The morning dawned with bright sunlight, but for 12-year-old Haruno Sakura, the day began with excruciating pain.
Her head throbbed intensely, as if war drums were being beaten relentlessly inside her skull.
She groaned softly on her bed, closing her eyes, hoping the pain would soon pass.
"Sakura? Sweetheart? Are you awake?"
Her mother Mebuki's voice came from outside her room.
"Today is an important day, you know!"
Sakura tried to answer, but only a stifled groan escaped.
A few moments later, after the worst wave of pain subsided, she finally managed to sit up, though her head still felt heavy.
Her bedroom door opened slowly, and Mebuki peeked her head in.
"Sakura, dear? Are you alright? You look so pale."
"Ah, Mom,"
Sakura tried to smile, massaging her temples.
"I... I'm fine. Just a little tired from training too hard last night. You don't need to worry."
A lie. There was training last night, but this headache felt different, more intense.
Mebuki looked at her daughter with a searching gaze for a moment, but seeing Sakura trying to appear strong, she nodded.
"Alright then. But don't push yourself, okay? Get ready quickly, today is your ninja team assignment day. I've prepared your favorite breakfast."
"Okay, Mom. Thank you," Sakura replied.
After Mebuki closed the door and her footsteps faded away, Sakura let out a long sigh.
Her headache was gradually disappearing, but it left behind a sense of confusion.
'What's happening to me?' she wondered inwardly, still massaging her temples.
Ding!
A clear electronic notification sound suddenly chimed in her mind, as if a small bell had rung right inside her head.
Sakura jumped in surprise.
Then, a mechanical, emotionless, yet clear voice spoke directly in her thoughts,
"Greetings, Host. I am the System that aims to strengthen the Bond between Naruto and Sakura—ehem!—I mean, to strengthen Sakura!"
Sakura froze.
'Whose voice is that?! Am I going crazy? A System? What does that mean?'
"Why... why is Naruto's name in there?"
Sakura muttered very softly, almost inaudibly, her eyes darting around the room, searching for the source of the voice.
"Don't tell me I'm going to..."
"Host can communicate with me through thoughts. There is no need to speak aloud," the mechanical voice interrupted.
Sakura breathed a small sigh of relief.
'At least no one will think I'm weird for talking to myself.'
She then continued in her mind,
'Ugh, thank goodness... So, what does it mean about Naruto's name? Does this mean I'll be on the same team as him? That noisy blond kid?'
There was a note of despair in her question.
"Affirmative," the System replied bluntly.
"Based on the data received, Host will be on the same team as Uzumaki Naruto."
Sakura's face fell instantly.
Her hopes of being on the same team as Sasuke-kun, her crush, seemed to evaporate just like that.
'No! I want to be on the same team as Sasuke-kun! But... wait a minute,' a glimmer of hope emerged.
'This System hasn't mentioned the third member yet. Maybe... maybe Sasuke-kun will be on our team too!'
With that new spark of hope, Sakura hurried to take a shower, eat breakfast – though her appetite was slightly disturbed by the presence of the 'System' in her head – and get dressed.
While walking to the academy, she began to ask a barrage of questions to the mysterious entity in her mind.
'System, what exactly are you? Where do you come from? And why was I chosen? I'm just a ninja from an ordinary civilian background. There's nothing special about me,'
Sakura thought, feeling a little insecure.
"I am a support entity designed for the optimization of the Host's and target's potential,"
the System replied.
"Regarding the reason for Host's selection, in the future, unimaginable danger will threaten the shinobi world. Host is the closest companion of the Child of Prophecy, and your bond is crucial."
'Child of Prophecy? Who's that?'
Sakura frowned.
'Don't tell me... Naruto? That stupid and clumsy kid is a Child of Prophecy? It sounds like a main character from the cheap novels I often read.'
Though hard to believe, the System's explanation gave her a slight idea that Naruto might play an important role.
'Then, what danger is there in the future? Can you tell me more specifically? When will it happen?'
Sakura pressed.
"Information regarding the details of the future threat is currently locked," the System replied in the same flat tone.
"Host's task is to focus on the given missions to strengthen yourself "
Sakura sighed in disappointment.
This System was stingy with information.
She arrived at the academy with her mind still in turmoil, so dazed that she didn't even notice Ino, who was, as usual, trying to attract Sasuke's attention at his desk.
As Sakura was lost in thought at her seat, the System's voice sounded again, this time with a slightly different tone, as if announcing something important.
"First Mission Activated: Steal Naruto's First Kiss from Sasuke!"
Sakura flinched.
'WHAT?!'
"Mission Description: Prevent Uzumaki Naruto's first kiss from being taken by Uchiha Sasuke. Host must be the recipient of Uzumaki Naruto's first kiss."
"Reward: Chunin-level Quality"
"Failure Penalty: Unable to learn any ninjutsu or genjutsu for 3 full years!"
Sakura's eyes widened completely!
'Kiss... Naruto?! Me?! And why do I have to steal the first kiss from Sasuke-kun!? What does this mean?!' her mind screamed.
Chunin-level strength was a dream for a ninja from a civilian family like her, a huge leap that could change her destiny.
But the price...
'What kind of mission is this?! What sin have I committed to deserve such a trial?!'
Sakura cursed the System vehemently in her mind.
However, the System completely ignored her protests and simply began a countdown with its monotonous voice.
"Time remaining for mission completion: 10... 9... 8..."
Sakura's heart pounded fiercely.
'No, no, no! I can't possibly do it! But... three years without ninjutsu or genjutsu? That's the same as ending my ninja career before it even begins!'
Cold sweat began to bead on her temples.
"7... 6..."
As the countdown reached 5, Sakura's gaze unintentionally fell to the front of the class.
She saw Naruto, with his usual silly antics, squatting on Sasuke's desk, their faces very close, glaring intensely at each other.
'This is it! This is the moment!'
Sakura thought hard, weighing the pros and cons of this insane mission.
'Chunin-level ability... I can become stronger... I can prove myself... But Naruto...'
Her face flushed at the thought.
"3... 2..."
Just as the count reached 2, Sakura saw a boy behind Naruto, who seemed to be joking with his friend, accidentally elbow Naruto in the back.
Naruto stumbled forward, right towards Sasuke!
'Damn it! This is crazy, but the reward... and the punishment... I have no choice!'
In a split second that felt like an eternity, Sakura's survival instinct took over.
She lunged towards Sasuke, acting as if she, as Sasuke's number one fangirl, was about to separate them.
"Sasuke-kun, watch out!" she yelled, and 'accidentally' bumped Sasuke's shoulder quite hard, pushing the Uchiha slightly to the side and effectively taking his place.
Cup!
Instantly, the previously boisterous classroom fell deathly silent.
All eyes were fixed on one point.
Naruto, who had fallen due to the push from behind and the unexpected collision, had accidentally kissed... Haruno Sakura, who had suddenly appeared between him and Sasuke!
What happened?
Naruto's brain instantly short-circuited.
His eyes widened, feeling something soft and warm on his lips.
Sakura also froze, not knowing what to say!
Her face was as red as a ripe tomato, her eyes glistening.
She wanted to cry, but no tears came out.
All that was there was an overwhelming sense of shame and a strange sensation on her lips.
Right at that moment, Iruka-sensei happened to enter the room.
He stopped at the doorway, his eyebrows raised high, witnessing the... unexpected scene.
In a corner of the class, Hinata Hyuuga gasped softly, her face turning deathly pale, her hands clutching her chest, her breath caught in her throat.
She felt her world collapsing.
Ding!
"First Mission Successful. Reward: Chunin-level Quality has been granted."
The System's voice in Sakura's mind shattered her reverie.
Suddenly, a flow of chakra and 'experience' seemed to spread throughout her body.
Sakura immediately pushed Naruto away hard.
"KYAAA! GET AWAY FROM ME, IDIOT!" she screamed, more out of panic and embarrassment than anger.
She quickly ran to another corner of the class, burying her face on her desk, wishing she could disappear right then and there.
'I CLEARLY LIKE SASUKE-KUN! WHY IS LIFE SO UNFAIR?! WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE NARUTO?!'
Sakura screamed internally, tears finally beginning to well up in her eyes.
Naruto, who was pushed so hard he almost fell off his chair, looked like he had lost his soul.
He staggered to his seat without looking where he was going.
His eyes were vacant, and he kept touching his lips, trying to process what had just happened.
His brain was like a broken record, replaying the incident endlessly.
His plan to 'renovate' the Third Hokage's statue after class was instantly forgotten.
All his plans for the day were in shambles.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
Naruto yelped, covering his head which had just hit the desk as he sat down without looking.
He came to his senses and glared annoyedly at the person in front of him.
The person standing before him was the chubby boy Akimichi Choji, and next to him was the always sleepy-looking Nara Shikamaru.
Choji asked with a wide grin on his face, nudging Naruto's arm,
"Yo, Naruto! So... how was your first kiss from Sakura? Her lips must be really soft and sweet, huh?"
Hearing this, Naruto unconsciously touched his lips again with his hand, his face turning beet red.
"Wh-what do you mean?! It... it was an accident, you know!"
Shikamaru smirked faintly, his hands behind his head.
"Heh, what a drag this morning. So, how does it feel to be the center of attention for something romantic, Naruto? You look like you're reminiscing about something beautiful, huh?"
"Damn it, you two stop talking! It's not like what you're saying! It wasn't... it wasn't like that!"
Naruto snapped.
Iruka-sensei, after managing to regain his composure, cleared his throat loudly to get the class's attention.
"Alright, children, calm down everyone! Let's proceed to the team announcements!"
He tried to act as professionally as possible, even though the earlier scene was still vivid in his mind.
One by one, team members were announced.
However, our two protagonists, Naruto and Sakura, paid no attention at all.
Their minds were too chaotic.
Until finally, only the three of them – Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke – remained in the classroom.
Sakura didn't even have the energy to rejoice.
'I'm on the same team as Sasuke-kun... but... but at what cost?'
She glanced briefly at Sasuke, whose face remained flat and expressionless, as if the incident hadn't affected him at all.
Then she glanced at Naruto, who still looked dazed.
Naruto himself hadn't even had time to think about his plan to 'teach a lesson' to their soon-to-be late teacher.
The mental shock from the unexpected kiss was still too great.
And Sasuke?
He just remained silent as usual, cold and indifferent, though perhaps there was a slight hint of curiosity behind his stoic gaze.
When Kakashi Hatake finally arrived, several hours later, he was very confused (or pretended to be confused) seeing the atmosphere of his new team.
"Hmm," he muttered softly, observing his three prospective students.
"Why does it feel like there was just a funeral ceremony here?"
Kakashi cleared his throat rather loudly,
"Yo!"
he greeted casually, rousing them from their respective daydreams.
He then led them to the academy rooftop for an introduction session.
Sitting on the rooftop stairs, Hatake Kakashi said calmly, looking at the three Genin before him:
"Alright, first off, let's introduce ourselves."
"Wait a minute!"
Naruto exclaimed, suddenly a bit enthusiastic, as if trying to distract himself.
"Shouldn't the teacher introduce himself first? So we know what our teacher is like!"
Hatake Kakashi pointed to himself with his thumb,
"Me? Alright."
He smiled faintly behind his mask.
"My name is Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and dislike... well, I don't feel like telling you."
Naruto and Sakura exchanged glances. 'Huh?'
Kakashi continued,
"Then, let's talk about future dreams..."
He paused for a moment, as if thinking hard, then added,
"As for interests, I have many."
Sakura fell silent, her face still slightly flushed.
Naruto was also silent, his mouth slightly agape.
'That's it? He just mentioned his name, right? What kind of teacher is this?'
Naruto thought.
"Alright, now it's your turn,"
Hatake Kakashi said, gesturing towards Uzumaki Naruto with his chin.
"Start with you, the noisiest one."
Hearing his words, Naruto perked up again, as if momentarily forgetting the embarrassing incident.
"Me! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! My favorite food is instant ramen from Ichiraku!"
"Something I like even more is..."
Naruto paused, then unconsciously glanced quickly at Sakura.
Sakura, sensing the glance, immediately bowed her head even lower, her face feeling hot again, wishing she could dig a hole and bury herself like a turtle.
"...what I like more is Ichiraku Ramen specially made by Old Man Teuchi!"
Naruto continued quickly, slightly flustered.
"What's annoying is that I have to wait three minutes for the instant noodles to cook."
"My hobby is trying all kinds of ramen and competing with others in eating instant noodles!"
he exclaimed again proudly.
Sakura peeked at Naruto from under her bangs.
'This guy... has he ever eaten anything good besides instant noodles in his entire life?'
"And my future dream is to become the greatest Hokage! I will surpass all previous Hokages!"
Naruto clenched his fist.
"And by doing so, I'll make all the villagers acknowledge my existence!"
Kakashi nodded lightly, his gaze unreadable.
He then glanced at Sakura, who was still in her 'Turtle Mode', then turned to Sasuke.
"Next, you."
Uchiha Sasuke, with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his typical cold expression, began to speak.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke."
His voice was calm yet firm.
"There are many things I hate, and not many things I like."
Sakura's face tensed slightly hearing Sasuke's tone.
"I don't have something I'd call a dream, because I will make it a reality,"
Sasuke continued.
"I want to revive my clan."
He paused for a moment, his gaze becoming sharper and filled with hatred.
"And then... I have to kill a certain man with my own hands."
His tone was incredibly cold and determined when he said that last sentence.
The atmosphere became tense.
Kakashi looked at Sasuke without expression, but inwardly he noted the intensity in the young Genin's eyes.
Then, Kakashi gently patted Sakura's shoulder.
"Well, that just leaves you, young lady."
Sakura flinched in surprise from her reverie, her heart pounding.
She looked at Kakashi, confused.
Seeing Sakura's confused expression, Kakashi smiled (though it wasn't visible).
"Introduce yourself."
Sakura swallowed.
'What should I say? "I like reading and hope I can forget this morning's incident?" No, no. I have to play it safe. And now I have Chunin-level abilities... I need to sound more serious.'
Sakura thought for a moment, then said in a slightly trembling voice,
"My name is Haruno Sakura. The things I like are..." she paused, glanced briefly at Sasuke, then quickly added,
"...training in ninjutsu and becoming stronger."
She tried to sound confident.
"The things I dislike... are noisy and clumsy people."
She glanced briefly at Naruto.
"My dream is... to become a great kunoichi who can be relied upon by my teammates!"
'Yes, that's a pretty safe answer and sounds like a real ninja,' she thought.
After giving what she thought was the 'safest' and sufficiently impressive answer, Sakura looked down again, returning to her 'Turtle Mode', hoping this session would end soon.
Kakashi just sighed inwardly.
'An interesting team. One hyperactive kid with a big dream, one loner with a deep-seated vengeance, and one girl who seems to have experienced profound trauma this morning. This is going to be troublesome.'
"Alright,"
Kakashi said, breaking the silence.
"You three have unique personalities and goals. Tomorrow, we will begin our first mission as a team. This is no ordinary mission; it's a survival test. Out of 27 graduates, only 9 will actually become Genin. The rest will be sent back to the academy. So, prepare yourselves."
He gave them a mysterious grin.
"Don't eat breakfast tomorrow, or you'll puke. Gather at training ground number three at five in the morning. Bring your ninja gear."
With that announcement, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Sakura went home like a zombie who had lost her soul.
She didn't even greet her mother, went straight into her room, and buried herself in her bed.
Her face still felt hot, and the image of the unexpected kiss continued to haunt her.
However, amidst her emotional turmoil, she could feel a new, stronger, and more controlled flow of chakra within her.
The reward from the System was real.
But still...
'Why did it have to be Naruto?!' she screamed inwardly for the umpteenth time that day.