After watching Kakashi vanish in a puff of smoke without any clear explanation, the team was left standing there in mixed silence. The others managed to take it in stride, but Sakura Haruno looked utterly lost.
How could their new teacher just disappear like that!?
"What did he an by 'the last mission'?!" she groaned internally, clenching her fists. "At least explain before you vanish, Kakashi-sensei!"
A wave of unease washed over her—this wasn't the dependable, reassuring instructor she had imagined. Could this really be their jōnin leader? Would Team 7 even have a future at this rate?
"Man, that guy, Kakashi…" Naruto muttered under his breath, grinding his teeth.
But despite his frustration, Naruto Namikaze wasn't all that surprised. He'd grown up hearing about Kakashi's famous tardiness from the other jōnin in the village. Getting him to take anything seriously was harder than climbing the Hokage Rock itself.
So the real question was—did Kakashi really expect them to show up at five in the morning?
Knowing him, he'd probably make them wait for hours before appearing with that sa lazy expression.
Naruto scratched his head and sighed. "He won't actually show up on ti… right?"
"Eh? Naruto-kun, what did you just say?" Sakura blinked, tilting her head.
"I an," Naruto replied, "Kakashi's always late. What if he just wants to make us wait tomorrow morning? He might show up when the sun's already high."
"Ehh?! Are you serious!?" Sakura's eyes went wide in shock.
Sasuke Uchiha, who had been quietly standing by, frowned slightly but didn't comnt.
nma, anwhile, simply folded his arms and regarded the three calmly. "Whether he's late or not doesn't matter," he said. "Orders are orders. We're not academy students anymore—we're full-fledged shinobi now. We should treat this like a real mission."
He already knew this scene by heart. In the original tiline, Kakashi wasn't late at all during this first test. The jōnin had arrived early and watched Team 7 from the shadows, silently gauging their teamwork. That was the real beginning of their bond.
So nma didn't care about Kakashi's timing—what mattered was the test itself. As for the advice about skipping breakfast? That was just another part of Kakashi's psychological ga.
Eat when you can, rest when you should. That was one of the oldest shinobi principles.
Naruto and Sasuke both paused for a mont, realizing nma's point made sense. They nodded, while Sakura, still confused, followed along with a half-hearted nod, trying to appear composed.
"Well," Naruto said, forcing a grin, "maybe Kakashi-sensei won't be late this ti. It's our first real mission, after all."
Then, with a spark of his usual enthusiasm, he added, "Hey! How about the four of us go grab dinner together tonight? We can celebrate the formation of Team 7!"
His bright eyes imdiately turned toward nma and Sasuke, while Sakura perked up, clasping her hands with excitent—especially when she glanced at Sasuke.
But the Uchiha prodigy shook his head coldly. "I'm not going. I've got things to do."
Without another word, he leapt from the rooftop, disappearing into the fading daylight.
"Tch… that guy." Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
nma gave a small, apologetic smile. "There will be plenty of ti later. Let's call it a day for now. Sorry, Naruto, Sakura." He bowed slightly and, before Naruto could respond, vanished in a blur, heading toward his own quarters.
Naruto stared after him, his face twisting in frustration. "Unbelievable! They didn't even co to the graduation dinner either! So unsociable—both of them!"
Sakura gave a weak laugh. "Then maybe… we should wait till next ti, right? It'd be weird if we went without them."
Naruto sighed but nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Next ti then, Sakura."
She smiled faintly, hiding her disappointnt. "Alright… see you tomorrow."
"Yeah! Don't be late!" Naruto waved before jumping down from the rooftop, taking off in the opposite direction of nma and Sasuke.
As his figure disappeared, Sakura's expression softened into a lonely gaze. What was supposed to be a happy day suddenly felt… empty.
She clenched her fists tightly, forcing herself to smile.
"No, Sakura! You can't lose heart now! This is only the beginning—you're a kunoichi of the Leaf!" she whispered, patting her cheeks and taking a deep breath.
With one last look in the direction her teammates had gone, Sakura exhaled slowly and turned toward ho.
For nma, the night passed quietly. That was good. No surprises, no complications.
Tomorrow… the real countdown begins.
⸻
The next morning, precisely at 4:20 a.m., nma rose from his bed. After a quick wash and a light breakfast—defying Kakashi's "warning"—he headed for the training grounds.
By the ti he arrived at Training Ground 3, dawn's first light was breaking through the trees. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of dew and earth. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were already there.
Naruto looked tired but energized, Sakura looked sleepy but determined, and Sasuke stood leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, silent as ever.
"Oh! nma, morning!" Naruto called out cheerfully, waving one hand.
"Morning, Naruto. Sakura. Sasuke." nma greeted with a calm nod and a faint smile.
"Good morning, nma-kun!" Sakura straightened instantly, brushing her hair aside as if trying to shake off her fatigue.
Sasuke only gave a curt nod in acknowledgnt, his dark eyes fixed on the horizon.
nma glanced around the empty clearing, feeling a small, knowing smile tug at his lips.
Kakashi-sensei… you're already watching, aren't you?
And so, as the four of them stood waiting under the faint glow of sunrise, the first true trial of Team 7 quietly began.
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