5. Sakura as a Burden in the Sasuke Retrieval Mission

During the mission to rescue Kazekage Gaara in Suna, Sakura successfully defeated Sasori. As a reward for her victory, Sasori provided valuable information, revealing that he was scheduled to meet his spy working for Orochimaru at the Tenchi Bridge.

Tsunade then formed a new Team 7 consisting of Yamato as the leader, with Naruto, Sakura, and Sai as members. Their mission was to impersonate Sasori, meet the spy at the Tenchi Bridge, and gather information about Orochimaru’s hideout. Once the information was secured, their follow-up mission was to eliminate Orochimaru and bring Sasuke back to Konoha.

At the Tenchi Bridge, Yamato, disguised as Sasori, discovered that the spy was Kabuto. However, the situation quickly escalated into an unplanned confrontation involving Kabuto, Orochimaru, and Team 7. Initially, Team 7 planned to extract critical information about Orochimaru’s secret base from Sasori’s spy, but they were shocked to learn that the spy, Kabuto, had betrayed Sasori and allied himself with Orochimaru.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru and Kabuto arrived at the Tenchi Bridge with the intent to kill Sasori, unaware that Sasori was already dead. Instead of Sasori, they encountered Yamato in disguise. Once Yamato’s disguise was exposed, both sides’ plans fell apart, leading to chaos at the meeting site. Yamato then ordered Naruto, Sakura, and Sai to reveal themselves.

Upon seeing Orochimaru, Naruto was overwhelmed with rage and demanded Orochimaru return Sasuke. Orochimaru, relishing the provocation, taunted Naruto, saying that if he wanted Sasuke back, he would first have to defeat him. Naruto’s anger erupted, causing him to transform into his Four-Tails Kyubi form, triggering an intense battle between the Four-Tails and Orochimaru.

After the fierce confrontation, Sai approached Orochimaru with a secret message from Danzou. Orochimaru allowed Sai to join him and Kabuto as they headed to Orochimaru’s hideout. Thanks to Yamato’s Wood Clone, which secretly tracked Sai, Team 7 managed to locate Orochimaru’s base and infiltrate it.

Inside the hideout, Team 7 captured Sai and demanded an explanation for his betrayal. Sai revealed that his mission was to act as a liaison between Orochimaru and Danzou, aiding Orochimaru in destroying Konoha while also spying on his activities for Danzou. However, unbeknownst to both Team 7 and Orochimaru, Danzou had given Sai a covert order to kill Sasuke, whom he considered a potential vessel for Orochimaru.

Sai, defying Danzou’s orders, chose instead to help Naruto in his quest to bring Sasuke back to Konoha. This decision stemmed from Sai’s admiration for Naruto, who, despite not being ordered by anyone, displayed an unwavering determination to rescue Sasuke. Naruto was even willing to risk his life battling Orochimaru to preserve his bond with Sasuke.

Using his Chouju Giga technique, which animates drawings, Sai created a swarm of mice that searched through the many rooms of Orochimaru’s hideout. His efforts paid off when he located Sasuke resting on a bed. Sai attempted to restrain Sasuke with painted snakes, but Sasuke effortlessly deflected the attack and unleashed a powerful explosion, partially destroying Orochimaru’s base.

Hearing the explosion, Naruto, Sakura, and Yamato rushed to the scene. They arrived to find Sai and Sasuke confronting each other. After three years apart, Naruto and Sakura were finally face-to-face with Sasuke again. However, the reunion was far from the warm moment they had envisioned. Sasuke showed no enthusiasm for their arrival, despite their arduous journey to find him. Speaking coldly, Sasuke declared that he had long severed all ties with Naruto and Sakura.

Without warning, Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder and suddenly swung his sword toward Naruto’s back. Sai intervened just in time to block the attack, saving Naruto. Sasuke retaliated by releasing a Chidori Nagashi, sending both Sai and Naruto crashing to the ground in pain.

Determined not to burden Naruto further, Sakura resolved to take on Sasuke herself. Gathering her courage, she prepared to strike Sasuke with a powerful Shannaro punch. However, Sasuke quickly countered, raising his sword to block and preparing to strike Sakura.

Seeing the danger, Yamato acted swiftly to shield Sakura. He rushed ahead of her, using his kunai to deflect Sasuke’s blade. Unfortunately, Sasuke’s sword, infused with Chidori’s power, easily sliced through Yamato’s kunai. Sasuke then mercilessly drove his electrified blade into Yamato’s shoulder, incapacitating him instantly.

# Reasons Why Sakura Was a Burden in the Sasuke Retrieval Mission

During the journey to Orochimaru’s hideout, Sakura reminded Naruto that this time, they must fight together to bring Sasuke back to Konoha. This hope arose after three years of separation from Sasuke, prompting Sakura to resolve to give her best effort for this mission.

However, reality painted a different picture when Team 7 finally faced Sasuke. As the battle began, Naruto and Sai fell victim to Sasuke’s Chidori Nagashi. The attack sent them flying, leaving them in pain and incapacitated on the ground.

Shortly after, Yamato also suffered severe injuries when his shoulder was pierced by Sasuke’s sword, which was infused with Chidori. Unfortunately, Yamato sustained this wound while attempting to protect Sakura, who recklessly tried to confront Sasuke barehanded. Considering that Sasuke was wielding a dangerously electrified sword, Sakura’s actions appeared impulsive and poorly thought out.

Ironically, despite her earlier determination to bring Sasuke back, Sakura contributed nothing to the fight against him. Instead of actively participating, she merely stood by and watched as Naruto, Sai, and Yamato battled Sasuke and bore the brunt of his attacks.

Sakura’s passive stance not only rendered her seemingly useless but also added to the team’s burdens. Her lack of initiative heightened the mission’s risks and forced her teammates to take extra measures to protect her.