Kakashi, Long Awaited at Last

"Forgot? Huh!? That's definitely possible. Heh heh, if that's really the case, then I'm absolutely going to have Grandpa Third replace him with a more reliable teacher. What do you think, Menma?"

After a brief stunned pause, Naruto, seated up front, spoke his mind without hesitation.

Sasuke, seated on the left, looked as though his face could freeze over.

It looked like if they kept waiting much longer, Uchiha Sasuke might just blow up on the spot.

Menma alone remained calm as he casually responded, "Maybe something held him up. We have nothing else to do anyway, so waiting a little longer is no big deal. After all, ninjas do run into unexpected incidents easily."

"Oh? That does make some sense."

Naruto really was the straightforward type. He nodded in agreement, not realizing in the slightest that Menma had merely given him a perfunctory answer.

"Then—"

Just as Naruto was about to say something else—

Creak.

The sound of the classroom door opening came from the entrance.

"!?"

"Oh?"

The next second, a man wearing Konoha's standard-issue vest and sporting a head of silver-white hair appeared before the eyes of Menma, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

That familiar appearance and aura.

The newcomer was none other than Kakashi Hatake, renowned for his illustrious fifty-fifty reputation.

"So, you're the members of Team Seven, right? I'm your captain. Hmm, my first impression of you is fairly good. Come on, let's leave this place first. We need to get to know each other."

Kakashi swept his eyes over the four below him one by one and spoke softly with a lazy air.

After saying that, he did not wait for their response and simply turned to leave the tiered classroom.

As though he had been prepared in advance—or perhaps out of sheer reflex—Menma rose at the same moment Kakashi turned and took his first step, following behind him.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, who were left behind, all froze for a moment.

Then they immediately came back to their senses.

They followed at once. After leaving the lowest-level classroom and heading up the stairs, the group of five went straight to the rooftop.

Kakashi leaned against the railing, his hands crossed before him. After giving Menma, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, who had arrived one after another, a calm glance, he finally revealed a faint smile. "Let's introduce ourselves first. We'll very likely be carrying out missions together as a team for several years, so we need to get to know one another."

What do you mean, very likely? We're obviously already on the same team! Is this teacher even reliable!?

Sakura, who had been struggling to hold herself back from the start, finally began frantically complaining inwardly. The way she looked at Kakashi turned a little strange.

She was now seriously questioning just how reliable Kakashi was.

Still, Sakura had to maintain her obedient good-girl image on the surface. She could not let her carefully cultivated persona collapse.

"What do we need introductions for, Brother Kakashi? I think the one who most needs to introduce himself is you. And shouldn't you explain why you were late? Otherwise, I'm going to complain to Grandpa Third and tell him you delayed important business."

Just as Sakura was preparing to speak first—

Naruto, standing in the middle, planted his hands on his hips and loudly shouted at Kakashi with an angry expression, ""

"Huh? Naruto-kun, you know this teacher?"

Sakura asked blankly.

Uchiha Sasuke also instinctively gave Naruto another look.

He really had not expected Naruto to know their team captain.

Menma, on the other hand, found it perfectly normal. In this timeline, Naruto openly went about Konohagakure under the title of Son of the Fourth Hokage. All Konoha Villagers, along with the vast majority of ninjas, addressed him respectfully as Young Master Naruto!

He received exactly the same treatment as Sarutobi Hiruzen's biological grandson—Konohamaru.

Kakashi had been a direct subordinate of the Fourth Hokage.

He might not have dared to approach or visit Menma, but there was absolutely no problem with him approaching Naruto. As long as Naruto had looked even a little into his father's past, it was only natural for him to know people like Kakashi and Shiranui Genma.

"Of course I know him. Brother Kakashi was one of my father's subordinates back when he led a team. Of course I'd know him. It's one thing for Grandpa Third not to tell me, but Brother Kakashi, you didn't tell me beforehand either. I kept wondering who would be leading our team."

Naruto first nodded at Sakura with a matter-of-fact expression, then shifted his gaze to Kakashi and spoke with a hint of grievance.

"Haha, that was also an order from Third Lord. He told me not to inform you in advance. Well, just as Naruto said, my name is Kakashi Hatake, and I'm a Jonin of the village. There's nothing I particularly like. If I had to name something I dislike, it would be people who disregard ninja rules. If you want to stay on my team, you'd better remember that.~~"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice carrying a faintly chilling undertone.

"Huh!?"

"!?"

At the subtle chill he gave off, not only Sakura Haruno, but even Naruto instinctively shrank back.

"Got it, Brother Kakashi."

Naruto pouted.

"All right, now it's your turn to introduce yourselves! Oh, Naruto, that includes you too!"

Kakashi clapped his hands lightly and said with a smile.

"Huh? Oh!"

After a brief pause, Naruto nodded heavily.

He immediately said, "My name is Namikaze Naruto. My favorite thing is Ichiraku Ramen. As for things I dislike, I don't have any right now. My dream is to become the greatest ninja, surpassing every Hokage before me."

As he spoke, he raised his Headband slightly, his face full of excitement and determination!

Hearing Naruto's words, the smile in Kakashi's Pupils deepened.

"Next."

Kakashi shifted his gaze directly onto Menma.

Menma smiled faintly and said, "My name is Uzumaki Menma. There's nothing I particularly like or dislike. My dream for the future is to make everyone acknowledge me!"

There was not even the slightest trace of falsehood in that.

That truly was Menma's dream.

It was just that this so-called acknowledgment might not fall within the usual understanding of the word.

After all, Menma admired nothing more than convincing people through reason. Oh, and by "reason," he meant physical force!

Menma believed that was the most reasonable and correct approach in this world.

Morality? Justice?

In this world, those were the ultimate luxuries.