Kaguya?

As Kaguya ascended the stairs, the cool breeze outside brushing against her skin, she couldn't shake the nagging sense of emptiness that had settled deep within her. The brief moment of satisfaction from the classroom—the strange, hollow feeling of having someone notice her, of finally being included—had evaporated. She felt as if she was walking through a fog, the weight of something unseen pressing down on her chest.

The quiet murmurs of the students following her faded into the background, and her thoughts turned inward. It's always like this, isn't it? She mused. People can't even see me, not really. They just... see what they want to see.

Her gaze flicked to Sasuke, walking a few paces ahead of her. He was as silent as ever, the faintest hint of tension still in his posture as he moved with his usual, calculated precision. She couldn't help but notice that despite his indifference, he had looked at her—briefly, but it had been enough to make something in her chest tighten.

Sasuke was always distant, but this time... there had been something different in the way his eyes had lingered on her when she'd mentioned her Byakugan. Is he suspicious too?

Kaguya couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there had been a sharpness in his gaze that wasn't there before. Maybe it was just her imagination, or maybe it was the way he usually scrutinized everything. But the way he'd studied her, just for that moment—it had felt different, as if he knew more than he was letting on. The thought unsettled her, but she quickly buried it, the feeling of being exposed creeping along her skin.

As they reached the top of the stairs, she couldn't help but replay the look Kakashi had given her earlier. It wasn't like Sasuke's—a fleeting moment of curiosity—but something colder, more discerning. What is it with him?

She remembered how his eye had narrowed when he looked at her, almost as if he was seeing through her in a way the others couldn't. She hadn't given him a second thought until then, but now... she couldn't help but wonder. Does he know?

Her mind raced. She'd tried to keep herself under the radar, to blend into the background as much as possible, but there was something about him that made her feel exposed. He was perceptive in ways she hadn't anticipated. Maybe I should ask Jiji about him. He always knows what to do about people like that.

But even as the thought passed through her mind, Kaguya couldn't shake the unease that followed. I've been "Kaguya" for barely a day, and already I feel like I'm walking on a tightrope.

She paused at the top of the stairs, glancing over at Sasuke, who had stopped too, his back to her now. Sakura was a few steps behind, her pace slower, clearly still grappling with whatever had been going on in her mind. Kaguya let out a breath, more of a release than a sigh, and shook her head.

Does it even matter? she thought, trying to quiet the storm in her head. Let them wonder. Let them question. In the end, nothing about me will change. I'll just... keep moving forward.

With that, she took the final step onto the roof, her footsteps light and soundless. She couldn't afford to be distracted, not now. The task ahead was too important, and whatever Kakashi, or Sasuke, or anyone else might think of her didn't matter. She would have to play her part, whether they saw through her or not.

The air was cooler up here, and Kaguya inhaled deeply, feeling the rush of the wind against her face, a momentary respite from the chaos in her mind. As Sasuke and Sakura joined her on the roof, she let her gaze wander over the village below. Everything felt distant now—disconnected from the reality she had once known, the reality she was trying to change.

But for now, she would wait. She would bide her time, and when the moment came, she would act. And maybe, just maybe, she would have answers to the questions that were gnawing at her. But not yet. Not today.

Kaguya's gaze shifted to Kakashi as she stepped onto the roof, her footsteps soundless on the concrete. He was perched casually on the ledge of the building, one leg dangling over the side, the other bent with his arm resting on his knee. His mask, as always, obscured most of his expression, but his posture exuded a sense of indifference, as if he were completely unaffected by the tension that seemed to hang in the air. 

Without saying a word, Kakashi gave a lazy motion with his hand, indicating that they should sit down in front of him. His eye flicked between the three of them—Sasuke, Sakura, and Kaguya—with a nonchalant gaze that suggested he was observing them, not just physically, but mentally, as if weighing their every move. The air around them felt thick, and Kaguya couldn't help but notice how his sharp eye seemed to linger just a fraction longer on her. She stepped forward, settling herself onto the roof as she watched sakura and sasuke do the same. 

She was used to being observed, but this—this felt different. Kakashi was someone who saw more than most, and the way he seemed to examine them both with such ease made her uneasy. 

Kakashi's eye flickered between the three of them, his posture relaxed yet his attention razor-sharp. He was always a mystery, but this time, something about his gaze felt different, more scrutinizing. It was as though he wasn't just assessing their physical readiness, but something deeper—an awareness of the tension that hung in the air. Kaguya, though practiced in hiding her thoughts, felt that awareness prickling at her skin, making her uneasy.

Finally, Kakashi broke the silence with a casual tilt of his head. "Alright, I want all of you to tell me about yourselves."

Sasuke's gaze remained distant, the same indifference on his face, while Sakura shifted uncomfortably. She was clearly taken aback by the request. "About what?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion, but also a bit of nervousness.

Kakashi's eye gleamed under his forehead protector, though his voice remained even, unperturbed. "Your dreams, your goals. Likes, dislikes. Whatever you think is important for me to know."

Sakura cleared her throat, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her sleeve as she glanced at Sasuke. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she tried to steady herself. "Well, my likes... uh..." She caught Sasuke's profile for just a moment before quickly glancing away, her shyness overtaking her. "My dreams... I want to become a strong ninja, someone who can protect those important to me, especially my friends." Her voice faltered a little, but she pressed on, clearly feeling the weight of Sasuke's presence beside her.

Her gaze darted back to him again, and her voice grew quieter, almost a whisper. "And my goals... I guess they're kind of the same... I want to be strong, so I can show everyone that I'm not just weak. I want to prove myself."

Sakura fell silent for a moment, the words she had been wanting to say stuck in her throat. Finally, she exhaled, her shoulders slumping slightly as she added, "Oh, and I really don't like people who are loud and annoying."

She quickly looked down at her hands, aware of the fact that she was rambling and that her words didn't feel particularly significant, especially compared to the level-headedness of Sasuke beside her.

Sasuke didn't respond to her rambling, but his eyes flicked over to her for a brief second, a sharp glint of annoyance crossing his face. He seemed unimpressed, or perhaps uninterested. His gaze moved back to the horizon before he spoke, his voice colder than usual, flat, and detached.

"I don't have likes, dislikes, or dreams," he said, his tone unwavering. "I have one certainty, and that's to kill a certain someone and revive my clan."

There was a finality in his words, a coldness that seemed to hang in the air for a moment longer than necessary. Kaguya could feel the intensity in his voice, though his face remained stoic. It was a goal that consumed him, something far more singular and driven than anything the others had shared.

Kaguya's gaze shifted from Sasuke to the horizon, her mind racing briefly as she pondered his words. She couldn't help but wonder about the source of his hatred, though it didn't take long for her to piece it together. The Uchiha massacre was well-known, and Sasuke's need for vengeance made sense, given what had been taken from him. Still, the coldness in his voice lingered, reminding her of the darkness that consumed him.

She exhaled softly, her attention turning back to Kakashi as the weight of Sasuke's declaration seemed to settle in the air. It was her turn to speak, and though she didn't enjoy the attention, she knew it was expected of her.

"My likes?" she started, her voice as calm as always, though something in her eyes betrayed the momentary shift in her thoughts. "Well, I have a few." Her gaze briefly flicked "My dislikes are people who threaten those close to me... and traitors," she added, her tone growing colder, almost mechanical. A brief, grim look slipped over her features, one that she quickly masked.

There was a quiet pause as she collected her thoughts, her expression unreadable. "My goal is to find out who I am in this world," she said, her voice even. The words felt odd coming from her, like they were meant for someone else. For a fleeting moment, a thought passed through her mind, a question about her identity—why she was here, who she truly was in this world. But as quickly as it came, it was replaced by a more distant notion.

She looked up at the sky, her voice softening slightly as she continued. "My dream…" She trailed off, briefly lost in her own mind as she tried to form the answer. The question of what her dream truly was lingered in her mind, fleeting, hard to grasp. And then, as if the thought appeared out of nowhere, she said it aloud. "My dream is for world peace."

Her words seemed to hang in the air, and she couldn't help but wonder if she really believed them, or if they were simply the idealistic wish of someone who didn't know how to achieve it. But something about the idea of peace called to her, even if it seemed impossible. And maybe, just maybe, she could make it happen.

Kaguya fell silent, her gaze distant as she awaited Kakashi's reaction, unsure of how her words would resonate with the others.

Kaguya's eyes briefly flickered toward Kakashi as she spoke, but she wasn't prepared for the reaction she saw in his eyes. For the briefest of moments, his gaze widened, a flash of surprise or something else she couldn't quite place. Her heart skipped a beat, but before she could fully process it, his eyes returned to their usual calm, unreadable state. She questioned whether she had really seen it, but the unease that followed told her otherwise.

Kakashi seemed to pause for a moment, as if considering his next words carefully. When he finally spoke, his tone shifted, taking on a more serious edge.

"Well, that's all well and good," he began, his voice as nonchalant as ever, though there was an undertone of something sharper beneath it. "But while you've all passed the graduation exam, you're not Genin just yet."

Kaguya's brow furrowed slightly in confusion, but she didn't interrupt.

"You still have one more final test," Kakashi continued, his eyes briefly flicking over each of them, "And the failure rate is... high. Sixty-six percent fail this test, so consider yourselves warned."

Kaguya's pulse quickened slightly at the mention of failure, though she kept her expression neutral. She wasn't sure if he was trying to intimidate them or if he was simply laying down the reality of what lay ahead, but his words settled uneasily in the pit of her stomach.

Sasuke, as usual, didn't seem overly concerned. He simply nodded once, as though he were already preparing himself for whatever challenge Kakashi had in store.

Sakura, on the other hand, looked visibly shaken, her eyes widening at the statistic, clearly nervous about what was to come.

Kaguya remained silent, her mind processing Kakashi's words. What kind of test could be so difficult, and what would it reveal about them as ninjas? The uncertainty lingered, but she was determined not to let it throw her off course.

Kakashi stood up from the ledge, brushing off his pants with a casual motion. He straightened his posture, the usual relaxed air about him still present, but his words carried a sense of finality.

"Alright, you all have your warning. Be at training post 6 tomorrow morning at 6 AM. Don't be late," Kakashi added, his tone becoming slightly more pointed. "And don't eat breakfast before you come. If you do, you'll throw up. Trust me on that."

The seriousness of his command hung in the air as he glanced at each of them, his one visible eye briefly locking with Kaguya's. It was hard to read him, as usual, but there was something almost inscrutable in his gaze.

With a nod, Kakashi turned, his steps light and almost inaudible against the roof as he made his way toward the edge. Without another word, he jumped down, disappearing from sight.

Kaguya watched him go, her thoughts racing. The challenge ahead was a mystery, but it was clear that Kakashi wasn't one to make idle threats. The idea of showing up without breakfast, or worse, failing the test altogether, weighed on her mind. But as she turned back to the others, she tried to push those concerns aside, knowing that worrying about it now wouldn't change anything.

Sasuke had already stood and was walking toward the stairwell, his usual aloof expression in place. Sakura, still shaken by Kakashi's words, was slow to rise, her eyes focused on the ground as she processed what had just happened.

The trio began making their way back down to the main building, the quiet hum of the village life around them a stark contrast to the tension that filled the air. Tomorrow would be a defining day, and Kaguya knew that whatever came next, she would need to be ready.

"So Sasuke would you like to go to Yakiniku Q?" Sakura started, fumbling her hands together "maybe talk about the test tomorrow"

Sasuke kept his back straight as he continued walking, his gaze fixed ahead. He seemed entirely uninterested in Sakura's attempt to engage him. When she spoke, he didn't acknowledge her at first, but her persistent voice eventually broke through his mental focus.

He stopped briefly, turning his head just enough to look over his shoulder at her, his voice flat and dismissive. "Go away," he said simply, his tone carrying that unmistakable indifference he always wore. "I don't have time for that."

Sakura flinched slightly at his words, but she didn't seem ready to give up. She hurried to catch up with him, her steps quick and her voice tentative as she spoke again, "But Sasuke, we could—"

"Did I stutter?" Sasuke interrupted, his cold gaze now locking with hers, his patience clearly wearing thin. "I'm not interested."

Kaguya watched from a distance, her expression unreadable as the scene unfolded before her. She had been walking behind the pair, quietly observing the interaction, but now she paused, allowing them to continue ahead. She could see the frustration building on Sakura's face, but the girl continued to trail after Sasuke, her voice a quiet plea for attention that seemed to go unheard.

Sasuke didn't look back, his pace unbroken, as he walked away from Sakura, the distance between them growing. Sakura stood still for a moment, her shoulders slumping slightly before she let out a frustrated sigh. She hesitated but then seemed to resolve herself, quickening her steps to follow once more.

'Why did she even like sasuke?'