Konoha: The Honored One

"Sakura...chan?" Naruto stammered, staring at Sakura in disbelief. His wide eyes glimmered with panic as beads of sweat rolled down his temple. His mind raced with the memory of her earlier punch, a terrifying force that had almost sent him flying across the training ground.

Too scary!

Note to self: Don't make Sakura angry.

The image of her furious punch flashed in his mind. Not unless I want to end up in the hospital—or worse.

Sakura, however, was oblivious to Naruto's nervousness. Her eyes were bright with curiosity and excitement as she looked up at Gojo, eager for feedback.

"Gojo-sensei, am I improving quickly?" she asked, her tone hopeful and filled with the kind of determination that only a true ninja could muster. She leaned forward slightly, her bright eyes looking up at him like a puppy waiting to be petted.

Gojo, always calm and composed, adjusted his blindfold with a thoughtful hum, before flashing his trademark playful grin. He leaned back in a casual pose, examining her as if weighing her every move.

"Hmm," Gojo mused, as though lost in deep contemplation. He then reached out and gently ruffled her hair, offering her a lighthearted smile. "You've done well so far, Sakura-chan. But…" His grin widened mischievously. "You're still miles away from perfection."

Sakura blinked, taken aback by his words. "Miles away from perfection?" she repeated, her voice tinged with both surprise and a hint of frustration. She couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. "I've been training so hard…"

Gojo shrugged nonchalantly, not looking the least bit phased by her concern. "Hey, don't get too worked up," he said, his smirk playful. "Everyone's got room for improvement. Even me."

Sakura crossed her arms, a frown forming on her face. "You've been saying that to me for weeks now, Gojo-sensei. When will I actually see the progress?"

Gojo tilted his head innocently, his grin never leaving his face. "Then stop acting so easy to tease, Sakura-chan."

Sakura puffed her cheeks in frustration, but her resolve remained strong. She wasn't going to let his teasing distract her. "Fine, then! I'll just show you how hard I've been working!" Without warning, she launched herself at him, her fists aiming for his face.

But just as her fist was about to connect, Gojo effortlessly dodged to the side, his movements as smooth as ever. "Too slow," he teased, his voice light with amusement.

Sakura stopped mid-motion, her fist hovering just inches from his face. "I can't believe this guy…" she muttered under her breath, frustration building. "He's too good!"

"Darn it! Why is he so insufferably cool?!" Naruto muttered from the sidelines, watching the exchange between his teammates with envy. He had never been able to get the hang of Gojo's effortless coolness.

Sakura, hearing his comment, spun around and shot him a playful glare. "What was that, Naruto?!"

Naruto froze, realizing too late that he had been caught. "Uhh, nothing!" he yelped, waving his hands defensively. "I was just—"

"Take this!" Sakura's voice was filled with playful fury as she turned back to Gojo, raising her fist in mock anger. But before she could land another hit, she was distracted by Naruto, who had opened his mouth once again.

"Why is he so strong?" Naruto muttered under his breath, his voice filled with awe and frustration. "That guy is ridiculously strong, even Sakura-chan can't touch him!"

Sakura spun around with a deadly glare. "What was that, Naruto?!"

Naruto yelped, clutching his chest like he had been struck. "Nothing! It was nothing, really!" he protested weakly, but it was too late. Sakura had already begun her counterattack.

"Take this!" With her words, Sakura quickly turned around, delivering a light tap to Naruto's stomach.

"Why me…" Naruto groaned, clutching his stomach dramatically. "So… scary…"

Gojo, meanwhile, stretched lazily, sitting cross-legged on the ground as though utterly unfazed by the chaos surrounding him. "Well, that's enough fun for today. You've got the basics down, Sakura. Go save the world or something. I need a nap."

Sakura, hands on her hips, shot him a stern look. "You're not getting off that easy, Gojo-sensei. I'm telling Lady Tsunade about how you've been teasing me!"

Gojo raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. "Oh, really? Then I might as well enjoy myself a little more before you snitch."

Sakura gasped dramatically, stepping back protectively and hugging herself. "D-Don't you dare! I'm still young!"

Gojo rolled his eyes, unwrapping a lollipop from his pocket and casually popping it into his mouth. "Relax, kid. You've got great potential. All you need is more training."

Her jaw dropped at his nonchalant attitude. "You—what?!"

"I'm just being honest." Gojo shrugged nonchalantly, his calm demeanor never wavering.

Sakura's face flushed, a mixture of embarrassment and determination washing over her. "I'm twelve! I've got plenty of potential!"

"Sure, sure," Gojo replied, waving her off like an annoying fly. "Now, back to the topic. You've got a solid foundation. Keep practicing, and once you're ready, we'll move on to the next technique."

"What's next, then?" Sakura asked curiously, her earlier embarrassment forgotten as her focus sharpened.

Gojo smirked knowingly. "That depends on how fast you master the basics. When you're ready, I might teach you something super special—like the old Tsuchikage's secret techniques."

Naruto and Sasuke, who had been quietly eavesdropping from a distance, perked up at this.

"The Tsuchikage's techniques?" Sakura tilted her head. "Are they really that powerful?"

Gojo's smirk grew wider. "Powerful? They're on a whole other level."

He paused for dramatic effect, standing up and dusting off his pants. "Weighted Rock and Light-Heavy Rock. Two insanely practical Earth techniques. They'll boost your speed and strength to insane levels. Pair them with your super strength, and boom—you're unstoppable!"

Sakura's eyes sparkled with interest, while Naruto and Sasuke leaned in closer, eager to catch every word.

"But there's a catch," Gojo continued, his tone dropping ominously. "They're super advanced. The Tsuchikage only taught them to his granddaughter. Nobody else knows them."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, clearly intrigued. "Then how do you know them, sensei?"

Gojo grinned widely. "Because I'm Gojo Satoru, obviously. I saw the techniques once with my Six Eyes and figured them out. Easy peasy."

Everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Sensei, you're ridiculous," Sasuke finally muttered under his breath.

"I get that a lot." Gojo winked with a smirk. "Anyway, these moves are tricky, but worth it. Want a demo?"

Before anyone could respond, Gojo walked over to a nearby hill, his hands in his pockets as he casually approached the massive mound of rock. He stopped, placing his hand on the side of the hill, and turned back to the group with a grin.

"Let's start with something simple. Destroying this hill, for example."

Sakura blinked, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Uh, sensei, that hill is, like… ten kilometers tall."

"And?" Gojo replied, a playful smirk on his face. "Details, details. Watch and learn."

Chakra rippled from his palm, spreading over the hill like a shimmering veil. He moved his hand effortlessly, guiding the chakra through the earth with ease.

"Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique"

With a low hum, the entire montain began to tremble. Slowly, the enormous mound of rock began to lift off the ground, floating into the air like a balloon. The sound of the earth groaning under the pressure was loud enough to echo across the training grounds.

"Ta-da!" Gojo exclaimed with a grin, spinning the enormous hill on his fingertip as if it were a basketball.

The jaws of Team 7 collectively hit the floor, their eyes wide in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Naruto muttered, eyes wide with amazement.

Gojo chuckled, balancing the montain effortlessly. "See? Easy. Now imagine what you could do if you learned this technique."

Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke exchanged uneasy but awestruck glances. One thing was clear: training with Gojo-sensei was going to be a wild ride.