"Because! WE ARE FRIENDS!"
Sasuke shouted at Kakashi, his voice trembling with overflowing emotion.
"But I have reasons... I have reasons why I can't just give up on my dream!"
Naruto, who had just been taken down from the post and was still a bit dizzy, looked at Sasuke in amazement.
"Sasuke...!"
"I'm sorry, Sasuke! Sakura-chan!"
Naruto suddenly exclaimed, tears starting to well up in his eyes.
"I'm the one holding you back! I'm the one who was stupid and broke the rules! But... but we are friends!"
Sakura nodded in agreement, a sincere smile gracing her face.
"Yes, we are friends! One for all, all for one!"
"Therefore," Sasuke continued, looking at Kakashi with blazing eyes,
"Let all of us pass the test, or eliminate all of us together! I won't abandon them!"
Kakashi stopped walking.
He held his chin, looking at the three Genin before him, his eyes slightly narrowed as if assessing them.
A tense silence lasted for a few moments.
Suddenly, Kakashi's expression changed.
His threatening aura vanished, replaced by a genuine smile (though still hidden behind his mask).
"Passed!"
he said cheerfully.
"You... have passed my test!"
Naruto and Sasuke both gaped in confusion upon hearing this.
"Huh?"
All of this was in line with Sakura's expectations and analysis.
She smiled in relief.
"Why? Why did we pass? Didn't we break all the rules?"
Naruto asked in confusion, scratching his head which wasn't itchy.
The dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, and sunlight once again illuminated the training ground.
Kakashi said calmly, yet full of meaning:
"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are indeed considered trash."
He paused for a moment, looking at them one by one.
"But..." he continued,
"those who don't know how to cherish their friends... they are worse than trash."
Kakashi smiled gently.
"Alright! The training is over, everyone has passed!"
"Hooray!"
Naruto jumped for joy.
Sasuke just snorted softly, but the corner of his lip twitched upwards slightly.
"Team 7 will officially start its missions tomorrow!"
Kakashi announced.
"Now, let's go home. You must be tired."
Kakashi turned and walked away, waving his hand without looking back.
Ding!
"Emergency Mission: Impress Kakashi-sensei with your hidden talent! Successful!"
"Reward: One random Kekkei Genkai from the primary list is being processed. Please check Host's status for details after returning to residence."
Sakura heard the notification from the System in her mind and let out an immense sigh of relief.
Her heart, which had been pounding fiercely due to the threat of the mission failure penalty, now began to calm down.
Sakura couldn't wait to get home and see what Kekkei Genkai she would get.
'I hope it's not something weird...'
'Thank goodness... thank goodness I don't have to endure that mission failure penalty...'
Sakura thought, shuddering horrifically at the alternative.
She glanced briefly at Naruto, then quickly shook her head, banishing the bad thought.
Kakashi disappeared as quickly as he had come, leaving three young Genin still trying to process everything that had just happened.
Overwhelming relief swept over them, especially after the tension they had felt moments ago.
"YATTAAAAAA! WE PASSED! WE REALLY PASSED, DATTEBAYO!"
Naruto jumped around excitedly, his fists punching the air.
He ran around Sakura and Sasuke, a grin as wide as his face.
"Sakura-chan! Sasuke! We did it! Team 7 is the best!"
Sasuke snorted softly, but this time there was a very faint, almost invisible smile playing on his lips.
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"Hn. Of course, we passed. There's no way I would fail here."
Although his words sounded arrogant as usual, his tone indicated a relief that couldn't be completely hidden.
Sakura smiled sincerely at her two teammates.
For the first time, she felt a real bond between the three of them.
A warm feeling spread through her chest.
'Team 7... yes, we are Team 7.'
However, amidst the relief, her thoughts immediately turned to the reward from the System.
A Kekkei Genkai!
Her heart pounded at the thought.
What kind of ability would she get?
Would it help her become a stronger Kunoichi?
"I... I have to go home right away!"
Sakura said suddenly, her face slightly flushed with an enthusiasm she tried to hide.
Naruto stopped his victory dance.
"Eh? Why the hurry, Sakura-chan? We should celebrate this! How about we eat ramen at Ichiraku? My treat!"
"Some other time, Naruto,"
Sakura replied, trying to sound calm.
"There's something I need to take care of at home immediately. Something... important."
'Very important!' she added inwardly.
Sasuke glanced at Sakura with a curious look but made no comment.
"Alright then,"
Naruto said, a little disappointed but then cheering up again.
"But promise, okay! Tomorrow we celebrate! Sasuke, you have to come too!"
"We'll see, Dobe,"
Sasuke retorted, though he didn't outright refuse.
Sakura nodded quickly.
"See you tomorrow, Naruto, Sasuke-kun!"
Without waiting any longer, she immediately turned and ran as fast as she could towards her house, leaving her two teammates still basking in the euphoria of their graduation.
While running, Sakura communicated with the System in her mind.
'System, can you tell me now what Kekkei Genkai I got? I can't wait anymore!'
"Please be patient, Host," the System replied in its typical flat tone.
"The reward bestowal process requires optimal conditions and privacy for perfect integration. It is recommended to check it in a safe and quiet place, such as Host's residence."
Sakura sighed, slightly disappointed but understanding.
'Alright, alright. Just a little longer.'
She quickened her pace, the shadow of her house already visible in the distance.
Her mind was filled with various possibilities.
Her heart pounded not just from running, but also from immense anticipation.
This was a big step for her.
From an ordinary girl obsessed with Sasuke and feeling useless, she now had Chunin-level strength and would soon possess a Kekkei Genkai.
All thanks to this mysterious System.
Although sometimes the missions and their punishments were incredibly stressful, the rewards were truly worth it.
'The penalty for failing that mission earlier... Oh god, I don't even want to imagine it anymore!'
Sakura shuddered.
She was grateful she had managed to impress Kakashi-sensei.
Finally, Sakura arrived at her front door.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
Her mother didn't seem to be home; the house felt quiet.
This was perfect.
She opened the door, stepped inside, and went straight to her room.
After closing and locking her bedroom door tightly, she sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes closed for a moment, preparing herself.
Ding!
"Reward analysis complete. Host has been granted the Kekkei Genkai: Magnet Release (Jiton)."
When Sakura heard the notification from the System, her eyes instantly sparkled.
Magnet Release!
She could hardly believe her luck.
'Magnet Release!' she exclaimed inwardly, joy overflowing to the point she felt like jumping up and down.
'This is the same Kekkei Genkai as the Third Kazekage's! The one known as the strongest Kazekage in Suna's history! If I can master it...'.
As the academy's most talented student in theory, Sakura had, of course, devoured every ninja history book in Konoha's library.
The Third Kazekage's name and his iron sand power were legendary.
'Doesn't this mean I can be as strong as him? Or even... even surpass him with the help of this System!'
An ambition she had never felt before began to grow in her heart.
This was no longer just a desire to attract Sasuke-kun's attention, but a desire to become truly strong, to stand at the pinnacle.
"System," Sakura called in her mind, trying to control her trembling voice from enthusiasm.
"Are there any limitations in using this Magnet Release? Or specific guidelines for training it?"
"Initial integration of the Kekkei Genkai is complete, Host," the System replied in its usual flat tone.
"Current ability is still at a basic stage. Continuous training and increased chakra levels will unlock greater potential. The System will provide guidance and related missions in the future."
Impatient, Sakura immediately ran out of the house, heading to the backyard which had a small sandy area.
She squatted down, closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate.
She imagined particles of iron sand that might be hidden among the ordinary sand, trying to pull them with her mind, with her new chakra.
One minute passed, then five.
Her brow furrowed, sweat starting to dampen her temples.
'Come on... come on... pull!'
she urged inwardly, exerting all her ability.
However, nothing happened.
The sand remained still, as if mocking her efforts.
She had failed.
Sakura opened her eyes dejectedly.
"Ugh, it seems my ability isn't enough to control iron sand directly yet," she muttered in disappointment.
"Maybe I should start with something simpler."
She went back inside the house, towards her room.
Her gaze fell on her ninja pouch lying on the table.
She took out a kunai and several shuriken.
As she held them, a strange yet familiar sensation arose.
A faint connection, as if the metal objects were responding to her presence.
Sakura held a kunai in one hand, closed her eyes again, and focused her chakra on the metal in her hand.
Slowly, she felt something light, as if the kunai was losing its weight.
She opened her eyes and carefully released her grip.
The kunai... was floating!
Floating about a centimeter above her open palm!
"It worked!" she whispered, her eyes sparkling in disbelief.
She let out a small laugh, feeling a new wave of joy.
Full of enthusiasm, Sakura focused her chakra again.
This time she tried with more weapons.
One more kunai, then one shuriken, two shuriken, three shuriken.
She managed to make two kunai and three shuriken float around her, albeit with slight trembling and full concentration.
'Wow... this is amazing! It seems this is my limit for now, but with diligent training, I can definitely become even better! I can control more, faster, stronger!'
she thought with burning enthusiasm.
Sakura then imagined the weapons moving.
With a slightly hesitant wave of her hand, she gave a simple command in her mind.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Instantly, the kunai and shuriken shot out like invisible projectiles and embedded themselves in her wooden bedroom wall.
Some even lodged quite deeply.
"Oops," she muttered, seeing several new holes in her wall.
"Mom will definitely be angry."
But then she giggled.
"Hehehe... this is so cool!"
With a feeling of satisfaction and full of hope, Sakura threw herself onto her bed, rolling around in delight.
She began to daydream, imagining herself in the future.
Standing gallantly on the battlefield, iron sand swirling to protect her, crushing her enemies.
She imagined herself at the pinnacle of the shinobi world, and Sasuke-kun looking at her with a gaze full of admiration... even love.
However, amidst her beautiful daydream, her dream suddenly turned strange.
She saw herself, amidst Sasuke's praise and admiration, suddenly turn around.
Her face showed an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun," she said in the dream,
"but after thinking about it, I'm now more interested in Naruto."
Then, she left Sasuke standing transfixed with a sad and heartbroken expression.
'NOOOO!'
Sakura woke up with a start, her breath ragged, cold sweat drenching her forehead.
Her heart pounded fiercely.
"What kind of dream was that?!"
She sat upright, looking around her room in confusion.
"Ugh! This must be because of that damned System! It must be the one putting weird ideas into my head!"
She grumbled irritably.
It wasn't that she was actually starting to get interested in that noisy blond kid!
Not at all! It was just a silly dream!
Yes, just a dream.
For now, after calming herself down a bit, Sakura decided to keep her Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai a secret for the time being.
At least until she could control it better, perhaps until she could truly control iron sand like the Third Kazekage.
It would be more surprising if she revealed it at the right moment.