Under the big tree, Naruto sat slumped against the roots, totally crushed.
Shadows hid his face, but his shaking shoulders screamed how messed up he felt inside.
Rustle—Kakashi dropped lightly onto a branch overhead.
"Not going for the bells anymore? You'll get sent back to the Academy, y'know."
He flipped through his little orange book, poking the salty fish on the ground.
"Kakashi-sensei… aren't we teammates? Why… why do we have to fight?!"
Naruto's blue eyes trembled. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles went white.
"Naruto… you like Sakura, right?"
Kakashi hopped down, standing beside the kid, watching his face turn beet-red.
"If someone took Sakura hostage and ordered you to kill Sasuke—what would you do?"
"I…"
Naruto opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
"See? That's the ninja world."
"Village, interests, missions, teammates… tough choices will always pop up."
"From day one, the Academy teaches us how to kill. You ready to get your hands bloody?"
When he said blood, Kakashi's own hand twitched.
Naruto didn't answer. He just pushed off the tree and stood up.
He pulled a kunai from his pouch—steady grip, no hesitation.
"Sasuke, Sensei… everyone keeps saying stuff I don't get."
"But I wanna be acknowledged! How can I stop here?!"
He roared and charged, Kakashi smiling proudly behind him.
Hands together—Tiger seal. Massive chakra surge.
Seven solid shadow clones popped out.
"SAKURA!"
---
On the training field, Sakura was "playing" with Sasuke when she heard her name.
She looked up—Naruto barreling toward her, eyes burning with pure, crystal-clear fighting spirit.
"Now that's a little manly, Naruto!"
His fire lit something in her. She grinned from the heart.
One punch sent Sasuke flying. She dropped into a guard stance against the incoming wave.
Seven kunai flew at once—whistling through the air like rain.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Naruto's eyes shook as the metal hit Sakura and rang like steel on stone.
"Ninja Tactic #1: Taijutsu!"
(Technically Rokushiki Iron Body, but hey—foreign taijutsu still counts.)
Her sandal-clad feet stomped the ground—afterimages tearing the air.
She smashed through every clone in a blur, then popped right in front of the real Naruto.
"Nice guts. But who gave you the balls to underestimate me?"
She grabbed his collar and slam—over-the-shoulder throw straight into the dirt.
"Guh!"
Naruto saw stars, coughing up spit.
"Hey—don't ignore me!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Thanks to Naruto buying time, Sasuke finally had his move ready.
Chakra way beyond genin level roared. His chest puffed up.
A massive orange fireball blasted out, incinerating everything in its path.
The flames made the girl look tiny, lighting up her emerald eyes.
Sakura just… stood there. Like she was frozen.
"Got her!"
Sasuke's face lit up—then froze.
The "Sakura" hit by the fireball burst into a flock of blue butterflies, scattering everywhere. Target lost.
"Ninja Tactic #2: Genjutsu!"
Her voice came from behind him.
Sasuke spun and stabbed backward with his kunai.
The blade sliced "Sakura" in half—no resistance, no blood.
Just more butterflies flapping out of the "wound."
"Damn it—reflect! Reflect!"
His Sharingan spun, but the illusion wasn't even on him—couldn't bounce it.
More and more butterflies filled his vision.
"Ninja Tactic #3: Ninjutsu!"
Earth Style: Heart-Decapitation Jutsu
The ground under Sasuke cracked open. Sakura's hands grabbed his ankles and yanked him underground—only his head left above dirt.
She flipped gracefully down from the sky.
Mission failed. They never even touched the bells.
---
"Alright, exercise over. You lose!"
Kakashi strolled in, announcing the verdict.
"Now, Sakura—it's time for you to decide if they stay or go."
One sentence shut both boys up. Their hopeful eyes locked on the girl in black ninja gear.
"You hold their fate in your hands, little miss~ Go on, make the call."
Kakashi fanned the flames, toying with the two pure-hearted boys like a pro.
Sure enough, Sasuke and Naruto looked like baby birds waiting to be fed.
Even without looking, Sakura's Observation Haki picked up their feelings loud and clear:
Mama Sakura… hungry… food please!
It was hilarious, but she wasn't about to let Kakashi win that easy.
As a pirate, Haruno Sakura's specialty was ruining people's plans.
"Got it! Then both bells go to them."
Grinning, she unhooked the two bells from her waist.
One into Naruto's hand. The other dangling over dirt-buried Sasuke's head.
"Sakura-chan…"
Naruto clutched his bell and started bawling.
"Haruno Sakura—are you pitying me?!"
"Give it back. I said give it back. Uchihas don't need charity to pass! Don't underestimate us!"
Sasuke's face was tomato-red, only his head above ground.
He was tsundere to the end—couldn't even say thanks.
"Hey, you're the one in charge. You really okay slinking back to the Academy?" Kakashi asked, so shocked he didn't notice his Icha Icha book was upside-down.
"Nonsense. A person's dream… never ends! You think a ninja title can chain me?!"
Dark lightning crackled in the air. Over-the-top Conqueror's Haki exploded from her sheer willpower.
Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke's eyes went wide.
In that moment, they all felt it—a clear, unshakable line.
Defiance against the ninja system. Defiance against the world. Absolute stubbornness. A self that never bends.
Haruno Sakura… is an outlier.
The thought hit Kakashi like a truck. Every weird thing she'd ever done suddenly made sense.
And the headache? This walking disaster was his student now.
"This is… gonna be a massive pain."
Kakashi felt pressure like never before, but he still smiled warmly and bowed to the three.
"You kids… pass!"