Chapter 10 (Sasuke Retsuden)

Summary
Before its soul returns to the afterlife, one of the revived dragons takes advantage of the fact that it is no longer under Jiji's control by attacking Jiji. Sakura immediately starts healing his injuries, but Jiji pleads with her to let him die as punishment for his actions. She refuses, reminding him that he must reunite with Margo. His consciousness begins to fade, and he reflects on how differently things might have turned out if he'd been as strong as Sakura or Sasuke. He soon awakens, observing that Sakura is "stubborn".

Nanara, King of the Land of Redaku, later visits the remains of the Astronomy Research Institute and prays at a memorial for those who died in the dragons' attack. He laments that he hasn't been able to rebuild the Institute yet, as he's been too focused on Redaku's capital and Nagare Village. His attendant, Margo, assures him that he shouldn't feel bad given that he's only recently ascended the throne. Nanara decides to visit the nearby lake and calls on Margo and Jiji to follow him.

In Konoha, Sakura is having lunch with Ino Yamanaka when they are interrupted by Shikamaru Nara, who gives Sakura a preliminary report on the polar particles. When she asks how Naruto is doing, Shikamaru explains that Naruto refuses to stop working despite his illness; Ino guesses it helps keep his mind off what he's going through. After Shikamaru leaves, Ino notices the ring that Sakura is wearing. Since Sasuke made the ring with Earth Release, Ino notes that it contains some of Sasuke's chakra; this was how Sasuke was able to locate Sakura while she was poisoned and buried beneath rubble. They spot Sasuke walking by while they chat, and Sakura gushes over how attractive she still finds him to be.

That night, Sarada prepares dinner, making a point to cook several of Sasuke's favorite dishes. Sasuke doesn't acknowledge this, prompting Sakura to kick him under the table to remind him to compliment Sarada. After Sarada goes to bed, Sakura tells Sasuke about a letter from Kakashi that mentioned Redaku's tradition of couples exchanging wedding rings. Sakura asks if this means the ring he gave her was meant to ward off other men. Sasuke chokes on his drink, but Sakura thanks him anyway.