"Team 7."
At the entrance of the classroom, Hatake Kakashi stood with a dead look in his eyes.
Staring at the three troublemakers, he felt a faint headache pounding at the back of his head.
"Hmmm, how can I say this?" Staring at the kids sitting calmly in their seats, with Naruto and Sasuke glaring daggers at each other and Sakura silently admiring Sasuke, he couldn't help but picture a certain image. "You guys are quite similar to a certain team of the past. Let's hope you manage to stay alive past your teenage years. Now come, let's start our first team meeting on the rooftop."
Leaving that morbid comment behind, Kakashi turned and left nonchalantly while reading a book titled Icha Icha Paradise.
The corners of Sakura's mouth twitched. She couldn't help but think she had gotten the short end of the stick.
"He's so late, and right after a single look he says something like that. I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up with the worst jonin instructor."
"Haha," Naruto smiled at Sakura. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan, if that guy with dead fish eyes messes with us, I'll play a prank on him he'll never forget!"
"Hmph! Childish. Do you think a tail-of-the-crane like you could even touch the corner of a jonin? You're just a fool overestimating yourself."
"What did you say, idiot Sasuke!"
"Are you deaf?"
Sakura was speechless at the exchange between the two. With a sigh, she stood up and was the first to leave the room, followed by Naruto and then Sasuke.
The rooftop was a mix between warmth and freshness. The sunlight shone on the red tiles, a wave of heat gathering on them, faintly distorting the air around. At the same time, a fresh breeze blew continuously from the mountain tops in the distance, greatly alleviating the heat.
Sakura and the others sat down at the steps, while Kakashi-sensei leaned against the guardrail.
"Then, let's start by introducing ourselves."
Naruto raised his hand anxiously like a little monkey who couldn't sit still.
With a sigh, Kakashi looked at him. "What is it?"
"Kakashi-sensei, how should we introduce ourselves? Besides, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
"Hmm, let's see. Just say your name, hobbies, what you like and dislike, and your dreams.
As for me... Hmmm, my name is Hatake Kakashi. Things that I like and hate... I don't feel like telling you. As for dreams? That's it. Now it's your turn."
A scowl adorned the trio's faces. This bastard was messing with them!
"Okay then, I'll go first!" Naruto jumped to his feet and introduced himself loudly. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I love ramen, especially the ramen cooked by Teuchi. It's simply the best! What I hate is self-righteous, arrogant guys, hmph!"
Naruto glared at Sasuke, who glared back at him, sparks and hatred flying around like fireworks.
"My dream..." He glanced at Sakura for a moment, feeling a little shy, then coughed. "Ahem, my dream is to become Hokage, so everyone will no longer ignore me and will look up to me. And I will also be admired by the girl I like!"
Hearing those cheesy words, Sakura's cheeks flushed slightly and she shot him an annoyed glare.
"My name is Haruno Sakura." She sat straighter, her voice confident, almost challenging.
"I like Ino. She's my best friend. Always has been."
Naruto's chest tightened at that. The corner of his grin faltered, though he tried to keep it steady.
"As for what I dislike…" Sakura let her words linger in the air, then gave a little huff. "I dislike certain blond kids who think strength means charging in without thinking. Loud, careless, always making a mess, always talking bigger than they can back up." Her eyes drifted briefly across the team, then settled on Sasuke for a fraction longer than necessary.
Naruto froze. He didn't need her to say his name to know who she meant.
"And my dream?" Sakura tilted her head slightly, lips curling into a smirk. "It is simple. I will become the strongest, a kunoichi so powerful that no one will ever be able to defeat me. When that day comes, I will see who still dares to look down on me, and whether they have the courage to back up their words with action."
She leaned back, arms crossed, a proud spark flashing in her eyes.
Sasuke's turn came, though he didn't rush to speak. He sat there, arms folded, gaze fixed straight ahead, his expression carved from stone.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke." His voice was calm, steady, with a sharpness that cut through the air.
"I don't like many things… and I don't particularly dislike anything either." His tone didn't waver, but there was a weight behind his words that made Sakura lean in slightly without realizing it.
"What I do have," his eyes narrowed, black as coal but glinting with something darker beneath, "is ambition. A goal."
For a moment, silence settled. The wind carried the edge of his voice as he continued.
"My dream… no, my reason for living… is to kill a certain person."
The words fell like blades, cold and absolute.
Sakura's breath caught in her throat. Naruto clenched his fists under the table, frowning, his earlier bravado shrinking under the seriousness of Sasuke's tone.
Kakashi's single visible eye studied him quietly, though he said nothing.
Naruto's eyes went wide as soon as Sasuke finished. His throat went dry, his body stiff, but his thoughts spun in a frenzy.
No way. No way. He's talking about me, isn't he? He has to be! Just because I'm going to be Sakura-chan's husband one day? Damn it, Sasuke, I knew it! You're already planning to get rid of me.
His legs began to shake under the weight of his own imagination. He pictured Sasuke sneaking up at night, throwing shuriken at him in the dark while he, now the Hokage was innocently enjoying Teuchi's ramen, or glaring with those cold black eyes while he muttered, "You're in my way."
Naruto swallowed hard, fists trembling on his knees.
No way, no way! But if it's true, then I'll fight you, Sasuke. I'll fight you with everything I've got! I'll defeat you and protect Sakura-chan!
He puffed out his chest, trying to look brave, but the fear made his whole body quiver. His face was pale, sweat sliding down his cheek, and to anyone watching he looked more like a cornered rabbit than a future Hokage.
Still, in his mind, he shouted as loud as he could.
I won't lose to you, Sasuke! Never!
Observing the three of them, Kakashi nodded to himself. Sure enough, they are not much different from what was stated in the reports. But the most troublesome… are Naruto and Sasuke.
Sasuke is completely consumed by hatred, walking a path that can only end in blood. And Naruto… he is too attached to that girl. If something ever happens to her, I fear he will lose control of the Nine Tails. A rampage would be inevitable.
As those thoughts flickered behind Kakashi's lazy gaze, Sakura shifted uncomfortably. She noticed the way his eye slid past her, lingering on Sasuke and Naruto as if she were little more than background.
Her blood boiled. She leaned forward, eyes narrowing, her voice slicing through the quiet like a kunai.
"Oi, Kakashi-sensei."
He raised his visible brow lazily from behind his book. "Hm?"
"Why do you keep staring at them like that?" she asked, her tone sharp. "That disgusting gaze, like you're already measuring their worth." She jabbed a finger at herself. "What about me? You think I'm just decoration? Some extra weight on the team?"
Kakashi blinked once, the curve of his book lowering a fraction. "I never said that."
"Hmph. You didn't need to," Sakura shot back, a smirk tugging at her lips. "I can see it all over your face. You're looking down on me, aren't you? Just like everyone else."
Her words hung heavy in the air. Naruto glanced between them, his mouth half open, unsure whether to cheer her on or panic. Sasuke didn't move, but the faint twitch in his brow betrayed his interest.
Kakashi closed his book with a soft snap, eye locking onto her. For the first time, there was no laziness in it, only quiet calculation.
"You're sharp," he said slowly. "Too sharp."
"And you're dodging the question," Sakura shot back without hesitation, her chin tilting up. "Answer me, Kakashi-sensei. Are you looking down on me?"
Sakura's eyes blazed, her voice rising with a fierce edge.
"I'm not weak. I'm just as strong, if not stronger, than them!" she said, jerking her chin toward Naruto and Sasuke. "I trained for this. I bled for this. I won't let anyone, not even you, look down on my efforts!"
Naruto's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something, but her sharp glare silenced him. Sasuke's lips curled into the faintest smirk, but he said nothing, as if waiting to see how their teacher would respond.
Kakashi, however, didn't react the way she expected. Instead of scolding her or brushing her off, his visible eye curved slightly.
Amusement.
"Is that so?" His voice was calm, almost lazy again, but there was a note of interest beneath it now. "You're very confident in yourself, Haruno Sakura."
"Confident because I've earned it," she shot back instantly.
Kakashi tilted his head, closing his book and sliding it back into his pouch. His hands slipped into his pockets as he regarded the three of them with a look that was half bored, half entertained.
"Good. Then prove it."
Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"You all seem eager to show me what you're made of," Kakashi said. "That's convenient, because starting tomorrow morning, you'll have the chance." He paused, letting the silence stretch just enough to raise their anticipation. "We'll be conducting a survival exercise."
"Survival exercise?" Naruto repeated, scratching his head.
Kakashi nodded. "That's right. You'll be tasked with taking these." He reached into his pouch and held up two small silver bells, letting them jingle softly in the wind. "The three of you against me. Your job is simple: take a bell before noon."
Naruto blinked. "Wait… there are only two bells!"
"Exactly," Kakashi said, his tone light but cutting. "Which means one of you will fail. Whoever doesn't have a bell by the end will be sent back to the Academy."
"What?!" Naruto practically exploded, his voice echoing off the rooftop. "That's not fair!"
"Life isn't fair," Kakashi replied with a shrug. "Ninjas who complain about fairness usually end up dead."
Sakura clenched her fists, her earlier fire only burning hotter at his words. "Fine. If that's the case, then I'll win. No matter what, I'm not going back to the Academy."
Kakashi's eye curved again, as if he were smiling under the mask. "That's the spirit. Let's see if your strength is enough when it really counts."
Sasuke crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "Good. That's exactly the kind of test I want."
Naruto jabbed a finger at the bells. "Then I'll definitely get one too! Just you wait, Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi pushed himself off the railing, waving dismissively as he started walking away. "Tomorrow morning. Training ground three. Don't eat breakfast… unless you want to throw it up."
With that, he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only the faint ruffle of disturbed air.
The three of them sat in silence for a moment, the weight of his words settling in.
Sakura's lips curled into a determined smirk. "Perfect. I'll show him. I'll show all of them."