The Test

After listening to Moegi's speech, Sakura Haruno clapped her hands.

"Very good! Your ideals and goals are very lofty, and I am very pleased," she said with a smile. "However, having lofty goals is not enough; you also need to move forward steadily. But before that, you still need to pass my test to become my official students!"

"Teacher, I know!" Konohamaru raised his hand and shouted, "It's a test of teamwork, right? Naruto -san passed it with me!"

"That's right, that's right!" Udon and Moegi nodded repeatedly like chickens pecking at rice.

Sakura's smile froze instantly.

"Ahem, you already know?" This is like leaking exam questions; once it's out, there's no way to test their true sense of camaraderie.

Her carefully devised plan was immediately rendered useless; she had wanted to give the students a little surprise!

That idiot Naruto, he even talks about this kind of thing with them... Sakura sighed, a headache forming in her eyes. Now she'd have another reason to punish Naruto when he got back!

Sakura Haruno rubbed her temples and said, "Okay, I'm not like Kakashi, I won't use those tricks to scare you... I know you've been playing together since you were little, so you have plenty of camaraderie and teamwork."

No, no, no, I'm not using any tricks to scare them because they already know the answer, so I can't indulge in any more of my mischievous fun. I can't give them a surprise, so let's stick to the usual routine!

She walked to the center of the stage. "However, teamwork still needs to be assessed... You three, come at me! If you can force me back one step, you'll pass, okay!"

"Wait, is it right here?" Konohamaru's acrophobia, which had just started to improve, suddenly flared up again. Standing hundreds of meters high to enjoy the scenery and to fight are two completely different things!

"That's right, so you guys better watch out, falling from this height will turn you into a bloody mess! You'll definitely be dead on the spot... Heh heh~" Sakura Haruno looked at the three of them, who had turned pale, and a wicked smile appeared on her face.

"Surprised, aren't you three?"

Sakura chuckled briefly before turning serious and saying, "Ninjas must learn to overcome their fears! You may encounter even more unfavorable situations at any time, and the enemy won't let you off the hook just because you're not used to the terrain!"

She instructed the three on the secrets of combat, "Take a deep breath, suppress your negative emotions, clear your mind, and then focus your attention on me. Circulate your Chakra! Divert some Chakra to flow through the meridians of your brain. If you are confident in your Chakra control, you can learn from me and stimulate your brain with a small amount of Chakra. This can enhance the brain's control over emotions and has a strong calming effect!"

The right inferior frontal cortex of the brain is the center for integrating information, controlling emotions, and solving problems. Stimulating it with a weak electrical current or slightly adding Chakra can make a ninja extremely calm. Of course, the most effective method is using Sakura's Ice Release Chakra, whose mental support capabilities go far beyond simply calming the mind. [Note]

Under Sakura's guidance, Konohamaru and the others quickly calmed down in a similar manner. "I don't think I'm scared anymore!" Konohamaru said with some surprise, looking at his hands that were no longer trembling.

He was experiencing a strange feeling: the faint sense of fear was slowly dissipating like the receding tide, his heart was calm and still, and negative emotions no longer seemed to affect him.

Turning to look at their companions, Udon and Moegi completely calmed down.

"This technique is quite helpful for suppressing minor negative emotions, but it's not as effective in a real life-or-death battle," Sakura said, looking at the three who had calmed down. "It seems you've grasped it to a basic level... Well then, let's begin!"

"Yes!"

The three nodded in agreement and immediately prepared to attack; then, Kunai, shurikens, and Moegi's Great Fireballs attacked simultaneously!

The attack was well-structured, and the teamwork was decent... Sakura Haruno nodded slightly, slowly forming hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

The water gushing out from beside Sakura formed a high wall, blocking the three's attack; at the same time, Konohamaru seized the opportunity to appear behind Sakura and kicked her!

"Hmm, the timing and teamwork were excellent!" Sakura smiled faintly. Udon and Moegi held off the enemy head-on, while Konohamaru launched a surprise attack from behind. As expected of the trio who grew up together.

That kick had a powerful, forceful feel to it! His Taijutsu was also quite good...

The girl's hand seal on her chest changed slightly, and two streams of water split off from the Water Formation Wall, grabbing Konohamaru's body and blocking his attack. Then, she swung him away suddenly!

"Ah!" Konohamaru screamed as he was thrown out of the tower, about to fall and turn into a pile of flesh!

Faced with a life-or-death threat, the calming effect of stimulating the brain was useless; the technique Sakura Haruno had just introduced had failed, and Konohamaru began to flail about in a panic. Fortunately, Udon threw out a rope at that moment. "Catch, boss!"

"The rescue was timely!" Sakura commented. If Konohamaru had really fallen, she could have caught him, but the three of them wouldn't have fared well in their assessments...

"Have you forgotten to stay calm again, Konohamaru?" Sakura Haruno asked, looking at Konohamaru who was slumped on the ground. He was covered in sweat and panting heavily, unable to utter a word.

Upon hearing Sakura's reminder, Konohamaru remembered her earlier instructions and quickly gathered his Chakra to suppress his panic.

"Although the three of you have been trained by the Lord Third for some time and your strength is not bad, you still have many problems when facing real battles," Sakura Haruno said, raising an index finger. "Just now, Konohamaru was fully capable of climbing up on his own, but he just kept shouting and yelling in confusion, completely failing to demonstrate his strength."

"I'm sorry, teacher." Konohamaru calmed down and realized that his behavior just now was a bit embarrassing, so he said with a blush.

However, although Sakura was criticizing them, she also knew very well that these problems were caused by a lack of experience, and that they could be quickly made up for with some training. Wasn't she the same way back then? All newcomers are like this; no one is born knowing these things.

However, it is the tacit cooperation and sense of camaraderie they demonstrate that are the key points that Sakura needs to assess this time.

Once Konohamaru recovered, the three of them stood in their positions again, ready for battle.

Sakura nodded secretly.

"Very good, then, let's begin the second round of battle!"

In the second round of battle, the three fought quite well. Konohamaru was not held back or affected by what had just happened; his mental fortitude was still intact.

The roles among these three people are very clearly defined.

Udon takes on more support roles, using Genjutsu and ninja tools to harass, and covering her comrades' attacks and retreats.

He has good Chakra control, strong mental strength, and is very talented in Genjutsu, but his body is a bit weak, and Taijutsu is his weakness, so Moegi and Konohamaru always protect him behind them.

Moegi's Water Release Ninjutsu and Taijutsu are the three's main sources of damage.

Her Chakra control is even stronger than Udon's, and her grasp of Ninjutsu is excellent. Her Taijutsu is also quite good; she can skillfully use Chakra to enhance her body, so her speed is impressive, and her strength is even more surprising—she also has a physique suited to using Monstrous Strength, which has already been subtly revealed in battle.

Konohamaru is a support attacker who relies on Fire Style Taijutsu combat.

His greatest strength lies in Taijutsu). His speed and technique are among the best of the three, and he possesses an innate, keen sense of combat, always finding the perfect opportunity to attack! Therefore, although Moegi deals the most damage among the Moegi, he is only responsible for directly confronting Sakura. When Sakura reveals an opening, Konohamaru will deliver the fatal blow!

Of course, this also means that Konohamaru became the one who suffered the most setbacks.

"Ah--!"

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the air as Konohamaru was once again thrown out of the tower. He seemed unable to overcome his deep-seated fear, perhaps due to a genuine acrophobia. However, Konohamaru had learned to quickly recover from his fear, throwing a rope to secure the ice tower and halt his fall before climbing back up.

"I've also learned how to Tree Climbing with my feet," Sakura thought to herself, "And I've probably been taught how to Water Walking by the Lord Third as well."

In terms of skill, the three of them already have a very solid foundation; even if Sakura doesn't arrange any special training and just spars with them, the three of them can still grow quickly.

It seems that being their team leader is quite an easy job.

Sakura smiled as she watched the three of them huddle together, discussing their Nth attack plan after the Nth failed attempt.

Their indomitable spirit is commendable; however, Sakura has already figured out their offensive tactics very well. Although there are slight variations each time, the core remains the same, and it seems that the next attack will not be much different.

Let's leave it at that.

It was about time to announce that they had passed the test, even though she was still standing there motionless. However, Sakura Haruno hadn't forgotten that what she wanted to test was their teamwork, and all three of them had passed in that respect.

"Ahem." Sakura-sensei cleared her throat, just about to speak.

The three students suddenly spread out. "Teacher, bring it on! This time we're sure to succeed!"

How many times have I heard this phrase now? Sakura raised an eyebrow. Since they want to do it again, let them!

Udon's Genjutsu led the charge. "Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"

This Genjutsu works by making the enemy see their deepest fears, thus inflicting a psychological blow. It's a very common Genjutsu. Udon uses it very skillfully, which is quite impressive for a newly graduated Genin.

Sakura Haruno feigned a half-second pause; Genjutsu obviously couldn't affect Sakura, but as an assessment, she'd have to go easy on her a bit...

After releasing their Genjutsu, Udon, Moegi, and Konohamaru exchanged a glance—"My Genjutsu can only distract the teacher for less than a second, let's seize the opportunity to attack!"

His eyes conveyed that meaning.

Konohamaru nodded, and at the same time as Udon used Genjutsu, he simultaneously unleashed a massive fireball. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

At the same time, Moegi also took out an Fūma Shuriken that was half the height of a person and shot it at Sakura Haruno!

Swoosh--

The Shuriken traced a huge arc, bypassed the fireball, and shot towards Sakura from her side and rear!

The moment the Genjutsu harassment began, they launched a simultaneous attack from the front and sides; their tacit cooperation allowed even simple Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu to exert great power. Moreover, their Genjutsu, Fire Style, and ninja tools were all exceptionally well-executed!

This fireball is even more powerful than the previous one...

"Well done." Sakura nodded and used "Water Release: Water Formation Wall" to block the attack of the Great Fireball. Then, she suddenly turned to the side and easily dodged the attack of the Fūma Shuriken.

She sensed a familiar Chakra shift; she seemed to have seen this tactic repeatedly used by someone! The method wasn't particularly unusual, but they executed the details with the Genin, both Transformation Techniques performed with exquisite precision!

"What's next?"

Then, *Boom! Fūma Shuriken, just as it passed Sakura, suddenly transformed into Konohamaru's appearance. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Wonderful!"

So, as a reward...

Sakura Haruno shifted her feet, avoiding the fireball's attack.

(First update delivered, bonus chapter for Noron Noah? Zoron! [Note])

(Entering bonus chapter mode, at least 10,000 words for every three chapters! One bonus chapter for every 00 monthly votes!)

(Please vote with monthly tickets and subscribe!)

(Last night I was incredibly sleepy, starting at 10 pm. I kept dozing off and writing, but I couldn't stay awake any longer.)