Sakura was simply shocked by the fact that this unreliable guy was actually a Jonin of the village. For a fleeting moment, she even wondered if Kakashi was lying to them.
But that thought lasted only an instant.
Sakura knew how ridiculous it was. No matter how unreliable their team leader was, he wouldn't lie to them about something like that.
"All right, I've introduced myself. Now it's your turn. Let's start with you."
Kakashi probably knew that getting this bunch of problem children to speak up on their own would be difficult, so he couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush. Instead, he started calling on them, turning his gaze to Naruto and pointing at him as he spoke.
Naruto didn't seem surprised.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like Ichiraku Ramen, and I hate people who give up without even trying. As for my dream, I want to become a great Ninja!"
Naruto lifted his chin slightly and straightened his back, a faint smile on his face as he spoke softly.
A great Ninja?
Kakashi watched Naruto's faint smile, narrowing his eyes slightly. A knowing glint flickered in his pupils as he gave a subtle nod to himself.
"And you?"
After Naruto finished speaking,
Kakashi nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Sasuke, who was sitting in the middle. Sasuke still wore the same cold, indifferent expression. Kakashi's gaze did nothing to stir his composure.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There's nothing I like, and nothing I dislike. As for my dream..."
As he said those final words,
Sasuke's emotions seemed to surge. The corner of his mouth twitched, and his expression grew even colder.
"To kill that man! Then restore the Uchiha Clan!"
His undisguised malice and growing chill were unmistakable. At that moment, a savage look flashed in Sasuke's eyes.
A cold, sinister aura filled the air.
Sakura, who had been watching Sasuke intently, couldn't help shivering. A hint of fear seemed to flicker deep in her eyes.
Naruto, however, was completely unfazed.
Not only because he already knew what Sasuke was like,
but also because, though Sasuke's expression and the atmosphere around him seemed terrifying,
to Naruto, it was nothing special.
Someone who had never fought for their life couldn't possibly have truly powerful killing intent.
Naruto himself had felt the real thing in Mizuki's presence.
Sasuke's display of emotion
seemed perfectly ordinary to Naruto.
There was even less to say about a Ninja like Kakashi, who had been through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Ordinary killing intent was practically a joke to him.
"I expected as much, but this kid really has been completely blinded by hatred."
Still, Sasuke's outburst made Kakashi's brow furrow slightly.
He was the biggest headache on the team.
Kakashi thought to himself.
Of course, Kakashi didn't know at this point that Sasuke wasn't actually the biggest headache. That honor belonged to Naruto, who sat beside him looking perfectly calm. But by the time Kakashi found out, it would already be too late.
"Now, the last one."
Kakashi shifted his gaze to Sakura Haruno.
Sakura perked up, straightened quickly, and spoke in a clear voice.
"My name is Sakura Haruno. As for what I like... well, it's not really a thing. It's... um... someone I like..."
As she said this,
Sakura's cheeks flushed, and she began to fidget. She cautiously glanced at Sasuke beside her. Though she hadn't said it outright, her gesture and expression made the answer obvious.
But Sasuke's expression remained as cold as ever.
It was like winking at a blind man.
Sakura felt her heart sink, and she couldn't bring herself to say the next part.
"Do girls this age all think like this?"
Watching Sakura teeter on the brink of becoming a lovestruck fool, Kakashi sighed helplessly to himself.
"Then what do you dislike?"
"Ino!"
Sakura answered without pausing or hesitating.
In this life, without Naruto pestering her,
Ino Yamanaka naturally ranked first on Sakura's list of most disliked people. After all, to a girl in love, her rival was her greatest enemy—and Sakura certainly saw Ino Yamanaka that way.
"As for my dream, obviously it's to... start a family with him... and then... ge—ah!!"
Sasuke's icy expression had briefly frozen her in place.
But once she slipped into her combined lovestruck-and-daydreaming mode,
Sakura let herself go completely.
She practically seemed to radiate a special "aura."
Even Kakashi didn't know what to make of it.
A young girl of twelve.
Truly terrifying.
Kakashi thought to himself.
"All right, all right. Now that you've all introduced yourselves and gotten to know one another a little, that's enough chatting for today. This was just a simple meet-and-greet. Now we'll get down to business. Tomorrow, we'll begin our first mission. Of course, it might turn out to be your last."
Seeing that Sakura was still lost in her own fantasies, Kakashi clapped lightly to bring her attention back. Then he leaned forward slightly and delivered those words with a meaningful smile. Of the three, Naruto knew exactly what he meant. Sasuke merely furrowed his brow, while Sakura looked plainly confused.
"Huh? What does that mean, Kakashi-sensei? Why would you say it might be our last mission?"
Sakura stared wide-eyed, her expression full of shock.
She really couldn't understand what was going on.
Why would their first mission become their last?
Could it be a mission where their lives were in danger?
At the thought, Sakura couldn't help shivering. She looked a little nervous.
"Heh heh, you'll find out tomorrow. Don't worry about it for now. I'll tell you the details of the mission then. Well, you could say it's a special Survival Exercise to test whether you're truly qualified to become Genin. We'll meet at five in the morning at Training Ground 2. Oh, and don't eat breakfast. And don't be late. I really hate people who are late. Consider that your teacher's friendly warning!"
Kakashi's final words seemed to carry a hint of warning. Before Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura could say anything, he vanished with a "poof" in a cloud of white smoke.