Leading the Team

Sakura Haruno glanced at the three students, then jumped off the roof and began to comment on each of them.

"Hmm, not bad. Using Shadow Clone Technique to help sweep the floor has increased efficiency several times over. But Konohamaru, you'd better watch out for the mental stress caused by the return of your memories after the mind clone technique ends!"

"Water Release to control water flow and clean the streets? Great idea! This is not only efficient, but it also trains your Water Release control skills. This is the approach I admire most: seize every opportunity and turn it into a training activity! Moegi!"

"Hey... Udon, it's not right to hide trash with Genjutsu!"

Apart from a slight mishap with the Udon, the mission was basically completed successfully; everything went smoothly, and the three students not only earned their first income but also gained valuable experience and received excellent training.

Moegi's Water Release became the main force in completing this mission, while Udon, under Sakura's guidance, used Chakra to enhance his body and speed up the cleaning process, contributing significantly as well.

Except for one unexpected event...

As expected, Konohamaru collapsed from exhaustion after creating four Shadow Clone Konohamaru.

On the way back to submit the task.

"You've overdone it, Konohamaru." Sakura carried Konohamaru on her back, saying softly. Exhausted, he mumbled weakly, "So tired... Why does a low-level mission have to be this exhausting!"

"That's all because you were being stubborn and used Shadow Clone for so long! Your teacher warned you!" Moegi mocked, making a face.

"Hehe... that's why you can't look at low-level missions either!" Sakura laughed and glanced back at Konohamaru, who had his head resting on her shoulder, already half asleep. "Low-level missions can hone your will and stamina, and they're very helpful for your growth. During this beginner stage, you'll take on many more low-level missions like this until I consider you to have improved."

"Everyone did a great job on this mission. Those who still have energy should continue cultivating, and those who don't should rest as soon as possible. Tomorrow we'll start our first class training session at the Training Ground 9!"

"My requirements are very strict," Sakura said with a smile, "You'd better be prepared!"

"Yes, teacher!" Moegi and Udon replied in unison.

What about Konohamaru?

Sakura glanced back at him.

The guy had already fallen asleep on her back.

Sakura Haruno shook her head with a slight chuckle, said goodbye to the students, and then took him back to the Third's house.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sakura." The Third Hokage took Konohamaru from him, put him back on the bed in his room, looked at him kindly, and then said to Sakura Haruno.

"It's just my duty. Konohamaru is a very hardworking kid," Sakura said with a smile. "Seeing him like this reminds me of Naruto. Naruto has had a great influence on Konohamaru!"

"Yes," the Third said with a nostalgic smile, "Naruto, Konohamaru..."

After chatting for a while about the class leadership, the Third, seeing that it was getting late, urged, "Stay for a simple meal!"

"No, Third Grandfather! I have other matters to attend to, and..." Sakura revealed a mysterious smile, Hand Seals, and gave a clear shout--

"Untie"!

It then turned into a block of ice in front of the Third.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was momentarily stunned. "Ice Clone? Is the main body still training?"

It turns out that the one accompanying them on the mission the whole time was Ice Clone... Can a clone maintain its form for so long when it's far away from the original?

"It must be that Yin Release Nature Transformation was added to Ice Release, and a lot of spiritual power was poured into it... that's why it can last so long." The Third Hokage, with his extensive knowledge of Ninjutsu, immediately realized the secret.

"This team-leading assignment was supposed to be a relaxing task for you to rest..." He sighed, "Sakura, you're a very hardworking girl!"

Thus came to the end of Sakura Haruno's Team's first group activity.

The days that followed continued peacefully.

During a break from her training and teaching duties, Sakura took the time to visit the Sage Katsuyu in the Shikkotsu Forest.

"Yes, Hashirama did train with me back then. However, he practiced Sage Mode and never mentioned how Wood Release was combined with Yang Release transformations..." the Sage Katsuyu said. "As for Yin Release, I understand even less about that. These are all distinctions you humans make about Chakra. I usually just use Senjutsu Chakra directly."

"However, Sakura, your direction seems to be correct. The fusion of Ice Release and Yin Release is the most suitable path for you... Your Chakra reserves have increased a lot recently! It seems that the modification of your body with Ice Release has been successfully completed. By this time next year, we can begin training in Senjutsu!"

She also took a mission to leave the Ancient Kingdom of Roran and went there on the way.

She had used up a lot of the underground energy during her time travel. She had specifically checked it before going to the Land of Snow, and it was still empty; after half a year, it had now replenished itself.

"I haven't figured out how time travel works yet, so let's save our energy for now." Sakura Haruno looked around the hall but still didn't decide to go in.

That magical spacetime energy is like water in a pool; once it's full, it won't increase again. However, each time travel takes about six months to recover, and without an absolutely necessary reason, she doesn't want to travel there lightly; after all, it's risky—what if something unexpected happens and she can't come back?

Furthermore, she hasn't figured out where she'll travel to next time or how to control time. This energy should be controllable; she has some ideas, but that will have to wait until next time.

Back to Sakura Haruno's Team.

Everything is going smoothly.

Sakura Haruno creates clones, carrying her spirit and a large amount of Chakra Konohamaru the others on missions or training; occasionally, her real self will also appear to connect with them.

After all, no matter how realistic the memories brought back by the clone are, there is still a layer between them.

Sakura herself needs to truly interact with them, train with them, and complete missions together to experience the emotional bond of being a member of Sakura Haruno's Team, and only then can she fulfill her duty as a team leader.

The three students were initially resistant to low-level missions. After Sakura introduced them to the correct way for ninjas to complete missions, the three began to treat missions as a unique form of training—and in fact, it did have a training effect.

Doing these low-level tasks can be quite fun.

As long as it's not like Kakashi, who assigns students farm work tasks for almost half a month straight.

March is the time for spring plowing, and also the time when the fields are most short of labor. This is when ninjas are needed to fill in – the labor power of one novice ninja is greater than that of ten farmers.

This kind of work is very tiring and is perfect for training newcomers' physical strength. Sakura Haruno knows this very well. Back then, she was also a newcomer with average endurance. After training like this for a month, her endurance improved a lot.

And it's also very boring.

Konohamaru and the others persisted for a week before clamoring for Sakura to change their missions. Considering that the three of them were still in good physical condition and didn't need special training in this area, Sakura didn't force them too much, only making them do missions for three weeks. That was a week less than she had done years ago, which was quite merciful.

Konohamaru was about to complain when Sakura Haruno cut him off, "I suffered a lot when I did these low-level missions back in the day. You guys think you can get stronger without any hardship? There are no shortcuts to growth!"

--Unless you have the Sharingan and the Nine-Tails Chakra.

"And haven't you noticed? Your stamina and Chakra have increased recently!"

Indeed, after the farm work was over, the three of them, who had been eating, drinking and exercising a lot during that time, looked much stronger. Even Moegi, who was too thin, had gained some flesh on her arms and no longer looked so skinny.

Having discovered their rapid progress, the three were eagerly awaiting their next mission.

Then, Sakura assigned them the task of cleaning the Naka River channel and sewers...

This is a mission that you can practically smell the danger just from the mission sheet!

The traumatic experience made Sakura reluctant to recall it; even someone as thick-skinned as Naruto was overwhelmed by the stench back then...

The Naka River flows upstream past the Uchiha's stronghold before branching off; one tributary flows through the bustling city of Konoha, carrying away countless amounts of sewage and garbage, eventually becoming piled high with trash, extremely smelly and filthy, requiring cleaning every one or two weeks. This is Konoha's most notorious and notorious chore, and almost every new recruit has been subjected to its wrath...

"This task is entrusted to you. Clean it up by any means necessary!" She led three students to the riverbank, hastily gave them instructions, and then vanished in Body Flicker Technique. When Sakura went to check on the progress that afternoon, she only saw her three students lying on the ground, already unconscious from the stench; the task was only half completed.

Sakura Haruno quickly rescued them.

Then, gritting her teeth, she used the same method she had used to clear the river to finish the rest. Fortunately, she was no longer the same person she used to be, and could now manipulate an enormous flow of water from hundreds of meters away to complete the task; otherwise, there would probably have been another person lying on the ground.

If a powerful Kage Level fighter were defeated by a stinking ditch, I wonder whether her enemies and Deidara in the underworld would laugh or cry!

These were all tasks that Sakura had personally completed back then... When she was with Konohamaru and the other two, it felt as if she had returned to the past.

Unfortunately, the classic quest to find the pet cat is no longer available.

Back then, that cat would run away from home four or five times a month... However, during a mission last year, there was an accident when capturing a tiger. The cat broke one of its legs, leaving it disabled, and it could no longer escape home smoothly.

Konoha lost a significant amount of revenue as a result!

Fortunately, Daimyo's wife, Mrs. Jijimi, was alright—perhaps she thought a tiger that couldn't escape was easier to raise. But that's another story.

In the cycle of accepting missions and training, the three ninjas in Sakura Haruno's Team grew rapidly in both strength and experience; during this time, Sakura's strength also slowly increased...

Peaceful times pass quickly.

It was late May.

"Ghosts, starting today I'm leaving the village with this pretty girl beside me. We shouldn't be back for four or five days," Sakura Haruno said, pointing to Yuki Haku standing next to her. "During this time, remember to train every day, understand? I'll check your training progress when we get back."

"Yes, teacher!" the three ghosts answered in unison.

Konohamaru asked curiously, "Huh, isn't the teacher going to elope with her?"

Bang~

Konohamaru was hit in the head and fell silent.

"All you ever do is watch that rubbish!" Sakura Haruno said, somewhat annoyed.

She and Bai were heading out to the Land of Waves.

He offered sacrifices to Zabuza.

--It has been exactly two years since the mission to the Land of Waves.

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