First mission!

Kakashi Hatake was late as usual.

He had, of course, made no effort to be on time. That would set a dangerous precedent, and he had an image to maintain. Besides, they would be starting their D-rank missions today… some random village errand to break them in gently. 

Watching their reactions would be quite amusing.

So he took his time. Strolled toward the training field at a leisurely pace, letting the morning sun warm his back.

And, as always, he fully expected a very specific, very loud greeting.

A greeting that, like clockwork, came every time he arrived at least a4 hours past their agreed-upon meeting time.

It should have been inevitable.

It should have been there waiting for him.

That familiar, indignant screech of:

"YOU'RE LATE!"

But instead…

It was pure silence.

Kakashi blinked. That wasn't right.

He stepped into the clearing, eye crinkling slightly in curiosity…

And stopped.

Sasuke was there. As expected. Arms crossed, glaring at nothing in particular.

But Naruto…

Naruto was standing on a tree branch.

No, not just standing.

He was positioned perfectly, arms folded across his chest, one leg slightly bent, his bright orange jumpsuit's jacket thrown over his shoulders like a cape.

His face was tilted downward at a very specific angle… an angle Kakashi had only seen from the most ridiculous, dramatic figures he'd ever met.

It was something Kakashi had never expected to see from Naruto.

It was… cool.

Kakashi's visible eye twitched.

Slowly, he turned his head.

Sakura was there too… but not on the ground.

Not where a normal Genin should be.

She was perched on the wooden post, her legs folded and hanging, arms resting on her knees, her expression utterly serene as the morning breeze gently lifted her hair.

Kakashi's brain stuttered.

What.

His gaze flickered back and forth between them.

Naruto… perched above like a mysterious, untouchable force.

Sakura… seated on her throne like a being of absolute wisdom.

They weren't moving.

They weren't speaking.

They were just there.

Exuding pure presence.

Kakashi felt deeply unsettled.

He looked to the only normal member of the team left.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke, arms still crossed, exhaled sharply.

Kakashi hesitated. Then, cautiously… 

"…What are they doing?"

Sasuke was silent for a long moment.

"…I have no idea."

Ding!

[Aura System]

+12 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Spreading Absolute Confusion Amongst Higher-Ranked Shinobi.)

Sakura smirked ever so slightly.

Naruto adjusted his stance, his forehead protector shifting just enough to catch the light dramatically.

Kakashi, for the first time in years, truly reconsidered his life choices.

***

The Hokage's Office.

Sakura stood coolly beside her teammates as they entered, hands in her pockets, her expression calm, collected, and immeasurably superior.

Naruto, meanwhile, was practically vibrating in excitement.

He had not yet mastered the aura of restraint.

His face was practically glowing with anticipation. "ALRIGHT, OLD MAN! GIVE US A COOL MISSION!"

The Third Hokage blinked at him.

Iruka sighed.

Sasuke crossed his arms and muttered something about dead-last.

Sakura simply adjusted her stance ever so slightly. The light streaming from the window caught her silhouette at the perfect angle.

Ding!

[Aura System]

+30 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Making Even a Simple Office Entrance Look Legendary.)

The Hokage chuckled, glancing down at the mission scrolls. "Well then… Let's see. Since this is your first mission, I have just the task for you."

Naruto beamed.

Sasuke almost looked intrigued.

Sakura?

She already knew.

The Hokage lifted a scroll, cleared his throat, and—

"You'll be painting a fence."

Silence.

The very fabric of reality shattered behind Naruto's eyes.

"...huh?"

Iruka nodded. "It's a simple task. You'll be helping to repaint one of the fences near the civilian district."

Naruto's soul visibly left his body.

The light in his eyes died.

His arms fell limp at his sides.

Sakura exhaled softly, closing her eyes for a moment.

Then, with purpose, she walked forward, placing one hand on Naruto's shoulder.

He barely reacted.

She turned toward the Hokage.

Nodded.

And said… with the weight of generations in her tone…

"…We accept."

Ding!

[Aura System]

+50 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Handling Even the Most Insulting Task With Supreme Grace.)

The Hokage stroked his beard, looking at her thoughtfully.

Iruka adjusted his forehead protector, clearly a new one after he'd given his to Naruto days prior.

Sasuke stared at her, something like confusion flickering in his eyes.

Naruto, meanwhile, was still buffering.

"…paint a fence?" he muttered, voice hollow.

Sakura turned her head slightly toward him.

The light caught her profile like an ancient warrior accepting her duty.

"Yes," she said. "A fence."

Naruto's fists clenched.

His aura flickered.

Weak. Struggling.

A single tear nearly formed in his eye.

And then...

He looked up.

His expression firmed and his lips pressed into a tight line.

And, finally, he nodded.

"…Okay."

Ding!

[Aura System]

+10 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Witnessing a Disciple Regain Their Resolve.)

Sakura closed her eyes for a moment.

Then turned to leave.

The wind followed her.

Sasuke sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets, heading after her.

Naruto sniffled slightly but held his head high.

Kakashi, who had been casually reading his book this entire time, glanced up only once.

And then exhaled.

"…Okay, what the hell is happening?"

***

The sun was high in the sky, and the harsh reality of being a ninja hit them full force as they stood before a long stretch of wooden fence.

The wind was thick with the scent of paint…some dull brownish shade that didn't quite capture the glory of the Hokage Monument or the vibrant colors of Konoha's festivals. 

Naruto and Sasuke, on the other hand, were glaring at the brushes in their hands like they were some form of curse.

"Who knew being a ninja meant… this," Naruto muttered, trying to adjust his grip on the brush as if it were a weighted weapon.

Sasuke, who had completed exactly one stroke, tossed his brush down with a disgusted frown. "This is pointless."

And as for Sakura?

She closed her eyes, and then held her hand close to the paint bucket, just above the surface of the dull brown liquid.

She focused.

And then as she rose, the paint left the bucket in an amorphous blob suspended beneath her hand.

In her head, it was the natural step up from the leaf floating and leaf sticking exercises she remembered Sakura learning at the academy.

Maintaining the sticking would've been difficult for the her of yesterday but…

Name: Sakura Haruno

Age: 12

[Chakra]

Chakra Capacity: 600 → 9100 (Elite genin)〈/10〉[+]

Chakra Regen: 5 → 550 /minute 〈7/10〉[+]

Chakra Control: 45% 〈0/10〉[+]

Chakra Sense: [2m] 〈0/10〉[+]

The her of yesterday was simply not comparable to the her of today.

To her surprise, every 10 AP had managed to increase her chakra reserves by 100! And every 10 AP had increased her Chakra Regen by 10!

Her Chakra Levels were over 9000!

And yesterday, after she'd earned well over 1000 AP, she realised that while skills and items were useful… a ninja was a ninja. And she had only been able to use her Phantom Flicker once!

Without a cool chakra consuming technique… Aura could not be farmed efficiently for the definitive future!

This had been a revelation to her thoughts on where to spend stats.

And so she had poured all her points into Chakra Regen and Capacity, since her control was already gifted as one of Sakura's only talents apart from a forehead the size of Jupiter.

Sakura moved her blob of paint over the wood, leaving a thick and even coating everywhere the paint touched as she flowed her chakra through and out of the amorphous blob.

"Uh… Sakura? How are you doing that?"

She closed her eyes as she smirked, the wind choosing that precise moment to go past her hood, hair strands fluttering across her face.

The light hit her perfectly as she spoke.

"Chakra."

Ding!

[Aura System]

+10 AP Gained.

(Farming Method: Unnecessarily cryptic replies.)

Sasuke's eyes twitched and Naruto inhaled a breath to calm himself down.

Kakashi on the other hand got up and walked over to them.

"What are you doing, my little minions?"

"Kakashi sensei," she replied, not even turning around to look at him. "I was just taking the opportunity to develop my chakra control."

"Ah, clever little ninja." He nodded over to Naruto and Sasuke.

"You two should take the time to learn from her!"

Naruto scratched his head and then turned to Sasuke. "Aren't we supposed to be learning from him… our Jonin sensei?"

Sasuke didn't even bother gracing him with a reply and just lowered his hand into the paint bucket, similarly to Sakura.

He focused, chakra swirling, eyes narrowing. It was almost impressive how even his look of focus was so sharp.

A long moment passed by.

And then...

The paint bucket exploded.

*BOOM*

Silence.

The birds chirped, completely oblivious

Kakashi stared at him for a long moment. Then he stared at Sakura, who was still calmly painting, totally unfazed by the disaster unfolded just a few feet away from her.

Sasuke just stood there in a full-body paint coat of brown, staring at the now-empty bucket like it was the most confusing thing he'd ever encountered.

Naruto however, roared in rage.

Sakura sighed internally. An unimaginable loss of aura. That boy has a lot to learn.

"Sasuke you bastard! I'LL KILL YOU!"

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