"Ahaha! Is that so? I totally forgot about that!"
Naruto scratched the back of his head, laughing sheepishly.
Sasuke gave him a sharp, disapproving glance.
Menma, however, wasn't surprised in the slightest. This kind of thing was exactly what he expected. If Naruto didn't act like this, he wouldn't be Naruto at all.
Even in this life—with a slightly different path and a different role—Naruto's essence hadn't changed. Deep down, he was still the same optimistic, loud, reckless ball of energy.
The same old Naruto Uzumaki.
Kakashi gave a small sigh, then lightly tapped Naruto's head. "Naruto, you really need to pay attention. Just like Sakura said—the five great shinobi villages are the recognized military powers of the ninja world. But that doesn't mean they're the only ones. Smaller nations have their own shinobi villages too—places like Amegakure (the Village Hidden by Rain), Kusagakure (Hidden Grass Village), Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village), and Yugakure (Hidden Hot Water Village). They're legitimate villages, but compared to the Great Five, their strength and influence are much smaller."
He paused, glancing back at the group as they walked. "Only the leaders of the Five Great Villages carry the title of Kage. For us, it's the Hokage. The others are the Mizukage, Raikage, Tsuchikage, and Kazekage."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Ohhh, I get it now!"
Kakashi's tone shifted, becoming a touch more serious. "So when you say you'll surpass all previous Hokage—including your father, the Fourth—you can't just say it. You'll have to earn it. With real effort."
Naruto grinned, his blue eyes burning with determination. "Of course I know that, Kakashi-sensei! Just you watch—I'll never lose if I work hard enough!"
As he declared that, Naruto shot a quick glance at Menma and Sasuke. After all, the three of them were constantly compared—Konoha's newest rookie trio, all near the top of their Academy class.
A bit of rivalry was inevitable.
Menma's calm expression didn't waver. Sasuke, however, snorted softly and looked away, though his eyes flicked briefly toward Menma.
Behind them, Tazuna, who had been walking quietly, turned to study Naruto with a new expression.
So this loud, impulsive boy… was the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze—the man who once saved the entire village.
For a moment, the old bridge builder was stunned. Such a child carried the legacy of a legend. His confidence in this escort mission rose sharply.
He already knew that Kakashi was a Jōnin when he accepted the mission, but learning that the Fourth Hokage's own son was part of the team only reinforced his trust.
A Jōnin leading the son of the Fourth Hokage…
This bridge project might actually succeed after all.
Tazuna smiled faintly at the thought.
⸻
Team 7 continued their journey, the sounds of the forest slowly replacing the distant echoes of the Hidden Leaf Village. Even with an ordinary civilian among them, they made steady progress. After two to three hours, they had completely left the boundaries of the Fire Country's interior and were heading southeast toward the coastal border.
As they reached a long, narrow path lined with towering trees on both sides, Kakashi suddenly narrowed his eye.
Something was off.
A faint rustle.
Then—
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two figures burst from the trees on either side of the path, moving at high speed. The ambush was perfectly timed—so precise that even Naruto and Sakura hadn't yet processed what was happening.
The attackers were large, muscular men wearing distinctive gauntlets, their movements quick and coordinated.
In a split second, a heavy, black iron chain shot out between them—wrapping tightly around Kakashi.
"Clang!"
Then came the sound of tearing flesh.
"Pfft!"
Blood splattered across the dirt road as Kakashi's body was ripped apart by the chain.
"Kakashi-sensei?!" Sakura screamed, her voice trembling with horror.
Even Sasuke and Tazuna froze for an instant, their eyes widening.
The scene was brutal—too real for rookies who had barely graduated the Academy. Sakura's mind blanked completely; her hands shook as she stared at the torn remains of their instructor.
"First one down," one of the attackers growled, glaring toward the young Genin.
He shifted his stance, chakra flaring under his feet as he and his partner lunged forward.
But before they could reach the group—
Menma and Sasuke moved.
Unlike Naruto and Sakura, both of them had seen death before. Menma had lived through loss that carved steel into his heart; Sasuke had witnessed the massacre of his entire clan. Blood and fear no longer paralyzed them.
Their bodies reacted before their minds did.
Sasuke dashed forward, intercepting the attacker on the left, while Menma met the one on the right. Their teamwork was instinctive—alternate defense and offense, covering one another's movements perfectly.
"Clash!"
Metal met metal. Sparks flew.
The attackers' eyes widened in shock. These weren't helpless rookies—they were fast, precise, and calm.
The moment of surprise gave Menma the edge.
"Hmph."
A low growl escaped his throat as his chakra surged, the air around him trembling.
"Bang!"
He stepped forward sharply, his chakra pressure slamming into his opponent like a wave.
"Not good!" the man shouted, feeling the sudden heaviness in his limbs.
Before he could retreat, Menma's right arm whipped across, his movement clean and powerful—breaking the enemy's guard in a single motion.
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