The morning dew still clung to the grass of Training Field Seven when Sasuke threw the first kunai.
The metal cut the air with a sharp whistle and stuck into the wooden post with a dry thud, but not in the exact center. It was off. Two millimeters to the left. To anyone else, it would have been a perfect shot, but to Sasuke, those two millimeters were an insult to his surname and physical proof of his current weakness.
"Damn it," he muttered, clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white.
His body felt heavy, as if he were moving underwater. The coordination between his eye and his muscle, that fraction of a second that used to be instinctive, now had an imperceptible but devastating delay. Tsunade had been clear: "Eighty percent." But hearing the number was one thing; feeling it in your own bones was another. He could feel how his chakra didn't flow with its former violence, but rather like a stream clogged by stones.
He had been there for an hour, trying to force his body to remember, to return to being the precision machine he was before Haku, before the ice needles, before waking up in that hospital bed feeling useless.
"You're early, Teme."
Naruto's voice broke his concentration. Sasuke didn't turn immediately. He took a second to compose his expression, erase the frustration, and put on that mask of indifference that was his best defense. When he finally looked toward the entrance of the field, he saw Naruto and Sakura walking together.
And that annoyed him.
They walked with an unconscious synchronization, their steps falling at the same rhythm. Naruto would say something and Sakura would let out a genuine, relaxed laugh. There was a comfort between them, a kind of shared body language that screamed "team," and Sasuke, standing alone next to the marked-up post, suddenly felt like a stranger in his own group.
"Someone has to take this seriously," Sasuke replied, crossing his arms. "It's two days until the exams. We don't have time to stroll around."
"Good morning to you too, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, but her tone lacked its usual adulation. It was firm, almost maternal, and her green eyes scanned his body with a clinical precision that made the hair on Sasuke's neck stand up. "You're in a cold sweat. Did you take the medicine Shizune-san prepared?"
"I'm fine," he cut in, looking away.
"You're not fine, you're stubborn," Naruto intervened, approaching with his hands behind his head and that fox-like grin that used to drive Sasuke crazy. "But I'm glad to see you on your feet. I thought we'd have to bring you on a stretcher so you could see our incredible evolution."
"Don't get excited, Dobe. Just because I was in bed doesn't mean you can beat me."
"We'll see about that!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at him with his thumb. "I've been training like crazy! I have new jutsus, new strategies, and...!"
A cloud of smoke exploded in the middle of the field, interrupting Naruto's rant. Kakashi appeared with his usual sluggish posture, putting his orange book into his vest pocket.
"Yo. I see you're all here. What a miracle."
"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto and Sakura shouted in unison, with a coordination that made Kakashi's visible eyebrow arch slightly.
"I ran into an old lady who needed help crossing the street, and then I saw a black cat and had to take the long way around..." Kakashi waved his hand, dismissing his own cheap excuses. "But the important thing is that we are here. It's our first training session as a full team since the Land of Waves mission. And given that the Chunin Exams are just around the corner, we need to see where we stand."
Kakashi's gaze settled on Sasuke.
"Sasuke, Tsunade-sama has given me the green light for you to train, but with restrictions. No prolonged Sharingan. No high-chakra consumption jutsus. If I see your chakra flow destabilize, I'm pulling you off the field. Understood?"
Sasuke nodded stiffly. He hated being treated like a piece of glass about to break, but he wasn't stupid. If he overdid it now, he would miss the exams.
"Good," Kakashi said, his tone sharpening. "Then let's have a little sparring match. Everyone against me. I want to see how you move together now that Sasuke is back."
The atmosphere changed instantly. Naruto's relaxation vanished, replaced by a vibrant concentration. Sakura adopted her combat stance, her gloved hands closing into fists. Sasuke activated his chakra, feeling the familiar burn in his veins, though dimmer than he would like.
"Ready...!" Kakashi raised a hand. "GO!"
Sasuke was the first to move. He had to be. He needed to prove himself, to show that he was still the spearhead of Team 7. He lunged at Kakashi, drawing three shurikens in a fluid motion and throwing them with a curved trajectory to cut off lateral escape routes.
Kakashi didn't even take his hands out of his pockets. He simply leaned back, letting the projectiles whiz harmlessly past.
"Too direct, Sasuke," the Jonin commented.
Sasuke grunted and accelerated, channeling chakra into his feet for a speed boost. He closed the distance, launching a high kick aimed at Kakashi's head, followed by a low sweep.
Slow. I'm too slow.
His mind knew what it had to do, but his body had micro-delays. Kakashi blocked the kick with his forearm and jumped over the sweep with insulting ease. Sasuke, driven by frustration, formed hand seals. Katon...
"Sasuke, get down!"
Naruto's shout rang out to his right. Sasuke blinked, breaking his concentration for a second. He saw an orange shadow fall from above.
Naruto, or rather, a clone of Naruto, launched himself like a human missile toward Kakashi, forcing the Jonin to retreat to avoid being grabbed.
"Don't give me orders!" Sasuke yelled, but the clone had already disappeared in a puff of smoke upon being hit by Kakashi.
"It was a distraction, idiot!" the real Naruto shouted from the bushes. "Sakura-chan, now!"
Sasuke felt the ground shake. Literally.
Sakura appeared on Kakashi's left flank, striking the ground with her fist.
BOOM!
The earth fractured as if it were glass. A crater opened beneath Kakashi's feet, throwing debris and dust into the air. The Jonin, for the first time, opened his visible eye with genuine surprise and had to jump to a nearby tree to avoid falling into the hole.
Sasuke froze, staring at the crater. Sakura? The girl who could barely throw a shuriken with any force two months ago had done that?
"Sasuke, don't just stand there!" Sakura shouted at him, landing gracefully at the edge of the crater. "Flank him on the right! Naruto is going left!"
It was an order. A tactical order, clear and precise. And worst of all, it made sense.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, swallowing his pride, and moved. If they wanted to play strategist, he would show them how to finish it.
He moved to the right, intercepting Kakashi's trajectory in the air. The Jonin was mid-jump, vulnerable. Sasuke prepared his Katon: Great Fireball Jutsu again. This time, no one would interrupt him. He inhaled, the heat building in his lungs...
But his chest hurt. A sharp stab, a reminder of Haku's needles that had pierced near his lungs. He coughed, the fire dying in his throat in a puff of pathetic black smoke. He lost his rhythm. He fell to the ground, rolling to cushion the impact, gasping.
Kakashi landed softly on a branch, looking down at him.
"I told you not to overdo it."
Sasuke punched the ground, furious with himself. "Damn it, damn it, damn it."
Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"You're forcing your breathing," Sakura said, appearing beside him. Her hand glowed with soft green chakra. "Let me stabilize your flow."
"Don't touch me!" Sasuke shook off her hand, standing up shakily. "I don't need your help. I can keep going."
"Stop being such a crybaby, Sasuke!" Naruto landed on the other side, crossing his arms. "You almost passed out trying to spit fire! Sakura-chan is just trying to keep you from killing yourself before the exam!"
"You guys don't understand..." Sasuke hissed, looking at them with dark eyes full of stormy intensity. "You don't know what it's like to be left behind. You kept moving forward while I was in that bed. I won't let you protect me!"
Silence fell over the clearing. It was the raw truth, the wound that had been festering since he woke up. He felt inferior. He, an Uchiha, felt that his teammates had surpassed him.
Naruto looked at him, and his expression changed. The annoyance disappeared, replaced by that strange, mature seriousness he sometimes showed since the Wave mission.
"You're an idiot," Naruto said, but without shouting.
"What did you say?"
"I said you're an idiot," Naruto repeated, taking a step forward until he was face to face with him. "Do you think we got strong to leave you behind? Do you think Sakura punches the ground like that because she wants to show off?"
Naruto pointed at the pink-haired girl, who watched Sasuke with concern and firmness.
"We got strong because you almost died, Teme. Because we saw you fall full of needles and thought we had lost you." Naruto's voice dropped a tone, becoming hoarse. "I got strong so that wouldn't happen again. Sakura got strong so she could heal you and protect you next time. We aren't competing with you. We're trying to keep the team whole."
Sasuke was left speechless. He looked at Sakura. She didn't look away; she simply nodded, confirming Naruto's words.
"We are Team 7, Sasuke-kun," she said softly. "Your weaknesses are ours. And our strengths are yours. If you're at eighty percent, we put in the missing twenty. That is what we do."
Kakashi, observing from the branch, closed his book with a soft snap.
They have grown, the Jonin thought, feeling a pang of pride beneath his mask. They aren't three kids playing ninja anymore. They are a unit. Dysfunctional, loud, and problematic, but a unit.
Sasuke lowered his gaze, his bangs covering his eyes. The anger was still there, bubbling beneath the surface, but the feeling of loneliness, that cold isolation he had felt upon arriving at the field, had cracked a little.
"Hmpf." Sasuke turned, giving them his back, but he didn't walk away. "Do what you want. But if you get in my way, I'll leave you behind."
"Ha! In your dreams, Sasuke!" Naruto laughed, breaking the tension. "You'll have to run pretty fast to leave me behind now! I'm faster than you, remember!"
"You're just louder," Sasuke retorted, though the corner of his lip curved imperceptibly upward.
"Alright, enough drama for today." Kakashi jumped to the ground, landing between them. "Training is over. Sasuke needs to rest and Naruto... well, Naruto needs to stop yelling before the neighbors file a formal complaint."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto complained.
"I have things to do," Kakashi said, disappearing in a puff of smoke before they could complain about anything else. Typical.
The three Genin were left alone on the field. The midday sun was already high, and Naruto's stomach let out a roar that sounded like an Earth Style jutsu.
"Ugh, I'm starving," he complained, rubbing his belly. "Shall we go eat something? My treat... well, if I have enough."
"Pass," Sasuke said, starting to walk toward the exit. "I have to go home."
"Oh, come on, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura took a step toward him. "You have to eat to recover energy. Besides..."
"My, my! Look who we have here!"
A singsong female voice interrupted the scene. Ino Yamanaka appeared walking along the path, hands on her hips and that smug smile she always wore, though her eyes shone with intelligent curiosity.
"Billboard Brow and her two bodyguards. Done playing in the dirt?"
"Ino-pig!" Sakura turned, sparks flying immediately between them. "What are you doing here? Did you get lost on the way to the hair salon?"
"Very funny." Ino approached, ignoring the insult with elegance. "Actually, I came looking for you, Forehead. And Naruto."
Naruto blinked, pointing at himself. "Me? Why?"
Ino rolled her eyes, as if it were obvious. "Because Tsunade-sama sent me a message. She said you had to 'update' something. I don't know what she's talking about, but it sounded important."
Naruto and Sakura exchanged a quick glance. The "Family" code. Ino was talking about the Falna.
Sasuke observed the exchange, noting the silent complicity. Again that feeling of being outside the circle.
"Update what?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Girl stuff... and Naruto stuff," Sakura improvised quickly, a bit nervous. "You know, special training."
"Naruto training with girls?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "That sounds like a disaster."
"Hey!" Naruto protested. "I'm an excellent training partner! Ask Ino!"
Ino looked at Sasuke and, to everyone's surprise, her expression softened a little. It wasn't the usual fangirl look; it was something more... evaluative.
"He isn't as useless as he seems, Sasuke-kun," Ino said, shrugging. "Actually, Naruto has his moments. You should trust your team a little more."
Sasuke looked at her, surprised by the defense. Ino Yamanaka defending Naruto Uzumaki. The world had gone crazy.
"Whatever," Sasuke said, feeling there were too many things he didn't know and they weren't going to tell him now. "I'm leaving."
"Wait, Sasuke-kun." Ino took something out of a bag she was carrying. "My mom made onigiris. Too many. And Choji already ate, so... here."
She tossed a cloth-wrapped package toward Sasuke, who caught it by reflex. Then she tossed another to Naruto and another to Sakura.
"Don't get used to it. It's only because you look pathetic with those hungry faces."
"Thanks, Ino!" Naruto shouted, opening the package and devouring a rice ball in two seconds. "They're delicious!"
Sasuke looked at the package in his hand. It was warm. He looked at Ino, then at Sakura and Naruto, who were already arguing with their mouths full.
"Thanks," Sasuke murmured, almost inaudibly.
Ino winked at him. "See you at the exams, Uchiha. Try not to die before I can kick your ass in the finals."
"Keep dreaming, Yamanaka," he replied, and turned to leave. But this time, as he walked toward the field exit with lunch in his hand, his steps felt a little lighter. He didn't understand what was going on with Naruto, Sakura, and Ino, but for now, knowing his team was willing to cover his missing twenty percent... was enough.
When Sasuke was gone, the atmosphere relaxed visibly.
"Phew, that was close," Sakura sighed, finishing her onigiri. "Thanks for the rescue, Ino."
"You're welcome. Sasuke-kun is intense today, huh?" Ino leaned against a tree. "So, is it true? Did Tsunade-sama say we could meet?"
"Yes," Naruto said, wiping rice crumbs from his face. "She said we have to be ready. 'Expand the circle,' she said."
"Good." Ino grew serious. "Because I have news. I've been probing Tenten, like you said. I think she's interested. She said she wanted to train with us. Apparently she likes you, Naruto."
"Awesome!" Naruto clenched his fist. "Tenten is amazing! If she joins the Family, we'll have unlimited weapons!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Ramen Brain," Sakura scolded him, though she was smiling. "First we have to see if she is compatible with... you know. The system."
"And speaking of systems," Ino said, looking at Naruto with a mix of curiosity and mischief. "When do I get my update? I feel like I'm falling behind compared to Sakura's gorilla strength."
"Hey!" Sakura gave her a friendly shove, but careful not to use her super strength. "It's chakra strength, not gorilla!"
"Whatever you say." Ino laughed. "Come on, Naruto. Hinata and Kurenai-sensei are waiting for us at Training Field 8. We have a family meeting to attend."
The three set off, walking through the streets of Konoha. Naruto walked between the two kunoichi, listening to their jokes and feeling that warm connection in the back of his mind, the [Leader Link] pulsing softly. It felt good. It felt strong.
But as they walked near a dark alley in the shopping district, Naruto stopped.
A chill ran down his spine. It was a primal instinct, a sensation of being watched by something cold and slimy.
"Naruto?" Sakura stopped when she saw he wasn't moving. "What's wrong?"
Naruto turned his head slowly toward the alley. It was empty. Just shadows and trash. But he was sure. He had felt eyes.
"Nothing..." he murmured, though his muscles remained tense. "Thought I saw something."
In the darkness of the alley, hidden behind a camouflage genjutsu so perfect it blended with the texture of the bricks, Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses. A soft, dangerous smile played on his lips.
"Interesting..." he whispered to himself, watching the blond boy walk away with his teammates. "Very interesting."
Kabuto pulled out a small notebook and jotted something down quickly.
"Sasuke Uchiha is injured but recovering. And there are promising variables. The exams are going to be a magnificent stage."
He closed the notebook with a sharp snap and disappeared into the shadows, like a snake sliding into its burrow, leaving behind only the feeling of a threat that was about to awaken.
Naruto shook off the sensation and ran to catch up with Sakura and Ino. "Just nerves," he told himself. "Just nerves before the exam."
But deep down, he knew it wasn't true.
"Hey, wait for me!" he shouted, forcing a smile as the sun began to set over Konoha, marking the end of the calm and the start of the countdown.
Two days. Just two days left.
****
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