Konoha: The Honored One

Sakura gave Gojo a mischievous grin. "I've got something to show you, but don't be too shocked."

"Don't smile like that all the time," Gojo responded with a sigh, glancing at Sakura's chest with exaggerated disdain. "It's been so long, and I haven't seen any growth at all."

Sakura's face reddened as a flash of anger sparked in her eyes. Her fists clenched, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.

"I'll get you back, Gojo-sensei," she thought, smiling through gritted teeth. "Just wait."

"Be careful." Sakura held out her hand and began concentrating, chakra swirling around her palm, glowing a faint blue as it solidified into a spinning ball.

"Rasengan!" she announced proudly, breathing heavily as she fought to control the power.

"Rasengan... huh." Gojo glanced lazily at the ball in her hand, still sucking on a lollipop, clearly unimpressed. "Wow, I'm so surprised."

It wasn't that he didn't acknowledge her accomplishment—Sakura was a natural at chakra control. But Rasengan? It was a bit of a letdown when you could teleport, reverse damage, and make literally everything around you a joke.

Sakura, on the other hand, was hoping for more of a reaction. She gave a forced smile, sweating slightly. "Haa... Haa, I did it... I've learned the Rasengan!"

She was already feeling the strain. It drained her chakra quickly, and she could only use it a couple of times a day.

Gojo shrugged and continued to slouch against the wall, clearly indifferent. "Well, that's cute, Sakura. Really cute."

Sakura frowned, deflated. Gojo's indifference was like a bucket of ice water. She'd worked hard for this moment, and his response felt like a slap in the face.

"Okay, attack me with it." Gojo said, his tone as casual as ever, raising his palm nonchalantly.

Sakura's eyes flicked between his hand and the spinning Rasengan. "But… but Rasengan is really dangerous. I don't want to hurt you, Gojo-sensei."

Gojo waved her off. "No one can hurt me. Do it."

Sakura hesitated, but after a moment, steeled herself. "Here goes."

With a grunt, she threw the Rasengan at Gojo's palm. There was a sharp whoosh as it made contact—and did absolutely nothing. Gojo didn't flinch, didn't even seem to notice the impact.

Sakura blinked in disbelief. "Huh? You're not hurt at all?"

The Rasengan had enough power to crack stone, but Gojo's palm remained unscathed, the power dispersing like it was nothing.

"Did you really think you could hurt me with that?" Gojo gave her a bored look, adjusting his sunglasses. "Nice try though. Keep it up and you might make it to 'barely a scratch' next time."

Sakura was a little embarrassed but proud of her effort. "I guess you really are as strong as they say..."

"Eh, it's decent. You'd probably wipe the floor with Naruto or Sasuke with that." Gojo commented casually, brushing some dust off his coat.

Sasuke, who had been sulking in the corner, glared. "I can learn Rasengan too. Give me three days."

Naruto jumped up with a determined fist. "I'll be a Chūnin in no time!"

Gojo sighed dramatically. "Well, Sakura, if you win the Chūnin exams, I'll teach you how to store chakra more efficiently. It's a thing called Hundred Healings Mark. It's tough, but someone as talented as you could master a low-key version in a year."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Chūnin exam? Why would we take that?"

Gojo grinned. "I signed you all up. You're going to be Chūnins."

Sakura blinked. "You signed us up? Without asking?"

"Yup!" Gojo confirmed with a grin that was almost as devilish as it was charming. "It's good practice. And besides, you'll get to show off your stuff."

"Yay!" Naruto cheered, clearly excited at the prospect of becoming Chūnin. "I'm going to be Hokage one day, you'll see!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes but said nothing. As usual, he wasn't interested in the title, just the power.

Gojo leaned in, ready to explain the details. "So the first round is a written test."

Naruto's face immediately fell. "A paper test?!"

Gojo chuckled. "Yep, gotta write a paper. Sorry, buddy. Maybe you can cheat."

Naruto jumped up, clutching Gojo's leg. "Gojo! can you make me a genius?!"

Gojo sighed, shaking his head with a small grin. "Not with that brain of yours. But yeah, you can cheat. No worries."

"Is that really okay?!" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't teachers supposed to be... moral or something?"

Gojo raised a finger. "Not when it's about victory. We're here to win, not to play fair."

Sasuke, still skeptical, glanced at Gojo with a cold stare. "You stole the exam papers?"

"Yep," Gojo said nonchalantly. "Just like the old days. Anbu had them, but I borrowed them for you guys. Consider it...a head start."

The entire class just stared at him, stunned into silence.

"You're a terrible influence on them." Sakura muttered, shaking her head.

Gojo flashed a lazy grin. "A necessary one. They need it if they want to pass."

As they prepared for the exams, Gojo leaned in with a final bit of advice. "Remember, kids, when you use Rasengan, you've gotta say something like, 'You're strong, but I'll defeat you with the power Gojo-sensei taught me!'"

"Why?" Sasuke frowned. "That sounds... dumb."

"Because I said so," Gojo shrugged. "I look good, so you have to say it. Simple."

Sasuke gritted his teeth but reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But I'm not saying that ridiculous line."

Gojo laughed. "A child who doesn't listen to their teacher gets nowhere. Do it, or I won't teach you any more tricks."

Sasuke scoffed but agreed. "Alright."

"Good. Now, let's get ready for the exam. Remember, victory is all about making the strongest impression." Gojo said, with his usual playful smirk.