When the smoke cleared, and Kakashi’s figure completely disappeared, the three of them were still in a daze.
Even Naruto showed a hint of surprise, genuinely not expecting Kakashi to be so direct. After the self-introductions and informing them of tomorrow’s meeting time and place, he just left.
Sakura widened her eyes, seemingly unable to believe their instructor was so casual. Sasuke also frowned slightly, his eyes filled with increasing confusion.
“What a laid-back ninja… Hatake Kakashi…” Naruto thought to himself.
But this was probably just part of Kakashi’s personality.
As for Kakashi’s warnings, Naruto didn’t take them seriously at all.
Meeting at five o’clock? And no breakfast?
Come on, if he hadn’t read the original series, he might have been fooled. After all, this was their Jonin instructor assigned by the village, a top-tier Jonin. As a Genin, you were supposed to listen to your direct superior.
But Naruto wasn’t in that category.
Five o’clock?
Although he didn’t remember the exact time from the original series, Naruto had no doubt that arriving three or four hours late wouldn’t be a problem. Naruto definitely wouldn’t show up at five; the earliest would be around eight or nine. Even arriving at ten seemed reasonable to him.
Thinking this, Naruto glanced at his two teammates, stood up, dusted off his clothes, and smiled lightly.
“Since Kakashi-sensei said so, let’s just follow his instructions. From today, we’re teammates, so you can just call me Naruto, no need for formalities.”
“Ah? Oh, okay, Naruto, you can just call me Sakura.”
Sakura was initially stunned, then nodded lightly, smiling happily. It was clear that the strange silence of the past few hours had nearly driven her mad.
Sasuke, though silent, also nodded slightly. While his heart was filled with hatred for his brother, but he was still a twelve-year-old.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shown such conflicting emotions early in the original series.
After a brief exchange, Naruto bid them farewell.
Today was just a simple meet-and-greet. The real test of Team 7 would be tomorrow’s survival exercise.
Although it seemed like Kakashi would definitely pass Team 7, as in the original series, Naruto didn’t take it lightly. Kakashi had failed all previous teams. This clearly indicated that Kakashi wouldn’t give them special treatment regardless of Naruto and Sasuke’s special status. Preparation was necessary.
Before leaving, Naruto hesitated for a moment but then said, “It’s probably best not to arrive at five o’clock tomorrow. Arriving a bit late should be fine. Also, it’s better to have breakfast.”
With a light smile, Naruto said this to Sasuke and Sakura, leaving them with puzzled expressions before quickly disappearing.
“Huh? What does that mean? Kakashi-sensei clearly said to meet at five and not to eat breakfast. Why did Naruto say that? Does it mean…?”
After Naruto left, Sakura finally reacted, looking at Sasuke with a confused expression.
Unfortunately, Sasuke didn’t understand Naruto’s words either (it was pretty straightforward, but they overthought it). He frowned but didn’t answer Sakura, simply nodding before leaving on his own.
“Uh, Sasuke-kun, it’s about time for dinner. Today is our first day as a team. How about we have a meal together, as a…?”
Seeing Sasuke leaving, Sakura quickly put aside her confusion and realized they were alone. Her eyes lit up, and she enthusiastically invited Sasuke. However, before she could finish, Sasuke’s cold gaze silenced her.
“Um…”
Sakura’s face stiffened again, and the rest of her invitation stuck in her throat.
Sasuke disappeared after giving her a cold look, heading towards his home.
After Sasuke left, Sakura’s stiff expression slowly returned to normal. Her mind was filled with images of her beloved Sasuke’s cold demeanor, making her feel deflated. She had thought that being in the same team would fulfill her long-held dream, but it seemed like Sasuke disliked her even more.
Sakura’s face crumpled as she thought, feeling very wronged.
Is it really impossible for me to win over Sasuke-kun?
“No! Sakura, you’re a girl who can do anything if you set your mind to it. Don’t give up. This is only the first day. Believe in yourself. We’re in the same team now, and there will be plenty of opportunities and time! Sasuke-kun, don’t worry. I won’t give up. Someday, you’ll notice my charm!”
Sakura took a deep breath, slapped her cheeks, and clenched her fist in determination. Her face showed a resolute expression as if she were about to undertake a life-or-death mission.
The next morning, at five o’clock sharp, in the second training ground of Konoha.
Obviously, Sasuke and Sakura hadn’t heeded Naruto’s advice. Or maybe they thought Naruto was just joking. They arrived at the training ground as the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Of course, since they arrived on time, they also didn’t eat breakfast as Kakashi had instructed.
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