Dawn's first light spilled over the path back from Training Ground Three. Leaning against a roadside tree, the white-haired slacker teacher cradled his little orange book and stared at the kids in front of him.
"Man, you're brutal. You really beat on him all night?"
Kakashi's eye crinkled at the sight of Naruto slung across Sakura's back.
"Who do you think set the crazy deadline? I wouldn't have gone full psycho otherwise."
Sakura rolled her eyes and handed the bruise-covered Naruto to Kakashi.
During the hand-off, the unconscious kid mumbled, "It's gone… really gone…"
"So this jutsu of yours can be fast-tracked?"
Elite jōnin Kakashi had already pieced together plenty from her earlier words.
"Only for Naruto. Anyone else would die."
Sakura raised a palm. Armament Haki coiled around it; she squeezed. The air itself warped under her dainty fingers.
Gulp.
The sheer menace rolling off her hands made Kakashi swallow hard.
Getting pummeled by those fists all night? Yeah, only a life-force freak like Naruto could survive.
"Also, the technique requires a calm mind to activate. Teaching Naruto how to chill is your job, sensei."
For someone overflowing with Yang-heavy chakra like Naruto, restlessness was his default setting.
Two ways to fix it: grind his heart down with patience, or let a life-altering shock force the change.
Both were a pain in Sakura's book. That was Kakashi's responsibility as the team leader. She wasn't about to babysit his student.
She stuck her tongue out at him, formed a seal.
"Wait, I—"
Whoosh.
Kakashi couldn't stop a Flying Thunder God user.
Space-time shimmered, and she was gone.
Back home, Sakura crashed until late afternoon.
She woke to her mom's merciless announcement: lunch was gone, nothing left.
Grumbling, stomach growling, she dragged her exhausted body to the south shopping district for food.
Meanwhile, two ninjas in brown flak jackets and red Iwa gear stepped into the same street.
The black-haired girl took in the dazzling stalls and wooden buildings—way fancier than her rock-filled village—and her face lit up.
"WOOOW! So this is Konoha's busiest strip? It lives up to the hype!"
She bounced from food cart to clothing store, squeezing through crowds, eavesdropping on fashion gossip, even wrestling potatoes from an old lady at the supermarket.
"Hey, cut it out, Kurotsuchi! This is Konoha—don't start a riot!"
The tall, gentle guy behind her jogged after her, hand raised.
"Akatsuchi, you're such a stick in the mud! I'm here to shop. The customer is GOD!"
Kurotsuchi planted hands on hips and puffed out her equally tragic chest.
She spun—and smacked into a flat steel wall.
"Ow, hard."
The offhand complaint made the pink-haired girl—already tired and starving—light up with red battle-lust.
"Hmph. At least I'm not a blind, flat dwarf!"
Raised as Iwa's spoiled princess, Kurotsuchi's forehead popped a tic-tac-toe vein.
"What'd you say, you—"
Rage boiled. She pointed, insult on the tip of her tongue… then blanked. How do you roast a stranger?
Stammering, she sized Sakura up: cherry-pink bob, clear emerald eyes, Konoha headband ribbon, tall striking figure, black ninja fit—cool and snarky.
Tch, tall people think they're hot shit…
"You pink-haired gorilla!"
"Your vocabulary's as flat as your chest. Zero damage."
"Grr… you wide-forehead hag!"
"Your lies are as short as you. Zero credibility."
"Ngh… you flat-chested venom witch!"
"Your attacks are as weak as you. Zero sting."
"You—"
Three shots, three perfect counters. The sleek black-haired girl bared shark teeth, veins throbbing.
"Good girl. Go practice. Your roasts are so sweet they sound like flirting."
Sakura, using her height advantage, reached down and ruffled Kurotsuchi's hair with a wicked grin.
"JERK! I CHALLENGE YOU!"
Face crimson, Kurotsuchi rolled up her sleeves and charged.
Akatsuchi swooped in, grabbing her arms and hoisting her off the ground.
Kurotsuchi kicked wildly—fishnet-clad legs flailing for Sakura's face.
"AKATSUCHI, LET GO! I'm teaching this chick a LESSON!"
Honest Akatsuchi ignored her. He'd promised the Tsuchikage to babysit the princess.
Plus, this was Konoha. Start a brawl and get dog-piled by Leaf nin? No thanks.
"Alright, alright, Kurotsuchi—we were in the wrong first."
He held tight and smoothed things over.
"Three times, Akatsuchi! Three! Just let me hit her once!"
Kurotsuchi whipped her head back and roared at her senior.
"Oh? Wanna give me a 'lesson'?"
Sakura's eyes narrowed. Conqueror's Haki rippled outward like ocean rings.
King's presence—dark lightning crackling—slammed into them. Emerald tyrant eyes and a roaring pure-white titan loomed in their minds.
"This is… pressure…"
Bone-chilling dread. Both Iwa nin trembled.
Just her aura… she's INSANE!
"Hey, what's your name?!"
Kurotsuchi dropped the jokes, staring dead serious.
This young Leaf ninja was no joke—probably their toughest exam opponent.
"Haruno Sakura!"
Arms crossed, Sakura swept her gaze over the hidden watchers.
North water tower.
A lazy guy with a giant sword on his back glanced down. "Samui, Omoi, Karui—that's your biggest threat this exam."
"Yes, Captain Darui!" ×3
West apartment rooftop.
A black-cloaked boy with a puppet on his back and a girl with a giant fan kept their heads low, afraid to meet the eyes of the sand-gourd kid in front.
Murder boiled in the blonde's veins. "That woman's strong… killing her would fill it, right?"
He clawed his chest, fabric bunching.
Far away, the Hokage Building.
The three Kage stood at the window.
The white-robed Kazekage chuckled. "Iwa's little lady's got spirit. Youth is nice."
The floating Tsuchikage—Ohnoki—shot him a look, then deflected, "Konoha's prodigy isn't bad either."
Hiruzen Sarutobi lit his pipe and smiled.
"This is the future of the ninja world! Let the exams… begin!"