บท 20: Test
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**"Everyone's approval? It's clear that this child has inherited your will, Minato-sensei,"** Kakashi thought as he listened to Menma's words.
Kakashi didn't know exactly what Menma was thinking, but he felt a sense of relief. To be honest, Kakashi still carried guilt regarding Menma. Both he and Naruto were Minato-sensei's children, yet the treatment they received was vastly different.
If anyone suggested that Kakashi had never thought about taking care of or visiting Menma over the past 12 years, that wouldn't be entirely true. He still had a sliver of conscience, but it was almost insignificant.
Kakashi's character was complex, shaped by a life full of ups and downs. Perhaps even Kakashi himself had never fully understood who he was.
In his previous life, Menma initially viewed Kakashi through the lens of the "protagonist group," seeing only his strengths. However, over time, Menma gained clarity. After living through these 12 years, Menma no longer held any particularly positive feelings toward Kakashi.
Of course, he didn't harbor much negativity either.
To be fair, Kakashi had no obligation to look after him. Kakashi was simply a subordinate of the Fourth Hokage—why should he take care of Menma? Menma could protect himself, after all.
Thus, Menma regarded Kakashi as just another ordinary person.
He wouldn't pay too much attention to Kakashi, but if Kakashi ever stood in his way, Menma wouldn't hesitate to act.
To Menma, Kakashi was just another person. There was no need for strong emotion or hesitation.
Menma looked at Kakashi calmly.
**"Well, next up!"** Kakashi nodded slightly, shifting his gaze to Haruno Sakura.
As soon as Sakura felt Kakashi's eyes on her, she straightened up, bursting with energy. **"My name is Haruno Sakura. My dream is to become a ninja like Tsunade-sama. The things I like, um... it's more about the people I like... um... ahhh!"** She finished with a squeal, glancing shyly at Sasuke.
Menma wasn't sure how the others felt, but at that moment, he had goosebumps. In his previous life, reading scenes like this on a screen made him feel an indescribable sense of discomfort. Now, experiencing it firsthand, the discomfort was doubled.
No wonder Sakura Haruno wasn't popular during the early parts of the original series. With her personality and overly dramatic behavior, it's no surprise that few people liked her in the beginning!
Sakura's reputation improved over time, but that didn't happen until after Shippuden. At that point, she began to show some traits reminiscent of Kushina.
But for now?
Two words: utterly annoying!
Menma struggled to maintain a neutral expression, though the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
**'Do girls nowadays value feelings above everything else? Ah, never mind,'** Kakashi thought, shaking his head inwardly. He interrupted Sakura before she could continue her self-directed performance.
**"And what about the things you dislike?"**
**"Ino!"** Sakura blurted out without hesitation.
Menma wasn't Naruto from the original series. In this timeline, Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage, with a status far more prestigious. So, it was no surprise that Sakura would name Yamanaka Ino, her rival, as the person she disliked the most.
Kakashi's eyes flashed with a look of 'as expected.'
**"Well, then, the last one."**
Kakashi's gaze shifted to Sasuke.
Sasuke, ever composed, responded, **"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There isn't anything I particularly like or dislike. My dream is to revive my clan and to kill a certain man!"**
As he said those final words, Sasuke's aura turned cold, making Kakashi frown slightly.
**'Uchiha Itachi,'** Kakashi thought.
Menma, standing nearby, also glanced at Sasuke, recalling the name and face of the young man just a few years older than them.
Itachi Uchiha was a true enigma.
To murder one's own parents—that was not something an ordinary person could do.
In Menma's view, Uchiha Itachi was one of the most terrifying individuals in this world.
This was no ordinary person.
**"Alright, now that we've gotten to know each other a bit, I should let you know that I'm pretty laid back, so there's no need to be too formal around me. However, before we start any missions, I need to conduct a small test,"** Kakashi said, his tone casual.
**"Test?"** Naruto echoed, eyebrows raised.
**"Yes, a test. We'll meet at 5 AM tomorrow at Training Ground 3. And remember, don't be late. I may be casual, but I hate tardiness!"**
Kakashi smiled as he addressed Menma, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura.
**"You're always late, and you're telling us not to be?"** Naruto shot back. **"You're not going to trick us into showing up at 5 AM, only for you to show up hours later!"**
This Naruto was different from the original. As the son of the Fourth Hokage, Naruto had known Kakashi's habits for years.
So, at this moment, he called Kakashi out on his behavior without hesitation.
Kakashi, however, wasn't fazed. He replied calmly, **"These are two different things, Naruto. Tomorrow, I'll definitely be on time. After all, this could very well be both your first and last mission. And Naruto, you need to start calling me Kakashi-sensei!"**
His tone carried a hint of mischief.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were all taken aback.
Even Menma raised an eyebrow.
**"Huh? Last mission? What do you mean by that, Kakashi-sensei?"** Sakura asked, her voice tinged with unease.
**"Heh, you'll find out tomorrow. For now, I'll leave you with one last piece of advice: don't eat breakfast, or you'll regret it!"** Kakashi warned with a light smile.
**"Puff!"**
Before any of them could respond, Kakashi made a hand seal.
In a puff of white smoke, his figure vanished.
After Kakashi vanished without offering any explanation, the members of Team 7 remained relatively composed, though Sakura was particularly frustrated. How could he just leave like that? she thought, her irritation growing. What did he mean by our "last mission"? Kakashi-sensei, you should at least explain before disappearing!
Sakura felt a wave of frustration, teetering on despair. She hadn't expected their jonin instructor to be so unreliable. Is there really no hope for the future of Team 7? she wondered, Is this the start of a bleak journey?
"Brother Kakashi, that guy!" Naruto grumbled, clenching his teeth.
He had long since grown accustomed to Kakashi's laid-back personality. Getting him to take anything seriously was more challenging than scaling a mountain. The real question was whether he should actually show up at Training Ground 3 at five o'clock tomorrow morning. Knowing Kakashi, he was likely to be hours late, as usual. Of course, exceptions were made for missions and summons from the Hokage; Kakashi wouldn't be lax about those.
"Tomorrow should be fine, right?" Naruto muttered to himself.
"Huh? Naruto-kun, what did you just say?" Sakura asked, turning to him in confusion.
"I mean, Kakashi is always late, like today. I'm wondering if he'll make us wait forever at tomorrow's meeting," Naruto replied, his frustration evident.
"Really?!" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.
Sasuke, who had already stood up, frowned slightly.
"No matter what, we have to meet at five. It's an order from our leader. Remember, we're no longer academy students; we're full-fledged ninjas now," Menma said calmly from the side.
Menma was all too familiar with this part of the story. Kakashi wasn't late on these two occasions. He arrived early and had been observing them in secret. This was Kakashi's first real test for Team 7.
So, whether Kakashi was late or not didn't concern Menma. However, when it came to breakfast, there was no need to heed Kakashi's warning. Eat when you should, drink when you should, and don't let yourself down!
As Menma finished speaking, Sasuke and Naruto were initially surprised but slowly nodded in agreement. Sakura, still somewhat confused, eventually nodded along as if she understood.
"Well, tomorrow's important, so Kakashi shouldn't be late!" Naruto said with a smile.
"Hey, how about this? Why don't the four of us go out for dinner together? We can celebrate the formation of Team 7," Naruto suggested, glancing between Sasuke and Menma.
Sakura's face lit up at the idea, and she eagerly looked at Sasuke and Menma, especially Sasuke.
"No, I won't go. I have other things to do," Sasuke replied flatly, shaking his head.
With a swift movement, he leaped from the roof and quickly disappeared across the rooftops.
"Well, there will be plenty of time in the future. Let's leave it for today. Sorry, Naruto, Sakura," Menma said with a polite smile, bowing slightly.
Before Naruto could respond, Menma had already vanished, returning to his own place.
"Too unsociable, those two. We'll have plenty of time in the future, seriously!" Naruto complained, placing his hands on his hips.
"Well, if they're not going, it might be weird for just the two of us to go. Let's wait for another time, Sakura," Naruto suggested, turning to her.
"Yeah, that's fine," Sakura replied, trying to hide her disappointment. She felt like screaming in frustration but maintained a composed expression.
"See you tomorrow!" Naruto waved goodbye to Sakura before disappearing from the roof.
As she watched Naruto leave, Sakura's face fell. This should have been a happy day, she thought. But why do I feel so empty now?
No, Sakura, you need to stay strong! It's only the first day. You're a capable kunoichi! Yes, stay strong! Sakura encouraged herself, patting her cheeks with both hands.
Finally, after glancing in the directions where Sasuke, Naruto, and Menma had left, Sakura took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and waved them twice before turning and leaving the academy.
For now, everything seems calm. Whether that's good or bad is hard to say, Menma thought to himself. No surprises are the best outcome.
Next, we enter the real countdown, Menma mused silently.
The next day, at 4:20 in the morning, Menma woke up on time. After a quick wash and breakfast, he set off for the second training ground.
When Menma arrived, there were still a few minutes before the scheduled time, but Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura had already arrived. Sasuke's expression was unreadable, but Naruto and Sakura looked somewhat drained.
"Oh! Menma, good morning!" Naruto shouted, gathering his energy to greet him.
"Good morning, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke," Menma replied with a faint smile.
"Good morning, Menma-kun!" Sakura responded, quickly shaking off her drowsiness and tucking her hair behind her ear.
Sasuke, who was leaning against a tree, gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
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