An awkward silence settled over the room.
Sakura stole a glance at Sasuke.So he already knows this teacher?
Kakashi let out a dry laugh to break the mood. "Didn't expect you to know me that well, Sasuke."
In truth, he had arrived long ago. Watching from the shadows had been intentional. Sasuke, he understood. The other two were unknown variables. He wanted to see how they interacted, how they reacted under pressure.
So far, they weren't bad.
Naruto suddenly snapped his fingers and pointed at Kakashi. "Wait. Sasuke, you knew this white-haired guy already?"
"Yes," Sasuke replied. "Kakashi-sensei has been guiding me for the past year."
"What?" Naruto squinted suspiciously. "He doesn't look reliable at all."
Kakashi ignored that. "Team Seven. Follow me."
A few minutes later, the four of them stood on the school rooftop.
Kakashi clapped his hands once. "Alright. I'm your jōnin instructor, Hatake Kakashi. Likes and dislikes are private. Dreams are classified. Hobbies vary."
"That's basically just a name," Sakura muttered.
"Your turn," Kakashi said. "Starting with—"
"I'll go first!" Naruto jumped in. "Uzumaki Naruto. I like Ichiraku ramen. I like it even more when Iruka-sensei treats me. I hate waiting for ramen, and—" He glanced at Kakashi. "—people who are always late."
Kakashi stared back calmly.
Naruto continued, undeterred. "My hobby is training and beating Sasuke. My dream is to become Hokage and make everyone acknowledge me."
"Next," Kakashi said.
"I'm Haruno Sakura," she said, straightening up. She glanced at Sasuke before continuing. "I don't really hate anything. My interest is water-style ninjutsu. My goal is to become a shinobi who can protect her teammates."
Protect her teammates.
Kakashi's expression softened, just slightly.
"And you, Sasuke."
Sasuke thought for a moment. "Uchiha Sasuke. Everything else is the same as Kakashi-sensei."
That's it?
Naruto and Sakura both stared at him.
"Interesting personalities," Kakashi said lightly. "Tomorrow, you'll begin missions. But before that, you must pass my test."
"A test?" Naruto raised his hand. "What kind?"
"Tomorrow morning. Training Ground Three. Survival exercise." Kakashi's voice cooled. "Your opponent will be me. Two-thirds of teams fail. If you fail, you go back to the Academy for another year."
"What!?"
Kakashi ignored Naruto and looked at Sasuke. "You know me well. You may share information. Except for that."
"I understand," Sasuke said.
Naruto frowned. "Why are you being so mysterious?"
"Dismissed," Kakashi said. "Eight a.m. tomorrow. And don't eat breakfast. You'll throw up."
With that, he vanished in a flicker.
Naruto immediately leaned toward Sasuke. "Alright, spill it. Tell us everything about him."
Sakura nodded eagerly.
Sasuke stood and brushed off his clothes. "One of the most important shinobi rules is information. For fairness, gather intel yourselves. Most of Kakashi-sensei's background isn't secret in the village. This afternoon, we'll regroup. I'll confirm what's accurate."
"That's a pain," Naruto complained.
Sakura shook her head. "He's right. The test probably started the moment Kakashi showed up. This is likely part of it."
Naruto sighed. "Fine. Then we meet at Ichiraku after."
They split up.
Sasuke lingered on the rooftop for a moment, watching the clouds drift.
March. Four months until the Chūnin Exams.
Orochimaru was already watching him. That much had been clear since Kabuto appeared. If nothing changed, the snake would strike during the exams, dragging the Third Hokage into a final act of twisted sentiment.
Sasuke had no intention of accepting the curse mark.
Power that gnawed at the soul was never free.
He descended the stairs quietly, hands in his pockets.
The calm before the storm was almost over.