It had been 2 weeks since Naruto had joined team 7. Already he had begun to feel his progression. He knew he was naturally strong, only recently learning this was due in part to him being a jinchuuriki but he didn't realise how badly he had been sabotaged whilst at the Academy.

His first two weeks with Kakashi had highlighted his horrendous taijutsu form and the fact that he couldn't use his strength correctly when not putting his body behind each punch.

It had also done wonders for Sakura. After Kakashi asked her why she was so fatigued after each exercise with the response being "I'm on a diet." he had changed everything. Sakura was now on a protein and carbohydrate rich diet to help her body cope with the heavy amount of exercise she was now doing.

Sasuke of course kept eating tomatoes. Nothing else, if you don't eat tomatoes Madara will come for you, beware!

Team 7 had still yet to do significant damage to Kakashi during team spars. Sure they did teamwork exercises and formations. They did not manage to take out their elusive sensei, it was as if he knew what at they were about to do before they did it.

Kakashi however made sure that each chain was strong. Team 7 would be made up of three strong individuals to make one strong team. A lot of teams such as the Ino-Shika-Cho formation made use of three weaker individuals to stop a much stronger opponent. Team 7 didn't have that luxury.

The few times Kakashi had stayed behind for lunch to impart wisdom and bond with his team he had done so with his mask down. His three genin had yet to understand the importance of such a thing. There have been bets and wagers on what Kakashi actually looks like for years, for team 7 it was just another afternoon.

Kakashi had to admit to himself he was proud of his students, while they were still not even close to challenging him, they still showed they each had the potential to one day fight alongside him. He could do with upping his sensory training though, Naruto was still managing to sneak up on him, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.

"I think it's time we up our training."

It was said very quietly but everyone heard it.

"What do you mean up our training Dattebayo! It's already hard enough." Naruto whined.

"If you have energy to talk, you have energy to run, it's time to get serious about this."

"This is gonna hurt, isn't it?"

Sakura had no idea how right she was.

*Timeskip Because I cannot be arsed to write a training montage*

Six Weeks Later.

There were no words for tired anymore, nothing described the training Kakashi put them through, torture would have been kinder. Their souls ached in pain, and Kakahi couldn't have been prouder.

In the time they had spent training together Kakashi had seen huge improvement in his team's skill.

Sakura had refined her technique to a scary degree, now that she was eating properly she was putting on a bit of mass as well. Kakashi had gone to the liberty of contacting the head of the medical department Dr. Yakushi.

In turn Sakura had started doing shifts at the hospital twice a week and training to become a medic-nin. Kakashi had vehemently agreed with Tsunade when she had advocated for medic-nin training being mandatory. He also totally wasn't trying to follow the blueprint of Team 7, not at all.

Sasuke truly showed that his title of prodigy wasn't unwarranted. His ability to understand the ninja arts was unrivalled on the team. Every nin, tai, and even some of the genjutsu he was shown, he learned with ease. Getting the boy to master any of them however was a different story all together.

Sasuke's primary focus was to obtain power to avenge his fallen clan. The unfortunate part of this meant he was becoming very much a jack of all trades, master of none, and as much as anyone says a ninja needs to be well rounded, no one at the top actually was.

The only real exception to this rule was Hiruzen Sarutobi, but instead of becoming a jack of all trades he had become a master of all. An absolutely indominitable force on the battlefield. The bogeyman of all the monsters in the shinobi world. The only man to become Hokage twice. It was for good reason Konoha had not been invaded after the kyuubi attack.

Sasuke's tunnel vision was hindering him, and Kakashi was going to use missions outside of the village as a way to break him out of this mindset.

His most surprising student was of course the resident war deterrent. Naruto had surprised by how resilient he was. He knew that as a jinchuuriki and Uzumaki he would heal quicker and be able to become stronger at a faster rate.

What Kakashi didn't know was exactly how quick Naruto recovered. It took him just minutes to recover from a day long punishing and gruelling exercise. He finally understood why Naruto seemed so poor. Most of his money went to food.

The kid needed to fuel his body somehow and with his insane healing rate his metabolism was through the roof. This healing rate also brought along a lot of latent strength that Kakashi wasn't ready for the first time he had been on the receiving end of it. His neck had been sore for a whole weak after that particular headlock.

Most impressive however was Narutos ability to use Ninjutsu. Not that he was a ninjutsu prodigy that understood chakra theory and how to craft his chakra into finely tuned ninjutsu. The sheer potency of his chakra overloaded every jutsu he did.

One combination of Sasuke's fire and Naruto's wind had made for a very awkward conversation with the Hokage.

Kakashi had given them chakra nature tests and to say he was surprised would have been an understatement.

Sasuke with a dual element of fire and lightning. Naruto with an incredible wind affinity, and last and most surprisingly Sakura with two natures of earth and water. How convenient.

"Well chimps, you've done something only a select few have done, and that is surviving 8 weeks of my light training. Congratulations, you're slightly better than shit." Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Fuck. You. Sensei."

The sentiment was shared by all of team 7

"No thanks Sasuke I'm not Pedochimaru. Now, I have decided we're going to take a C-rank mission. We are a frontline combat assault team. We do not do D-rank chores. Alright, now that that's out of the way let's head to the hokage tower, he's expecting us."

Hokage Tower.

The tower was bustling with activity, Genin teams were being led to the second floor where the chuunin at the desk would assign them their mission for the day.

Team 7 however, were a special case, Kakashi brought them straight to the 3rd floor. Right to the Hokage's office.

"Ne Sensei, how come we didn't go to the mission desk?"

"You don't think this is a regular team do you Naruto?

Kakashi was right, Team 7 was one of the few high priority teams in Konoha. Every mission they would be assigned had been pre-vetted and made sure that it could be used as stepping stones in their ascension. There were far too many resources being used up on this team for unnecessary risks.

Kakashi knocked on the door.

"Come in, Team 7."

"How did he know it was us??"

"S-rank remember? Just don't ask, its easier."

Team 7 strolled into the office, Kakashi gave a salute, Sasuke and Sakura both bowed and Naruto...

"YO JIJI!" Naruto jumped at the Hokage and hugged him.

"Na.Ru.To!" Sakura went to punch her wayward team mate when all of a sudden the air in the office went heavy.

The hokage lifted his head up to look at Sakura and the office CREAKED.Sasuke and Sakura fell to the floor under the ominous pressure, Kakashi widened his single visible eye and Naruto looked on in confusion.

"Now, now Sakura. No need to be so hasty. Surely you weren't trying to harm my charge were you?"

Somehow the air turned darker, the Hokage desk was visibly struggling to stay upright and not simply collapse.

"No... Hokage-Sama." Sakura groaned out.

"Excellent!" Sarutobi responded with a smile.

The pressure dissipated, the air got lighter, the sun shone brighter and the birds sang again.

'So this is what it means to be hokage huh? What a scary old man.'

'Why is it always the S-rankers traumatizing me. WHY KAMI, I ASK YOU WHY?!'

'Damn Hokage-Sama still has it. What a monster.'

Naruto jumped away from Sarutobi and joined his team standing in front of the desk.

"Now that the dramatics are over, how about a mission? I have a C-rank mission to blood you in."

"This early Hokage-Sama?"

"It's necessary Kakashi."

"Hai Hokage-Sama."

"What's necessary sensei?" Sakura questioned.

"Come on kiddies I'll tell you on the way." Kakashi said as he grabbed the mission scroll.

"Later Jiji!"

"Goodbye Hokage-Sama."

"Hn."

"Goodbye team 7. May the will of fire guide you."

Konoha, Northern Gate.

"Alright brats, this is your first mission outside Konoha. This is what we've spent the last 2 month's training for. Remember, represent Konoha well, and constant vigilance!"

"Where are we going sensei?" Surprisingly it was Sasuke that spoke up.

"Hokage-Sama has given us a bandit camp clearance mission. I thought it was a bit soon however my decision was overturned. One of the downsides of being on team 7 requires me to show you the darker sides of shinobi life earlier than your peers."

Sasuke and Naruto stewed on his words for a second and grimly nodded, they had both seen the grisly side of the world in their own ways.

"Sensei what does a bandit camp clearance entail exactly?" Sakura asked apprehensively.

"I'll explain more when we get there brat. Now let's move out, we've got ground to cover and we're running out of daylight."

3 Hours Later, North of the Land Of Fire.

Team 7 were perched over the camp site looking down at the bandits that had been causing issues for the local townspeople.

"Alright team this is your last chance to back out. I cannot have hesitation on this mission. Hokage-Sama gave orders for a hunt and kill mission. None of these men are allowed to leave here alive. I'll be up here watching over you guys so you'll be safe. Good hunting Genin."

"Sensei we have to kill everyone here? What could they have done to deserve this? This doesn't sound like something Konoha would sign off on this isn't fair!"

"Sakura let me make something incredibly clear to you. Life is not fair, it never has been it never will be. Is it fair you got me as your sensei over all of your other peers? Also, we are trained and hired killers. This is your job, especially as a member of team 7. As I said if you wish to back out do so now."

Sakura stumbled, how couldn't she? Her entire vision of Konoha and what it portrayed had taken a huge hit. These men would die because someone had enough money. She looked at her two teammates to see them staring back at her expectedly. Her resolve hardened how could she be a proud kunoichi and back out now?

"No Sensei, I won't back out. Who else could take care of these two idiots?"

"Oi!"

"Hn!"

"Well done Sakura, you've grown a spine. Sasuke, you're in charge for this mission. Make a plan and execute it, I'll be watching."

The three genin jumped out of the trees and got to plotting.

"Naruto use your clone jutsu and surround the camp for any runaways. Sakura, you're with me. We're going to sneak into the camp and kill as many as we can without being detected. As soon as the bandits figure out something is wrong pull out. Naruto, when sakura is out of the firing zone we're using our combo jutsu, scorched earth. If anyone survives that we have Kakashi backing us up."

And so the genin got to work, Naruto had surrounded the whole camp within minutes. Sakura and Sasuke got to work, each taking different sides of the camp and assassinating as many sleeping bandits as they could.

Well... Sasuke was. Sakura reached her first victim and shook. This would be her first kill. Could she do it? She closed her eyes and braced herself, brought her kunai out and swung down into his neck.

The look of surprise on the dying man's face would be forever scarred into the young girls mind, but she couldn't dwell, she had a job to do. Sakura moved to the next tent and killed the man sleeping inside as she was about to leave the tent something grabbed her from behind.

"Well well well what do we have here? A little shinobi in the wrong place at the wrong time. You've also killed my friend here, how about I return the favour?"

Sakura couldn't move, this man had her pinned to the floor, is this how she would die? At the hands of some random bandit outside of her village? She did the only thing she could think of. She screamed

"SENSEI!!!!"

The bandit blinked and grinned at her. "Guess he isn't coming." the bandit leered at her. "Time to die little gen-Uurk" He couldn't finish his sentence because of the kunai currently sticking out of his throat.

"Ne Sakura-Chan I think you woke up the whole camp with that."

Kakashi stood there with an eye smile wiping the blood off of the bandits clothes.

"The strong thrive and the weak perish, what will you be Sakura?"

Sakura sat there stunned. "I'll be strong sensei, I promise it!"

"Good, now let's get out of here. Naruto mentioned something about scorched earth."

Sakura and Kakashi got out of the camp and Kakashi relayed his information before popping a Naruto clone.

"Now, let's see the fireworks."

It wasn't long before they felt the heat of Sasuke's fire chakra and the enormity of Naruto's wind jutsu.

All they heard were two shouts and the world BURNED.

A horrendous stench of death and burning corpses filled the air. The whole camp had been completely burnt to a crisp. The edges of the camp still had small fires burning but Naruto had his clones running damage control.

"Well that was a bit... excessive." Kakashi sweat dropped. He had made monsters.

"Sensei... what the fuck?"

"Language Sakura. Do you see now why this is a frontline team. As you mature you'll only get stronger. This is the baseline for this team, and one of the few reasons konoha has stayed on top for so long."

"Yo Kaka-sensei, Sakura-Chan! Didja see our awesome combo jutsu?!"

"Hnnn Hn Hn Hn, Hnn Hn."

"Jeeze Sasuke don't get too excited."

"Good job you three, it's time to get back to konoha and debrief. If we leave now we can make it back before midnight. Move out!"