The three of them stepped out of the house and headed toward Ichiraku Ramen. People streamed along the street, but whenever they saw Naruto and Menma, they hurried away as though fleeing a plague.
At the same time, cold remarks pierced the air like arrows. The vicious words echoed around them, weighing down the mood.
As people avoided them and hurled insults their way, Menma could only shrug helplessly. He was already used to this treatment.
Naruto, meanwhile, let his shoulders droop slightly. A hint of sadness flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth sank without him realizing it. Clearly, the situation still got him down.
Might Guy could relate. When he was young, he'd been a hopeless student who knew only Taijutsu, and his classmates had mocked him plenty. But compared to Naruto and Menma, what had he really suffered?
"Alright! Let's sweat it out and run straight to Ichiraku Ramen!" Might Guy said in an encouraging tone.
"Huh?" Before Menma could react, Might Guy had already taken off. Naruto stared after him for a moment, then looked at Menma, whose face was full of helplessness too.
"Come on, let's go..." Menma called to Naruto, looking thoroughly unwilling, then ran after Guy.
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, steam rose into the air, and the rich aroma of ramen filled the shop. When Might Guy walked in with Naruto and Menma, Teuchi immediately noticed them.
Might Guy looked perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened, while Naruto and Menma were panting a little.
"You even... took... the long way around, Guy-sensei..." Menma said, sitting down on a stool and gasping for breath.
"And you ran... so fast... I could barely keep up..." Naruto chimed in.
"Hahaha... This is what youth is all about! After we eat, I'll teach you to read and write this afternoon! I'll have a serving of your signature miso ramen! Naruto, Menma, order whatever you like." Might Guy laughed and patted Menma on the shoulder.
Naruto's eyes lit up. "I'll have a serving of miso ramen too!"
"Ugh, then I'll have a serving of miso ramen too," Menma sighed.
"Alright! Three servings of your signature miso ramen, please!" Might Guy called to Uncle Ichiraku.
"Oh, Might Guy. Are you bringing Naruto and Menma here for ramen?" Uncle Ichiraku asked as he went to cook.
"That's right. Lord Third asked me to teach them to read and write, so when lunchtime came, I brought them here for ramen," Might Guy said matter-of-factly.
"Oh, I see." Uncle Ichiraku was puzzled too. The Third had arranged for Might Guy to teach children to read and write? Teuchi was completely bewildered. He knew Might Guy well enough to wonder if this was really something the Third would assign him.
Though Teuchi was confused, he didn't say anything. After all, it was the Third's decision. A little while later, the three bowls of ramen were served. Naruto started drooling as soon as he saw the steaming noodles.
"Let's eat!" Naruto didn't waste a moment and dug right in. Seeing him start, the other two began eating as well.
Halfway through his meal, Menma suddenly sensed something familiar. He lifted the curtain and glanced outside. When he saw who it was, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "Guy-sensei, there's someone you know behind you!" Menma nudged Guy's arm and gestured over his shoulder.
Might Guy turned around and saw a white-haired man in casual clothes, carrying a box as he passed by Ichiraku Ramen. His forehead protector covered one eye, and a mask covered the lower half of his face.
Might Guy's eyes lit up. "Hey! It's my lifelong rival, Kakashi!" he shouted in greeting.
At Might Guy's call, Kakashi paused briefly. His one visible eye glanced toward Guy, showing little emotion, before he resumed walking steadily toward home.
Seeing this, Might Guy froze for a moment, then jumped up and ran after Kakashi.
Watching him go, Menma thought, Is he just abandoning us? What about teaching us to read and write? Menma was too exasperated to complain, so he went on eating his ramen.
Given Kakashi's situation, he was still in Anbu at this point and wouldn't become a team leader for another three or four years. With the way he was now, he probably didn't want to socialize with anyone.
Menma figured that with Might Guy gone, he probably wouldn't be back to teach them until the afternoon. But before long, he saw Might Guy dragging Kakashi by the arm all the way back to Ichiraku Ramen. Menma was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events and couldn't help grumbling to himself about Might Guy's way of doing things.
"Don't be shy, Kakashi! Come have some ramen. Afterward, we'll have a showdown between real men!" Might Guy said excitedly, as if he were bursting with energy.
Kakashi paid little attention to Might Guy. Instead, he noticed Naruto and Menma, both of whom were watching him.
Back then, Minato had arranged for Kakashi to join Anbu and assigned him to protect Kushina. He wanted Kakashi to witness the birth of a new life and find a way out of the shadows. But on the night Kushina gave birth, the Nine-Tails Attack had taken place.
Looking at the two children, Kakashi felt a jumble of emotions he couldn't quite name. He couldn't shake the feeling that Naruto and Menma had become orphans because he'd failed to protect the village and carry out the mission Minato had given him.
Noticing Kakashi's expression, Might Guy pulled him down onto a seat and ordered him a bowl of ramen.
Teuchi was happy to see Kakashi too. They were old acquaintances, after all.
"Oh, Kakashi! It's been a long time since you last came by," Teuchi greeted him, already getting the noodles ready.
"It has been a long time," Kakashi replied, as if lost in thought.
Menma felt something he couldn't quite put into words as he watched. He set down his chopsticks and took Minato's kunai from his pocket. The words "Sword of Shinobi Love" were still engraved on its handle.
Menma held the kunai up in front of Kakashi, waving it slightly. "My father wouldn't want to see you like this," he said.
Kakashi and Might Guy both froze, then turned to look at Menma. Kakashi's gaze fell on the Flying Thunder God Kunai Menma had shown him. His pupils contracted slightly, as if something had struck the softest part of his heart. Surprise, nostalgia, and a hint of indescribable guilt flickered in his eye.
"This is... Sensei's Flying Thunder God Kunai?" Kakashi asked, staring at Menma in surprise.
"Yeah, it belonged to my dad." Menma handed the kunai to Kakashi.
Kakashi accepted it, then took another kunai from his pocket. They were identical. As he looked at the two kunai, he was overcome with emotion. Then he looked at Menma, who had gone back to eating his ramen.
"You... know everything?" Kakashi placed the kunai in front of Menma and asked in a subdued voice.
Menma swallowed his mouthful of ramen and wiped his mouth before answering slowly. "I don't know everything. Lord Third gave us our parents' house this morning, and I found this kunai in a cupboard. There was also a photo of our parents and another picture with someone who looked a lot like you. I guessed it might be you. Putting that together with a few other things, I could figure out some of the connections."
Kakashi understood. He also realized that he still hadn't done anything to look after Minato's two children. He felt a little guilty.
The ramen arrived just then. Looking at the bowl, Kakashi remembered how Minato used to treat him, Rin, and Obito to ramen.
So much had changed. Of Team Minato, only he was left. A few tears rolled down his cheeks. Kakashi, the Copy Ninja who never let anyone see his emotions, was crying.
Might Guy patted Kakashi on the shoulder. He said nothing, yet somehow seemed to say everything.
Menma hadn't expected Kakashi to cry. After finishing his ramen, he rummaged in his pocket, placed a few bills on the counter, and continued watching Kakashi.
Kakashi didn't dwell on his grief for long. From the moment he started crying to when he recovered, only about ten seconds passed. He soon composed himself.
I'm amazing. A few words were all it took to crack the cold-blooded Kakashi. Menma was secretly pleased.
Kakashi pulled down his mask, quickly finished his ramen, and put the mask back on.
"You're actually pretty handsome. Why wear that mask every minute of the day?" Menma teased. "People point at us wherever we go, and we don't wear masks. So why does Kakashi..." Menma trailed off, unsure what to call him. Uncle? Big brother? Teacher? Senior?
Seeing Menma stop midsentence, Kakashi seemed to understand. He gave him a somewhat stiff smile. "If you'd like, you can call me Big Brother Kakashi."
"Ah... Okay." Menma looked a little awkward, stumbling over his words.
"You know each other?" Naruto asked, puzzled, his eyes moving between Menma and Kakashi.
"Didn't we see him at the Hokage Office this morning?" Menma hopped down from his stool, put his hands in his pockets, and walked out on his own.
The others followed. Naruto jogged after Menma, chatting cheerfully with him as they walked ahead.
Watching the two of them, Kakashi felt a pang of nostalgia. He thought of Obito, Rin, Minato, and Kushina.
Seeing that Kakashi was in low spirits, Might Guy immediately spoke up. "Hey, Kakashi! How about a showdown between real men?"
Might Guy was beaming. Kakashi had been about to refuse, but seeing how eagerly Guy looked forward to it, he couldn't bring himself to say no.
"Then what should we compete in?" Kakashi asked with a smile, then called to Naruto and Menma to help carry the things in his hands.
Menma was reluctant, but he still took the box for Kakashi. It wasn't heavy, but it was awkwardly tall, and it completely blocked Menma's view. Seeing this, Naruto hurried over to lift the front of the box and lead the way.
"How about we race once around the village, with the finish line at Naruto and Menma's house?" Might Guy asked Kakashi.
"Is that so..." Kakashi considered it for a moment, then agreed.
Kakashi already knew where Naruto and Menma lived. On the way from Ichiraku Ramen to fetch him, Might Guy had told him about the brothers' current situation.
"Then, let's go!" With that, Might Guy shot forward. Kakashi wasn't about to fall behind and dashed after him.
Before you continue