Sakura Haruno

is a kunoichi of Konohagakure. When assigned to Team 7, Sakura quickly finds herself ill-prepared for the duties of a shinobi. However, after training under the Sannin Tsunade, she overcomes this, and becomes recognised as one of the greatest medical-nin in the world.

Background
Sakura is the only child of Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno. She had an ordinary childhood, raised by her parents without any serious tragedy or complications, unlike her team members. When she entered Konoha's Academy, a few of the girls in her class started picking on her because of her broad forehead. Sakura tried to combat their teasing by hiding her forehead with her bangs, but this proved to the other girls that it bothered her and caused them to tease her even more. Ino Yamanaka, one of her classmates, saw this, and defended Sakura from her bullies and encouraged her to embrace her forehead rather than hide it.

Over the following years, Ino's guidance and friendship helped Sakura become comfortable with herself and develop into her own person. Though she felt indebted to Ino for helping her, Sakura began to feel that she was living in Ino's shadow when she, instead, wanted to be Ino's equal. At some point after she entered in the Academy, Sakura met Sasuke Uchiha and she developed a crush on him. When she told her friends, she was surprised to learn how popular Sasuke was with the girls. Sakura heard a rumour of Sasuke being attracted to girls with long hair and she began letting her hair grow to get his attention. A couple of years later, when she learned Ino had a crush on Sasuke, Sakura ended their friendship so that they could compete for Sasuke's love, thus beginning a bitter rivalry between them. After they were placed in their teams, Sakura approached Ino, telling her of her liking towards Sasuke. Ino revealed that she too had feelings towards him. Sakura took it to end their friendship, starting their dislike towards each other in the beginning of the series.

Personality
As a child, Sakura was insecure and highly self-conscious about her large forehead, covering it with her bangs. It was not until she met Ino, who defended her from bullies and became her friend, that she become more self-confident. At the start of Part I, Sakura typically gives the outward impression of being polite to her superiors, considerate of her peers, and confident in herself. She has occasional moments of bashfulness around Sasuke and competitiveness around Ino, but otherwise appears quite collected. This reservation, though never disingenuous, frequently masks how Sakura feels: in certain situations, she has pronounced feelings of delinquency, jealousy, and anger. Rather than display these emotions to others, she projects them inward, allowing a manifestation of who she truly is — what is labelled — to have the opinions Sakura wants to keep to herself. Inner Sakura, whose appearances are marked by an exclamation of "Shannarō!", is in a sense a personality separate from Sakura herself, a fact that allows her to overcome the Mind Body Switch Technique. At other times, Sakura and Inner Sakura are indistinguishable from each other, usually with regards to Naruto. If Naruto says or does something that annoys or upsets her, Sakura responds with violence, a reaction that under other circumstances would be delegated to Inner Sakura.

As Part I progresses, Sakura becomes increasingly exposed to the realities of the world, difficulties for which she cannot rely upon Inner Sakura to cope with alone. When she was an Academy student, Sakura succeeded through studying alone to the point of pride, able to avoid physical trials and thus allowing her to focus on her physical appearance in a bid to appeal to Sasuke. As a shinobi, however, this is proven insufficient as her long hair can become a liability for opponents to exploit. Missions cannot be truly completed merely with book smarts, and it is necessary to be able to fight so that other shinobi will not kill her or her teammates. The latter makes Sakura particularly disappointed in herself, as she is unable to contribute much in battle and must rely on Naruto and Sasuke to save her. She sets out to change this about herself, dedicating nearly three years of training to making herself as capable as Naruto and Sasuke; in the meantime, she becomes willing to sacrifice herself to protect them, coming to value them both very deeply. She looks to Naruto as a model for this goal, inspired by his rapid growth and his determination to be there for her and all those he held dear. When Sakura realises that she is as rude to Naruto as Sasuke usually is to her at his urging, she starts treating him better, cheering for his accomplishments, and confiding her hopes and fears with him.

Inner Sakura makes one appearance at the very start of Part II and then is never seen in the series again. This is because Sakura is finally in touch with her feelings and is willing to express what she's thinking, a self-comfort she picked up during her training with Tsunade. However, this has also made her more emotional and impulsive at times. Her desire to catch up in strength with Naruto and Sasuke, her overprotectiveness of them, and her need to prove her worthiness as a ninja, brings forth this dark side of her more easily which often leads her to attack her opponents and get rescued by her comrades. Her violent and/or loud outbursts are, as in Part I, uncontrolled and often directed at Naruto, usually as a reaction to his variations of the Sexy Technique, whenever he asks her out on a date, or anything she feels is out of line, along with when anybody does something to offends her. Minato, at one point, witnessing Sakura's outburst on Naruto when he asked if she was his girlfriend, noted that she reminded him of his own wife. However, Sakura no longer thinks poorly of Naruto despite thinking he is an idiot and her earlier stern disparaging opinion of him that flares at times. She now holds his abilities in high regard, angrily reprimanding and threatening Sai when he, although deliberately to test Sakura's faith in Naruto, deemed Naruto weak. Yet, she is ever-worrying for his safety and well-being to the point of easily feeling overwhelming guilt, and values him as one of her closest friends. Despite criticising Naruto for his perverted nature, Sakura herself has a perverted side, enjoying something even Naruto thought was disgusting. Sai eventually points out that he believes Naruto knows Sakura too well for his own good, constantly placing himself in personal peril out of his feelings for her so that Sakura will be happy. Sakura is moved to tears by this, feeling unbearably guilty for what she feels she had put Naruto through. Despite her attempts to take responsibility for herself during the Summit by trying to deal with Sasuke herself, she still finds herself relying on him due to her shaky resolve, nearly costing Sakura her life. She ultimately settles for doing whatever she can for him, trying to do more in supporting him and his decisions concerning Sasuke, trying to do more to help him bear the challenges of being a jinchūriki and fighting at his side whenever possible. She is helped in this goal by Tsunade's influence, who trained her to have a contempt for losing and an unbending will; she will place herself at risk so that others don't need to and to assure her allies' victory.

Sakura has been in love with Sasuke since childhood and initially focuses on getting his attention above everything else. Her initial infatuation for him was rooted in his good looks, and calm, collecting attitude, and his rejections failed to deter her. Despite being grateful of her loving him after she confesses to stop him from defecting from Konoha, Sasuke rejects her but thanks her before leaving. This rejection deeply upsets Sakura, driving her to plea for Naruto to bring Sasuke home and, when Naruto fails, motivating her to become stronger so that she can bring Sasuke back herself. She tries to separate herself from her feelings when Sasuke becomes an international criminal, attempting to kill him to prevent a war, but her love for him proved to be too great for her to harm him. Even at the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sakura holds out hope that she may mean something to him. Despite Sasuke's crimes, Sakura was able to forgive him after he sincerely apologised to her for how much he hurt her. She was also surprised when he exhibited a much softer point with her and began poking her on the forehead, an affectionate gesture he picked up from his brother.

After marrying Sasuke, Sakura became very loyal to him and even refused to leave his side while she was pregnant with their daughter, Sarada. Sakura raises Sarada on her own due to Sasuke being away on his mission for many years, and she frequently reassures Sarada that Sasuke loves them both and will return home once his mission is over. She is also very patient and wise as her love and patience for Sasuke never faded even though Sarada was barely a toddler when he left. As a mother, Sakura is loving and protective, and has a very close relationship with her daughter and will praise her for her achievements just as quickly as she admonishes her for wrongdoing. Although Sakura is very supportive of Sasuke's duties, she is disappointed when he teases her by refusing to show her affection.

Appearance
Sakura has fair skin, green eyes, and pink hair. In her youth, she wore her hair as bangs in order to cover her large forehead and fend off her classmates' calling her ". Ino encouraged her not to do this and wear her hair back instead, so that others could see her face. Later in her Academy career she let her hair get longer because of rumours that Sasuke was attracted to girls with long hair. During Part I, when she realises that long hair is a vulnerability in combat situations, she cuts her hair and keeps it under shoulder-length from that point onward, which she sometimes pins up in a ponytail while working. As Sakura gets older, she is noted to become quite attractive, with Jiraiya likening her looks to Tsunade's own.

Two years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sakura wears a sleeveless red qipao dress that reaches her upper thighs, with white trimmings and a white circular design on the back similar to her Part I attire; it is tied with a black obi. She wears black shorts underneath the dress, black gloves, and pink elbow and knee protectors. She has also changed her previous boots to regular black, high heeled ninja sandals. In adulthood, Sakura's attire consists of a red sleeveless qipao top that exposes her navel, the back of which carries the Uchiha clan crest and falls to her knees. She also wears light-coloured pants, high heels and a red headband. For battle, Sakura wears a red top similar to her Part II one, with the Uchiha clan crest on the back, elbow protectors and flatter sandals. At home, she often dons a long white apron and keeps her fingernails long and well-manicured. She also wears white bracelets on both her wrists.

Abilities
As a genin, due to her focus on her studies, Sakura lacked any particular combat skill, other than the basic skills she learned in the Academy. This greatly limited her role in missions, to the point where she frequently noted how much she relied on her teammates, Sasuke and Naruto. On one occasion, she is even stated by Shikamaru to be: "A kunoichi with no particular talent". Determined to change herself, she undergoes intense training with Tsunade for two-and-a-half years. From her display of skill in the earlier portions of Part II, others have remarked that Sakura would likely surpass Tsunade. Upon completing the Strength of a Hundred Seal during the Fourth Shinobi World War, she's finally caught up to her team-mates at the time. Two years later, she rises to the rank of jōnin, and was capable of single-handily defeating Kido Tsumiki despite the Anbu being empowered by a Tailed Beast Drug. As an adult, Boruto remarked that she was a suitable replacement for Naruto as Hokage.

Chakra Control and Physical Prowess
While Sakura has rarely been seen using taijutsu in Part I, she was able to hold her own against Ino, one of the top students in her class. After Tsunade's training, Sakura's taijutsu improved to the point that she could easily destroy a number of Sasori's puppets. As an adult, she could go toe to toe with a Mangekyō Sharingan wielding opponent like Shin Uchiha.

As seen in Part I, Sakura's most defining skill was her proficiency in chakra control. Even as a genin, Sakura could greatly augment her speed by sending chakra to her feet, impressing both Naruto and Rock Lee. Such exact use of her chakra allows her to perform a jutsu with maximum efficiency without wasting much chakra. Kakashi Hatake once noted that her aptitude is well-suited for genjutsu. While never actually seen using genjutsu, due to her affinity for it and her proficiency in chakra control, Kakashi taught her a method to deal with being caught in genjutsu that involves abruptly stopping the flow of chakra. She's frequently been shown to quickly identify when genjutsu is being used, and release herself or others from it. By adulthood, genjutsu had little to no effect on her and she is able to break out of even some of the strongest ones with ease.

Training under Tsunade for over two years refined her already impressive chakra control, becoming a vital part to many of her abilities. By rapidly building up chakra and concentrating it into her fists or other body parts, it grants her what is commonly referred to as "monstrous strength". Her attacks are strong enough to destroy buildings or upend the earth, increasing with greater input of chakra. She was even able to damage Kaguya with a single blow, breaking off one of her horns. She can also use this increase in strength to lift great mass or free herself from formidable constraints. Her raw power has earned her praise from Hashirama.

Sakura can use the chakra built up in her hands to catch and repel incoming ninjutsu. Likewise, after anticipating an attack, she can send chakra throughout her entire body to nullify the damage of normally lethal blows.

Another goal of Tsunade's training was to increase Sakura's available chakra supply via completing the Strength of a Hundred Seal, which is something that took three years to accomplish. In the anime, Tsunade explained that building up the seal substantially drains one of their chakra, making it dangerous to perform surgery or fight, but Sakura developed a way to divert a small portion of that built-up chakra back into her normal reserves. When the seal is released, Sakura has access to all the accumulated chakra, allowing her to perform techniques of a greater scale than she is normally able to. She can also transfer this chakra to others.

Sakura's unique mastery of chakra manipulation has improved enough to roughly map out entire structures by channelling her chakra through inorganic materials. Doing so allows her to detect threats, traps, and hidden rooms.

Ninjutsu
By the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sakura could use the Summoning Technique, and like Tsunade, summon the giant slug, Katsuyu. Noted to be incredibly impressive by Shizune, Sakura could have Katsuyu split apart and attach itself to others, Sakura could then remotely monitor many allies at once, healing and replenishing their chakra as needed. Sakura could also use Earth, Water, Yin, and Yang Release. By adulthood, she acquired Fire Release as well. Sakura has also become skilled in the use of fūinjutsu. Upon contact, she can skilfully implant a cherry blossom-shaped seal on a target. On command, these seals release red chakra threads that completely restrict body movement.

Medical Ninjutsu
The major purpose of Tsunade's training was to teach Sakura medical ninjutsu, which demanded Sakura's refined chakra control and intelligence. Tsunade remarks that her proficiency for healing is exceptionally rare. As such, Sakura can heal even the most fatal of injuries. Even when heavily injured, Sakura demonstrated the ability to quickly heal herself to halt further blood loss, managing to do so with the weapon still lodged within her. When dealing with an enemy with an extremely resistant body, she could combine her chakra-enhanced fists with her medical ninjutsu to heal the resulting damage from her strikes, eventually killing the affected cells from over-replication. By releasing the Strength of a Hundred Seal, Sakura can put her body in a state in which it heals itself so that she doesn't need to stop to treat herself or even be fazed by injury. In the anime, she could perform a highly difficult operation alone to regenerate a missing section of a person's body.

If healing proves ineffective, Sakura can make incisions in her patients to try and directly treat her patients' vital organs. She can also cure those who have been poisoned by extracting the poison from their bodies, while simultaneously repairing the damage — something which even poison-experts like Chiyo cannot do. To ensure a complete recovery, Sakura can create an effective antidote after analysing the poison's contents, even for poisons that Sasori did not believe anyone but himself could make antidotes for.

After Kurama was removed from Naruto, during the war, Sakura was able to prevent Naruto's death by manually making his heart pump, as well as manually carrying out respiration via mouth to mouth resuscitation until they were able to reach Minato and eventually saved him. Two years after the war, she again saved Naruto from chakra deprivation, by pouring her own chakra into him and Kurama, which took her three days.

Her medical expertise extends to more standard medicine as well, enabling her to perform autopsies and examine cells with a knowledge of genetics. She was taught by Tsunade how to blend powerful fast-acting sleeping gas, and was taught by Shizune on how to concoct poisons that, when coated on weapons, could debilitate or paralyse a person with a single scratch. In the anime, Sakura even created her own version of Military Rations Pills, intended to have more medicinal purposes and be easier to consume. By the time of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, she had also learned the, although it is unknown what this entails. After Naruto became Hokage, Sakura's skill with medical ninjutsu had been recognised to the point he made her the head of the medical department.

Intelligence
While she was at the Academy, Sakura received consistently high test scores. It is because of her diligence in her studies that Sakura initially struggled in combat situations, for this reason, she was added to Team 7 so that she could benefit from the more battle-oriented Naruto and Sasuke, while in turn, they would benefit from her knowledge. She was able to answer the written portion of the Chūnin Exams all by herself without needing to cheat, something that genin were not expected to be able to do. Sakura's intelligence is nevertheless consistently useful, making her observational enough to guess an opponent's tactics from a brief scan of the battlefield and pick up on otherwise minor inconsistencies in conversation. She was able to quickly and accurately deduce Tobi's unique abilities upon their brief encounter. Sasuke deemed her analytical skills to be superior to his Sharingan, and as such, developed remarkable memory and observational skills. In her battle against Sasori, a few observations were enough to learn the latter's attack patterns. She is also capable of immediately memorising large amounts of information, including minute details.

She has an excellent memory, able to quickly piece together multiple pieces of information she's previously come across in order to form a hypothesis. In actual combat, Sakura frequently relies on misleading her opponents, either by letting them think they've outsmarted her so that they lower their guard, or letting them think they've defeated her so that they will approach her, and she can defeat them with a single punch.

Prologue — Land of Waves
Upon graduating from the Academy and being assigned to Team 7, Sakura is initially devastated when she learns that Naruto Uzumaki is to be one of her teammates. She then is immediately afterwards ecstatic to learn that Sasuke Uchiha is to be her other teammate. She tries to bond with Sasuke by stating her envy of Naruto's lack of parents, but this only offends Sasuke, who tells her that she is annoying. Sakura is hurt and, on realising that she says similar things to Naruto, decides to try to be nicer to him. Team 7's leader, Kakashi Hatake, tests their qualifications with a bell test, stating that whichever of the three takes one of the two bells on his person will officially become genin. While Naruto busies himself attacking Kakashi, Sakura seeks out Sasuke to see if she can help him. Kakashi finds her during her search and defeats her with an illusion of Sasuke dying. Likewise, Naruto and Sasuke are also defeated. Kakashi explains afterwards that the goal of the test was to use teamwork, to do together what none of them could do by themselves. He is persuaded to allow them to try again after lunch, but instructs Sasuke and Sakura not to feed Naruto. Sasuke feeds him anyway, needing him in top-form if they're to work together, and Sakura does the same. Kakashi sees this and, because they care more about the team than listening to his instructions, allows them all to pass.

After a series of uneventful D-rank missions, Naruto is able to secure a C-rank mission for Team 7: escorting Tazuna to the Land of Waves. Soon after leaving Konoha they are attacked by the Demon Brothers, who go after Tazuna. Sakura immediately places herself in front of Tazuna to protect him and stands her ground until Kakashi captures the brothers. Tazuna confesses that assassins have been hired to kill him but that he couldn't afford the bodyguard detail he needs. Although the mission is now A-rank in nature — far beyond the skill of genin — Team 7 decides to continue with it. When they reach the Land of Waves and are attacked by Zabuza Momochi, Sakura once again protects Tazuna while Kakashi, and later Naruto and Sasuke, fight Zabuza. Zabuza is ultimately seemingly killed by Haku, allowing Team 7 to escort Tazuna back to his house.

Kakashi finds Zabuza's death suspicious and decides to train the team in case he returns. He has them perform the Tree Climbing Practice to improve their chakra control, which will help them against Zabuza. Sakura masters the exercise on her first try, thus leaving her in charge of protecting Tazuna while Naruto and Sasuke train and Kakashi recovers from his fight with Zabuza. After a week, the rest of the team joins her, but when they reach the bridge that Tazuna has been working on they find Zabuza and Haku waiting for them. Sasuke and later Naruto fight Haku while Kakashi fights Zabuza, once again leaving Sakura in charge of protecting Tazuna. The thick mist prevents her from seeing how the fight against Haku is going, so she is surprised when Haku suddenly interferes in Kakashi's fight with Zabuza and is killed.

When Naruto comes looking for Haku, Sakura asks him where Sasuke is. When Naruto refuses to respond, Sakura becomes worried, but stays put because she cannot leave Tazuna's side. When Tazuna offers to come with her, she quickly leads him to where Sasuke is and finds him seemingly dead. Overcome with emotion, Sakura knowingly violates the shinobi rules and cries for him. When Sasuke later wakes up, Sakura embraces him, explains that Haku has been killed, and shares the news of Sasuke's survival with Naruto. Zabuza also dies, allowing Team 7 to return to Konoha when their injuries heal via Tazuna's newly-constructed Great Naruto Bridge.

Chūnin Exams
Team 7 resumes its series of unremarkable missions. After returning from one mission, Sakura tries to spend some time with Sasuke, who rejects her. This places Sakura in a bad mood, causing her to lash out first at Naruto when he suggests to Konohamaru Sarutobi that he and Sakura are dating, and then at Konohamaru when he insults her for harming Naruto. This all attracts the attention of Sunagakure's Three Sand Siblings, who have come to Konoha to take part in the Chūnin Exams. Sasuke returns and drives the Sand Siblings off, and later Kakashi meets with them to enter them in the Chūnin Exams as well. He neglects to mention that they must enter as a team, worried that Sakura might only participate because of Sasuke, and so is glad when she independently decides to participate. Before the Chūnin Exams begin, Sakura is met by Rock Lee, who asks her to go out with him and offers to protect her with his life. Sakura flatly refuses, being bothered by his eyelashes, hair style, and thick eyebrows.

For the Chūnin Exams' first stage, the participating genin are given a written test with ten questions. From looking over the questions, Sakura realises that the questions are too complicated for most genin, especially Naruto, to be able to answer without cheating; Sakura herself is able to answer the first nine questions on her own. Before being given the tenth question, genin are warned that if they answer it incorrectly they will never be allowed to take the Chūnin Exams again. Sakura becomes worried that Naruto is too proud to not try to answer the question, and that when he inevitably gives the wrong answer his disqualification will ruin his dreams of becoming Hokage. She prepares to forfeit on his behalf, but Naruto insists on answering the tenth question no matter what, causing her to change her mind. For their willingness to face the tenth question despite the potential consequences, Team 7 and the remaining genin pass to the second stage.

For the second stage, teams enter the Forest of Death for a five day survival challenge. Shortly after the second stage begins, Team 7 is attacked by Orochimaru, who Sasuke and Sakura, sensing his killing intent, realise is far too strong for them to fight. Sasuke tries to surrender in exchange for their lives, but Naruto insists on fighting Orochimaru anyway. Both Sasuke and Sakura are surprised by how well Naruto does, though he is ultimately defeated and knocked unconscious. Sakura pins him to a tree with a kunai to stop him from falling and observes to Sasuke that Naruto, despite all his shortcomings, isn't a coward. This convinces Sasuke to fight Orochimaru as well; Orochimaru becomes impressed by Sasuke and, before he leaves, he brands Sasuke with a Cursed Seal of Heaven, rendering him unconscious as well.

Sakura moves Naruto and Sasuke to a secluded area where she watches over them through the night. In the morning, they are tracked down by Team Dosu, Orochimaru's underlings who have instructions to kill Sasuke. They bypass the booby-traps she laid earlier and move in on her, but she is saved by Rock Lee. Lee fights Team Dosu by himself, planning to make good on his earlier promise to protect her, but is eventually defeated. Sakura begins attacking Team Dosu herself, but she is restrained by Kin Tsuchi, who grabs her by the hair and berates her for how much time she clearly spends on it. Determined to not keep needing the help of others, and motivated by Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura cuts her hair to free herself and starts attacking, persevering despite Zaku Abumi's many counterattacks.

Sakura's courage convinces the observing Ino Yamanaka and the rest of Team 10 to come to her defence. Team 10 fights Team Dosu until they are interrupted by Sasuke, imbued with the power of his cursed seal. When he sees Sakura's injuries, Sasuke breaks Zaku's arms in punishment and threatens to do the same to the rest of his team. Sakura is horrified by his actions and embraces him, begging him to stop. Sasuke's cursed seal recedes and he complies, Team Dosu retreats, and Teams 7, 10, and Lee's Team Guy regroup. When Naruto wakes up he makes fun of Lee's eyebrows, prompting Sakura to strike him. Before they go their separate ways, Lee vows to Sakura that he will become stronger.

Team 7 spends several days recuperating from their ordeal but they are able to reach the centre of the forest in time to advance to the Chūnin Exams' preliminaries: a series of one-on-one qualifying matches. Sakura tries to convince Sasuke not to participate because of his cursed seal, but he ignores her, insisting that it's his business and not hers. For her match, Sakura is paired against Ino. They start by trading insults and then punches, surprising Ino because Sakura proves her equal in both categories. Frustrated, Ino follows Sakura's earlier example by cutting her hair, a ruse that allows her to immobilise Sakura while she uses her Mind Body Switch Technique. In control of Sakura's body, Ino tries to make her forfeit the match, but she is stopped and exorcised by Inner Sakura. They are both exhausted by this, due to both having used up all their chakra, but exchange one final blow, knocking both out.

When Sakura wakes up, Ino informs her that their match was ruled a tie, and that therefore neither of them will continue to the final rounds. Despite this, they decide to rekindle their friendship, though can't help but continue to bicker over Sasuke. Sakura watches the remaining matches, including Lee's match with Gaara, during which Lee loses and is badly injured. A few days later, Sakura visits the hospital to see Sasuke, but discovers he's already been taken away by Kakashi. While she's there, she sees Lee training despite his injuries, causing him to fall unconscious as a consequence; she leaves the flower she brought for Sasuke with him instead. Sakura worries about Sasuke over the following month, especially when he is missing for his match with Gaara during the finals. He does finally show up (late), and Sakura watches with interest.

Konoha Crush
Sasuke's match is interrupted by an invasion of Konoha and a genjutsu descends on the stadium where the finals are being held, putting most of the audience to sleep. Sakura is able to dispel the genjutsu, attracting the attention of invading Otogakure forces. She is saved by Kakashi, who instructs her to wake up Naruto and Shikamaru Nara. She does so (though Shikamaru was only pretending to be asleep) and when they're assembled, Kakashi sends them and Pakkun after Sasuke, who is pursuing Gaara. Oto-nin start following them, so Shikamaru falls behind to delay them. Naruto and Sakura catch up to Sasuke in time to save him from one of Gaara's attacks. When Gaara sees Sakura's determination to defend Sasuke, he knocks her unconscious and binds her to a tree. Her bindings dissolve when Gaara is defeated, which Sakura assumes she has Sasuke to thank for. Sasuke corrects her when they get back to Konoha, explaining that it was Naruto who saved her.

A few days later, Team 7 attends the Third Hokage's funeral.

Land of Tea Escort Mission
In the anime, Team 7 is sent to the Land of Tea to protect Idate Morino as he runs a race. When Team Oboro and later Aoi Rokushō try to stop Idate, Naruto and Sasuke fight them while Sakura remains alert for opportunities for Idate to run to safety. Sasuke is eventually knocked out by Aoi, and Sakura looks after him until Aoi is defeated by Naruto. After Idate wins the race, Team 7 returns to Konoha.

Sasuke Recovery Mission
Sakura visits Sasuke everyday while he's in the hospital, tearfully hugging him once he finally regains consciousness. She continues looking after him as he recovers, but he repels her kindness, angered by his earlier defeat by his brother, Itachi Uchiha. When Naruto comes to see him, Sasuke challenges him to a fight, which Naruto agrees to over Sakura's protests. She watches as they exchange attacks on the hospital roof, but decides she can't let things continue when Sasuke prepares a Chidori and Naruto prepares a Rasengan. She runs between them to stop them, but neither is able to pull away in time. Kakashi appears and flings them apart, saving Sakura. Sasuke storms off and Kakashi, before he follows, promises Sakura that he'll set things right.

Sakura takes Naruto aside afterwards and tells him about the cursed seal Sasuke received from Orochimaru, which she'd until now kept from him at Sasuke's request. She shares her concerns that Orochimaru is trying to tempt Sasuke to defect from Konoha, but Naruto assures her that Sasuke would never do that. This comforts her at the time, but she continues to worry and, that night, waits at the village's exit. Sasuke eventually approaches with his belongings, confirming her fears. Sasuke tells her to go home, but Sakura refuses, instead asking why he always pushes her away and reminding him of all the good times Team 7 has had. She tries to persuade him to stay so that she won't be alone and, when that doesn't work, argues that his revenge against Itachi isn't worth it. When Sasuke remains determined to go, Sakura tells him she loves him and offers to go with him. Sasuke tells her that she is annoying, just as he did after Team 7's formation. Sakura threatens to scream for help, so he knocks her out. However, before he does it, he thanks her.

Sakura is found on a bench the next morning, and when she wakes up she sends word to Tsunade, the new Hokage, that Sasuke has defected. The Sasuke Recovery Team is formed to go after him, which Sakura approaches as they prepare to set out from Konoha. Sakura begs Naruto to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, believing he is the only person who can get through to him at this point. Naruto vows to do so, even if it takes his entire life, and Sakura cries at his dedication to her. Despite his promise, Naruto is unable to bring Sasuke back. Sakura visits him in the hospital and, after trying to avoid the subject, tells him that she won't hold him to his word. Naruto, however, refuses to go back on what he said. Touched, Sakura apologises to Naruto for what he's gone through and promises to personally help him bring Sasuke back next time.

Land of Rice Fields Investigation Mission
In the anime, Sakura accompanies Naruto and Jiraiya to the Land of Rice Fields to investigate one of Orochimaru's lairs and potentially retrieve Sasuke. The mission ends in failure. When they get back to Konoha, Sakura, as in the manga, asks to become Tsunade's apprentice so that she can better meet the challenges she'll face in the future. Tsunade accepts.

Mizuki Tracking Mission
In the anime, Sakura focuses on her training, preventing her from helping Naruto with many of the missions he goes on. When he returns from one such mission, she informs him that she's succeeded in healing a fish.

Mix it, Stretch it, Boil it Up! Burn Copper Pot, Burn!
In the anime, Sakura helps Naruto and Chōji Akimichi rescue Ayame. To save her from the cooking-nin, they must prepare the perfect ramen; Sakura contributes by pounding the dough of the noodles into shape.

Konoha Plans Recapture Mission
In the anime, Sakura and Ino examine a corpse believed to be that of Gennō. They conclude that it is not actually him.

Yakumo Kurama Rescue Mission
In the anime, Sakura helps Naruto protect Yakumo Kurama from the Kurama clan. When Kurenai Yūhi is injured during the fight, Sakura heals her wounds.

Gantetsu Escort Mission
In the anime, Sakura, Naruto, and Lee guard Gantetsu as he is transferred to prison.

Sunagakure Support Mission
In the anime, Sakura and the rest of the Konoha 11 are sent to Sunagakure to help the Sand Siblings in their fight with the Four Celestial Symbols Men; Sakura heals Gaara during his fight with Suiko. Ino, jealous of Sakura's new-found healing abilities, asks to train with Sakura to be a medical-nin. Sakura agrees, but Ino is dismayed when Sakura reminds her that she will be her junior during the course of their training.

In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths
In the anime, about two years after Naruto leaves Konoha to train, another Chūnin Exam is held. Because participants must enter as part of three-man teams, Ino invites Sakura to be Shikamaru's replacement on Team 10 since Shikamaru is already a chūnin. During the first exam, Sakura, Ino, and Chōji are seated in different rooms and are tasked with getting a combined score of exactly 100 points on their written test despite their separation. Ino telepathically contacts Sakura and Chōji in order to assign which questions to answer. After the initial testing period is over, they are given a bonus question: each team must unanimously select one of their members to disqualify from the rest of the exams. Team 10 selects nobody, which is the correct answer and which qualifies them for the next phase.

Those who pass the first exam must reach the Demon Desert within three days in order to participate in the second exam. Team 10 successfully does so and they are given the same objective as they had in the exam several years ago: obtain a scroll from another team. They wander through the desert for three days, losing their provisions to an Ame-team. While recuperating at an oasis, they are attacked by Team Ameno. Ino once again telepathically links with Sakura and Chōji to coordinate their attacks and help them locate their attackers, resulting in Team Ameno's defeat. Once Sakura and Ino heal their injuries, Team Ameno offers them their scroll. However, theirs is the same scroll that Team 10 already has, so they are allowed to keep it. They go their separate ways, agreeing to meet again in the third exam.

Team 10 is later attacked by Team Saya. Saya possesses Ino's mind and forces her to attack Sakura. When Chōji, meanwhile, begins overwhelming Saya's teammates, Saya possesses his mind instead, and she forces him to attack Sakura using his Super Multi-Size Technique. Ino is able to release Chōji, forcing Team Saya to retreat. Team 10 is afterwards trapped in a sandstorm, during which Ino and Chōji are poisoned by a cloaked Mamushi. Sakura escapes the sandstorm, defeats Team Saya, and then returns to heal Ino and Chōji.

Team 10 is eventually found by one of the exam's proctors, who brings them to where all of the other genin are being assembled. They are informed that the Chūnin Exams have been cancelled; reports on the participants' performances will be sent back to their villages, leaving their promotion up to their superiors. When they get back to Konoha, Tsunade promotes Sakura, Ino, and Chōji to chūnin.

Kazekage Rescue Mission
Tsunade informs Sakura of Naruto's return after two-and-a-half years of training. She goes to greet him and is initially glad that he's back, but is quickly disappointed when he gets back into a competition of Sexy Techniques with Konohamaru Sarutobi. Kakashi reforms Team 7 with them and gives them another bell test, though unlike last time, taking the bells from him is the real objective. Kakashi vanishes shortly after the test begins and Sakura, after determining that he's nowhere above ground, concludes he's below ground. To force him out, she shatters the earth with Cherry Blossom Impact, surprising both Kakashi and Naruto. Despite their improved abilities, neither Sakura nor Naruto are able to get a bell through conventional means, and it is only by Naruto's threat to spoil the latest Icha Icha book that they are able to lower Kakashi's guard long enough to take his bells.

While Team 7 tries without success to find a mission to go on that Naruto won't complain about, word reaches Konoha that Akatsuki has kidnapped Gaara, the Kazekage. Team 7 is sent to Sunagakure to lend assistance in rescuing Gaara. On their way to Suna, Naruto explains that Gaara was kidnapped because he is the jinchūriki of the One-Tail, just as Naruto is the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. When they reach Suna, they are informed that Kankurō was poisoned by Akatsuki member Sasori in his failed attempt to rescue Gaara, and that none of the village's medics can heal him. Sakura is able to remove the poison from his body, from which she prepares some antidotes, impressing Chiyo. Chiyo, Sasori's grandmother, ultimately decides to accompany Team 7 as they leave to find Gaara, helping them navigate the local country.

On their way to the Akatsuki lair where Gaara has been taken, they are met by Itachi Uchiha, the brother who Sasuke defected from Konoha in order to kill. Although eager to face him, Sakura must leave most of the fighting to Kakashi due to his Sharingan; when Naruto is trapped in Itachi's genjutsu, Sakura and Chiyo release him. The Itachi is eventually discovered to be an impostor, so they continue to the Akatsuki lair. They meet Team Guy there, who takes down the barrier over the entrance so that Team 7 can get in. Deidara flies off with Gaara's body as soon as they enter, and Naruto and Kakashi pursue him, leaving Sasori to Sakura and Chiyo. Chiyo informs Sakura that what appears to be Sasori is actually one of his puppets, Hiruko. She also warns that all of Hiruko's weapons are likely coated with poison. With this in mind, Chiyo guides Sakura to Hiruko unharmed, allowing her to destroy it.

With Hiruko gone, Sasori starts using his human puppet of the Third Kazekage. Although it initially appears no different from a standard puppet, such that Chiyo is able to fight it with her Mother and Father puppets, the puppet is discovered to have access to the Third's Iron Sand, which has also been imbued with poison. The Iron Sand neutralises the Mother and Father puppets and then forms into blocks, which Sakura, with Chiyo's guidance again, is able to punch away. Sasori's Iron Sand World Method proves more difficult to avoid and Sakura receives several scratches, causing her to collapse from the poison. She is able to administer the antidote, however, allowing her to destroy the Third when it moves in to finish her off. Angered by this, Sasori reveals that his own body is a puppet now and he goes after Chiyo. Sakura intercepts him and destroys his body, but he's able to reassemble it.

Sasori brings out his Hundred Puppet Army and Chiyo brings out her Ten Puppet Collection of Chikamatsu. While the two sides battle, Sakura moves closer to Sasori and places a seal on him. Sasori is able to transfer his living core to another puppet before the seal connects, sneaks up on Chiyo, and attacks. Sakura shields the attack with her body and is both fatally wounded and poisoned. While Chiyo gives her the final antidote, Sasori attacks Chiyo again, only to fall into her trap and have his core stabbed by the Mother and Father puppets. Chiyo then heals Sakura's wound. Having guessed that Sakura was able to create an antidote for his poison — something he thought was impossible — Sasori decides to reward her before he dies: he tells her of a spy within Orochimaru's ranks who he had plans to meet in Kusagakure in ten days. Chiyo collapses once he's dead, but refuses Sakura's offer to take her back to Suna to make another antidote.

At Chiyo's request, Sakura carries her to Naruto and Kakashi, who have managed to retrieve Gaara. Sakura attempts to revive Gaara, but the removal of the One-Tail has caused him to die. Chiyo uses the One's Own Life Reincarnation on him, bringing him back to life at the cost of her own. As the jutsu nears completion, Chiyo warns Sakura not to risk her life to protect someone as old as she is again, believing Sakura is too valuable. Gaara is successfully resurrected and, a few days later, Teams 7 and Guy attend Chiyo's funeral in Sunagakure before returning home.

Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission
With the intel gained from Sasori, Team 7 begins planning to meet the spy in the hopes that it will help them reunite with Sasuke. Kakashi is left bedridden from his fight with Deidara, requiring Yamato to lead Team 7 as his replacement. The Konoha Council also requires that Sai be assigned to Team 7 as Sasuke's replacement. Naruto immediately dislikes Sai, declaring him an inferior version of Sasuke. Sai is happy for this distinction and proceeds to degrade Sasuke for defecting from Konoha. This angers Sakura and she hits him, forcing Yamato to use his wood release to break up their fight. Despite this incident, Sakura has difficulty holding a grudge against Sai due to his lack of emotion or interpersonal connections. She therefore tries to mediate between Naruto and Sai, explaining to Sai the brotherly bond that Naruto feels to Sasuke. When this fails to make an impression, Sakura gives up on Sai and puts up with him only because they need his help to find Sasuke.

Yamato disguises himself as Sasori and goes to the Tenchi Bridge to meet the spy while Naruto, Sakura, and Sai hide nearby. The spy, Kabuto Yakushi, begins telling Yamato about Orochimaru's organisation, but they are interrupted by the appearance of Orochimaru, who teams up with Kabuto to fight Yamato, having intended to kill Sasori. Team 7 comes to his aid and Orochimaru, recognising them, taunts Naruto about Sasuke. Naruto is enraged and strikes him, using the Nine-Tails' power to make his attacks more devastating. The Tenchi Bridge starts to collapse from the stress of his chakra and Sakura is knocked unconscious in the process. She is saved and revived by Yamato, and is then horrified by the damage that Naruto is causing to the surroundings.

Orochimaru is eventually able to force Naruto away from himself and closer to Sakura and Yamato. Seeing the lengths he's going to in order to retrieve Sasuke from Orochimaru, Sakura tries to reason with him, but his version 2 form leaves him unable to tell friend from foe and he attacks her. While Yamato restrains Naruto with his wood release, Kabuto heals Sakura's wound, his thanks to Team 7 for killing Sasori. Yamato is able to suppress the Nine-Tails' influence, but its chakra leaves his body badly damaged. Sakura heals him, but is upset that it's the only thing she can do to help him. When Naruto wakes up he can't remember what happened and assumes Sakura's tears are because of something Sai said, which she doesn't correct. After taking a break when Sakura’s wound starts hurting, she tells Naruto her wound was caused by Orochimaru. While Sakura works on healing herself, Yamato tells Naruto the truth. When they realise that Sai is missing, Yamato reports that he has joined with Orochimaru and Kabuto.

Having placed a trace on Sai, Yamato is able to lead Naruto and Sakura to him and by extension Orochimaru's lair. They infiltrate it, locate Sai, and restrain him so that they can go looking for Sasuke. Kabuto finds them and releases Sai to help him fight them, but Sai restrains him instead, curious about the bond that Naruto keeps saying he has with Sasuke; Sai goes searching through Orochimaru's lair in search of Sasuke on Naruto's behalf. While he's gone, Yamato goes through his belongings and finds evidence that Sai has been assigned to assassinate Sasuke. They go after him in order to stop him. When they find him, he explains that he truly does want to help retrieve Sasuke, and in fact has already found him: Sakura and Naruto are speechless to see Sasuke again, but Sasuke reacts with indifference to them. To demonstrate that they mean nothing to him, Sasuke quickly neutralises them all, except Sakura who prepares to attack him. Sasuke is about to counter her attack before Yamato saves her. He then prepares to kill them, but is persuaded not to by Orochimaru and leaves without further comment. Defeated, a tearful Sakura tells a devastated Naruto they need to get stronger and Team 7 returns to Konoha.

Twelve Guardian Ninja
In the anime, Yamato leads Team 7 on a mission to the Fire Temple to investigate a series of grave robberies. During the course of the investigation, Team 7 is separated by an earthen maze. Sakura is attacked within the maze by a giant spider, but she's saved by Sai, whose arm breaks in the process. She tends his injury and they reunite with Naruto and Yamato, but the grave robbers escape. Team 7 returns to Konoha, and when the grave robbers attack the village, Sakura is drawn into battle with Fuen. Sakura pretends to fall victim to Fuen's genjutsu, allowing her to surprise attack her when she attacks a decoy of her, and end it by smashing her into the ground.

Akatsuki Suppression Mission
Kakashi assembles Naruto, Sakura, and Sai to discuss their failed mission to retrieve Sasuke. Sakura shares her suspicion that Sasuke's skills have been boosted with medication, as his growth rate is unnaturally high. Kakashi believes the best way to prepare them for another encounter with Sasuke is for Naruto to invent a new jutsu. Once he finally does so after many days of training, Team 7 is sent to help Team 10 in their battle with Akatsuki. Sakura and Sai are sent to provide backup for Shikamaru Nara during his fight with Hidan while everyone else focuses on Kakuzu. When they locate Shikamaru, however, they discover that he's already defeated Hidan. Naruto elsewhere defeats Kakuzu with his jutsu, after which they go back to Konoha.

Naruto's new jutsu injures his arm after use, which Sakura treats in Konoha. Because he has difficulty using the arm while it mends, Sakura tries to help him eat when they visit Ramen Ichiraku, but Sai insists on the responsibility. As they leave afterwards, they are met by Konohamaru, who demonstrates his Sexy: Girl on Girl Technique. In the manga, Konohamaru responds with Sexy: Boy on Boy Technique; Sakura approves but Naruto is disgusted and violently reprimands him. Sakura tries to make an excuse when she realises how she reacted, but Konohamaru's suspicions that Sakura is just as much a pervert as he is are confirmed. However, in the anime, Naruto approves, and Sakura is disgusted, and violently reprimands him.

Three-Tails' Appearance
In the anime, Team 7 is sent to help Team 8 in their fight with Team Guren. When they come across the Three-Tails during the course of the mission, Sakura is assigned to a team responsible for sealing it due to her excellent chakra control. They are interrupted by Team Guren before they can complete the Four-Corner Sealing Barrier, and Sakura tends to the wounded after the Three-Tails goes on a rampage. When Team Guren is defeated, they are recalled to Konoha.

Itachi Pursuit Mission
News reaches Konoha that Sasuke has killed Orochimaru. Realising that this is a good opportunity to try once again to reunite with Sasuke, Kakashi combines Teams 7 and 8 into an Eight Man Squad with the mission to find either Sasuke or his assumed target, Itachi. They split up to look for leads on either Uchiha; because she doesn't have any particular tracking skills, Kakashi pairs Sakura with two ninken, Shiba and Bisuke. They briefly pick up on the trail of one of Sasuke's new teammates, Karin, but they don't realise this and lose the trail shortly afterwards.

Fated Battle Between Brothers
After they regroup, Kiba Inuzuka is able to detect Sasuke's scent and they start to follow it. Along the way they are met by Tobi of Akatsuki, who prevents them from progressing and who is invulnerable to their attacks. Tobi leaves when he receives news that Sasuke has killed Itachi, and Teams 7 and 8 try to reach Sasuke before he does. Unable to find where Tobi has taken Sasuke, they are forced to return to Konoha.

Six-Tails Unleashed
In the anime, they are intercepted by a new assignment to help the Tsuchigumo clan protect its forbidden technique. Kakashi takes Team 8 back to Konoha while Yamato leads Team 7 on the mission. During the mission, Sakura helps fight the Magaki group and the villagers who are under Shiranami's control. Once Shiranami is stopped, Team 7 returns to Konoha.

Pain's Assault
Sakura is present when Naruto is informed that Jiraiya died while investigating the leader of Akatsuki, Pain. She defends Tsunade when Naruto blames her for his death, and then again when Shikamaru tries to get out of helping decipher one of the clues that Jiraiya left behind, aware that Tsunade is grieving over Jiraiya. Sakura later tries to help Shikamaru decipher the clue, but is interrupted by the invasion of Pain. Sakura heads for the Konoha Hospital, along the way saving a group of civilians from Pain's giant centipede. She assists with healing the injured once she gets to the hospital, doing as much as she can despite there being more people in need of care than medics available.

When Pain destroys Konoha, Sakura and the rest of the villagers are saved by Tsunade with the help of Katsuyu. Tsunade is exhausted by the effort, so Sakura looks after her while Naruto fights Pain. During the battle, Sakura senses Naruto entering another version 2 form as a result of Pain's attack on Hinata Hyūga. She has Katsuyu relay a message to the villagers to retreat to a safe distance while she treats Hinata. Naruto ultimately defeats Pain and, when he returns to the village, Sakura punches him for taking such a risk and then embraces him as thanks.

Past Arc: The Locus of Konoha
Sakura and Shizune stay with Tsunade as the village starts to rebuild. In the anime, they give Tsunade's various visitors updates on her condition.

Five Kage Summit
Sakura informs Naruto that Tsunade is in a coma and that there's nothing that can be done to bring her out of it. While they talk, they are approached by Tazuna and Inari, who have come to help rebuild Konoha. They ask about Sasuke, who which Naruto avoids going into detail about so as to spare them and Sakura a discussion about Sasuke's defection. After Tazuna and Inari leave, they receive news that Danzō Shimura has become the next Hokage and that he has ordered Sasuke be killed as a traitor. Naruto and Sakura approach Sai to ask him how they can convince Danzō to change his mind, but Sai is unable to help. Omoi and Karui of Kumogakure overhear them talking about Sasuke and they ask for information about Sasuke, wishing to kill him for his role in Akatsuki's capture of Killer B. This news upsets Sakura greatly to the point of tears, so Naruto leads Omoi and Karui away to spare her further distress. In the anime, while watching over a comatose Tsunade, Shizune confirms what she heard about Sasuke working with Akatsuki, which once again left Sakura on the verge of tears and hoping that Tsunade would awaken soon so the situation with Sasuke can be resolved.

Sai later informs Sakura of the abuse Naruto suffered at the hands of Omoi and Karui, as he was unwilling to sell out Sasuke. He also informs her that Naruto has gone to meet with the Fourth Raikage to try and get a pardon for Sasuke's actions against Kumo. Sakura cannot understand why Naruto would do all this, so Sai explains how he believes that it is because he has feelings for Sakura and that he is still trying to fulfil the promise he made to her after Sasuke left the village years ago, which devastated her. Sai adds that his commitment to that promise and by extension Sakura cause Naruto as much pain as Sasuke does. Shikamaru joins their conversation to inform them of the rest of the Konoha 11's decision to personally eliminate Sasuke so that he can't continue to implicate Konoha in his crimes nor present the risk of a war. Sakura tearfully agrees with this and insists to be the one to inform Naruto. She also made the others swear to not say anything to Naruto before she can, seeing it as her responsibility, while secretly she decide to handle the entire matter herself.

Sakura forms a team with Sai, Kiba Inuzuka, and Rock Lee and goes to the Land of Iron to search for Naruto. When they find him, Sakura attempts to tell him that she loves him and that, because of this, he no longer needs to fulfil his promise regarding Sasuke, who she claims she no longer has feelings for. However, this enrages Naruto, who rejects Sakura by telling her that he hates people who lie to themselves. Sakura then insists rather angrily that it's true and that he should start worrying about himself rather than Sasuke. Naruto still does not believe her and informs her that he wants to save Sasuke for his own reasons, not for Sakura. Upset, Sakura departs, but when they're far enough away she instructs her team to start looking for Sasuke. Her team tells her it would have been better to simply tell Naruto the truth about Konoha 11's decision and that she's underestimating him by not doing so, but Sakura adamantly says she couldn't do it.

When Kiba finally locates Sasuke, Sakura has him give her precise directions to where he is. She then attempts to knock out the team with sleeping gas, but is initially stopped by Sai, who has guessed that she plans to personally kill Sasuke. When he attempts to detain them on Kakashi's instructions, Kiba and Lee engage Sai, giving Sakura a chance to use the sleeping gas. She proceeds to where Sasuke is and announces her desire to join with him, even if that means helping destroy Konoha. To prove her loyalty, Sasuke instructs Sakura to kill the badly-injured Karin. Sakura approaches her, contemplating how best to strike Sasuke, but is alerted by Karin that Sasuke is attacking her from behind with Chidori. Kakashi arrives in time to stop him and, aware of what Sakura was planning, volunteers to be the one to kill Sasuke so that she won't need to, especially when he holds himself responsible for not preventing the situation as his teacher.

Sakura heals Karin's injury and, in her unstable mental state, joins the battle. She starts attacking Sasuke from behind, but ultimately can't bring herself to harm him and cries at her own failure. Sensing her, Sasuke grabs her by the throat, takes her kunai, and prepares to kill her with it, but she is saved by Naruto. Sakura is shocked that she came close to being killed by Sasuke, and is further shocked as Sasuke confesses to killing Danzō and plans to do the same to his former teammates and the village. After briefly fighting, Naruto and Sasuke talk and conclude that only they are suitable to fight each other, which they will do at some future date; Sakura is upset once again that her resolve isn't as strong as theirs and she decides to trust Naruto and Sasuke in fulfilling her dream of Team 7 having a happy ending. After Sasuke leaves with Tobi, Naruto passes out from the poison of her kunai and a panicked Sakura gives him the antidote. Sakura then uses an antidote to wake Sai, Kiba, and Rock Lee up. After returning to the village, Naruto meets with the Konoha 11 as soon as they're back to tell them his decision, which Sakura defends when some of them accuse Naruto of being unrealistic, but is concerned about Naruto and Sasuke's promise to fight to the death.

When Tsunade finally wakes from her coma, Sakura goes around the village sharing the good news. In the anime, Sakura is later informed of the upcoming war against Akatsuki from Tsunade, and Sakura, while uneasy at fighting against Sasuke, is given the task to keep a watchful eye on Naruto during the war.

Power
In the anime, Team 7 is sent to investigate the attack on Tonika Village. They encounter Kabuto Yakushi and are forced to fight his reincarnated forces while he escapes. They fight Kabuto and his forces several more times, during one of which Sakura is knocked out by the Nine-Tailed Naruto Clone, but Kabuto is ultimately driven off.

Paradise Life on a Boat
In the anime, Tsunade sends Sakura, Ino, and Chōji Akimichi to Benisu Island to pick medicinal herbs. Although the locals initially try interfering, Naruto is able to convince them to help instead.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation
When the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, Sakura is added to the Third Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Before the armies mobilise for war with Akatsuki, Sakura heals Might Guy, whose exhaustion mystifies her. The Third Division is called to assist the Surprise Attack Division, and when they arrive Sakura recognises the reincarnated Haku and Zabuza Momochi amongst the Surprise Attack Division's attackers. When Zabuza asks her how Naruto is doing, Sakura replies that he's well. Zabuza and Haku are forced to attack the Third Division, so they take up defensive positions; having encountered them before, Sakura advises those near her to take a Manji Formation. When casualties start growing, Sakura heals the wounded.

Sakura is eventually reassigned to the Logistical Support and Medical Division's compound to heal the wounded that are sent there. During the night, three medical-nin are killed despite the major precautions they took to secure the location, placing everyone on high alert. Sakura is approached by Morio during this time, who she recognises as someone she healed earlier. He gives her a love letter, but she turns him down and explains she is in love with someone else. He wishes her luck with her beloved when he leaves but Sakura is saddened as she thinks about Sasuke. Neji Hyūga visits her after Morio leaves to discuss the suspected killer. When, during the conversation, Neji proves unaware that Tonton is a pig, Sakura realises he is an impostor and attacks him. The disguise disappears, revealing a White Zetsu. From the Zetsu's comments and previous reports she's read about its abilities, Sakura is able to determine how its Substitute Technique works and alerts the Allied HQ. She and Shizune later perform an autopsy on the Zetsu's body and discover its Wood Release capabilities.

In the anime, during the following day, the Medical Division is attacked by several reincarnated shinobi and a scroll of dead Allied forces is stolen. Sakura joins a team to go after them and most of the reincarnated shinobi are sealed, but Hayate Gekkō escapes with the scroll. She goes after him and fights him until Yūgao Uzuki arrives to finish him off. Later, security at the Medical Division remains high, with nobody having an effective way of identifying disguised Zetsu. Two Zetsu eventually bypass bodyguards assigned to Sakura, though she is saved by the arrival of Naruto, whose Nine-Tails Chakra Mode allows him to find and eliminate all the Zetsu.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax
With the Zetsu army defeated, the Allied Shinobi Forces are sent to assist Naruto in his fight with Tobi. Along the way, Sakura vows to be there to help Naruto. When they arrive, Sakura heals Kakashi and Might Guy and then joins in the Allies' attack on the Ten-Tails. The attack fails and many die in the Ten-Tails' counterattack, including Neji, which shocks and hurts Sakura. However, Naruto is able to give protective version 1-like cloaks to most of the allies in time. When Naruto is injured saving everyone from Tenpenchii, Sakura heals him and encourages the other Allies not to give up hope, even in the face of the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball. They are saved by the arrival of the reincarnated Fourth Hokage. The Fourth thanks Sakura for healing Naruto, his son, and asks if she is Naruto's girlfriend. When Naruto suggests this is true, Sakura headbutts him and tells him to focus on the situation. Naruto complains she gave him more injuries and she retorts she will heal him again.

Sasuke arrives shortly after the Fourth, intent on joining the Allies so that he can protect Konoha. Sakura is surprised by Sasuke's sudden arrival and asks him of his intentions, and is dumbfounded, as with the rest of the Konoha 11, by his declaration that he will be Hokage. Naruto and Sasuke prepare to fight the Ten-Tails and Sakura, as she says she is not weak and will assist them as a member of Team 7, joins them. The now reunited Team 7 charges into battle with the Ten-Tails' army of clones; after charging her Strength of a Hundred Seal, Sakura is able to defeat many at a time and boasts that she has finally caught up with her teammates. Because there are too many Ten-Tails' clones, Team 7 each performs their own summonings: Sakura summons Katsuyu and has it adhere to all the Allies nearby so that she can heal them remotely. While Naruto and Sasuke fight the Ten-Tails itself, Sai asks Sakura if she trusts Sasuke. Sakura says she is happy he's back and she does trust him. Sai believes her words are truthful, but knows her smile is fake.

Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki
When Tobi, real name Obito Uchiha, becomes the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Sakura can only watch from a distance as Naruto, Sasuke, and the reincarnated Hokage fight him. Obito eventually recreates the God Tree, which absorbs the chakra of many of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Sakura instructs Katsuyu to heal them, but Katsuyu explains that its divisions suffered the same fate as the shinobi they were attached to. To do what she can, Sakura runs over to Shikamaru and starts trying to heal him. It is ultimately Naruto who saves Shikamaru and the others, remotely restoring the Version 1 cloaks thought absorbed by the God Tree. Tsunade then arrives, congratulates Sakura for the work she's done, and requests her help in summoning an even large segment of Katsuyu. Katsuyu dissolves across the battlefield, allowing Tsunade and Sakura to constantly rejuvenate everybody as they unite against Obito.

Although Obito is defeated, Madara Uchiha and another Zetsu still remain. The prolonged fighting exhausts Tsunade and leaves Sakura and Shizune with little chakra to spare. When Gaara brings Naruto to them, in need of emergency life support following the removal of the Nine-Tails from his body, Sakura boards his Desert Suspension to lend what support she can. When her normal medical ninjutsu fails to do anything, Sakura makes an incision in Naruto's chest and manually pumps his heart to keep him alive while pleading for him to live because he is close to achieving his dream. Gaara brings them to the Fourth Hokage so that he can seal his half of the Nine-Tails' chakra into Naruto, but the chakra is intercepted by Black Zetsu. When Madara — the Ten-Tails' new jinchūriki — arrives, Kakashi uses Kamui on Sakura and Naruto to get them to safety in Kamui's dimension. They are shortly afterwards joined by Obito, who has decided he wants to help Naruto. Though wary of Obito, Sakura allows him to seal the Nine-Tails' chakra he took from Black Zetsu into Naruto, thus saving his life.

Naruto goes back to fight Madara when he regains consciousness, leaving Obito with Sakura. She calls Obito an enemy for killing many of her comrades but she is willing to help him as thanks for saving Naruto. Obito asks Sakura to destroy his Rinnegan, explaining it's the only way to guarantee Madara can't use the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Before she's able to do so, Madara arrives in Kamui's dimension and Obito sends Sakura away so that Madara can't kill her. She explains what happened when she regroups with Team 7 and tries healing Kakashi after Madara stole his eye, but Naruto instead gives him a new one. As they wait for Madara's inevitable return, Sakura questions Sasuke what he meant when he said he would be Hokage, but receives no answer because they have a war to worry about. Sensing Madara coming, Kakashi reminds them of their first lesson as Team 7: the importance of teamwork. When Madara is brought back by Black Zetsu using Obito's body, Sakura launches the first attack. She is stabbed with a Truth-Seeking Ball and is saved by Naruto (who grabs her) and Sasuke (who cuts the rod Madara stabbed her with). Sakura is saddened because she thinks Sasuke is not concerned about her. Madara, now in possession of two Rinnegan, ascends into the sky and, despite Naruto and Sasuke's attempt to stop him, casts the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes
While the world around them falls to the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Sasuke uses his Susanoo to shield Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi from its effects. Sakura asks what is happening but is saddened when Sasuke tells her she doesn't need to know because she can't do anything about it. When they emerge, they find Madara has bound the world's population with God: Nativity of a World of Trees and trapped them all within perpetual dreams. Madara confronts them and insists that he has ended all conflicts and that only Team 7, as the only remaining opposition, would seek to renew the cycle of death that plagued the world for centuries. As he's talking, Madara is stabbed from behind by Black Zetsu, who transfers to him from Obito's body to convert him into Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Black Zetsu's true master.

Kaguya, the origin of chakra, now has access to the chakra supplies of everyone trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. She wants Team 7's chakra as well, so she transports them to one of Kaguya's Dimensions: a sea of lava. Kakashi grabs Sakura, ties himself to an unconscious Obito with a scroll, and pins Obito to a wall in order to save them. Sakura is sad as Sasuke explains to Naruto that he only saved Sakura and Kakashi earlier because they happened to be near Naruto and he is willing to sacrifice his comrades if it means ensuring he and Naruto will survive to save the world. However Naruto retorts Sasuke still saved them subconsciously, and Sakura is thankful for Naruto for this. The heat causes the scroll to burn up, but Naruto sends a shadow clone to catch them. Because only Naruto and Sasuke can defeat Kaguya, they are forced to watch from a distance; Sakura is mortified when Naruto uses the Sexy Reverse Harem Technique on Kaguya, and then mortified again when it works. Kaguya eventually relocates them to her ice dimension and then banishes Sasuke to another, separating him from Naruto.

When Obito regains consciousness and is caught up about what's been happening, he offers to help retrieve Sasuke and requests Sakura's help. Naruto's collaborative clone attack forces Kaguya to retreat to her desert dimension, where Obito secretly follows, taking Sakura and a Naruto clone along with by syncing his Kamui to it. Kaguya, believing the clone to be the real one, and that he is alone, attacks it and manages to dispatch it before returning back to the ice dimension. The plan ends with Kaguya seeing an alive Naruto in the ice dimension. With Kaguya out of the way, Obito begins piercing through her various dimensions with Kamui while Sakura heals the stress this causes to his body. They finally locate Sasuke, but Obito is unable to keep the portal open long enough for Sasuke to run to it. Sakura collapses of exhaustion, but is caught by Sasuke, who explains he used Amenotejikara to switch places with Sakura's flak jacket, before thanking them. Obito teleports them back to the dimension where Naruto is and sacrifices himself to save Naruto from Kaguya.

Despite his death, Obito's spirit is able to briefly return to allow Kakashi to use Susanoo, which he uses to save Sakura from one of Kaguya's attacks. When Kaguya creates an Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball to finally kill them all, Kakashi, realising that this is their last opportunity, forms a plan of attack: Kakashi pierces through her; Naruto uses shadow clones to exhaust some of her countermeasures and Kakashi uses Kamui on the rest. Sasuke moves closer to her in order to place a seal on her, and when Kaguya tried to escape, Sakura punches her. Kaguya is defeated, the tailed beasts are removed from her body, and she is trapped alongside Black Zetsu with Six Paths — Chibaku Tensei. As Sakura and Naruto panic over how they are going to get back home, the Sage of the Six Paths summons them all back from Kaguya's dimensions and congratulates them for their victory.

The Sage of Six Paths explains how Naruto and Sasuke can end the Infinite Tsukuyomi, but Sasuke has plans before that: starting a revolution by killing the tailed beasts and Five Kage, which he believes will change the world for the better. Sad and angry, Sakura pleads with him, acknowledging that there's literally nothing that she can do to change his mind, but asks if there's some part of him that cares about her and is willing to return to her. He once again tells her that she is still annoying before knocking her out with a genjutsu. Kakashi scolds Sasuke for this by saying Sakura's love for him is only hurting her heart. When she finally wakes up later that night, Kakashi tells her that Naruto and Sasuke have gone to have their last fight. They locate Naruto and Sasuke the following day at the Valley of the End, both having lost an arm and unable to move. As she heals them, Sasuke tries to speak to her but she tells him not to so she can concentrate on healing them. Guilt-ridden, Sasuke apologises to Sakura for everything he's done and, after exclaiming him with criticism, she tearfully accepts his apology and Team 7 comes together for good, smiling and laughing.

Blank Period
After the war, Sasuke is pardoned for his crimes based on the good word of Naruto and Kakashi (who has been selected to become the Sixth Hokage). Sasuke leaves Konoha to wander the world on a journey of redemption and Sakura asks him to wait until his prosthesis arm is finished, but Sasuke declines. Sakura then offers to come with him. He again declines, explaining that his journey is one of atonement and that she has no part in that, leaving Sakura disappointed and gloomy. He then pokes her head, promising to see her again and thanks her, and Sakura blushes at the realisation that he is returning her feelings.

Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky
A year after the end of the war, Sakura is part of a Konoha platoon sent to the Blood Prison in anticipation of an attempted jailbreak by the Ryūha Armament Alliance. When they get there, Sakura helps collect passengers ejected from the approaching Tobishachimaru and then, after the Tobishachimaru crashes nearby, heals the survivors.

Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness
Two years after the end of the war, Naruto talks to Sakura about Shikamaru Nara's recent cold behaviour. She reminds him that Shikamaru is working hard in preparation for Naruto someday becoming Hokage, causing Naruto to wonder if he's worth whatever trouble Shikamaru is going through. When Shikamaru later goes missing in the Land of Silence, Naruto and Sakura join a combined Konoha and Suna coalition sent to rescue him. By the time they arrive, Temari is in combat with a brainwashed Sai; Sakura punches Sai away from Temari and then heals Temari's injury. After Shikamaru is saved and his mission is completed, Sakura is part of a force that stays behind to help the Land of Silence stabilise.

The Last: Naruto the Movie
Two years after the end of the war, Sakura notices Hinata Hyūga working on a scarf to give Naruto for the Rinne Festival. Sakura encourages her, but warns her that Naruto may not have a real grasp of the love Hinata has for him. To that end, Sakura orchestrates some opportunities for Hinata and Naruto to spend time together, but due to Naruto's lack of understanding about love, none of them work. Shortly afterwards, Hinata's sister, Hanabi Hyūga, is kidnapped by Toneri Ōtsutsuki and they are assigned to a team sent to rescue her. They follow Toneri's trail to a cave and, when they enter it, they are trapped in a genjutsu. In the movie's novelisation, Sakura quickly identifies her dreams of Sasuke as just that, forces herself awake, and wakes up the rest of the team. At the end of the cave they find the Gatekeeper, the creator of the genjutsu, which Sakura, Shikamaru, and Sai join forces to destroy.

When they exit the cave, they find themselves in the middle of a vast landscape, what they later learn is the interior of the Moon. While resting after a day of exploring the nearby ruins, Hinata voluntarily joins with Toneri and Naruto is badly injured by Toneri while trying to stop her. Sakura spends three days of around-the-clock care to heal him, during which time Naruto talks in his sleep indicates to Sakura that he now shares Hinata's feelings. When he wakes up, Naruto visits Sakura as she recovers from her exhaustion, thanks her, and expresses his fears that Hinata fell in love with Toneri. Sakura reassures him that Hinata's feelings for him are too strong to change so suddenly and that she must have had some reason for going with Toneri. She further says she believes Naruto's crush on her was due to his desire to defeat Sasuke, whom she loves. When Sakura's ready, they storm Toneri's castle; Sai and Sakura go looking for Hanabi while Naruto and Shikamaru go looking for Hinata. While rescuing Hanabi, Sakura finds the tattered remains of the scarf Hinata made for Naruto, which she gives to him when they regroup. Toneri is defeated, Naruto and Hinata express their feelings for each other, and the team returns to Konoha.

Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze
When the Fourth Shinobi World War ended, Sakura assisted with healing those injured and displaced by the conflict. Although the adults recovered quickly and were put at peace by the end of hostilities, children struggled to recover from the stress of the War and the deaths of those they knew. In order to help them deal with this, Sakura and Ino Yamanaka opened a clinic within the Konoha Hospital that would assess and treat children's mental health. The programme proves very successful, in part because Sakura works tirelessly to make it so, a dedication that worries her friends. Two years after the war ends, Sakura and Ino travel to Sunagakure to help the village lay the groundwork for its own mental health clinic; along the way, Ino tells her about the romantic relationships that their peers — Ino included — are getting involved in, causing Sakura to wonder about her long-distant relationship with Sasuke.

In Suna, Sakura and Ino are called before Gaara, who informs them of a man matching Sasuke's appearance and chakra signature that is evidently planning to destroy Konoha. They insist it has to be someone disguised as Sasuke, but can come up with no practical explanations for the man having Sasuke's chakra signature. Hoping to keep Sasuke's apparent plans a secret, Gaara asks Sakura to personally inform Kakashi of the plot against Konoha. Sakura and Ino do so as soon as they return to Konoha, and Kakashi shares their belief that it is an impostor. When, several days later, rumours of this impostor's actions start to spread, Kakashi sends a message Sasuke to ask if he knows anything about it, though Sasuke doesn't reply. Sakura becomes concerned about this and confides in Naruto, who hypothesises that Sasuke finds the rumours too ludicrous to give them any attention.

Naruto's words put Sakura at ease. She meets with Tsunade to discuss possible ways of mimicking another person's chakra signature, and comes up with a theory of somebody extracting Sasuke's chakra from his skin and hair samples that have been gathered in large amounts. Sakura runs into Sai afterwards and she tells him her theory, which, based on information he came across during his own unrelated investigation into Kido Tsumiki, he believes to be true. Because they are all evidently working on the same case, Kakashi makes them a team; Ino dubs themselves "Ino–Saku–Sai". While returning from interviews regarding Kido and his personal Anbu, Sakura comes across what is apparently Sasuke being arrested. She realises after she approaches that it's a genjutsu, but is injected with a drug that renders her unconscious before she can get away.

Sakura wakes up to find herself bound and imprisoned. She tries to break out, but the drug she was injected with hinders her strength and chakra. Kido comes to visit her soon afterwards, explaining that he wants to draw Sasuke out with news of her kidnapping due to their romantic relationship. Once he's captured Sasuke, he'll kill Sakura to strengthen Sasuke's Sharingan, in turn making Kido's planned synthetic Sharingan more effective. Sakura keeps Kido engaged in the conversation while she gathers enough chakra to break free; having finally seen the Sasuke impostor, she tells Kido its many minor flaws that make it inferior to the original. When she's ready, Sakura breaks out of the basement, through the floors above, and finally the roof with a single Cherry Blossom Impact. Outside, she meets Sai and Ino and teams up with them against Kido and his men. Sakura is drawn into a fight with the Sasuke impostor, who chokes her using his one of Kido's synthetic tailed beast cloaks. Sakura breaks free and, as she beats him unconscious, warns him to never impersonate Sasuke again.

She regroups with her teammates and decide to find the rest of Kido's henchmen, but find them defeated by fire and genjutsu, and they realise this is Sasuke's doing and he had just disappeared. Although saddened, he didn't at least say hello, Sakura is happy that Sasuke does care about her enough to rush back to the village to save her. After turning Kido over to Ibiki for interrogation, Sakura resumes her duties and decides to wait for Sasuke's return, which she believes is imminent, so she can talk to him. The final page implies that Sasuke returned to the village to be with Sakura, as he says "I'm home, Sakura."

Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding
While looking for a present to give to Naruto and Hinata for their wedding, Sakura finds a picture frame that she thinks would be perfect. Ino finds the exact same picture frame at the exact same moment, and their fight over who will buy it causes both of them to be expelled from the store, neither of them able to purchase the picture frame. Ino blames Sakura for what's happened, insisting Sakura's unnatural strength and large forehead make her uncouth and, more particularly, unlikely to ever be married. Sakura is deeply insulted by the accusation and challenges Ino to a cooking competition to prove that she would make a good wife.

Sakura and Ino make their own soldier pills; Sakura puts pudding, Ino's favourite dessert, into hers so that Ino will have no choice but to approve of her recipe. When she meets Ino the next day, however, she finds that Ino wants to use Chōji Akimichi as an impartial judge. Chōji samples each of their soldier pills and finds them so delicious that he starts putting them into his mouth by the handful. He soon collapses to the ground with blood running from his nose. Both suspect that the other poisoned their soldier pills, so sample them in order to identify the poison and thus save Chōji. Neither can taste poison, but they do taste their favourite desserts: Ino loves the pudding in Sakura's and Sakura loves the anmitsu in Ino's. Chōji gets up soon afterwards, having finally recovered from his blood sugar overload, and he praises both of their soldier pills. Sakura and Ino reflect on their like-mindedness and how their competitions always push each other to be better. They, therefore, decide to go shopping together, helping each other find a gift even better than a picture frame. Sakura later attends Naruto and Hinata's wedding by herself, but thinks about Sasuke travelling somewhere.

Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise
Sakura is summoned into Kakashi's office, along with Naruto and Sai, on the disappearances of Kumo and Kiri shinobi. Sakura informs Kakashi that she had been doing some research of her own and she discovered several Konoha shinobi have disappeared, including a family friend of Ino's. When Kakashi tells them that Sasuke is investigating the disappearances, Sakura reacts with anxiety at the mention of his name due to her being frustrated towards their long distant relationship.

Konoha is attacked and Sakura and the others discover the attackers are the missing shinobi, who are under a genjutsu. The ringleader of the assault is Ino's family friend, Taidachi. Sakura helps Naruto, Sai, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji deduce that the shinobi will explode upon being injured, so they come up with a new strategy; Shikamaru uses his Shadow Imitation Technique and Hinata uses her Gentle Fist to render them motionless. Ino tries to use her Mind Body Switch Technique on Taidaichi, but falls under a genjutsu trap; Aoba saves her, but both pass out. Sakura heals them, as well as the rest of those injured in the attack.

When Sakura learns Sasuke captured the ones responsible for the events and helped change their ways to repent, Sakura, although being tired of waiting for Sasuke to come home, is proud of Sasuke for how much he has accomplished to redeem himself.

Sakura is mentioned in a letter written by Naruto and given to Sasuke while he is on his journey. In it, Sakura compares his current duties of protecting the village from the shadows to that of his childhood dream of joining the Konoha Military Police Force. It is Sakura's words in the letter that compels Sasuke to decide to return to Konoha and be with her. The end of the novel strongly implies that they reunited some time afterwards, as Sakura says "Welcome home, Sasuke."

New Era
When Sakura and Sasuke began dating, they had their first date overlooking the ocean, though it only lasted for two and a half minutes. Four years after the war, Sakura, now pregnant, accompanied her husband, Sasuke, on his travelling, as she refused to leave his side. When she went into labour, Sasuke brought her to one of Orochimaru's hideouts and had Karin help with the delivery. Sakura gave birth to their daughter, Sarada, and returned to Konoha with her family. Afterwards, Sakura and Sasuke raised their daughter together for some time, but he left the village on a mission to investigate Kaguya, leaving their daughter with few memories of him. When Sarada asked about Sasuke, Sakura assured her that he loved them both. Promising that he'd come home after completing his mission, Sakura poked her forehead.

Eventually, she became director of the Medical Clinic and its top healer. She also began giving separate lessons to genin in medical ninjutsu. At the time Naruto became Hokage, Sakura watched his inauguration with Sarada. Later, Sakura attended a Five Kage Summit with her husband, who informed the Kage about uncovering evidence of Kaguya forming a new White Zetsu Army in order to face some greater threat. Agreeing to keep this information secret and wanting to safeguard the future of their daughter and the new generation, Sasuke continues his wanderings as he tries to find more information, using his Rinnegan to inspect other dimensions.

Academy Entrance Arc
In the anime, as the village began getting constant attacks from an unknown culprit, Sakura treated a Konoha Purification Plant worker who had his chakra drained in the Konoha hospital. When the culprit behind the attacks was revealed to be Sumire Kakei, a unit was deployed to apprehend her. The rogue student unleashed Nue onto the village. While Kakashi organised the unit to defend from its attack, Sakura worked with a unit to treat the injured.

Sarada Uchiha Arc
In the anime, Sakura is about to go on a trip with Ino but as Sakura begins to leave, she realises that a patient's teddy bear, which she brought home so that she could sew it, has not been picked up yet. Sakura promised to return the bear that day, but Sarada promises that she will do it for her. Later, Sakura and Ino go to the seaside cliff, where Sakura and Sasuke went on their first date. Ino asks Sakura if Sasuke contacted her. Sakura says no, wondering what Sasuke is doing at the moment. Later that night, Sakura arrives home and asks Sarada if she returned the teddy bear, with Sarada commenting it was easy. Sarada asks Sakura how her trip was, and Sakura calls it wonderful.

As Sarada's graduation from the Academy approaches, Sarada starts asking Sakura about Sasuke with greater earnest. Sakura struggles to answer questions about Sasuke's childhood in order to hide his past from Sarada, leading Sarada to question if Sasuke and Sakura are even married. This upsets Sakura and she punches the ground, which then inadvertently destroys their house. Sakura faints at the realisation of what she's done. She later wakes up to find herself in the care of Shizune, who informs her that Sarada has left the village to look for Sasuke and also tells her about Sarada's doubts on her parentage. After chuckling at her daughter's recklessness, Sakura goes after her.

Sakura arrives in time to save her family from Shin Uchiha, rupturing his organs in the process. Sakura apologises to Sarada for not being more open with her, but Sasuke insists that he's to blame. A creature then teleports her and the two Shin's to his hideout. There, Shin holds her hostage and asks her to transplant the organs from his injured son into him, which she refuses. While Shin is performing the surgery himself, Sakura is disgusted about his philosophy regarding his clones and declares he has no idea what it's like to be a real parent. When the surgery is completed, Sakura reveals she was pretending to be a helpless hostage to get information on Shin for Sasuke, and she begins fighting him. When Sasuke arrives, he saves Sakura and pulls some scalpels out of her, and she thanks him. After the clones stab Shin, Sakura stands in front of Sarada as they prepare to attack, but Sarada launches herself towards them and subdues them with her strength. With the fighting done, Sakura hugs Sarada and expresses relief that she is alright, before confirming that they are biologically related.

Sasuke accompanies them back to Konoha and spends some time with Sakura and Sarada, even posing for a family photo that their home has been missing. Sakura and Sarada see him off as he leaves Konoha again; when Sarada becomes sad, Sasuke hugs her and pokes her forehead, promising to return as Sakura looks on with a smile. Sakura then gives him a prepared lunch and hopes for a kiss in return, but he departs without further comment while smirking, depressing Sakura as she waves goodbye.

Naruto Shinden: Parent and Child Day
During the new Konohagakure holiday, Parent and Child Day, Sakura had to spend much of her time at the hospital. Later the day, she found to her shock that Sasuke had returned to the village. He discussed with her his problem in connecting with Sarada. Sakura noted that having spent much of Sarada's life away and only hearing stories about Sasuke and his various exploits, Sarada probably became disillusioned at who Sasuke was as a person and his attempts at being a dotting father seemed lame. Ultimately, Sakura suggested that he should approach Sarada more like how Sasuke's relationship was with his father and brother back in the day; just enjoying the time they have together and talk about their goals. Later that night, the Uchiha family enjoyed a hearty meal together.

Graduation Exams Arc
In the anime, Sakura noticed Sarada's lack of excitement over going camping, and her complaints about Boruto reminded her of her own complaints about Naruto during their Academy days. When Sarada's class began preparing for the Genin Exams, Sakura joined her daughter to discuss her progress and future goals with Shino.

Versus Momoshiki Arc
Several months later, when Sarada leaves to train for the upcoming Chūnin Exams, Sakura sees her off. Before she goes, Sarada notes that Sakura must be happy since Sasuke has come back to Konoha, to which Sakura replies that Sarada must be the happiest. Later, during the exams' final matches, Sakura watches with Temari and Ino, cheering loudly when Sarada wins her first match. The finals are interrupted by an attack from Kinshiki and Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki, who proceed to destroy the stadium; Sakura punches the falling debris above her, creating a shockwave strong enough to destroy it to protect herself and the other spectators.

After Kinshiki and Momoshiki kidnap Naruto, Sakura heals Hinata, who was badly injured in her failed attempt to save him. When Boruto prepares to join Sasuke in rescuing Naruto, Sakura carries Hinata to him so that she can reason with him; however, seeing Boruto reminds Hinata, like Sakura, of a younger Naruto, she allows him to go. Naruto is successfully rescued and life returns to normal when he gets back to Konoha. As Sarada and her team leave for a mission, Sakura watches them with Sasuke.

Sasuke Retsuden Arc
When Naruto became afflicted with an unknown illness, Sasuke went to the Land of Redaku after learning stories that the Sage of Six Paths suffered from the same illness and found a cure there. When Kakashi learned additional information, he sent Sakura to help Sasuke after he was unable to update him through messenger hawk. Sakura infiltrated the Astronomy Research Institute as a prison doctor to contact Sasuke, becoming popular with the inmates for her beauty and kindness. She discovered Sasuke after he fought Menō and treated his poisoned wound, collecting a sample for testing. Sakura updated Sasuke on Kakashi's discovery about polar particles being the cure, and how the Sage hid two portions in "the sky that fell to the Earth" and "the star that never strays", and that to find them, one must "revel with the map of the heavens".

She theorised that Naruto's illness is due to being a jinchūriki. Sasuke urged her to leave over the unusual dangers of the mission, but she was determined to support him. He hid himself with Jiji arrived to treat his burst blisters, but revealed himself when Jiji flirted with Sakura. Sakura claimed that she took the job to get closer to her husband, as the prison didn't allow visitors. Jiji believed them, and Sakura helped Sasuke get back to his cell, later pointing him to a prison that could further their investigation.

Discovering that Penjira, a prisoner who worked as a library attendant, might know something, Sakura approached him, claiming an interest in astronomy. He determined the book she wanted was in a secure section in the basement. Appealing to his love of gambling, Sakura played cards with him. She refused Sasuke's offer to help by casting genjutsu, and memorising the wear of the cards to always draw, got him to give her the key. That night, Sasuke slipped a ring he made with Earth Release so others wouldn't flirt with her, Sakura fawning over it. Searching the books, they discovered an art style similar to Sai's, not native to the country. The art seemed to be the basis of the card game she played with Penjira, and revealed a connection to constellations, an old note also having a Konoha emblem. Sasuke trusted her decrypt the code, and days later, she slipped him the decrypted code representing dates, and asked him to meet her. Meeting with Sasuke, he revealed his discovery that the Hoshinarabe game was based off the history of the Sage of Six Paths and the Tailed Beasts. Sakura explained that a messenger from the capital was arriving to meet with Zansūru. Sakura knocked him out and disguised herself as him, while Sasuke transformed into his staff. As Sakura conversed with Zansūru in his office, Sasuke snuck away through Zansūru's back door.

Later while talking with Ganno, who realised that Sasuke was her husband, Sakura realised the card game was also based off the 12 signs of Ninjutsu and that its strongest hand was the key to decode the Map of the Heavens. She quickly rushed to tell Sasuke over findings. In turn, Sasuke revealed where they could find the "Sky that fell to Earth" half of the meteor. As the two found the site, Sasuke offhandedly asked Sakura if she would like an authentic wedding ring, Sakura politely declined. Sasuke admitted to Sakura his regret in not being around more over the years since marrying each other. Sakura assured him their bond was undeniable. As Sakura took out the playing cards to decipher the seal, Sasuke noted the back of the cards had a lizard on a rock. Sakura noted how long ago there were dragonic creatures that went extinct after a meteor crashed on the planet.

As Sakura performed the hand seals to reveal the polar particles, Sasuke realised the truth behind Zansūru's plan. Suddenly several ancient dragons took to the sky, which Sasuke deduced were summoned by the Impure World Reincarnation Technique. Sakura headed back to the institute at Sasuke's instruction, taking the particles with her. After Sakura aided many of the inmates to safety, she found Jiji. She asked Jiji where Zansūru was, who insisted he was in the courtyard. Suddenly, Jiji stabbed Sakura with a poisoned kunai, revealing himself to be in league with Zansūru. As Sakura collapsed, he took the particles, explaining that other goal in the excavation was to find the particles as it was difficult to revive multiple dragons without them. He proceeded to use the particles to revive a giant dragon beast.

Sakura awakens beneath the debris and realizes she couldn't properly infuse her chakra due to Jiji's poison, therefore making her unable to use her superhuman strength to escape. As Sakura begins to accept her fate, she begins tearing up and thinks of Sasuke during her supposed final moments. When she regains consciousness, however, Sakura finds out she was saved by Sasuke, who explains that he located her thanks to the chakra flowing within his Earth Release wedding ring she was given. Subsequently, Sakura and Sasuke split up as Sakura focused on saving the inmates while Sasuke and Menō battled the dragon beasts. Sakura also led many of the dragon beasts away in one direction before defeating several of them by crushing the ground beneath them with her superhuman strength.

After making an exit for the inmates to escape through, Sakura's path is blocked by Jiji, who uses an Earth-Style Wall to prevent her from escaping. Sakura then suddenly collapsed, with Jiji explaining that his poison had a side-effect of causing paralysis. When Jiji started to walk towards her, however, he found that his feet would not move. On inspection, he noticed a trap buried in the earth that Sakura evidently placed for him. On even closer inspection, he sees that the trap connects to a seal on his wrist. Jiji couldn't understand where the seal would have come from, so Sakura explained that she placed it on him the first time he visited the infirmary: she immediately noticed that he had too much chakra to be a normal prisoner, so placed the seal as a precaution.

As Jiji explained his motives for helping Zansūru, wanting to ressurect his supposedly-deceased fiancée Margo, Sakura admits that although she might also have been tempted to help Zansūru in his position, she disapproved of the entire plan, as she firmly believed that Margo wouldn't want to be resurrected like that. Sasuke recognised the name and shows Jiji a letter from Kakashi Hatake, which details how Redaku's Prime Minister was overthrown by Prince Nanara, with some help from Margo. Jiji started to cry at the realisation that Zansūru manipulated him. After performing the hand seals to release the reincarnation technique, Sakura is nearly attacked by one of the dragon beasts that was slowly disintegrating, but Jiji jumped in front of her to take the attack, leaving him in critical condition. As Jiji struggled with his injuries, Sakura desperately attempted to heal him, saying that he couldn't die now that he learned Margo was alive and urged him to stay alive for Margo's sake, and Sakura ultimately managed to prevent Jiji from dying.

After the mission ended, Sakura returned to Konoha and went out for drinks with Ino as they hadn't seen each other for a while due to Sakura's long stay at the Land of Redaku. Ino then notices Sakura's ring and inquires her about it, to which Sakura explains Sasuke made it by using his Earth Release, although she doesn't elaborate any further. Later that night, Sakura looks up to the moon, and claims that although she doesn't currently know where Sasuke is, she, as well as Sasuke, doesn't worry about their bond growing weaker, knowing that they would forever love each other.

Mitsuki's Disappearance Arc
In the anime, when Mitsuki seemingly betrayed the village by attacking two gate guards, the village was put on lockdown. Sakura was in charge of treating the injured men. As one of them began to recover and show signs of regaining consciousness, Sakura gave the report to Yurito to be delivered to the Hokage. Meanwhile, Boruto and Sarada left the village without authorisation to find Mitsuki. While Hinata was worried about the consequences of their children's actions, Sakura insisted that they knew what their actions could lead to but still had faith they would be okay.

Later, suspecting that the attacks would make another attempt to kill the recovering guards to cover their tracks, Moegi disguised herself as one. The suspicions proved correct as a brainwashed Yurito tried to poison her. Despite Moegi and Sakura cornering him, Yurito used the poison as a smokescreen to escape. Ultimately, Yurito is captured and freed from his brainwashing, but falls victim to the enemies' Explosive Clay trap to cover their tracks. As Sakura treats the deeply injured Yurito, she gives Naruto permission to briefly talk with the recovering guards.

Later, Sarada joined Boruto in retrieving Mitsuki, who apparently betrayed the village. When the genin returned, an angry but relieved Sakura hugged her daughter as a welcome.

Time Slip Arc
After Sasuke helped in delivering Shukaku safely to the village, he was given some downtime. While Sakura was happy to have her husband back, she was dismayed by how little time he spent at home. Regardless, she decided to make his favourite dinner to welcome him home.

Meanwhile, as Sasuke and Boruto were sent back in time to shortly after Sasuke's defection, past-Sakura bumped into the two. Fearing changing the future from interacting with his future wife, Sasuke decided to keep his distance. Sakura noted how similar Naruto and Boruto where, which the two bluntly denied. Later, Sakura joined her friends in helping Boruto and Naruto clean up a bathhouse to make up for the commotion Naruto and Jiraiya caused there.

Days later, as Sakura was returning home from another gruelling session of training with Tsunade, she bumped into adult Sasuke. He quickly apologised and rushed off, dropping a piece of paper in the process (a letter from Sarada). Sakura looked at the contents. While it was revealed to be a letter with the message smeared too much to read, Sakura made out Sasuke's name written on it. Suspecting that Boruto knew something about Sasuke, she decided to confront him about it. Boruto, nervous about being found out, simply said that he knew a different Sasuke than the one she knew. While seeing that he was hiding something, Sakura decided to drop the subject with Boruto, instead finding the stranger's teacher to ask him directly.

She later found the mysterious man battle an unknown assailant alongside Boruto and Jiraiya, who was after Naruto. When Sasuke's efforts proved futile thanks to his continued fatigue and the foe's strange abilities, he tackled the man into the river with him. While the man emerged unharmed but fuming at Sasuke's interference, Sakura fished Sasuke out of the river and hid him while using her new medical ninjutsu to treat him. Eventually, Sasuke awoke, accidentally addressing her by name. As she began to ask him questions, her efforts to heal Sasuke overtaxed her and she fainted. Sasuke gently laid her down before going to help his allies.

Days later, after Urashiki was defeated and Sasuke and the others were discharged from the hospital, Sasuke and Boruto were ready to leave. Before they could, they were approached by Sakura again, still determined to learn "the stranger's" connection to Sasuke. As Sasuke fumbled to find an excuse, Jiraiya chimed in, giving an elaborate story about how they were avid fans of his and wanted to train under him, hence the injuries. Sakura ultimately accepted the story, finding the traveller strange.

Before leaving, Sasuke used his Sharingan to erase Sakura's memories, along with everyone else of the past, of the recent events to protect the timeline. After Sasuke and Boruto returned to the present, Sasuke found his wife sleeping at the table, waiting for him. After she awoke and greeted him, she decided to make him some food, to which Sasuke warmly thanked her.

Kara Actuation Arc
In the anime, when Team 7 was defeated by Deepa, the genin were brought back to the village for emergency care. As Sakura worked on Boruto, Shizune worked on Sarada. After a successful operation on both genin, Sakura voiced her concerns for the mental impact of the defeat on them. Three days later, Sarada and Boruto disappeared from their respective rooms in the hospital. Sakura however quickly deduced that the two would meet up with Konohamaru and Mugino who were ready for a mission to investigate Kara. To her relieve however, the children merely wanted to voice their trust in the older ninja to handle the mission while they would stay behind and commit themselves to grow stronger with hard training.

Later, as Sarada sought intense training from Sasuke, Sakura watched from afar in concern for her daughter. As she continued to observe the gruelling conditions her daughter was going through, Sakura confronted her family. She voiced her concern that Sarada was pushing herself too hard after just recovering, and even more horrified to hear her talk about the Mangekyō Sharingan. While Sakura insisted that she couldn't push herself so recklessly, Sarada was furious to hear her mother baby her, refusing to see why she wanted to get stronger, and stormed off. Alone with her husband, Sakura admitted that, as a mother, she couldn't handle the thought of Sarada being injured again like she did. Likewise, she feared the path Sarada could potentially walk if she were to acquire the Mangekyō Sharingan. Sasuke insisted that, as parents, they have to prepare Sarada as much as possible for the world, and that she is strong as they were back then.

Unable to fully accept Sasuke's view, Sakura was left depressed. Later that night, Ino and Hinata decided to take Sakura out on a girls' night out to talk. They insisted that, as mothers themselves, they too feared for their children's well-being, but they had to have faith that they were strong and could endure. Ino insisted that Sakura as a child had drive that pushed her forward, and Sarada inherited as much from Sakura as she did from Sasuke. Ino's words managed to cheer up Sakura.

The following day, Sakura decided to oversee Sarada's training personally. She insisted that just blindly facing the challenge wouldn't yield any results. She placed Sarada into a sparing match with her, quickly overwhelming her. Sakura then pointed out Sarada's biggest flaws. Sarada's chakra control was still underdeveloped, quickly burning through it in her various actions and unleashing it randomly when attacking; this affected both her combat performance and development of her Sharingan. Sarada's second problem was that her resolve was still too frail, fearing defeat. Determined to break past her limits, Sarada faced down Sakura again, using her Sharingan to mimic the movements and general timing of Sakura's attacks to reach a standstill. As Sakura tearfully criticised Sarada's recklessness, she was proud to see her daughter's inner strength was like her own, deciding to put Sarada through the same gruelling combat training Tsunade did to her to improve her chakra control.

Ao Arc
In the anime, Sakura attended the memorial service for the fallen people of the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Kawaki Arc
While buying flowers at Yamanaka Flowers for Sasuke's imminent return, Ino disapproved the idea of a husband who is almost never home, to which Sakura responded that she only wanted him to return to the village safely despite feeling lonely at times. When Sarada came to ask Sakura about her forehead seal, she explained and revealed that it had existed since the age of the Sage of Six Paths. She also revealed Sasuke was returning home when Ino suddenly trembled upon sensing a sinister chakra near Naruto, much to Sakura's shock. Sarada left the shop, telling Sakura that she was going home. Later, when she was on her way back from the flower shop, Sakura found an injured Sasuke who teleported behind her on the road, again shocking her. She took him to the hospital and proceeded to heal him, saving him from his critical injuries.

After Sasuke and Naruto made a full recovery, Sarada and her team were treated as well due to making a daring rescue of Naruto. Sarada explained to her parents how during their battle against Boro, it was only thanks to a strange new evolution of Boruto's Kāma that they were able to defeat him. She noted that Boruto not only sprouted a horn and manifested a Byakugan in his right eye with his massive increase in power, but even was acting differently. This concerned Sasuke, but Sakura told her daughter to rest.

Later, in the anime, after Isshiki Ōtsutsuki was defeated at the cost of Sasuke's Rinnegan and Kurama, Sakura aided Katasuke in testing Naruto's body for any remaining traces of Kurama and its capacities, only to find none. While Sakura was dismayed to admit this, Naruto firmly chose to not wallow over it, feeling that Kurama would ridicule him for it.

Chūnin Re-Examination Arc
In the anime, Konoha held another Chūnin Exam. Sarada was one of four chūnin promoted by the end of it, much to Sakura's and Sasuke's joy. Days later, Sakura commented on how Sarada taking over as team captain meant Konohamaru would no longer be part of their team, something Sarada was having trouble accepting. When Mirai returned to the village poisoned from what was supposed to be a simple mission, Sakura treated her until she could report what had happened.

Kawaki & Himawari Academy Arc
In the anime, Sakura listened to Hana Kaka in the hospital as she explained how her other personality had been the assassin after Kae Yukiwari, and her decision to live with the other personality, teach her, and befriend her.

Labyrinth Game Arc
In the anime, Sakura informed Sarada of Sasuke's departure with Boruto to procure a new messenger hawk. While Sarada was annoyed, Sakura advised her to make peace with Sasuke departing and returning suddenly, though her own frustration showed through when she destroyed a shuriken target.

Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
Team 7 is sent on a mission to protect the actress, Yukie Fujikaze, as she travels to the Land of Snow. During the course of the mission, Sakura encounters Mizore Fuyukuma several times. She eventually uses the Sakura Blizzard Technique to distract him while Sasuke hurls Fubuki Kakuyoku into Mizore, causing their Chakra Armours to explode. When the Land of Snow is converted to the "Land of Spring", Sakura and Sasuke watch it together.

Naruto the Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel
Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru Nara are sent to deliver Nerugui to its rightful owners. When they arrive at the village where Nerugui's owners live, they are attacked by Temujin's warriors, who wield the power of the Stone of Gelel. Sakura is eventually forced to fight the wolf-like Fugai; she uses metal pillars to reflect Fugai's ear-splitting howl, thus causing the pillars to collapse on her and kill her.

Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom
Naruto, Sakura, and Rock Lee are assigned to protect the Land of the Moon's prince during his world trip. During the mission, she's makes several uses of the medical ninjutsu and increased physical strength she gained from training with Tsunade, the latter particularly in her fights with Karenbana. Sakura struggles against Karenbana during their first encounter because of Karenbana's ability to turn invisible. During their second meeting, Sakura notices how much perfume Karenbana wears, helping her to defend herself. Later in the fight she breaks a chandelier, scattering glass across the floor that allows her to find Karenbana and knock her out.

Naruto Shippūden the Movie
Naruto, Sakura, and Lee are led on a mission by Neji Hyūga to escort Shion, the head priestess of the Land of Demons. When they arrive at the tomb of Mōryō, they are forced to fight the Gang of Four, who they eventually drive off. Sakura later tries to carry Shion to safety, but they are followed by Kusuna and Sakura is injected with Secret Anaesthesia. Once she recovers, she helps her team defeat Kusuna and his men.

Naruto Shippūden the Movie: Bonds
During the Land of the Sky's attack on Konoha, Sakura heals the injured who are brought to the hospital. Afterwards, Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata Hyūga are assigned to escort Amaru and Shinnō back to their village. During their journey, Amaru's body is possessed by the Zero-Tails; despite trying to fight it, Sakura is defeated. Naruto leaves Sakura behind as he goes after Amaru.

Naruto Shippūden the Movie: The Will of Fire
Sakura is part of a team sent to investigate the most recent in a series of kidnappings of people with kekkei genkai. During the investigation, Naruto and Sai are injured by strange animals. Sakura heals them and, when they get back to Konoha, forces them to spend some time in the hospital. Hiruko later declares war on the ninja villages and Sakura is assigned to secure Konoha's borders. When she learns that Kakashi has defected and that Naruto has been imprisoned to stop him from going after Kakashi, she helps him escape and accompanies him. When they, with help from Shikamaru and Sai, find Kakashi — who is under Hiruko's control — they fight Hiruko's chimeric animals, save Kakashi, and ultimately Hiruko is defeated.

Naruto Shippūden the Movie: The Lost Tower
Team 7 goes to the ruins of Rōran to capture Mukade. While fighting Mukade, Naruto and Yamato vanish, only to reappear immediately afterwards with no memory of what they've just been through. When they leave Rōran they are approached by a girl, whose mother met Naruto when he was sent to the past. Though he's unaware of this, Naruto claims he saw the girl in a good dream he had, causing Sakura to pull his ear and call him a pervert.

Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison
When Naruto is accused of trying to assassinate the Fourth Raikage, Sakura is surprised and is the only member of Team 7 to try and argue for his innocence. Despite this, he is imprisoned in the Blood Prison. Sakura is later part of a force sent to the Blood Prison to rescue Naruto, and while there helps capture escaping prisoners. Naruto is badly injured during the ordeal and Sakura is unable to heal him, forcing Ryūzetsu to save him instead with her Dragon Life Reincarnation; Sakura then tries and fails to revive Ryūzetsu. When they get back to Konoha, Sakura asks Naruto if her earlier surprise was convincing, as the entire thing was staged.

Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie
Sakura and the rest of the Konoha 11 successfully defend Konoha from an Akatsuki attack. When they return to the village, Sakura's parents, Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno, embarrass her with their concern for her safety. She meets with Naruto later to complain about her parents' protectiveness. As they talk, they are attacked by Tobi, who uses the Limited Tsukuyomi to send them to a Genjutsu World where their dreams come true: Naruto has his parents and Sakura doesn't have hers. She enjoys it for a while — especially because her parents died saving the village and thus Sakura gets special treatment from the villagers — but she eventually starts to experience the loneliness of not having parents that Naruto has known for his entire life. Sakura is eventually kidnapped by Menma on Tobi's instructions and the Genjutsu World's Akatsuki is hired to rescue her. Sakura then saves Naruto from Menma who in turn saves her from Tobi, thus breaking the Limited Tsukuyomi. Back home again, Sakura rushes to her parents and hugs them, glad to be back.

Video Games
In many video games set during Part I, Inner Sakura is featured prominently in Sakura's movesets due to Sakura's lack of a defining fighting style; games vary between using Inner Sakura as a genjutsu or as an actual physical embodiment. Sakura is also one of several Naruto characters to appear in the story mode of J-Stars Victory VS.

Creation and Conception
Although Sakura is the most recurring female character in Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto did not originally intend for Sakura to be the heroine of the series. Kishimoto attributes this to his being unable to draw good heroine characters, and fashioned Sakura as a girl who cannot understand men, the best example of a heroine he could come up with. Sakura's creation is a result of Kishimoto's desire to make a somewhat irritating character who was well-intentioned. Despite these elements, Kishimoto is fond of Sakura, as he feels that many of her personality traits are common among all people, thus giving her a sense of real humanity. When asked in an interview if there is something about Sakura's background that was never revealed, Kishimoto explains that he has never thought of Sakura as she is a "normal girl."

When designing Sakura, Kishimoto focused on her silhouette and created a costume as simple as possible. This is a divergence from the other main characters of the series, whose costumes are very detailed. The leggings are the most notable aspect of her design, as they are meant to show that she is very active. At the start of the series her leggings extended below her knees and closely resembled trousers. As Part I progressed, the leggings became increasingly shorter and tighter. Similar to his inexperience with drawing heroines, Kishimoto lacked the experience needed to make Sakura "cute" when he first began drawing her. Although he implies that her appearance has become cuter since then, Kishimoto and much of the Naruto manga staff agree that Sakura was "far from cute" at the start of the series.

Sakura's most well-known physical characteristic is her broad forehead. Because of this, Kishimoto at times focuses too much effort on drawing it in scenes or promotional artwork where Sakura is featured prominently. This results in her forehead appearing too large. When designing Sakura in her Part II appearance, Kishimoto decided to change her clothes to a more lively karate suit style. The upper part, though, still has a Chinaesque feeling to it, so as to make her more feminine.

Kishimoto's staff have said that Sakura's pink hair was originally intended to give her a unique style and to resemble cherry blossoms, after which she is named.

Trivia

 * The name "Sakura" literally means, a flower which is cherished in Japan due to its beauty and its almost-tragically short life span (cherry blossoms have historically been associated with the samurai). It also serves as the national flower for the nation of Japan. Her family name "Haruno" means . In Japanese, her full name can be interpreted as or . Sakura's name can also be a reference to a suit of cards used in the Hanafuda card game.
 * Sakura placed well in the Naruto Character Popularity Polls, reaching an all-time high of fifth most popular.
 * In the Live Spectacle Naruto, the role of Sakura was played by Yui Ito.
 * According to the databook(s):
 * Sakura's hobbies are playing trivia games and memorising new material for her medical studies.
 * Sakura wishes for a rematch with Ino.
 * Sakura's favourite foods are syrup-coated anko dumplings, umeboshi, and anmitsu, while her least favourites are anything spicy.
 * Sakura has completed 34 official missions in total: 12 D-rank, 9 C-rank, 6 B-rank, 7 A-rank, 0 S-rank.
 * Sakura's favourite phrase according to the first databook is, and her favourite word according to the second and third databooks is.
 * According to character trivia from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations:
 * Her attributes are: 100 in strength, 155 in negotiation, 173 in chakra, 174 in intelligence, 133 in perception, and 140 in dexterity.
 * She was also given a skill rating in these particular areas:
 * Drug Resistance: ★★★★☆
 * Unarmed Hand-to-hand fighting: ★★★★★
 * Medical Ninjutsu: ★★★★★
 * According to Hyō no Sho, while in the Academy, Sakura had an A in classroom attitude, a B in ninjutsu, genjutsu, cooperation, and positivity and a C in taijutsu.
 * In the June 2006 issue of the English Shōnen Jump, Kishimoto stated that Sakura would be the best ninja instructor out of Team 7 and is the closest to being normal, despite having flaws in her personality.
 * During a 2010 interview, Kishimoto stated that many who work with him have told him Hinata would have made a better heroine than Sakura. Kishimoto said that despite not initially being portrayed like one, he would be showing a more heroine side of Sakura from then on.
 * Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets show that the high sandals Sakura wears in Part II adds 1 centimetre onto her height.
 * Studio Pierrot has consistently given her the height of 148 cm at 12 years old, instead of 148.5 cm as her databook profile gives her.
 * Sakura, like Hiruzen, is one of two individuals to have been a student of two Hokage. Hiruzen was a member of Team Tobirama and a disciple of Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage. Likewise, Sakura was a member of Team Kakashi and a disciple of Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage.

Quotes

 * (To herself about Naruto) "Always acting like a fool who only knows one thing… Hokage, Hokage. I'm sorry Naruto… that impossible dream of yours… I don't want to see it crushed!"
 * (To herself) "I've always considered myself to be a true ninja… but those were just empty words, because Sasuke and Naruto were always in the lead! But now it's my turn to take the lead, and all of you can watch me from the background!"
 * (To Sasuke) "I… I love you with all my heart!… If you were to stay here with me, there would be no regrets… because every day we'd do something fun, we'd be happy I swear!… I would do anything for you! So… Please just stay with me!"
 * (To Chiyo) "I may not have amazing weapons like a puppet in me, but what I do have is my master's contempt for losing!"
 * (About Naruto and Sasuke) "Naruto's here because he's made up his mind… my resolve is nothing compared to his now! I'm supposed to be a ninja, but all I've ever done is lean on him and cry… I was supposed to change that… I came here and I thought I was ready. But I can't do anything… I can't say anything. The only thing that remains for me… is to believe in them!"
 * (To the Allied Forces after being inspired by Naruto) "He's making us realise that he considers all of us his comrades!!! I'm going to make sure Naruto has a full recovery! Every one of us must do what's in their power! If we're going to die any way… …then it's better to die fighting than to do nothing!!"
 * (To Naruto while giving CPR to him) "I'm not going to just allow someone to die so easily on my watch! (Later) That ridiculous dream of yours… just look now. I won't let you die… you're not dying on me, you hear me! No matter the cost, there's no way that I will let you die!! Just look now… that dream is right in front of your eyes!!!"
 * (To her daughter) "Sarada, you and I are very precious to your dad. That's exactly why he can't come home. I don't think you'll be able to understand it now...but the day will come when you do."