The Road of a Ninja and Chakra Nature Testing

"To be honest, I'm very disappointed in you." Kakashi spoke sternly.

"You were clearly amazing during the team entry test. Why did you turn out like this the moment you started taking real missions?"

"First, Sasuke. You remember the purpose of the team entry test, right?" Kakashi stared at Sasuke.

"I remember." Sasuke avoided his gaze, not daring to look at Kakashi.

"Then why did you still choose to rush in so recklessly?

What did you take your teammates for?!

What did you take teamwork for?!" Kakashi's tone grew increasingly severe.

"..." Sasuke lowered his head without speaking.

"And you, Menma!" Seeing that Sasuke had recognized his mistake, Kakashi turned his attention to Menma.

"You were pretty proud after saving your teammate once, weren't you?

You were happy to point out your teammate's mistakes while analyzing and reviewing the situation, weren't you?

And after your teammates were helpless, you solved the mission target yourself and thought you were impressive, didn't you?" Kakashi's tone remained harsh.

"I didn't..." Menma defended himself quietly. Kakashi's oppressive presence was overwhelming, just like his boss from his previous life.

"Then why didn't you discuss a plan to kill the mission target with your teammates?

Why did you send your teammates away when you killed the mission target yourself?" Kakashi asked.

"Well... because the scene would've been rather bloody, so..." Menma explained.

"What did you think being a ninja was? A child's game?

What gave you the right to think your teammates couldn't handle a bloody scene?

What gave you the right to make decisions for your teammates?

In your eyes, were your teammates just immature children who needed your protection in every possible way?

If ninjas can't stand the sight of blood, what kind of ninjas are they?" Kakashi fired off questions that struck straight at Menma's soul.

Menma also realized his mistake. With the mindset of an adult from his previous life, he had instinctively believed that his two teammates were still children who needed protection.

But this world was not the peaceful world from his previous life. It was a damn ninja world.

In this world, civilians lived precarious lives, and ninjas were no different. During the previous ninja wars, children their age had long since been sent to the battlefield and witnessed the brutality of war.

"I understand." Menma pursed his lips and spoke in a low voice.

"As for you, Sakura." Kakashi's tone softened slightly.

"What about me? I didn't do anything," Sakura asked.

"That's exactly the problem, Sakura—you didn't do anything!" Kakashi sighed and said earnestly.

"I had the highest expectations for you. As the daughter of the Fourth Hokage and the graduate with the best overall grades from the Ninja Academy, you were born with the qualities of a leader. How could you do nothing?"

"But my abilities are limited. There was nothing I could do..." Sakura lowered her head as well, trying to defend herself.

"It's not that you couldn't do anything. It's that you didn't do anything!" Kakashi waved a hand, cutting Sakura off.

"You noticed the underlying conflict between Menma and Sasuke, didn't you? Why didn't you try to mediate?

You've known Sasuke's personality for more than a day. Why didn't you foresee that he would recklessly charge out?

You know the ninja mission regulations by heart. Why didn't you remind Sasuke and Menma to gather intelligence on the mission target and formulate a battle plan in advance?

Sakura, you have a calm personality, a sharp mind, and excellent ninja talent, but your sense of responsibility is lacking. You haven't given your all within the team!

What, did you think that because you were a female ninja, you were naturally supposed to obey the leadership and protection of male ninjas?

Sakura, your role in the team is more that of an executor and planner, but I hope you can become a leader and decision-maker. Only then can you become a ninja capable of standing on your own sooner!"

"Alright, I won't say much more. Let's sum things up." Kakashi clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the three of them.

"Ninja skills can be learned slowly!

Combat awareness can be accumulated slowly!

Tactical ability can be cultivated slowly!

But teamwork, the most important thing for a ninja, must be built on a solid foundation from the very beginning!

Only then can you go far on your Road to Ninja!

Finally, let me leave you with a saying.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with everyone!"

The three youngsters remained silent, quietly digesting Kakashi's words.

Seeing that the atmosphere had become somewhat heavy, Kakashi changed the subject. "Well, the lack of powerful offensive and control techniques you mentioned earlier is also a problem.

How about this? As your supervising Jonin, besides leading you down the right path, I'm also responsible for teaching you more ninja skills. Get a good rest tonight. After we return to the village and turn in the mission tomorrow, I'll teach you some training!"

At those words, smiles finally appeared on the faces of Menma and the other two.

Late at night, the campfire crackled. Kakashi sat beside it keeping watch while the three Genin slept nearby.

Suddenly, Menma rolled over and sat up. After a moment of silence, he said, "Hey, Kakashi..."

"Hm?" Kakashi lowered his eyes without lifting his head.

"Even though what you said makes sense, I still don't think I was wrong.

From the bottom of my heart, I believe children shouldn't be exposed to the bloodshed and darkness of the Shinobi World too early." Menma stared into the fire, his face flickering between light and shadow.

"But that's what the Shinobi World is like—filled with conflict and hatred, accompanied by bloodshed and darkness. What can you, a Genin, do about it?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know what I should do either, but I'll search for an answer. An answer that can make the Shinobi World better." After saying that, Menma lay back down.

"..."

He's still just a child. What kind of grand words is he spouting? Kakashi thought, completely unaware that the corners of his mouth had already curved upward slightly.

Early the next morning, after accepting the extra reward from the villagers, the four of them set off for Hidden Leaf Village.

After turning in the mission at the mission hall and deducting the village's share, each of the three Genin received ten thousand ryo in mission pay. Kakashi naturally pocketed the rest.

Sasuke was the young master of a wealthy family, so he naturally did not care about ten thousand ryo.

Sakura was the daughter of the Fourth Hokage. She had received plenty of inheritance and compensation money, so she was not particularly happy either.

There was even less need to mention Kakashi. As a veteran elite Jonin, he had more savings than he could ever spend.

Only Menma carefully placed the banknotes into his frog wallet after receiving the ten thousand ryo.

Kushina usually kept a strict watch over him and gave him very little spending money. Even buying a sixty-ryo bowl of Ichiraku Ramen required careful consideration.

Minato was also strictly managed by his wife and did not even dare to hide private savings. Sometimes, he even secretly took Menma's spending money.

There was still plenty of time after turning in the mission, so Kakashi brought the three of them to the training grounds. He had promised to teach them ninjutsu yesterday.

In the middle of the training grounds, Kakashi stood facing the three of them. He took three sheets of paper from his ninja tool pouch and said,

"Before I teach you ninjutsu, I'll first test your chakra natures."

Kakashi handed the paper slips to the three of them and continued explaining, "These are chakra test papers. Place them in your palms and pour chakra into them. They'll react differently depending on your chakra nature.

Water-nature chakra will wet the test paper.

Lightning-nature chakra will wrinkle the test paper.

Fire-nature chakra will scorch the test paper.

Wind-nature chakra will cut the paper in half.

Earth-nature chakra will shatter the test paper.

Test yourselves, then report your chakra natures."

Hearing this, the three of them each placed a test paper in their palms and poured chakra into it.

"Kakashi-sensei, half of my test paper shattered, and the other half got wet." Sakura had the best chakra control and was the first to complete the chakra nature test.

"Hm, dual Earth and Water natures? Not bad talent," Kakashi commented.

"I'm done too. Half of my test paper was scorched, and the other half wrinkled." Sasuke followed close behind, completing his chakra nature test.

"Mm, dual Lightning and Fire natures. As expected of the Uchiha Clan," Kakashi said.

"Kakashi, I'm done too. My test paper shattered as well, so I'm Earth-nature, right?" Menma had also finished his test.

He found it strange. Just a few days ago, he had clearly been Wind-nature and had easily learned Wind Release: Great Breakthrough. Why had he become Earth-nature now?

Kakashi also found it strange, so he glanced over. Then his expression turned stern. He lifted the forehead protector covering his left eye and focused his gaze.

Three black tomoe spun rapidly within his blood-red pupil. Then he lowered his forehead protector again, covering his left eye.

"No, Menma. This isn't Earth-nature. You have Extreme Wind Nature." Kakashi pointed at the fragments in Menma's palm and those in Sakura's palm.

"Look. The test paper shattered by Sakura's Earth-nature chakra has irregularly sized fragments.

But Menma, your test paper was cut into fragments. The edges are neat, and the pieces are uniform in size. That's why you have Extreme Wind Nature."

"Oh? What is Extreme Wind Nature? Is it different from ordinary Wind Nature?" Menma asked curiously.

"Yes. Once a ninja's chakra is refined to the extreme, it becomes an extreme chakra nature.

Chakra of this nature makes learning corresponding ninjutsu twice as effective with half the effort, and the power of the ninjutsu is also greater than ordinary ninjutsu!

But correspondingly, this extreme nature cannot tolerate chakra of any other nature.

So ninjas with this nature can no longer learn ninjutsu of other natures," Kakashi explained.

"There are pros and cons. You sacrifice the variety of ninjutsu in exchange for the power of single-nature ninjutsu. Personally, I think it's well worth it.

And as far as I know, ninjas with this kind of extreme-nature chakra have very high growth potential.

There are also quite a few famous ninjas with Extreme Wind Nature chakra.

Notable examples include Reto, the First Kazekage of Sand Village; our Third Hokage, Lord Danzo; and Asuma Sarutobi of Konoha, one of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve serving the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Every one of them was a renowned ninja in the Shinobi World."

Suddenly, as if recalling something, Kakashi spoke seriously to the three of them. "You must keep your chakra natures strictly confidential.

Especially Menma's chakra nature. You absolutely cannot tell anyone else. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" ×3