Written for Day 14 of Sakura Month: "You Did Well"

Sakura's lips twitched towards a smile and she slipped around a tree then ghosted up it in a shunshin. "Shinji! How dare you?" she called out, then ended the jutsu distorting her voice.

A yelp in the distance made her laugh silently even as she skimmed through the branches, watching her other two - prospective - genin. After a quick survey of all their positions, and a moment to set up another overhead trap, Sakura slipped down and let herself be seen - nothing more than a flicker of her hair as she passed behind a boulder, but the kids weren't completely incompetent.

She caught the sound of half-muffled footsteps rustling through the leaves towards her and grinned, slowing her pace a little and waiting for them to reach her. They were making progress, at least, even if it was now nearing midday.

They'd had a rough start. Poor kids.

Sakura stifled laughter and crouched, trailing her fingers through the boundary of a trap, disrupting it with a flare of chakra from her fingertips as she ran before straightening and leaping a strand of chakra wire. That she left in place, waiting to see if any of the genin would run into it in her wake.

Nana huffed in disappointment as she came across the disrupted trap and then ran straight into the wire, which sparked and knocked her back. Sakura shook her head, amused, and slowed a little. The point wasn't to use all her skills to get away, after all - there was no way three genin could catch up to her and win through this test if she put that much effort into it - but to see what they could do, and make them do it together.

Kaori and Shinji both darted to Nana's side, helping her up and watching the trees warily for any sign of Sakura. She shaped a small doton that set up an excellent point from which to leap and also made a loud crunching noise, giving away her position.

This time all three genin closed on her, from different directions and - she would guess, from the way they targeted her - with some actual cooperative planning put into their decisions. Even better.

Sakura went down under a lunge, then lightly tossed Kaori away, knocking her into Shinji and twisting towards Nana. Nana was already moving, snatching for the bells hanging at Sakura's hip and retreating rapidly towards her fellow genin.

They all scrambled backwards, but Shinji rose, helping Kaori up with him, and they braced themselves at Nana's shoulders, little faces set with determination. They were so cute. Sakura smothered a grin.

Sakura suddenly remembered Kakashi calling Team Seven his cute little students and wondered if it had actually been more honest than teasing, whatever they had thought back then. Kakashi, though. Who knew.

"We- We got the bells." Nana said, lifting her jaw and holding up her fist, the bells bouncing under it with her tight grip on the ribbon.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You did." she pointed out, otherwise expressionless, firmly indicating Nana.

"No!" Nana protested, Shinji nudging her supportively. "We all did, because we couldn't have done it without. . ." she faltered even as Sakura's lips began to curl.

"Not without all of us." Kaori added in a soft voice.

Sakura braced her fists on her hips and leaned forwards, watching the three genin shudder or go pale, leaning closer together. Her smile widened. "You pass!" she declared happily. Their eyes widened. "You did well, kids!" She straightened, flicking her hair back over her shoulders. "Meet me here tomorrow and we'll do a mission!"

"Really?" Kaori asked hesitantly.

"We passed?" Nana repeated faintly.

"Yes!" Shinji punched the air, then ducked, looking at his teammates.

Sakura smothered a giggle at them all. So cute. "Yes! Good job." She leaned forwards and patted each of them on the head. "You had to work together. See you tomorrow!"

Then she used a shunshin to disappear from before them, using one of Kakashi's tricks she'd stolen and altered for herself years ago and leaving a swirl of pink petals behind her.