Chapter 195: The Tree in the Lake

Land of Waterfalls, November, Year 60 of Konoha

"What did you say?" Shibuki demanded of Senji, his voice laced with disbelief.

"Shibuki-sama, please hurry back! The village is under attack!" Senji cried, grabbing Shibuki's arm to drag him away.

But Shibuki's reaction was surprisingly violent. Ignoring the fact that Senji was just a frail old man, he forcefully shoved Senji's hand off his arm. "Get off me! I'm leaving!"

Shoved aside, Senji stumbled and fell to the ground. Naruto, already back on his feet, saw Shibuki's rough treatment of the elder and was instantly furious. Naruto had always had a soft spot for the elderly, likely stemming from having been looked after by the Third Hokage so often as a child. In fact, since retiring, the Third often checked in on Naruto, sometimes even offering pointers – something that secretly drove Sasuke nuts (Just who is your student, anyway? he'd think bitterly).

"Hey, hold it!" Naruto yelled. "How can you shove an old man like that!"

Hearing Naruto's shout, Shibuki turned and shot him a glare but said nothing. Naruto ignored it. "That's going too far! What if you'd hurt him?!"

"Shibuki-sama, who are they?" Senji asked, seemingly unfazed by Shibuki's behavior as he picked himself up. He gestured towards the three youngsters.

"They are the escorts I hired from Konoha," Shibuki replied stiffly.

Hearing this, Senji nodded, then turned to Naruto. "This is a village matter. It doesn't concern you. Please leave."

"Er~~~" The words Naruto had been about to shout died in his throat. He couldn't get a word out.

"Shibuki-sama, wait, where are you going?" Senji cried out as Shibuki turned to leave again. He hurried after him. "Shibuki-sama, please, you must return to the village! Only you know where that thing is hidden! As long as we have that thing, Takigakure will definitely be saved!"

"No, I... I can't..." Perhaps Shibuki was torn. Caught by Senji again, he didn't shove him away this time. Instead, he sank to the ground, hands clutching his head, rocking back and forth and muttering, "No... I can't do it... I... I can't..." His expression was utterly terrified.

"You can do it, Shibuki-sama!" Senji knelt before him, renewing his pleas. "You are the hero of Takigakure! Please, Shibuki-sama!"

Sakura watched the exchange, intrigued. If her instincts were right, the fact that Senji heard they were Konoha ninja but still didn't request their help meant these Takigakure people were determined to keep outsiders from finding their village.

Their home was already under attack, yet Shibuki remained this cowardly. Sakura was pretty sure now that his timidity was genuine, not an act. This Shibuki and Senji were certainly a strange pair. Attacked on their own turf, help right here for the asking, yet they resolutely avoided the idea. It seemed Takigakure was hiding a secret they desperately wanted to protect – probably that thing Senji kept mentioning.

The situation had become messy. Sakura's original plan was to sneak into Taki and get intel on Kakuzu, but now she'd stumbled into an active invasion. Were the two events connected? She didn't know, but she wasn't about to dither any longer. It was time to intervene.

Sakura stepped forward. "Um," she began, addressing both Senji and Shibuki, "I can help you take care of your enemies."

"No need!"

"No need!"

Shibuki and Senji replied instantly, in perfect unison.

Sakura was taken aback for a second but pressed on. "Actually," she improvised quickly, "before you requested the escort mission, the Fifth Hokage had assigned me the task of establishing an alliance with Takigakure. Your request temporarily delayed that mission. The plan was to complete this escort, demonstrate our goodwill, and then I was to return to formalize the alliance. But now, seeing you in danger, we are more than willing to offer our assistance, as a show of good faith towards our future alliance."

Hearing Sakura's explanation, Shibuki still looked torn, and Senji wore a similar expression. Seeing the indecision warring on their faces, Sakura knew they were clearly wavering. Looks like Takigakure's secret is truly significant, she thought.

"But," Senji finally said, voicing his doubt, "there are only three of you, and there are dozens of them. Even if we ask for your help, the three of you probably aren't strong enough to defeat them."

"You won't know if you don't try! You shouldn't underestimate us," Sasuke stepped forward immediately, saying hotly, visibly eager for a fight.

"Yeah, Gramps!" Naruto added eagerly, not about to be shown up, fists clenched. "Don't count us out either! We're super strong!"

Watching the two boys practically vibrating with excitement made Sakura's head throb slightly. Although she had voluntarily offered their help, she needed Senji's assessment of the enemy's strength before committing Team 7 alone. Sending Naruto or Sasuke for reinforcements from the border patrol was an option, but as team leader, she couldn't afford to be reckless. She needed an accurate assessment before devising a strategy.

"Don't worry," Sakura reassured Senji calmly. "If the enemy proves too strong, we will call for backup from the border patrols. Besides, these two are actually very capable," she gestured to Naruto and Sasuke, "and I'm a Chunin myself."

Senji looked at Sakura with obvious surprise, clearly finding it hard to believe someone so young held the rank of Chunin. He nodded nonetheless. "The attackers are ninja," he began grimly. "Around a dozen of them. They..."

After listening to Senji's description, Sakura quickly assessed the situation. The enemy ninja didn't sound exceptionally strong – probably Genin level for the most part. Any leader present was likely Chunin at best. Between her own abilities and Naruto and Sasuke fighting alongside her, Team 7 was more than capable of handling this.

With that settled, Sakura didn't hesitate. She nodded firmly at Senji. "I have a clear picture now. Take us to your village. We can handle this."

"Alright," Senji said, steeling himself. "I'll lead the way." He turned to the still-hesitant Shibuki. "Shibuki-sama, please follow us as well. If things go badly, you should fall back with that thing."

Shibuki, still terrified, trembled visibly. "Th-then... alright. But if... if there's trouble, I will be the first to retreat."

Senji nodded, as if this were perfectly expected. Sakura was mildly amused. Cowardice is cowardice, she thought dryly. Why call it a retreat? But considering Shibuki's cowardly yet face-saving personality, she shrugged it off.

······················

Looking back at the thundering curtain of water concealing the cave entrance, Sakura was amazed again. Nature's ingenuity was incredible. From the outside, there was no sign whatsoever that a cavern lay hidden behind the waterfall's midpoint. The waterfall offered perfect concealment, and any signs of passage would be instantly obliterated by the rushing water.

If I'd been searching alone, I likely never would have found it, Sakura realized. Probably only the Byakugan could pinpoint its location; even Sasuke's Sharingan would be insufficient.

Senji led them deeper into the cavern, stopping at the edge of a dark pool. "Alright, this is it," he announced. "Descend through this pool, and you'll emerge in the village."

Before Sakura's group could react, he yanked Shibuki forward and jumped into the pool. They vanished beneath the surface instantly. Sakura rushed to the edge, peering down, but they were gone.

She stared at the pool, pondering for a moment, and then it clicked. There must be another pool inside Takigakure, fed by this underwater passage. The village itself must be effectively sealed off, accessible only via this route. She glanced around at the several dozen large and small, identical pools within the cavern, her lip twitching. Masterfully concealed. No one would ever guess one of these pools is the entrance.

"Let's go, Naruto, Sasuke," Sakura signaled to the boys, took a final breath, and dove into the indicated pool.

"Hey... wait, Sakura-..." Naruto opened his mouth to ask something, but Sasuke had already plunged in after Sakura. With a sigh, Naruto dove in after them.

With chakra enhancing her lung capacity, Sakura knew she could stay submerged for an impressive amount of time. If I took this to the Olympics back home, I could probably shatter world records, she mused wryly. Pure fantasy, of course. Setting aside the impossibility of ever returning home, it's not like chakra even exists back there.

Speaking of the Olympics, Sakura was struck by a whimsical idea: she could organize Ninja Olympics! Get all the hidden villages involved. No more pointless bloodshed and feuds – they could prove their strength through fair competition, rank the villages, maybe even award prize money! It might ease financial tensions and stop the endless wars over resources! Hehe, now that has potential! she thought excitedly. Maybe the Ninja Olympics are the key to future world peace!

Just as her mind was wandering down this fanciful path, a brightness emerged in the distance. Looks like we're nearing the exit, she realized, pushing forward faster.

"Huuuuhh~~~~" Bursting from the water, Sakura took deep, grateful gulps of oxygen, and then was immediately captivated by the sight before her.

"Whoa~~~ This is amazing!" Naruto and Sasuke broke the surface beside her, staring in awe.

The view revealed itself completely. They had emerged into a broad lake situated high on a cliff ledge within what seemed like a massive cavern or hidden valley. Before them lay the vast lake, and in its center rose an island hosting an immense tree of some unfamiliar type. The tree's branches formed a dense canopy that shaded the entire lake surface. A scattering of houses clustered around the base of the great tree. However, in an open space nearby, a throng of people were huddled together, watched over by several guards in the now-familiar light-colored uniforms.

"Hey, over here!"

Sakura heard a call from the side and spotted Senji hailing her. He was waving from inside another cavern opening at the edge of the lake on the cliff ledge.

"Naruto, Sasuke," Sakura said, hauling herself onto the ledge. "Prepare for battle."

"Ready when you are."

"Hmph. Been waiting for this."