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Kakashi leaned against the railing, his posture relaxed as he observed his new students.

"Why don't you introduce yourselves?" he asked.

"Introduce ourselves? What are we supposed to say?" Sakura asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies... stuff like that," Kakashi replied casually, waving a hand in the air.

Naruto crossed his arms, tilting his head. "Why don't you introduce yourself first? That way, we know how it's supposed to work."

Kakashi closed his visible eye for a moment, then shrugged. "I am Kakashi Hatake. Things I like... things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have a lot of hobbies."

Sakura leaned toward Akari, whispering, "That was completely useless. All he told us was his name."

Akari stifled a giggle but nodded in agreement. So mysterious, she thought, rolling her eyes playfully.

Kakashi ignored their side comments and pointed at Naruto. "Now it's your turn. You first."

Naruto puffed out his chest proudly. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen in a cup, and I really like the ramen Iruka-sensei gets me at the Ichiraku Ramen shop! But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup!" He huffed before continuing, "My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them, and my dream—" his eyes shone with determination, "—is to be the GREATEST HOKAGE! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody! Somebody important!"

Kakashi listened without much reaction, his face unreadable. "You're next," he said, turning to Sakura.

Sakura sat up straighter, brushing back a strand of her pink hair. "I'm Sakura Haruno! The thing I like... um, I mean, the person I like..." Her gaze drifted toward Sasuke, and she blushed. "My hobbies are..." She twirled a lock of hair between her fingers, giggling to herself. "My dream is—" she let out a dreamy sigh, staring at Sasuke.

Kakashi's eye twitched. "And what do you hate?"

Without hesitation, Sakura snapped, "NARUTO!"

Naruto groaned, crossing his arms in frustration.

Kakashi sighed. "Next."

Everyone turned to Akari.

Akari blinked, realizing it was finally her turn. She sat up a little straighter, placing her hands on her knees before speaking.

"I'm Akari Umino," she started, offering a small but confident smile. "I like training, spicy food, and spending time with Iruka and Naruto. Oh, and reading! Not as much as Kakashi-sensei, though." She shot him a playful look.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow slightly at the teasing remark but remained silent.

"As for what I hate..." Her expression darkened for a brief moment. "I hate people who look down on others, and I really hate seeing people I care about get hurt."

There was a slight shift in Kakashi's gaze, but he said nothing.

Akari exhaled before continuing, her eyes lighting up with determination. "My hobby is trying out new training routines and making my own homemade bento for Iruka and Naruto—though Naruto eats his way too fast to appreciate it."

"Hey!" Naruto protested. "Food is meant to be enjoyed quickly!"

Akari ignored him and smiled, then leaned forward slightly. "And my dream..."

She grinned, her emerald eyes shimmering with certainty.

"I want to be strong enough to fight alongside Kakashi-sensei one day."

The statement made Sakura and Naruto blink in surprise, while Sasuke barely reacted.

Kakashi, however, remained still, his gaze locked on Akari for just a moment longer than necessary. The words lingered in the air, and she meant them—every single one.

For as long as she could remember, she had wanted to prove herself to Kakashi. To show him that she wasn't just Iruka's little sister, or just another academy graduate. One day, she would stand beside him as an equal.

Kakashi tilted his head slightly before exhaling. "Well," he said, straightening up, "that was... interesting."

He gave them all a once-over before stretching lazily. "Alright, we'll meet tomorrow for your first real test."

Naruto tilted his head. "Huh? But we already took a test!"

Kakashi's visible eye curved into an amused expression. "Oh no, that was just to get into the Academy. This... will determine whether or not you actually become genin."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wait, what?! We can still fail?!"

Kakashi simply chuckled and turned away. "Meet me at Training Ground Three tomorrow morning. And... don't eat breakfast. You'll regret it if you do."

And just like that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind four confused—and slightly worried—students.

Akari stared at the spot where he had stood just moments ago.

A test to determine if they were truly worthy of becoming genin, huh?

Her grip tightened slightly around her knees.

Fine, she thought with a smirk. I'll just have to prove myself again.