Kakashi leaned down and picked up the chalkboard eraser. Looking at his four students, he spoke with a lazy, deadpan expression.
"Hmm... how should I put this?"
"My first impression of you lot... well, I hate you."
As he spoke, Kakashi's gaze settled on Kanon, who was standing beside Naruto. Is she Kanon Uchiha? As expected of his daughter, she perfectly inherited her mother's beauty, Kakashi thought. He then pointed a finger toward the door.
"Follow me. We're heading to the roof."
The four of them exchanged glances before following Kakashi up to the rooftop.
The morning sun cast a bright, white glow over Konohagakure. On the rooftop stairs, the four members of Team 7 sat down while Kakashi leaned casually against the railing.
"Alright, let's start with some introductions," he said softly.
"Introductions? What are we supposed to say?" Sakura asked, sounding puzzled. She glanced at Kanon, seeing a similar trace of curiosity in the younger girl's eyes.
Kakashi elaborated for them. "You know, things you like, things you hate. Your dreams for the future, your hobbies... stuff like that."
"Before we introduce ourselves, why don't you go first, sensei?" Naruto suggested, raising his hand.
"Me? My name is Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that."
"As for my dreams for the future..." Kakashi paused, then skipped right over it. "Hobbies? I have many. For example, reading... as for what kind of books, you don't need to know."
Sakura hugged her knees, a look of pure exasperation on her face. She whispered to Kanon and the boys, "In the end, all we found out was his name."
"I've finished. Now it's your turn. Let's start with you," Kakashi said, pointing to Kanon, who was sitting in the middle.
Kanon stood up calmly and spoke in a clear, gentle voice.
"My name is Kanon Uchiha. I like cooking, Ninjutsu training, and interesting things. As for things I hate... I haven't really found anything yet."
"My dream is to find the colorful flower field in my heart."
"A flower field?" Kakashi asked, sounding intrigued.
Seeing his confusion, Kanon explained. "I believe there is a place where everyone can understand one another, where people can become true, open-hearted friends. A place where everyone can work hard for their own dreams without discrimination or pain. Whether you are a resilient blade of grass or a vibrant flower, everyone can live peacefully and without worry. That is my dream."
Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. He looked at the girl in astonishment. Is she really only eleven?
Her thoughts were incredibly mature. While the dream was beautiful, reality was often far harsher. Kakashi considered rebutting her with a dose of cold reality, but he was interrupted as Naruto and Sakura began their turns.
After the two of them finished describing their hobbies, and Naruto declared his dream to become Hokage, all eyes turned to Sasuke. Even Kanon was curious; she hadn't heard Sasuke speak of a "dream" in years.
Sasuke rested his chin on his interlocked fingers, a cold aura radiating from him. His voice was flat and detached.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate many things, and I don't particularly like anything." He paused, his expression softening only slightly. "What I treasure most is my sister, Kanon."
Then, his face darkened, a flicker of raw rage crossing his features. "Also... I don't have a mere 'dream.' What I have is an ambition. I am going to restore my clan, and I will absolutely kill a certain man with my own hands."
The declaration left the group in a stunned silence. Kanon's expression was complicated. The tragedy of the massacre had planted a root of hatred deep within both of them. However, while Kanon buried hers deep under layers of composure, Sasuke, even at twelve, could not always restrain the fire of his grief and rage, especially when memories of Itachi resurfaced.
Beside them, Naruto had turned pale and was actually trembling, mostly because he mistakenly thought Sasuke was talking about him. Sakura, meanwhile, was blushing, lost in a daze of "fangirl" admiration for Sasuke's intensity.
Kakashi watched Sasuke with narrowed eyes, seemingly confirming a suspicion he had held. He clapped his hands to break the tension.
"Alright. The four of you are quite unique and interesting in your own ways."
"We start our duties tomorrow."
"Yes! What kind of mission is it?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"We'll start with a task that only the four of us can complete," Kakashi replied.
"What is it? What is it? I'm so pumped!"
"Survival training."
The four students looked at him, confused. Kakashi sensed their doubt and lowered his voice.
"Of the 27 graduates, only 9 will actually be accepted as Genin. Because Kanon joined this year, our class was forced to open one extra slot. The rest will be sent back to the Academy."
"In other words, this is a super-difficult test with a failure rate of over 50%."
At those words, a wave of anxiety washed over them.
"Anyway, that's the deal. I'll judge whether you pass or fail at the training ground tomorrow. Bring your full ninja gear. We meet at 5:00 AM. And one more thing... don't eat breakfast."
With a "poof," Kakashi disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.
The group stood frozen. He had been a Shadow Clone the whole time. But they were too panicked by the news of the test to care about the trickery.
"No way... I can't fail here... I have to make everyone recognize my strength..." Naruto muttered nervously to himself.
Kanon, sitting beside him, patted his shoulder. "That's right. We won't fail. There are no shortcuts on the path to becoming Hokage, right?"
Seeing Kanon's encouragement, Naruto instantly regained his spirit. "Kanon, you're right!"
"But... aren't you nervous at all?"
"Of course I am, but I don't have to wear it on my face." She smiled and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket.
"Huh?"
"You're dripping with cold sweat," Kanon teased.
"Aw, man! It's just... it's just the heat!"
Sasuke stood up and looked at his sister. "Kanon, let's go home."
"Okay! See you guys tomorrow!" Kanon waved to Sakura and Naruto.
…
The next day, 4:30 AM.
Kanon opened her eyes. The sky showed no sign of light yet. When she headed downstairs, she found Sasuke already there, waiting.
"You're up?"
"Yeah. Sasuke-nii, why are you up so early too?"
"Getting there early is better than being late."
"True. Let me get ready."
When Kanon emerged from her room, she was in her usual gear.
"Here, nii-chan. Your tool kit."
Kanon handed the pouch to Sasuke, and the siblings set off for the training ground, one after the other.