Capítulo 44: Young Eagle
Sasuke pressed his lips together and turned his head slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed to look directly at Sakura. Seeing the slightly shy expression on Sasuke's face, Sakura turned her attention to Naruto and said:
"The trash in the river can be cleaned up anytime. Let's try climbing trees first."
It was just a D-rank mission, after all. Finishing it after some training wouldn't hurt.
Moreover, climbing trees and walking on water wouldn't take long for someone with Sasuke and Naruto's talent.
"Alright!"
Naruto immediately ran toward the riverbank with excitement, with Sasuke following closely behind.
Kakashi watched the two running to the shore, his face turning helpless as he leaned closer to Sakura and said:
"Uh, Sakura, about this mission..."
Sakura glanced at Kakashi, slightly displeased.
"If I hadn't brought this up, when were you planning to start teaching them?"
"Uh, well, I was just trying to refine their patience..." Kakashi awkwardly scratched his head, looking at the frowning young girl in front of him.
"Kakashi, you're the teacher. It's your role to guide them," Sakura said, crossing her arms.
"The Chunin Exams are right around the corner. If you keep slacking off like this, do you want them to be defeated by a bunch of no-name Genin?"
Sakura furrowed her brows, glaring at the white-haired man who was clearly trying to brush things off.
Kakashi looked at the young girl reprimanding him and was at a loss for words.
Were Naruto and Sasuke weak?
Honestly, at the Genin level, they weren't weak. Naruto had the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, and with sheer numbers, he could overwhelm many peers. Sasuke, on the other hand, had the Uchiha clan's shuriken techniques and Fire Release, making him formidable against most Genin.
But Sakura wasn't comparing them to ordinary Genin. She was thinking about the likes of Neji, Rock Lee, and Gaara.
At their current level, Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't stand a chance against those individuals.
Kakashi's gaze flickered awkwardly as he faced Sakura. He had anticipated this scenario from the moment Sakura was assigned to Team 7, but he hadn't expected it to come so soon.
"Fine, fine, I get it..."
Kakashi sighed, finally conceding.
It seemed that with Sakura around, he wouldn't be able to slack off anymore.
Sakura crossed her arms, watching the two boys compete over who could climb higher.
"Teach Sasuke the Chidori."
"And I'll ask the old man for the Rasengan to teach Naruto."
Kakashi's eyes widened at her suggestion.
"Sakura, are you serious?!"
"The Chidori is an S-rank technique!"
"Teaching it to them at this stage... isn't it too early?"
Hearing Kakashi's disbelief, Sakura's emerald eyes remained calm as she responded:
"The Fourth Hokage saved his future wife from Hidden Cloud shinobi at twelve years old."
"You created the Chidori at twelve."
"I was already an Anbu squad captain at twelve."
"Why do you think it's too early for them? To me, it's just the right time."
Kakashi was left speechless.
The Fourth Hokage was a prodigy, and Sakura had been personally groomed by the Third Hokage. Even Kakashi admitted that few at twelve could match his own capabilities.
Did Sakura truly believe Naruto and Sasuke could be compared to such exceptional figures?
Did she genuinely trust them that much?
Kakashi thought back to the recent report on the mission involving Mizuki.
Sakura truly believed that Naruto inherited the Fourth Hokage's will, didn't she?
"Naruto is one thing, but why do you trust Sasuke so much?"
Kakashi glanced at the boy who had just fallen from the tree but immediately got back up to try again.
"Sasuke is special. We both know the hatred he carries."
"If he doesn't grow stronger, he'll relentlessly pursue strength by any means necessary."
Sakura's gaze softened as she looked at Sasuke, who was once again approaching the tree's top, only to fall due to excessive chakra input.
"As he seeks power, we need to guide him toward the path we've chosen for him."
Her tone was calm, but her words stirred something deep within Kakashi.
"You mean..."
Sakura continued:
"This Chunin Exam is a large-scale event hosted by us, the Hidden Sand, the Hidden Stone, and several smaller villages."
"Once a fledgling eagle sees the vastness of the sky, how could it remain content in a small nest?"
Kakashi silently watched the determined boy in the distance. After a long pause, he finally spoke:
"Sakura, is that your perspective as well?"
"Do you see Konoha, the top ninja village, as nothing more than a small nest?"
Sakura turned to Kakashi, her expression as if she were looking at a fool.
"That depends on the person. I was lucky enough to gain the old man's favor."
"For Sasuke, it might be a nest, but for me, it's the chessboard where I make my moves."
Did Sakura really think of herself as a player capable of shaping the ninja world?
Kakashi found her self-assessment bold and slightly dangerous.
Sakura didn't elaborate further, instead fixing her gaze on Kakashi.
"Are you going to teach them or not?"
"Even if you don't, I can get the Chidori from the old man myself—it'll just take a bit more effort."
Kakashi sighed at the little whirlwind standing before him. In a resigned tone, he said:
"Fine. I'll teach them."
"But it'll have to wait until Sasuke gets a better handle on his chakra control. It's still an S-rank technique, after all."
Sakura raised a brow at the exasperated man beside her.
Honestly, Kakashi had a history of slacking.
In the original events, he only taught tree climbing and water walking, and that was in response to the dire circumstances of the Land of Waves mission.
Before the Chunin Exam, he hadn't taught anything—until he found out Sasuke would be fighting Gaara. Only then did he hurriedly teach him the Chidori.
As for Naruto and Sakura? They got nothing.
Naruto at least had Jiraiya return to the village at the right time.
As for Sakura...
It was only out of respect for Kakashi's mentor, the Fourth Hokage, that she refrained from punching him right now.
"Let's take on a more challenging mission next."
"I saw the mission scroll earlier. The Land of Waves involves Zabuza, right?"
"I'll talk to the old man and have it reclassified as C-rank. Let Naruto and Sasuke test themselves."
"We'll have you and me as backup, after all."
Sakura's casual remarks sealed the fate of Team 7's future.
Kakashi couldn't help but feel that Sakura, not him, was the true teacher of Team 7.
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