Another cat.
Naruto stared at the mission scroll like it had just ruined his entire life. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
Kakashi didn't even glance up from his book. "Tora the Cat. Escaped again. Retrieve and return."
"We're ninja, not zoo wranglers!" Naruto shouted, arms flailing.
Sakura sighed, brushing her bangs behind one ear. "Honestly, she's kind of cute… once she stops trying to kill you."
"You say that like she didn't bite you last time," Naruto muttered.
Sasuke stood off to the side, arms folded, silent as ever. He barely glanced at the scroll. He wasn't here for cats. But that didn't mean the mission was pointless.
He wasn't watching the target. He was watching them.
Observation Mode: Active.
Sakura: careful, methodical, but tense in the shoulders. Her throws had good arc but lacked follow-through.
Naruto: erratic, impulsive, but adaptable. His grip was sloppy, but his footwork was improving—even if he didn't know it.
They weren't shinobi yet.
But they were moldable.
[System Notification: Observation Analysis – Logged]
The mission went as expected.
Tora had somehow climbed into the rafters of a chicken coop. Naruto tried to jump for her, missed, and fell into a haystack. Sakura climbed halfway up the structure, coaxing the cat down with patient, whispered words.
Sasuke watched from below, arms crossed.
No interference. No instruction. No need.
Delegation matters. Control isn't always about force.
When the cat was finally in Naruto's arms—growling, biting, and flailing—the group trudged back toward the village.
Back at the mission desk, the Third Hokage took one look at the scratched-up Genin and smiled.
"She seems to really like you, Naruto."
"She wants me dead," Naruto muttered darkly.
Kakashi submitted the completed scroll without comment. His eye curved with the barest hint of amusement.
Sasuke said nothing, standing behind the group, still as stone. But in his head, the thought lingered:
At this rate, we'll be ready for nothing.
Then Kakashi looked up.
"Team 7," he said, closing his book. "Tomorrow morning. Early. No cats. No excuses."
Naruto grinned. "Finally!"
Sasuke's gaze sharpened.
Real training begins.
Training Field – Pre-Dawn
Mist hovered low across the grass. The sun hadn't fully risen yet.
Naruto groaned as he stretched. "Why so early…"
Sakura adjusted her gloves and tightened her sandals. She was focused, quieter than usual.
Kakashi leaned against a tree, flipping a page.
"You're here to get stronger," he said. "Then prove it."
He motioned them forward.
"Tree-walking. Chakra control. Let's see how well you've listened."
Sakura advanced first, focusing her chakra beneath her feet. She reached halfway up before slipping.
Naruto charged next. He made it a few steps, then fell flat on his face.
Sasuke stood silently before stepping forward. No dramatic buildup.
Just movement.
His feet kissed the trunk and ascended halfway up. Then higher. Clean. Controlled.
Not perfect—but better.
[System Notification: Chakra Stability Improved – Control +1]
Kakashi gave a small nod.
Sasuke didn't smile.
They transitioned into shuriken drills. Naruto threw wildly, one nearly bouncing back and grazing Kakashi's shoulder.
"Watch it!" Sakura shouted.
"You try hitting a moving target!"
"I can!"
Sasuke moved to his post, drew four shuriken, and launched them in a single motion.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Dead center.
He retrieved. Threw again. This time faster.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Not just training—refining.
[System Notification: Shuriken Mastery Level 2 Achieved]
Kakashi crossed his arms. "You've all improved. Not enough to beat a jonin, but… enough to survive a second week."
Naruto groaned. "Survive? That's all we're aiming for?"
"You're not Hokage yet," Kakashi said.
Riverbank – Late Afternoon
The team sat around a small fire, drying their feet from a shallow stream and cooking fish Naruto had somehow caught. Sakura bandaged her ankles. Naruto stared into the flames.
"I'm getting stronger, right?" he asked.
Sakura looked up. "You're trying harder."
He smiled faintly. "Yeah. I froze during the bell test. But next time… I won't."
Sasuke didn't look at them. But he heard.
And something in Naruto's tone stuck with him.
He's not lying to himself.
And that… was new.
That Night – Uchiha Compound Rooftop
The moon hung high.
Sasuke sat on the tiled rooftop of his family's abandoned home, hands wrapped around a faded photograph.
Father, proud and stern.
Mother, gentle and kind.
Itachi, unreadable behind soft eyes.
And himself—small, smiling. Trusting.
That version of him was dead.
But the one holding the photo?
Alive. Focused. Learning.
He gripped the image tighter.
"I will not be like before."
[System Notification: Emotional Sync – Trauma Stable | Focus Increased]
From the shadows below, Kakashi stood watching, unreadable behind his mask.
He's not chasing strength like a child, Kakashi thought.
He's building it like a weapon.