The Sakura Legend

Konoha Training Grounds

"Morning, everyone," Kakashi greeted the members of Team 7 as he appeared at the training grounds.

"You're so late, Kakashi-sensei! What time is it? You said to meet at 5 AM!" Naruto immediately roared at Kakashi.

"Sorry, sorry. A black cat crossed my path..." Kakashi said with a smile. Seeing the disbelieving looks on all three of their faces, he coughed awkwardly. "Anyway, that's how it is."

Walking to the center of the grounds, where three training logs stood, Kakashi pulled out an alarm clock. "Okay, I'm setting the time for 12 noon." Then, he produced two bells. "Your mission is to take these two bells from me before noon. Whoever doesn't get a bell will go without lunch and be tied to one of those logs, watching me eat my bento."

"Kakashi-sensei, why are there only two bells?" Sasuke noticed that Kakashi only had two bells and asked.

"Heh~ So at least one of you will be tied to a log. At the same time, that person will be considered to have failed the mission and will be deemed unqualified, and they will return to the Academy. You can use any ninja tools you have. You won't be able to get the bells unless you come at me with the intent to kill."

"Hmph, any means necessary?" Sasuke asked.

"That's right. So, let's begin," Kakashi said, standing in the middle of the field, not moving.

However, none of the three genin made any attempt to hide. Sakura wanted to test her abilities against a jonin; she wouldn't waste such a valuable opportunity for combat experience. Sasuke, probably because Sakura hadn't hidden, and believing himself to be no less capable than her, also didn't bother to conceal himself. Naruto intended to confront Kakashi head-on, though his reasoning was slightly off. None of the three chose to use a sneak attack.

"Sakura, I don't think we've ever teamed up before, have we?" Sasuke said, holding a kunai.

"That's true, but I don't want to team up with you. I want to test my current strength on my own," Sakura said, ignoring Sasuke's suggestion to cooperate.

"Hmph, you've gotten quite arrogant these past three years. I wonder if your skills match your arrogance," Sasuke said, a little irritated by her rebuff. However, with a formidable opponent before them, he didn't escalate the internal conflict.

"I think you're the one who's gotten cocky. Do you really think you can take on Kakashi-sensei right now?" Sakura retorted, turning her head to look at him strangely.

Predictably, Sasuke couldn't restrain himself after hearing that. "Sakura, are you looking for a fight? I'll deal with you first, and then I'll take care of Kakashi-sensei."

"Then come at me. Let's see what you've learned these past few years," Sakura replied, her own temper rising due to Sasuke's inflated ego.

"Hey, Sasuke, shouldn't we focus on Kakashi-sensei first?" Naruto said, seeing that Sasuke and Sakura were about to clash again.

"Hmph, idiot," Sasuke said, glancing at Naruto.

"You bastard, Sasuke! You wanna fight? Come on! Let's see who's afraid of who!" Naruto pulled out a kunai, ready to charge.

"Naruto!!!" Sakura shouted, stopping Naruto before he could rush in. "If you want to beat up Sasuke, you can do it anytime after we leave the training grounds. But you have to wait until I've beaten him to a pulp. This is between me and Sasuke. Don't interfere."

Kakashi, watching the three of them bickering again before the exercise had even started, felt a wave of resignation. He pulled out a copy of Make-Out Paradise from his ninja pouch and started reading, deciding to wait until they'd finished arguing before doing anything.

"Opportunity," "Opportunity," "Opportunity," the three of them thought simultaneously. Seeing Kakashi lower his guard, they immediately shifted their focus to him.

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!" Sakura formed hand seals and released the jutsu, trapping Kakashi.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Sasuke, seeing Sakura trap Kakashi, followed up with a Fireball.

Naruto, meanwhile, used his Shadow Clone Technique and charged forward, intending to seize the bells. The swamp was instantly filled with Naruto's shadow clones. Naruto, stepping on his own clones, rushed to the center of the swamp, ready to snatch the bells.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Taking advantage of Kakashi's moment of inattention, Sakura had trapped him first. Sasuke then used his Fire Style to dry the surface mud of the swamp, further restricting Kakashi's movements. Finally, Naruto charged in to grab the bells. In an instant, they'd executed a small team maneuver.

When Sasuke had suggested teaming up, Sakura knew he was serious, but a simple team-up wouldn't work against Kakashi. Sakura remembered the tactic she'd used during her first fight against Tsunade-sensei, and she subtly provoked Sasuke. She'd even worried that she might have genuinely angered him.

After saying that, she saw the corner of Sasuke's mouth twitch upward, and Sakura knew that Sasuke understood her intentions. Sasuke then followed Sakura's lead and retorted, but Naruto was an unpredictable factor; she wasn't sure if he'd grasp the plan. Sure enough, her concerns were validated when Naruto prepared to attack Sasuke. To prevent their plan from falling apart, Sakura had to step in and remind Naruto.

It seemed Naruto had also matured a bit over the past few years. After her reminder, he understood her plan, and when Kakashi let his guard down, all three of them attacked together, successfully executing the strategy.

Now, Naruto was leading the charge, rushing into the center of the swamp. "Th-This is..." There was no Kakashi at the center of the swamp, only an Earth Style clone.

Sakura also saw that it was only a clone that Kakashi had left behind. She couldn't help but feel disappointed. A jonin wasn't so easily defeated, after all.

"Clap...clap...clap." A sound of applause came from a nearby tree. Kakashi jumped down from the branches. "You all certainly surprised me. That was a good strategy. First, the internal conflict to make me lower my guard, then Sakura using ninjutsu to trap me, followed by Sasuke's feint attack to strengthen the trap, and finally Naruto rushing in to grab the bells. Not bad, not bad at all. I'm starting to feel a little satisfied with you all."

As expected of a disciple trained by Tsunade-sama. The strategy was well-executed, and Sasuke and Naruto performed well too. Although Naruto didn't grasp Sakura's plan at first, he eventually figured it out and joined in. They actually have some teamwork. But passing the test won't be that easy.

Seeing Kakashi descend from the tree, the three genin instantly formed a triangular formation, surrounding him. However, Kakashi didn't make a move. Instead, he spoke.

"Naruto, there are only two bells. If you had actually managed to grab them, what would you have done? After all, one of you would have to fail."

Naruto's face twisted with conflict upon hearing Kakashi's question. After a long pause, he said, "I would have given them to Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura was the first person to acknowledge me. I don't want her to have to go back to the Academy. And although I hate to admit it, Sasuke is stronger than me. If it weren't for Iruka-sensei, I wouldn't have even graduated. If someone has to fail, I'm the most suitable one."

Sasuke, hearing Naruto's words, felt a slight shift in his heart. At this point, Sasuke hadn't completely fallen into darkness, and he wasn't oblivious to the kindness shown to him by those around him. Naruto's words made Sasuke feel uneasy. "Hmph, dead-last. I don't need you to help me graduate. I'll prove my own strength. You can keep the bells for yourself."

Sakura listened to Naruto's dramatic declaration and looked at Sasuke's tsundere face, feeling completely unmoved. She even felt a slight urge to laugh. Hold it in, hold it in, don't laugh. Sakura kept mentally repeating this to herself.

"Hmm~~~ Alright then, Naruto, you..." Kakashi began in a sinister tone, only to abruptly switch to a cheerful expression. "...all pass the test!"