"Uh... heh..."
He'd been late for the first time.
Yet the students had still greeted him warmly.
Kakashi scratched his head sheepishly and said:
"I'm Kakashi, and I'll be your instructor for Team 7."
Suppressing the disappointment in his heart, Sasuke turned toward the voice.
A tall, slender man with silver hair had somehow appeared in the middle of the group without anyone noticing.
Although most of his face was hidden behind a mask,
Sasuke could still tell from the small part that was visible that Kakashi was probably as handsome as he was...
After a pause, Kakashi seemed to sense that the atmosphere had grown a little awkward.
So he smiled again and said:
"Since you're going to be my students from now on,"
"why don't you introduce yourselves? That way, I can get to know you a little..."
As he spoke, the one visible eye narrowed, giving him a very easygoing look.
"I'll go first!"
At that, Naruto volunteered enthusiastically!
His goddess Sakura had been lucky enough to end up in the same class as him.
How could he pass up such a great chance to show off his strengths?
"My name's Naruto!"
"My dream is to become Hokage of Konoha someday!"
"My favorite thing is Ichiraku Ramen!"
"Oh, and Sakura too!"
"Ahahaha..."
He spoke with passion and confidence.
But before he could finish, he planted his hands on his hips and burst out laughing, like a total idiot...
At his words, Sakura unconsciously clenched her hands. She lowered her head and fell silent, wishing she could disappear on the spot...
Sasuke's mouth twitched. He almost couldn't hold back as he thought:
Comparing Sakura to ramen? Crown Prince, you've really outdone yourself...
Kakashi hadn't spent all those days reading Icha Icha Paradise for nothing!
With one glance, he immediately understood the relationship between Naruto and Sakura.
Judging by the situation, Naruto doesn't seem to have much of a chance...
He pondered this for a moment, then froze for a few seconds.
As if to cover up the awkwardness, Kakashi suddenly laughed again and said:
"Right! Young people should be bold about sharing what they're striving for."
"You've got a long road ahead of you. Even if there are obstacles, who knows? You might still make your dreams come true someday..."
To Sasuke, the words sounded like empty feel-good advice.
But to Naruto and Sakura, they were like a shot of adrenaline.
Their eyes lit up, and the next moment, their faces flushed as if they'd both been fired up.
Seeing that his words had done the trick, Kakashi smiled and turned to Sakura, who was looking excited.
"What about you, Sakura?"
Sakura paused, then slowly began:
"I'm Haruno Sakura, but everyone usually calls me Sakura."
"My dream is to become an excellent Medical Ninja. When I grow up, I want to be with the person I love."
As she said this, Sakura's face grew even redder.
She looked like a ripe cherry, utterly adorable.
Even Naruto, standing beside her and acting all dramatic, was staring at her...
After a pause, she continued:
"What I like most... what I... like most... is... is..."
Sakura stammered and stammered, unable to get the words out. Beside her, Naruto was practically on pins and needles...
"It... it's Sasuke..."
As she spoke, she kept her head lowered and her face red, sneaking a cautious glance at Sasuke. She looked bashful and utterly charming.
Crack!
The moment Sakura said those words, Sasuke and Kakashi both seemed to hear the sound of a heart breaking...
"No! Sakura, how could you do this to me?!"
Sakura's words instantly crushed Naruto.
He'd thought that all he had to do was wait for Sakura to say what kind of person she liked.
Then he could work toward becoming that kind of person.
And eventually, with enough persistence, Sakura would come to like him.
Who could have guessed that Sakura didn't like a certain type of person at all? She only liked Sasuke himself...
At that, Sasuke remained as calm as still water, showing no hint of emotion.
But Kakashi, who had heard Sakura's confession, frowned at once and thought:
The relationships between my three students seem a little tangled...
Maybe I should talk to the Third Hokage afterward and see if we can put them in separate teams...
After all, if they start dating at this age, it could interfere with their ninjutsu training...
After considering it for a while,
Kakashi acted as if nothing had happened and gave Sasuke an awkward laugh before asking:
"Sasuke! Haha, I've been wanting to meet you for days."
"Iruka-sensei told me about you a few days ago. He said you're the most talented ninja he's ever met!"
Sasuke smiled, stepped forward, and replied with neither arrogance nor false modesty:
"You're too kind, Kakashi-sensei. I'm really not as outstanding as Iruka-sensei says. I'm just an ordinary graduate..."
Kakashi froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Right! So young, yet neither proud nor impatient. You really have potential!"
"Go ahead and introduce yourself. I'm sure Sakura and Naruto are curious about you too..."
Without looking at Naruto or Sakura's expressions, Su Jian replied respectfully:
"My name's Sasuke."
"I don't have any dreams."
"What do I like...?"
"I like anyone who's good-looking. Uh... that's about it..."
Just a few simple words,
and Kakashi was completely dumbfounded...
He tentatively asked:
"Uh... that's it?"
"That's it."
Sasuke nodded firmly.
"No, with the talent you've shown so far, don't you have a grander ambition, like Naruto?"
"For example, aiming to become Hokage?"
At that, Naruto puffed out his chest!
Sasuke had always overshadowed him, but now he'd finally scored a point!
Hearing Kakashi's words, Sasuke couldn't help finding them amusing.
Only the son of a Hokage could become Hokage.
There had only been four Hokage in Konoha, all told.
It wasn't hard to notice the pattern, was it?
Could Kakashi be probing me on the Third Hokage's orders, trying to find out what I'm thinking?...
At the thought, Sasuke's lips curled into a faint, sly smile.
Then he waved a hand and replied nonchalantly:
"Hokage?"
"That's not something someone like me should aspire to."
"I may still be young, with a long future ahead of me, but life is short."
"I've always believed that if you're born with something, you might have it for your whole life."
"On the other hand, if you're born without it, then no matter how obsessed you are, there's a good chance you'll never have it."
"And I, Sasuke, don't have such lofty ambitions."
"I just want to be an ordinary Genin in Konoha and be with the person I love. That's enough for me."
"Kakashi-sensei, do you think I'm a good-for-nothing?"
A flash of red—the Sharingan had opened without anyone noticing.
A practiced, insincere smile tugged at Sasuke's lips.
At the same time, he stared fixedly at Kakashi, watching his expression after hearing those words, without letting a single detail escape him...
Before you continue