The next morning, the air was still cool and crisp, with the early light casting long shadows on the forest floor. Sakura slowly woke up, her eyes fluttering open as the world around her came into focus. She scanned her surroundings, but the first thing that caught her attention was the absence of the others. It was unusually quiet, and for a moment, she felt a strange pang of confusion.

  Where was everyone?

  Just then, the sound of footsteps broke the silence. Travis appeared from behind a cluster of trees, having just returned from a short walk. His eyes met hers, and a small smirk formed on his face.

  "Good morning. How’d you sleep?" he asked casually as he walked over and sat beside her, his movements smooth and effortless.

  Sakura blinked a few times, still a little groggy but shaking off the remnants of sleep. "I slept well. Where is everyone?" she asked, her voice still carrying a hint of sleepiness.

  "Naruto and Yamato followed Orochimaru and Kabuto," Travis replied, looking off into the distance for a brief moment before turning his attention back to her. "I was waiting for you to get up so we can go as well, if you're feeling up for it, of course."

  "Of course, I wanna go," she responded without hesitation, sitting up. "Could you wait here for a moment? I’d like to get ready." She grabbed her bag and stood, walking toward the nearby river.

  Travis watched her leave for a second before turning his attention inward, his thoughts drifting. 'Man, Naruto really took what I told him seriously. He said he wanted to train as soon as we return to the Leaf. Maybe we can save Pervy Sage from getting his ass whooped by Pain. I don’t really care about the story anymore. I’m just gonna do what I wish... why not?' His mind wandered, a hint of amusement pying across his face as he thought about the future and the choices ahead of them.

  Meanwhile, Sakura stood by the river, staring at her reflection for a moment. The soft rustle of leaves and the distant sound of water flowing over rocks calmed her. She felt the weight of the question Travis had posed to her, and she couldn't help but let it linger in her mind as she washed her face and changed. 'Have I really grown strong enough? Is it enough to protect the people I care about?' Her thoughts weighed heavily on her heart.

  After a few moments, Sakura finished, and they both began sprinting toward Orochimaru's base. The ground beneath their feet seemed to pulse with energy as they moved quickly, the speed of their run a stark contrast to the intense, methodical pace they had taken the night before.

  When they arrived at the base, Travis didn’t hesitate. With a quick motion, he created a hole in the wall with ease, the rocks crumbling away like sand in his hands. "After you," he said, gesturing for Sakura to enter first.

  Sakura moved past him, her eyes narrowed and focused. She didn’t say anything, but she was beginning to feel a twinge of unease. She wasn’t sure why, but the way Travis was acting—so calm, so detached—made her feel like something was about to shift.

  Once inside, Travis followed close behind. As they moved down the long, dimly lit corridor, his voice broke the silence.

  "Sakura, do you feel satisfied with your strength?" he asked, his voice cutting through the stillness.

  Sakura blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, gncing over at him.

  Travis didn’t meet her eyes, his gaze ahead, steady. "I mean, do you think you've reached a point where you feel you could save Naruto or Sasuke if they needed you?" His tone remained neutral, but there was a sharpness to it that made Sakura think he wasn’t asking just out of curiosity.

  They continued walking down the path, the air around them thick with the weight of his words. Sakura hesitated, thinking carefully about her response. 'I have grown stronger, but... I don’t think it’s enough to save Sasuke, especially Naruto, since he's already being chased by the Akatsuki.' Her heart tightened slightly as the truth of the matter settled within her.

  "No," she said finally, her voice quiet but certain. "I wouldn't say I've reached that point. Why are you asking?" she added, her curiosity piqued.

  Travis turned his head slightly to gnce at her. "Well, isn’t that your goal? Don’t you wish to be strong enough to help your friends and family? Isn't that everyone’s goal? To have the strength to protect those you love... to protect innocent lives?"

  Sakura couldn’t deny the truth in his words. She wanted to be strong, she wanted to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves, but still... there was a knot of doubt in her chest. What if it wasn’t enough?

  "That's true," she said slowly. "But... what are you trying to say?"

  Travis stopped walking for a moment, his expression turning more serious than she had ever seen it. "What I'm saying is, as long as you feel like you're not strong enough—doesn't that mean you're weak? Doesn't that feeling drive you to push yourself harder, to become stronger than you are now? If it doesn’t, then I recommend you give up on Sasuke... much worse, trying to get even with Naruto. Because as you are now, you’ll never be able to reach them." His words were blunt, harsh even, but there was no malice behind them, only cold truth.

  Sakura’s eyes widened in shock at the intensity of his words. His gaze didn’t waver, and something about the way he spoke made her stomach churn. 'He’s right. If I truly want to save Sasuke, to help Naruto, then I need to be stronger. But am I strong enough? Or am I still weak, despite all the training and growth I’ve gone through?'

  She swallowed hard, forcing her mind to clear. “I... I understand what you mean,” she said, her voice steady, though there was a lingering uncertainty in her heart. “I can’t let my doubts hold me back. I need to get stronger.”

  Travis gave her a small nod, his expression still unreadable. "Good. Keep that mindset. Otherwise, you’ll never catch up to them."

  They resumed walking in silence, the weight of his words hanging in the air between them, pushing Sakura forward, urging her to confront the harsh truth she had been avoiding.

  Travis had always felt that the potential of the characters in the Naruto world was far greater than what the original story had allowed them to showcase. The tale, for all its intricacies and twists, often sidelined the true capabilities of many characters, relying too heavily on external powers like the tailed beasts and cursed marks to push the narrative forward. The bonds between characters and their personal growth were significant, but there were so many instances where characters were forced to rely on outside sources of strength instead of developing their own raw power.

  'It’s frustrating,' Travis thought. 'Why didn’t they push the characters to tap into their true potential? They’re capable of so much more, but the story just keeps giving them these crutches. Sure, not every character has the same natural potential as others, but with the right mindset and determination, they could still become formidable in their own right. They just need to believe in themselves and push their limits.'

  Travis didn’t want that for his team. He knew that for them to truly be strong, they needed to rely on their own strength, their own drive, not the borrowed power from the outside. That way, when they faced their enemies, they could stand tall, knowing they earned every victory on their own terms.

  'No more relying on these crutches,' Travis mused. 'I want them to make a name for themselves before they even reach their peak—just like they did in the anime, but with a much stronger foundation.'

  Before he could think further, the sudden sound of a massive explosion shook the base. The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet, and the walls reverberated with the shockwave.

  Booom!

  The deafening noise echoed throughout the cavernous halls, and both Travis and Sakura instinctively turned toward the source. Down the corridor, they saw an opening that hadn't been there before, the air around it thick with the residual energy of the bst. Without wasting a moment, Travis's eyes hardened with determination.

  "I guess that's Sasuke. Let's go," he said, voice steady, the urgency clear as he began to move towards the opening.