gritted her teeth, increasing her pace.

She wasn't just running.

She was dodging projectiles—Tsunade launching small stones at her with incredible precision, testing Sakura's ability to weave through attacks while maintaining maximum speed.

Malik observed with quiet intensity, his striking pink-and-gold eyes gleaming with intrigue as he tracked every movement before him. His magic grip on his fan tightened slightly, the smooth surface cool against his fingers as he raised it closer to his face, half-obscuring his expression.

"Damn," he murmured under his breath, the word slipping out before he could stop it, carried by a mix of admiration and surprise. His gaze never wavered, locked onto the scene unfolding before him. He could see the strain, the sheer effort, the relentless push forward—no hesitation, no mercy.

"She's really pushing her," he added, his voice softer now, tinged with something unreadable. It wasn't just observation; it was a realization, an acknowledgment of the battle taking place before him—one that demanded everything.

As soon as Sakura completed her grueling runs, sweat tracing rivulets down her temple, Tsunade wasted no time shifting to the next phase of training. There was no break, no moment to catch her breath—only the relentless push forward.

Before her stood several towering wooden pillars, thick and reinforced, their surfaces worn with scratches from past impacts. Tsunade strode forward, her sharp brown eyes locking onto her student with an expression that bore both expectation and challenge. With a simple, decisive gesture, she motioned for Sakura to step up.

"Break them."

The command was simple, but Sakura knew better than to underestimate its weight. She exhaled deeply, rolling her shoulders, grounding herself. The ache in her legs from the earlier exercise threatened to slow her—but she pushed past it. Strength wasn't just muscle. It was determination. It was control.

Her chakra surged, flaring around her fists in a faint glow, radiating raw power just beneath the surface. She could feel it pooling in her knuckles, ready—waiting.

Off to the side, Malik leaned forward slightly, eyes flickering with intrigue, his fingers tightening around his fan. He watched with a knowing smirk, a quiet admiration slipping into his voice as he murmured, "She's going to wreck those things."

Sakura didn't hesitate.

With a single, devastating punch, her fist collided with the first pillar—

And the impact resounded through the air like a thunderclap.

The thick wood splintered violently, splitting in half from the sheer force. Shards flew outward, dust rising in the wake of destruction. The ground beneath them trembled ever so slightly.

Tsunade remained unphased, arms crossed, observing with the critical eye of a master. Malik's smirk widened.

But Sakura? She simply rolled her wrist, assessing the damage with quiet satisfaction. The first was down—she had more to go.

But Tsunade Doesn't Go Easy on Her

"Again," Tsunade ordered, her tone sharp, unwavering, utterly unimpressed. There was no nod of approval, no glint of pride in her eyes—just pure, cold expectation.

Sakura didn't hesitate. There was no room for hesitation.

She punched.

Then again.

And again.

Her knuckles slammed into the thick wooden pillars, her chakra bursting on impact, sending violent cracks splintering through the reinforced structures. The sound echoed through the training ground—a relentless rhythm of destruction, each strike more powerful than the last.

Dust kicked into the air, floating like smoke, proof of the wreckage left in her wake. Yet Tsunade remained still, arms crossed, eyes locked on Sakura with a gaze that demanded more. Better. Stronger.

"You stop when I tell you," Tsunade reminded, voice edged with finality.

"Got it!" Sakura snapped back, breath heavy, arms trembling—but her stance? Unshaken.

Malik watched with growing amusement, leaning into his pillows, eyes flickering with intrigue as he observed her sheer ferocity. She wasn't just enduring. She was thriving in the challenge, pushing herself past exhaustion, past limits that would've broken lesser warriors.

His smirk deepened.

"I really picked a good one," he murmured to himself, adjusting his seat, settling in to watch the storm unfold.

After the endurance and raw power training, Tsunade transitioned to precision work.

"Strength without accuracy is wasted effort," she reminded Sakura. "We refine your flexibility, your control. Your chakra must work with you, not against you."

Sakura listened intently, adjusting her breathing as Tsunade set up target training exercises.

This time?

She wasn't punching.

She was moving through a carefully laid obstacle course, striking pressure points on marked wooden posts with precise movements, her balance tested at every turn.

Malik watched closely, admiring the way her body shifted effortlessly, using her legs, core, and shoulder movements to weave through the training.

"You're beautiful when you're focused," he murmured, though it was mostly to himself.

As the morning training intensified, Malik settled back against his pillows, watching every movement, taking in every controlled strike Sakura delivered.

The sun had begun to peek into the clearing, slipping through the rocky formations despite the overwhelming shade—but Malik hardly noticed the heat anymore.

Sakura's focus was magnetic, her form sharp, disciplined.

She was a true warrior, shaped beneath Tsunade's relentless guidance, growing into the power Malik knew had always been within her grasp.

"She'll be terrifying soon," Malik murmured to himself, smirking.

"And absolutely unstoppable."

He wouldn't have it any other way. But soon came A Signal for Chaos.

Tsunade turned slightly, her sharp brown eyes flicking toward Malik, watching him in mild irritation as he lay comfortably sprawled out on his stack of expensive pillows beneath the tree's shade.

Malik stretched his arms, sighed dramatically, and then—

Snapped his fingers.

The ground rumbled beneath them, the subtle pulse of his incubus magic merging with the raw earth chakra buried deep within the soil.

From the shifting terrain, five stone golems emerged—hulking forms crafted from the land itself, their bodies rough, their eyes gleaming with a faint magical glow as they took their positions before Sakura.

The training had now evolved.

First Trial – Combat Awareness, "You wanted a challenge?" Malik called lazily from his shaded throne. "Here you go, cherry blossom."

Sakura didn't flinch, even as the first golem lunged forward, its movements slow but relentless, its weight pressing heavily against the ground with each step.

She dashed sideways, the flexibility of her sleek training outfit allowing her full range of movement, her reflexes sharpened from the earlier training sessions.

"Good," Tsunade noted, her arms crossed, watching Sakura's movements with critical precision.

A second golem swung heavily, aiming for her torso—but Sakura twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the impact before driving her chakra-infused fist into the golem's side.

The rock cracked, fracturing under her strength.

"Tougher than wood," Sakura thought, briefly analyzing the difference in resistance between the stone and the pillars she had shattered earlier.

But she didn't dwell.

She finished the job, striking again, forcing the stone creature to collapse into rubble.

Second Trial – Distractions, Before she could catch her breath, new voices emerged—soft, familiar, dangerously distracting.

"Sakura!"

The tone was warm, gentle, comforting—her mother's voice, drifting into the field as though she were standing right there.

Then another—

"Sakura, you're doing great!"

She whipped her head around, her emerald-green eyes widening slightly as she saw an illusion of Kakashi, standing casually by the edge of the field.

She knew it wasn't real.

She knew these were Malik's magic illusions, crafted to test her ability to focus under pressure.

But the instinct to respond was still there.

"Ignore it," Tsunade barked. "Focus!"

Sakura gritted her teeth.

A third stone golem lunged.

She dodged, narrowly missing the blow before sending her fist into its chest, shattering it completely.

Final Trial – Memories and Dreams, Malik grinned, settling deeper into his pillow seat, watching the illusion shift, unraveling into something far more intricate—no longer just voices whispering at the edges of consciousness, but fully formed visions. Memories. Dreams. Echoes of past and future woven together in a tapestry so seamless it blurred reality.

The air shimmered, and suddenly Sakura was elsewhere—no longer standing in battle, but sitting beneath the familiar shade of an old tree. Sunlight dappled the ground, filtering through the leaves above, casting soft golden hues across the scene. She could feel the warmth of summer against her skin, the distant hum of the village beyond.

Ino was there.

Sakura sat still as nimble fingers worked through the strands of her hair, twisting them into delicate braids. Laughter danced between them—light, carefree, untouched by the weight of duty or expectation. For a moment, the world felt small again, simple, innocent.

Then, the illusion twisted.

The tree, the warmth, the familiarity burned away, replaced by something grander, sharper—a future not yet realized, but already waiting.

Sakura stood, her posture straight, commanding. She was stronger, wiser, her presence undeniable. Her hands glowed, pulsating with immense chakra, vibrating with a force that could shake mountains, topple empires. A true kunoichi, a legend in the making.

For a fleeting moment, she felt it—felt the possibility of what she could become, of the heights she had yet to reach.

But she was still here. Still fighting.

"No."

The thought cut through the illusion like a blade, sharp and unwavering. She tightened her stance, shaking off the distractions as the ground trembled beneath her feet.

The golem surged forward, closing the gap, its massive stone fist hurtling toward her with deadly force.

It landed.

And for an instant, time held its breath—a single moment where everything could crumble, where the force of impact could end it all.

But instead of crushing her—

She caught it.

Bare-handed.

Stone cracked under her grip, veins of energy racing along her arms, absorbing the shock of the collision. Dust exploded outward, the sheer force sending a gust through the field. She didn't falter, didn't stumble. She held it, defiant, unyielding.

Malik's eyes widened, the grin on his lips stretching into something far more entertained, far more admiring. He adjusted his position, resting his chin in his hand, thoroughly impressed.

"God, that's hot."

The pure force of her chakra-infused grip locked onto the rock, the strain only lasting a moment before she clenched her fingers tighter—

And the golem crumbled, its entire arm shattering under her strength.

"Different than wood," she noted again, analyzing the change in resistance, the way stone yielded differently to force.

She turned.

Four golems left.

They wouldn't last much longer.

Tsunade watched her closely, her expression unreadable.

Malik leaned forward slightly, his golden-and-pink eyes gleaming, satisfied.

"She's terrifying," Malik murmured to himself, smirking.

Sakura breathed deeply, stepping back, her fists still tight as she analyzed her surroundings.

She had won, but the real lesson had been in persistence.

Distractions were everywhere.

Memories, emotions, attachments—they could cloud judgment, weaken focus.

But she hadn't broken.

She had stayed sharp.

And Malik knew—

She wasn't just a fighter anymore.

She was a warrior, a warrior who needed A Much-Needed Break.

Tsunade clapped her hands sharply, the echo of authority rolling through the training field like the aftermath of a lightning strike.

"Five-minute break, Sakura."

Sakura exhaled heavily, her breath labored, sweat clinging to her crimson training top and dripping from her forehead. She barely registered the words before she staggered toward Malik, her body aching, muscles burning, and exhaustion settling into her limbs like weights dragging her down.

And yet, despite it all—

She didn't collapse completely.

Instead, she launched herself forward, rolling onto Malik's overly luxurious stack of pillows before crashing hard against him, the sheer force of her momentum knocking him straight onto the dirt floor below.

"Oof—!" Malik gasped, his pink eyes widening, staring up at the sky from his newly flattened position.

Sakura groaned loudly, stretching her limbs across the silken fabric of his incredibly expensive pink-and-gold robe, gripping the cloth tightly as she used it as a sweat towel without hesitation.

"You have too many fancy clothes anyway," Sakura muttered.

Malik blinked up at her, dazed but amused, then sighed dramatically.

"And here I thought I was royalty."

Sakura closed her eyes for a second, resting her cheek against his ruined robe, before inhaling deeply.

She paused.

Then smiled faintly.

"You smell nice."

Malik smirked but chose not to tell her what she truly smelled like at the moment—not when she was drenched in sweat, exhausted, and clearly resting for her only five minutes of reprieve.

Instead, he leaned forward slightly, golden eyes softening.

"You smell perfect."

Sakura looked up, meeting his gaze—green locked against gold, exhaustion melted away by the gentle sincerity in his voice.

For a moment, they simply stared at one another—the world slowing, the weight of the morning training fading into the background.

Tsunade sighed loudly, deciding not to acknowledge the ridiculous display of affection unfolding before her as she walked around the training field, scanning the damage her student had inflicted over the past few hours.

She bent down, lifting splintered wood, analyzing the clean fractures along its surface.

"Sharp strikes," she mused to herself, her brown eyes narrowing in thought. "Controlled strength—no wasted movement."

She then turned to the shattered stone, kicking aside loose rubble, watching how the material had fractured differently than the wood.

"The transition wasn't immediate," Tsunade murmured, mentally tracking every punch Sakura had thrown, analyzing the way her student had adapted over time.

The issue wasn't power. Sakura had power in abundance.

The issue was instantaneous reaction to different resistance levels—adjusting her chakra output accordingly without hesitation.

"She'll need refinement," Tsunade muttered.

Her student was improving quickly, but there was still room for growth—still small gaps to be filled, moments where instinct needed to override thought.

She straightened, dusting off her palms, before turning back toward the lounging duo beneath the trees so The Next Round could Begin.

"Alright, lovebirds," Tsunade called, crossing her arms. "Break's over."

Sakura groaned loudly, rolling off Malik's destroyed robe before sitting up, stretching her arms again despite the soreness settling deep into her bones.

Malik sighed dramatically, pulling out another fan from thin air, letting it wave itself gently beside his face.

"Do we really need to continue?" Malik mused. "Isn't she already perfect?"

Tsunade snorted, shaking her head.

"We? . . . and Not yet. But she will be."

She turned toward Sakura, her expression dead serious.

"Three more hours, Sakura."

"Understood, Lady Tsunade."

And with that—

The training resumed.