Pass!

Sakura landed in a crouch, exhaling through her nose as the smoke settled.

Her fingers twitched slightly from the sheer amount of senbon she had just thrown in rapid succession, but the sensation was easy to ignore.

She may have had the grandmaster's level of skill at usage but her physical abilities were still not quite at par.

[Physical]

Strength: [19 → 29] 〈0/10〉[+]

Agility: [11→34] 〈0/10〉[+]

Endurance: [8] 〈0/10〉[+]

Durability: [8] 〈0/10〉[+]

All the excess AP from yesterday and the morning had gone into that. 

All worth it.

Across the training field, Kakashi stood still, staring at Naruto, who was waving the two stolen bells in the air like they were the best thing he had ever seen in his life.

"HAHA! IN YOUR FACE, SENSEI!" Naruto howled, dancing in place. "I'M A FREAKIN' GENIUS!"

Ding!

[Aura System]

+15 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Letting Naruto Gloat Like an Idiot.)

Sakura smirked slightly, wiping a stray streak of dirt from her cheek.

Kakashi, meanwhile, exhaled the slow, defeated sigh of a man who deeply regretted his life choices.

"…You little shits," he muttered again.

Sasuke finally relaxed from his battle-ready stance, but only slightly. His expression was hard to read, but there was something behind his eyes.

He wasn't celebrating.

Because he knew.

This wasn't over yet.

Sakura knew it too.

Kakashi wasn't really trying yet. He had been caught off guard—multiple times—but that wasn't the same as defeating him. If he had wanted to, he could've taken them all out in a second.

Which meant…

He let them take the bells.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she took a step forward, heart still racing from the fight.

Kakashi wanted to see what they'd do next.

He crossed his arms, tilting his head, his entire stance deceptively relaxed. "Alright," he said, voice light. "You got the bells."

Sakura felt the shift in the air immediately.

Naruto was still grinning, but Sasuke stiffened slightly.

Kakashi continued, "So, tell me… who's going back to the academy?"

Silence.

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

Kakashi eye-smiled at them. "There are two bells. Only two of you can pass."

Ding!

[Aura System]

+12 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Instantly Stressing Out Naruto Uzumaki.)

Naruto's grin faltered. "W-Wait…" He looked at the bells, then at Sakura and Sasuke, and then back at Kakashi. "But—"

Sasuke's expression darkened.

"But we worked together! Shouldn't we all pass?"

Kakashi tilted his head, feigning thoughtfulness.

"That's true. You did work together."

Naruto and Sasuke both looked expectant.

Kakashi smiled.

"But…"

His voice was light, but his gaze was heavy.

"You still have to choose."

"You're a team now," Kakashi said easily. "So make your decision."

He gestured toward the bells.

"Who's going back to the academy?"

Naruto froze as Sasuke stiffened.

His voice was quieter when he spoke again.

"You guys are both way smarter than me."

Sasuke's frown deepened.

Naruto kept going. "Sakura, you come up with all the plans. And Sasuke, you... well, you kinda listen to 'em. A little. Sometimes."

Sasuke glared at him.

Naruto grinned.

Then the grin faded, just slightly.

"I dunno," he admitted. "It just feels like you guys… deserve to pass more than me."

Sakura blinked.

Ding!

[Aura System]

+15 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Being Present for Naruto Uzumaki's Character Growth.)

Then Sasuke did something completely unexpected.

"…No."

Naruto turned, confused. "Huh?"

Sasuke was looking straight at him, eyes dark, shoulders tense. "I won't take it."

Naruto blinked.

Sakura tilted her head, intrigued.

Sasuke scowled, looking away slightly. "…I won't be part of a team that sacrifices their own."

Ding!

[Aura System]

+18 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Sasuke Uchiha Acknowledging the Value of Teamwork.)

Sakura smirked.

Sasuke's expression was unreadable.

Naruto's mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally crossed his arms, huffing. "Well, I don't wanna be part of a team that throws someone under the bus, either!"

Sakura turned toward the side slightly, feigning deep contemplation. "Hmmm…"

She tapped a finger against her chin.

"You both want to fail? That is an interesting strategy…"

Ding!

[Aura System]

+10 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Pretending to Consider Idiotic Plans Seriously.)

Naruto groaned. "That's not what I—UGH! You know what I mean!"

Sasuke frowned. "This test is ridiculous."

Sakura shrugged, leaning back against the tree, arms crossed. "Yup."

Naruto threw his hands in the air. "So what do we do?!"

Sakura glanced toward Kakashi.

Their Jonin sensei was watching them carefully, hands in his pockets, unreadable.

They were standing in front of a memorial stone.

The names of fallen shinobi were engraved into it—etched permanently into the history of Konoha. It was a quiet place, solemn, filled with the weight of countless sacrifices.

And it was no coincidence that Kakashi had brought them here.

Naruto hadn't realized yet. Sasuke had barely spared it a glance.

But Sakura knew.

This was where Kakashi visited every single day.

And that was why she smiled.

Because this… was an opportunity.

Sakura hummed thoughtfully, letting the tension rise just a little longer.

Then she struck.

"In the Ninja World…" She tilted her head, watching Kakashi's reaction carefully.

"Those who break the rules are scum, that's true."

Kakashi froze.

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

Sasuke turned his head, frowning.

Sakura did not break eye contact.

She let the words hang. Let them sink in. Let Kakashi's entire world tilt before she finally delivered the final blow.

"...But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Silence.

Kakashi's fingers twitched slightly. His shoulders went stiff.

It was the first real reaction she had seen from him.

Ding!

[Aura System]

+50 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Dropping an Emotional Bombshell on an S-Class Ninja.)

Sakura smiled softly.

Kakashi knew that quote.

It wasn't just something random. It wasn't just some philosophy.

It was his friend's words.

Ding!

[Aura System]

+75 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Hitting a Jonin-Sensei with His Own Emotional Trauma.)

Naruto scratched his head."

Sasuke was staring at Kakashi now.

Kakashi didn't say anything for a moment.

Then... quietly, softly... he exhaled.

"…You all pass."

Naruto nearly fell over. "HUH?!"

Sasuke actually blinked.

Sakura just let her smirk turn a little sharper.

Ding!

[Aura System]

+100 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Winning the Test with Maximum Psychological Damage.)

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Okay we've reached 15k+ words now! 

I will start uploading one chapter a day from now on.

From tomorrow onwards you can read extra chapters at my Patreon!

Feel free to show support via stones, you get an extra chap every 100 stones. Let's get to the top 200 Power ranking!

Patreon: Teddartic