"To be honest, I'm very disappointed in you." Kakashi spoke seriously.
"You were clearly outstanding during the team entry test, so why did you turn out like this the moment you faced a real mission?"
"First, Sasuke. You still remember the meaning 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 recklessly?
What did you take your teammates for?!
What did you take teamwork for?!" Kakashi's tone grew increasingly severe.
"..." Sasuke lowered his head and said nothing.
"And you, Menma!" Seeing that Sasuke had recognized his mistake, Kakashi turned his attention toward Menma.
"You were pretty pleased with yourself after saving your teammate once, weren't you?
You were happy to point out your teammate's mistakes while analyzing and summarizing the situation, weren't you?
And after your teammates were at a loss, you solved the target yourself and thought you were amazing, didn't you?" Kakashi's tone remained extremely stern.
"I wasn't..." Menma defended himself quietly. Kakashi's oppressive presence was overwhelming, just like his boss in his previous life.
"Then why didn't you discuss a plan to kill the target with your teammates?
Why did you send your teammates away when you killed the target yourself?" Kakashi asked.
"Well... because the scene was rather bloody, so..." Menma explained.
"What did you take being a ninja for? Some child's game?
What made you 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 full protection?
If a ninja couldn't handle blood, what kind of ninja could they be?" Kakashi fired off question after question at Menma's very 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 of his previous life. It was a damned ninja world.
In this world, civilians lived precarious lives, and ninja were no different. During the previous ninja wars, children their age would have already gone to the battlefield and witnessed the cruelty of war.
"I understand." Menma pressed his lips together and spoke in a low voice.
"As for you, Sakura." Kakashi's tone softened slightly.
"What did I do? I didn't do anything." Sakura asked.
"That's exactly the problem, Sakura! You didn't do anything!" Kakashi sighed and spoke earnestly.
"I had the highest expectations for you. As the Fourth Hokage's daughter and the top graduate of the Ninja Academy in overall performance, 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 wasn't that there was nothing you could do. It was that you didn't do it!" Kakashi waved a hand and cut Sakura off.
"You noticed the subtle hostility between Menma and Sasuke, didn't you? Why didn't you try to mediate?
You haven't known Sasuke's personality for only one day. Why didn't you anticipate that he would rush out recklessly?
You knew the ninja mission regulations by heart, so why didn't you remind Sasuke and Menma to gather intelligence on the 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 did not give your all within the team!
What, did you think that because you were a female ninja, you were naturally supposed to submit to the leadership and protection of male ninja?
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 too much more. Let's sum it up." Kakashi clapped his hands, drawing the attention of all three.
"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!
And finally, let me leave you with this:
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together!"
The three of them remained silent, quietly digesting Kakashi's words.
Seeing that the atmosphere had become somewhat heavy, Kakashi changed the subject. "Well, the lack of powerful attack and control methods you mentioned earlier is also a problem.
How about this? As your Jonin instructor, besides leading you onto the right path, I'm also responsible for teaching you more ninja skills. Get some proper rest tonight. After we return to the village and turn in the mission tomorrow, I'll teach you how to train!"
At those words, smiles finally appeared on the faces of Menma and the others.
Late at night, the campfire crackled. Kakashi sat beside it on watch, while the three Genin slept beside him.
Suddenly, Menma turned over and sat up. After remaining silent for a while, he said, "Hey, Kakashi..."
"Hm?" Kakashi's eyes were lowered, and he did not raise his head.
"Although 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 bloodiness and darkness of the Shinobi World too early." Menma stared at the flames. In the firelight, his face flickered between light and shadow.
"But the Shinobi World is like this—filled with conflict and hatred, accompanied by bloodshed and darkness. What can you, a Genin, possibly do?" Kakashi asked.
"I don't know what to 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 big talk is he spouting? Kakashi thought, completely unaware that the corners of his mouth had curled upward slightly.
Early the next morning, after collecting the villagers' additional reward, the four of them set out on the road back to Konoha.
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. Naturally, Kakashi 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 Fourth Hokage's daughter. She had received a considerable inheritance and compensation payment, so she was not particularly excited either.
As for Kakashi, there was even less need to mention him. As a veteran elite Jonin, he had more savings than he could spend.
Only Menma carefully placed the bills into his frog wallet after receiving the ten thousand ryo.
Kushina was usually strict with him and gave him little pocket money. Even when he wanted a sixty-ryo bowl of Ichiraku Ramen, he had to think about it for a long time.
Minato was also strictly managed by his wife and did not even dare hide private savings. Sometimes, he even secretly took Menma's pocket money.
There was still plenty of time after they turned in the mission, so Kakashi brought the three of them to the training ground. He had promised yesterday that he would teach them Ninjutsu.
Standing in the middle of the training ground facing the three of them, Kakashi took out three sheets of paper from his ninja tool pouch and said:
"Before I teach you Ninjutsu, I first need to test your Chakra natures."
Kakashi handed the paper slips to the three of them and continued, "These are Chakra test papers. Place them in your palms and pour Chakra into them. They will react differently based on your Chakra nature.
Water-nature Chakra will make the test paper wet.
Lightning-nature Chakra will wrinkle the test paper.
Fire-nature Chakra will scorch the test paper.
Wind-nature Chakra will cut the paper apart.
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 infused it with Chakra.
"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 and completed 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 must have an Earth nature." Menma had completed his test too.
He found it strange. Just a few days ago, he had clearly possessed a Wind nature, and he had easily learned Wind Release: Great Breakthrough. Why had he become Earth nature now instead?
Kakashi also found it strange, so he glanced over. His expression immediately sharpened. He lifted the forehead protector covering his left eye and stared closely.
Three black tomoe spun rapidly within his scarlet pupil. Then he lowered his forehead protector again, covering his left eye.
"No, Menma. This isn't an Earth nature. You have Extreme Wind Nature." Kakashi pointed at the fragments in Menma's palm and the fragments in Sakura's palm.
"Look. The test paper shattered by Sakura's Earth-nature Chakra is irregular in size.
But Menma, your test paper was cut into fragments. The edges are neat, and the pieces are uniform in size. That means you have Extreme Wind Nature."
"Oh, oh. What is Extreme Wind Nature? Is it different from ordinary Wind nature?" Menma asked curiously.
"Yes. Once a ninja's Chakra becomes refined to the extreme, it becomes an extreme Chakra nature.
With this kind of Chakra nature, learning corresponding Ninjutsu takes half the effort for twice the result. And when using Ninjutsu, its power will also be greater than ordinary Ninjutsu!
But accordingly, this extreme nature cannot tolerate Chakra of other natures.
So ninja with this nature can never 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 is well worth it.
And as far as I know, ninja with this kind of extreme-nature Chakra have very high growth potential.
There are also quite a few famous ninja with Extreme Wind Nature.
Representative examples include Reto, the First Kazekage of Sunagakure; Danzo, our Third Hokage; and Asuma Sarutobi of Konoha, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire's daimyo.
Every one of them is a renowned ninja in the Shinobi World."
Suddenly, as though remembering something, Kakashi said seriously to the three of them, "You must keep your respective Chakra natures strictly confidential.
Especially Menma's Chakra nature. You absolutely must not tell anyone else. Understood?"
"Understood!" X3
Before you continue