The journey back to Konoha was a quiet affair. The boisterous energy that had characterized Team 7 on their way out had been replaced by a somber, shared gravity. Naruto was unusually pensive, Sasuke was even more withdrawn than usual, and Sakura was lost in the memory of a future that wasn't.
She walked with a new awareness, a constant internal hum that was her refined chakra control. It was like seeing the world in a higher resolution. She could feel the subtle shifts in the air, the thrum of Kakashi's much larger reserves ahead of them, the sputtering, intense flame of Naruto's, and the cool, steady burn of Sasuke's.
On the second day of travel, Kakashi called a halt in a sun-dappled clearing. "Alright, team. Break time," he announced with his typical eye-smile. "But not for resting. We discovered some… deficiencies in our recent mission. Specifically, in chakra control. So, we're going to have a little refresher course."
He pointed a thumb at the towering trees surrounding them. "Your task is to walk up these trees. Without using your hands."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Awesome! A new jutsu!"
Kakashi chuckled. "Not a jutsu, exactly. It's a training exercise. Focus a constant, precise amount of chakra to the soles of your feet to create a suction force. Too little, and you'll fall. Too much…" He demonstrated, taking a few casual steps up the nearest trunk before pushing a little too hard. The bark beneath his foot exploded outward, leaving a crater. "And you'll blast yourself off. The key is balance."
He tossed three kunai at their feet. "Mark your highest point. Let's see who gets it first."
Naruto, ever eager, was the first to try. He let out a yell, charged his feet with a visible blue aura, and shot up the tree about ten feet before the bark shattered and he came tumbling down.
Sasuke was more methodical. His Sharingan spun to life, observing Kakashi's earlier demonstration. He focused, took a running start, and made it a respectable fifteen feet before his control wavered and he had to push off, landing gracefully. He shot a smug look at Naruto.
Then it was Sakura's turn.
She took a deep breath, channeling the lesson from her [Minor Chakra Control Enhancement]. She focused, feeling the flow of energy to her feet. It felt intuitive, clearer than it ever had before. She placed one foot on the trunk… and immediately slipped off.
She tried again, channeling more chakra. This time, her foot stuck, but when she tried to lift the other one, the force was too great and she was thrown backward, landing on her rear with a soft 'oof'.
Frustration, hot and familiar, washed over her. It was always like this. Naruto had raw power, Sasuke had genius talent, and she had… good grades. Even with her new Echo, her fundamental reserves and experience were pitifully low. The gap was still a chasm.
Kakashi watched her, his expression neutral. "Don't get discouraged, Sakura. This is one of the hardest parts of basic training."
But Sakura wasn't listening. She was staring at her own two feet, the sting of failure bitter in her mouth. This is what Sasuke meant. This is being useless.
She glanced at her teammates. Naruto was already trying again, and Sasuke was deep in concentration, clearly analyzing his mistake. They would get this. Through trial and error, they would succeed.
She didn't have time for trial and error. The Chunin Exams were coming. Enemies stronger than Zabuza were out there. She couldn't afford to be the one struggling with the basics.
Making a decision, she sat down and leaned against a different tree, closing her eyes as if to rest. "I need to… think about it for a minute," she mumbled.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow but didn't protest.
In the privacy of her own mind, she opened the System. Her chakra had recovered to about 80%. Enough.
Okay. Let's try this for real.
She focused on the [Life Simulation] command.
[Initiate Standard Simulation? Chakra Cost will be calculated based on Goal Complexity.]
She formulated her intent, not as a desperate wish, but as a clear, concise command. Show me how to master the tree climbing exercise. Take me from my current skill level to complete mastery.
[Goal Acquired: Master the Tree Climbing Exercise.]
[Complexity: Low.]
[Estimated Chakra Cost: 25% of Total Reserves.]
[Proceed? Y/N]
She confirmed.
The world dissolved. Not into the black void of her first emergency simulation, but into the very clearing she was in. It was a perfect copy, down to the last leaf. Naruto and Sasuke were gone. It was just her, Kakashi, and the trees.
The simulated Kakashi spoke, his voice a perfect echo of the real one. "The key is balance, Sakura."
And so, it began.
She tried. She failed. She fell, a phantom pain jarring her body. She adjusted her chakra, tried again, and was blasted off the trunk. The simulated Kakashi offered clinical, repetitive advice.
Hours bled into days. The sun rose and set in a dizzying, accelerated loop. She lived and breathed chakra control. She felt the phantom scrapes on her knees, the ache in her back from falling, the searing frustration of a thousand failures. She didn't eat or sleep; she just practiced. Her mind learned the exact, nanoscopic adjustments needed. Her spirit memorized the feeling of perfect adhesion.
After what felt like three solid days of non-stop, torturous practice, something clicked.
She placed her foot on the trunk, and it stuck. She lifted the other, and it too stuck. She took a step. Then another. Then she was walking, as easily as if on flat ground. She didn't stop. She walked to the top of the tallest tree, turned around, and walked back down without a single misstep.
[Simulation Complete.]
[Goal: Achieved.]
[Time Elapsed (Subjective): 78 hours.]
[Time Elapsed (Real World): 4.2 seconds.]
[Harvesting Echoes… Due to the low complexity and non-lethal nature of the simulation, reward options are limited.]
[Please select one reward.]
1. [Skill Mastery: Tree Climbing]
2. [Chakra EXP (Minor)]
The choice was obvious. She selected the first option. A warm, golden light flooded her consciousness. It wasn't just the knowledge of how to do it; it was the ingrained, cellular memory. Her body now knew how to walk on trees as surely as it knew how to breathe.
[Reward selected. Returning to reality.]
She opened her eyes.
Naruto was halfway up a tree, clinging on for dear life. Sasuke was a few feet higher, moving slowly but steadily. Only a few seconds had passed.
Sakura felt the drain. A quarter of her chakra was simply… gone. She felt a slight headache from the mental exertion. But underneath it was a new, unshakable confidence.
She stood up.
Kakashi's visible eye flicked to her. "Ready to try again?"
"Yes, Sensei."
She walked calmly to the base of her tree. She didn't take a running start. She didn't pump her fists. She simply focused, drew the exact amount of chakra she now knew she needed, and placed her foot on the bark.
It stuck.
She took another step. And another.
With the unhurried, placid ease of a stroll in the park, Sakura walked straight up the trunk of the tree. She didn't waver. She didn't falter. Ten feet. Twenty. Thirty. She passed Sasuke's mark, then Naruto's, continuing upward until she was standing on a thick branch near the top, looking down at her stunned teammates.
Naruto's jaw was on the floor. "WH-WHAT?! SAKURA-CHAN?! HOW?!"
Sasuke, clinging to the side of his own tree, froze. His Sharingan was active, and Sakura knew he wasn't just looking at her, he was analyzing her. He was seeing her flawless chakra flow, her perfect balance. He saw a Genin who had gone from total failure to absolute mastery in less than a minute. His eyes narrowed, a mixture of shock, disbelief, and irritation crossing his face.
But the most potent reaction came from their sensei.
Kakashi's lazy, one-eyed gaze was gone. His eye was wide open, sharp, and utterly serious. He had seen her fail, completely and utterly. He had seen her sit down for less than a minute. And now he was watching her stand sixty feet up a tree with the composure of a seasoned Jonin.
It wasn't just impressive. It wasn't just genius.
It was impossible.
And Kakashi Hatake knew, with a sudden, chilling certainty, that this impossible feat and the impossible knowledge she'd shown on the bridge were connected.
Sakura looked down at her teacher, her green eyes meeting his single dark one. For the first time, she wasn't just a student looking at her sensei. It felt different. It felt like two players in a game, both suddenly aware that the other knew more than they were letting on.
His student, Haruno Sakura, was no longer just the book-smart girl on his team. She was a puzzle. And it was a puzzle he now desperately needed to solve.