Chapter 62: Chapter 62:- Change in Sakura
Currently, Sakura, Hanabi, and Sarada are having a secret meeting in the forest while Naruto waits for them.
"Can we win against him?" Sakura asked the most obvious question.
"Sorry to break your expectations but Winning against him is impossible. You two haven't seen what I have seen. Naruto is way stronger than he had shown himself to be in the Academy." Sarada remembered what happened this morning. The image of Naruto taking out hundreds of his clones in a matter of just a few seconds was still very fresh in her mind.
"Then what should we do? I don't think any of us here wants to give up just like this." Sakura said.
"It was never about defeating Naruto, Sakura," Hanabi replied while looking very serious. If Sarada was warning them about Naruto then Naruto was way stronger than they could imagine.
'This also kind of explains why we were told to fight against Naruto instead of Kakashi sensei.' Hanabi thought in her mind.
"It's about getting those bells from him. We will need to create diversions so that at least one among us can get the opening needed to get those bells." Sarada and Sakura both of them nodded their heads agreeing with what Hanabi said.
"First let's list out the things that we are good at and bad at."
"I am good at taijutsu. Using my Byakugan, I could find the real Naruto if in case he uses Shadow Clones. I can also target Naruto's weak points using my Byakugan. I also know various techniques of my clan. My main weakness is stamina and speed. I cannot keep fighting at the same intensity." Hanabi has been the type who would finish her fights as soon as possible due to this reason.
Both Sarada and Sakura nodded their heads.
"I am also good at Taijutsu. I know Fire Style Jutsu. I can create Clone. I am an expert at throwing shurikens and when I use my Sharingan, my speed and reflexes are increased by several times. My main strength is my agility. I am good at long-range battles." Sarada said. Due to not having a mentor to guide her, Sarada hasn't been able to learn anything more than that.
"I can't use my Sharingan for too much as it puts strain on my eyes. And overusing my eyes could make them bleed which is a really painful experience." But if it is needed, Sarada won't hesitate to use her Sharingan for as long as needed.
"What about you Sakura?" As both of them looked at Sakura, she suddenly became nervous.
"Um.....!!" Sakura began to think exactly what she was good at.
"I know a few basic level Genjutsu. But I don't think that this would work on Naruto. Other than that, I know clone jutsu. Other than that, I really don't know anything else." While saying that Sakura lowered her head feeling embarrassed.
When being compared to Hanabi and Sarada, Sakura really felt useless. But the reality was much different. In the Academy, in everything, Sakura has been average. But Hanabi and Sarada were complete different breeds. They were geniuses.
It was only after comparing herself to geniuses like Sarada and Hanabi that Sakura realized just how much she was lacking.
What she was good at?
Nothing.....!
This answer itself said everything about her.
'Do I even deserve to be in this squad?' Suddenly Sakura had this question in her mind.
After all, Naruto was a beast. He was in a league of his own. There was no one in their generation that could be compared to Naruto. Even geniuses of this generation like Hinata, Hanabi, and Sarada fell short in front of Naruto. In front of Naruto, Sarada and Hanabi were nothing. Naruto was a genius of geniuses. He was a Supreme Genius.
Naruto was in the league of the likes of Itachi or Minato or Kakashi. It could be said that Naruto may be better than all of them. Despite being around their age, Naruto was so much stronger than them. He was a monster. He was a Pandora's box filled with unknown powers.
Even geniuses like Sarada and Hanabi struggled in front of Naruto. When comparing all of that, did Sakura even deserve to be in this squad that is filled with geniuses?
Because when compared to them, Sakura was really average. In the Academy, being an average might have comforted her but her just an average was very suffocating. There was constant pressure on her to get better and prove herself.
'No, I must get stronger. If I give up now, then I will lose my dreams. I will lose Naruto-kun. I will lose everything that I have worked for. I can't stop here now.' It was at this moment that something inside Sakura completely changed. An intense drive to get stronger was born in her heart.
'I will not be left behind. I refuse to be a deadweight on my team.'
"I can use my Genjutsu to see if it would work on Naruto," Sakura suggested.
While Sarada might not have noticed it but Hanabi noticed that something inside Sakura had changed.
The confidence that her voice carried told her many things. Unlike before, there wasn't any level of uncertainty in her voice as she spoke. She looked determined and also very serious.
'She has changed.' Hanabi smiled realizing this.
Hanabi knew that Sakura's attitude could have been a problem for their squad. If she had not changed her attitude and the way she saw her training, then she would have held their team back in real-life missions. Now Hanabi was glad that Sakura had changed her way of thinking.
'I hope this change is not temporary but rather permanent.' Hanabi thought in her mind.
As for the test, Hanabi obviously could guess that none of them would be sent back to the Academy.
'This test is about our ability to work as a teammate.' Hanabi had figured it out. Otherwise, there would be absolutely no reason for their Jonin teacher to test. The very purpose behind this test was to see their ability to work as a team.
This is the reason why they were put into teams. Since Genin is very weak and inexperienced, working together ensures the success of the squad. So the first thing that Kakashi wanted to cultivate was the ability for his students to work together.
'Naruto is an exception. This is the reason why he is made to fight against us.' Hanabi thought in her mind.
Sarada shook her head. "I don't think a basic level of Genjutsu would work on Naruto. I am one hundred percent sure that this will not work on him."
"Not unless we keep his mind distracted." Hanabi suddenly said with a smile. From her smile, it looked like she had a plan in her mind.
"What do you mean?" Sarada asked.
"You and I will fight Naruto while Sakura will give us support from behind. At least, this is what it would look like to Naruto."
"As we close in on him while keeping him distracted, at the very last second, Sakura will use Genjutsu on him. Although the Genjutsu cannot keep him trapped but all we need is one second to get those bells from him. Just one moment would be enough to get the job done." Hanabi's plan sounded perfect. Neither Sarada nor Sakura saw any flaw in her plan.
"Let's do it," Sarada said. Sakura and Hanabi nodded their heads seriously.
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Scene change______
"Kakashi-sensei, what are you reading?" Naruto asked with a knowing grin.
Kakashi who was sitting on the tree branch nearly fell down heard his question. He immediately closed the book and replied. "It's just a normal boring novel." Though he sounded calm but inside he was kind of nervous.
'If Lady Kushina knows that I have given him this forbidden knowledge, then she is going to beat me to death.' Kakashi thought as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He then put his novel in his pocket.
Little did he know that Naruto had more forbidden knowledge than him. He was an experienced soldier unlike him.
"They are coming...!!" Naruto sensed their presence.
Sarada, Sakura, and Hanabi walked out of the forest. The trio had determined looks on their faces.
Seeing this even Kakashi became interested. "Oh.....!! It looks like the show is going to be interesting." Kakashi said to himself.
Sarada threw several explosive tags at Naruto.
"Oy, that's dangerous....!!" Naruto said playfully as he dodged the explosive tags.
Booooom...!!!
Booooom....!!!
Once he landed on his feet, Sarada breathed out a large ball of flame towards him. The fire was almost 5 times bigger than his body.
Fire Style - Fireball Jutsu!!
As Naruto dodged the attack, he noticed Hanabi was charging at him from behind.
He turned towards her and easily blocked her palm attack. He understood that she was trying to block his charka. "I can't let that happen," Naruto said as he kicked Hanabi away but only turned out to be a clone.
Poof....!!
"A clone huh...!!" Feeling something coming from behind, he saw four more explosive tags coming at him.
Naruto used substitution Jutsu to appear past the explosive tags. The explosive tags flew all the way to the tree on which Kakashi was sitting.
"Oii....!!" Kakashi had no choice but to dodge seeing this.
Booooooom...!!!
"This is the best that you three could do?" Naruto asked them in a mocking tone. He was trying to motivate them to fight him more seriously.
Hanabi and Sarada both of them charged toward Naruto while Sakura threw a bunch of shurikens at him.
Seeing all of this, Naruto grinned savagely. He also charged towards them like dodging the shurikens.
"This is very good...!!" Kakashi was more than satisfied. Seeing the girls working together was unexpected and surprising but he was glad that this happened. In his mind, they have passed.
At the last second, both Hanabi and Sarada created a clone of their own. Now, Naruto was facing four opponents.
"This is getting interesting." Naruto dodged the punch from Sarada. As he sidestepped, he saw Hanabi coming at him with her palm strike.
Before she could land her attack on him, he grabbed her wrist. Seeing the two clones attacking him, Naruto forcefully pulled her forward to his place. The attacks of both clones hit Hanabi.
Sarada freed Hanabi by kicking him while he was distracted.
"Are you okay?" Sarada wouldn't have cared about Hanabi but since they were fighting together, it would be a huge disadvantageous situation if Hanabi is unable to continue.
"This is nothing." Her clone's attack actually had blocked her chakra pathways but she had managed to free the pathways using the distraction that Sarada gave her.
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