"Hmph, I'm not afraid of you...
Becoming Hokage is my dream. I won't give up.
Sasuke...
From today on, we're rivals competing against each other!
I will absolutely not lose to you..."
Just as Sasuke was lost in thought, Naruto suddenly met his gaze and shouted passionately.
His azure eyes shimmered with excitement and indescribable emotional turmoil...
At last, besides Iruka-sensei, there was someone else who acknowledged him!
Even if they were only rivals, Sasuke hadn't ignored his existence.
Instead, Sasuke had regarded him as an opponent.
For Naruto, the Dead Last, that was even more encouraging...
"Me too, Naruto..."
Sasuke suppressed the excitement in his heart and met Naruto's eyes as he spoke seriously.
Now, he also had a reason he had to become Hokage!
"Sasuke-kun is so cool...
He'll definitely defeat Naruto and become Hokage..."
Sakura looked at Sasuke with a bashful smile, fully approving of his dream.
"Sakura, don't look down on me...
My Nindō is to keep my word.
I'll definitely surpass Sasuke and become Hokage..."
Hearing Sakura, his Goddess, call out to him, Naruto turned around, clenched his fists, and said indignantly.
Although he knew he wasn't as talented as Sasuke, this wasn't the time to back down.
"Yo...
You three seem pretty fired up...
But becoming Hokage isn't that easy!
So, gather at Training Ground 3 tomorrow morning at five.
Remember to bring your ninja tools. This is an extremely difficult test with an elimination rate of over 66%...
Don't go shouting about becoming Hokage only to fail the Genin test.
Mm, don't eat breakfast...
You'll throw up..."
Watching Sasuke and Naruto lock eyes as sparks flew between them, Kakashi teased them with a profound look in his eyes.
Before the three could react, he vanished in a puff of white smoke with a bang...
At the same time,
A System Prompt appeared in Sasuke's mind again:
[Detected Kakashi's Malicious Suggestion. Triggered a 10x D-rank Reward. Mission: Eat breakfast tomorrow; Reward: 100,000 taels...]
100,000 ryo!!
Hearing the system reward, a sharp gleam flashed through Sasuke's eyes, and he was overwhelmed with excitement...
Although the initial reward was money and didn't help his strength much,
The key was that the mission was simple...
Besides, in the Ninja World, money could still get you whatever you wanted...
With 100,000 ryo, he could even post a C-rank Mission!
Even if he spent it on weapons and equipment, he could buy more than three hundred Explosive Tags...
The poor relied on tactical maneuvers; the rich relied on firepower.
For Sasuke at this stage, it was also a decent trump card.
"Um, Sasuke-kun...
Should we eat together and discuss how to handle this?
I think that might give us a better chance of passing tomorrow's test..."
Looking at Sasuke's handsome face, Sakura's eyes practically turned into hearts as she nervously suggested it.
This was the perfect chance to go on a date with Sasuke. She wasn't about to miss it!
"Eat together??
Great, great...
Sakura, that arrogant guy Sasuke won't go.
The two of us can discuss it together..."
Before Sasuke could speak, Naruto beside him craned his neck and shouted excitedly.
With Sasuke's personality, he definitely wouldn't go...
That meant he was about to go on a date alone with Sakura!
So exciting...
[Detected Sakura's suggestion. Triggered an E-rank Reward. Mission: Eat together; Reward: Substitution Technique +1...] [Detected Naruto's Malicious Suggestion. Triggered a 5x D-rank Reward. Mission: Eat together; Reward: 0.1 Card Chakra...]
Listening to the consecutive System Prompts in his ears, Sasuke's gaze sharpened and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly...
Growing stronger started now...
"Then let's go..."
Under Sakura's delighted and Naruto's stunned gazes, Sasuke turned his head slightly, nodded, and smiled faintly.
That handsome face and smile made Sakura's eyes turn into hearts again...
H-He agreed...
Sasuke-kun actually agreed to go on a date with her! She was so happy...
"Ramen, ramen, I want Ichiraku Ramen..."
Seeing this, Naruto drooped his head and grumbled angrily.
Yet amid his displeasure, an unfamiliar feeling of Bonds rose in his heart...
Was this what it meant to have companions...?
Elsewhere,
Hokage's Office
"Become Hokage!!
That child Sasuke's mentality is developing quite healthily...
It seems my previous worries were unnecessary..."
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Sasuke in the Crystal Ball and breathed a sigh of relief.
This way, he could consider himself to have given Itachi an explanation...
"Those three...
Well, I'm suddenly looking forward to tomorrow's test..."
Kakashi, standing beside him, watched the backs of Sasuke and the others as they went to eat together, his eyes flickering.
They seemed to have already grasped a little bit of teamwork!
"Kakashi...
You should understand why I appointed you as Team 7's instructor...
Whether it's Sasuke's Sharingan or the one inside Naruto,
They are both precious assets of Konoha...
Only you have the ability to guide Sasuke's Sharingan training.
And protect Naruto from any mishaps!
So, I hope you'll go easy on them in tomorrow's test..."
Hearing that Kakashi had shown a hint of interest, Hiruzen Sarutobi adjusted his Hokage hat and spoke gravely.
If they failed tomorrow's assessment, he would have quite a headache!
There was no one more suitable than Kakashi to be Team 7's instructor...
"That depends on how they perform tomorrow..."
A sharp gleam flashed in Kakashi's eyes as he gave an ambiguous answer, offering no clear response.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched, and two dark lines appeared on his forehead...
Was Kakashi still going to be that strict...?
Still, Kakashi's strictness wasn't a bad thing for Naruto and Sasuke!
Ichiraku Ramen
"Then it's settled...
Naruto, Sakura, remember to act together tomorrow."
After eating and drinking their fill, Sasuke put down his bowl and chopsticks, gave a faint smile, then got up and left.
He gave the two no chance to speak and stop him!
The meal was over. It was time to claim the rewards...
[Mission complete. Reward obtained: Substitution Technique...] [Mission complete. Reward obtained: 0.1 Card Chakra...]
As soon as he stepped outside, two System Prompts rang in Sasuke's ears.
Almost at the same time, the Chakra within Sasuke's body began to surge wildly...
In less than a single breath, his Chakra reserves had increased by nearly fifty percent.
At the same time, Sakura's Substitution Technique flooded into his mind with sudden clarity...
Originally, Sasuke had thought the Substitution Technique reward was useless, since he already knew this basic ninjutsu.
However, after receiving the reward, Sasuke's eyes lit up...
The system's reward, Sakura's Substitution Technique, had unexpectedly merged with and optimized his own Substitution Technique.
It turned the five-hand-sign Substitution Technique into a ninjutsu that could be activated with just three hand signs.
This wasn't as simple as one plus one equaling two...
Then, Sasuke's heart stirred.
Without any instruction, he silently called up the Attribute Panel...
Host: Sasuke Uchiha Age: 12 Strength: Elite Genin Identity: Konoha Genin (Indra Chakra Reincarnation) Attributes: Fire, Lightning Bloodline Limit: One-Tomoe Sharingan (Hidden) Chakra: 0.3 Card Taijutsu: Uchiha Throwing Technique (D-rank), Shurikenjutsu (D-rank) Ninjutsu: Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques (E-rank), Escape Technique (E-rank), Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique (C-level)
Looking at the simple and clear Attribute Panel, two dark lines appeared on Sasuke's forehead...
This strength was way too pathetic...
It was one thing for the Sharingan to be only one tomoe, but it was still hidden and unactivated?
A ninja's most important asset, Chakra, was only a pitiful 0.3 Card...
And that was after receiving the reward boost...
It was unbearable to look at...
Before you continue