Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 352 Kakashi's Wallet Suffers a Major Loss
On the training field, the wind blew across the scorched earth, stirring up wisps of lingering smoke.

Kakashi stood still, his gaze slowly sweeping over the three boys and girls in front of him.

His silver hair was covered with bits of grass and dirt, and his dark green Jonin vest had a few wrinkles from the blast wave. Although he wasn't seriously injured, he looked rather disheveled compared to his relaxed and composed demeanor when he first arrived, as he was reading a book.

Especially the two bells at his waist, which jingled crisply in the wind, seemed to remind him of what had just happened.

"One explosive tag costs 2000 taels of silver..."

Kakashi muttered to himself, raising his right hand and adjusting his Konoha headband, which he was wearing askew, with a hint of helplessness.

There was no anger in his eyes, only a complex mix of surprise, admiration, and a slight weariness.

The battle just now revealed a lot.

Naruto's ridiculously large number of shadow clones is not like the amount of chakra a normal genin should have.

Hinata's Byakugan perception, precise kunai throwing, and perfectly timed tactical positioning far surpass the level of an ordinary genin.

Then there's Mianma, who remained excessively calm throughout, possessing astonishingly solid physical skills and terrifyingly clear tactical thinking.

More importantly, it's their teamwork that's crucial.

From the initial use of shadow clones to restrain him, to the use of kunai and explosive tags to force him to take things seriously, to Menma's close-quarters combat, and finally Hinata's shadow clones decoys exploding...

One link after another.

Every step was calculated.

In wartime, if Kakashi encountered three ordinary genin, he could easily "resolve" the battle due to the overwhelming difference in strength.

For example, activating the Sharingan, using a few advanced ninjutsu, or simply delivering a fatal blow, can end the battle within ten seconds.

But now it's an assessment, so doing that would completely defeat the purpose.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto's voice pulled Kakashi back to reality from his thoughts.

Naruto stood next to Menma, his hands clasped in a fist salute, his face beaming with eager anticipation, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement: "Want to keep fighting? I still have plenty of shadow clones left!"

As he spoke, he prepared to form the hand seal again.

"Wait, Naruto."

Menma raised his hand and gently placed it on Naruto's shoulder.

He didn't even look back at Naruto, but that simple action stopped Naruto, who was excitedly preparing to continue his charge, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Kakashi noticed this, and Menma's leadership qualities among the three were on full display.

"Huh? Menma-san?" Naruto turned around in confusion. "What's wrong? Aren't we about to win?"

Hinata also looked at Menma, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

She still held a kunai in each hand, maintaining a fighting stance, her cheeks flushed slightly from the intense exercise.

Menma did not answer Naruto immediately.

He took a step forward and stood half a step in front of Naruto and Hinata.

"Kakashi-sensei," Menma spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the empty training ground, "Is it still necessary to continue?"

Kakashi narrowed his right eye slightly.

He looked at the black-haired boy in front of him.

Mianma's expression was calm, with even a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, but deep in his dark eyes was a composure and insight beyond his years.

"Oh?" Kakashi released his hand from his headband, straightened up, put his hands back in his pockets, and resumed his lazy posture.

"How to say?"

"After all, when Kakashi-sensei gets serious, he's an elite Jonin, while the three of us are just newly graduated Genin. If we could really snatch the bell from you..."

Menma paused, his gaze sweeping over the two white bells at Kakashi's waist.

"That would be strange."

The wind blew again, and the bells jingled softly.

In the forest, Sasuke, hidden among the branches and leaves, frowned even more deeply.

His Sharingan was fixed on Menma on the training field, the two tomoe slowly rotating in his eyes.

'This guy...'

A complex emotion welled up in Sasuke's heart.

He admitted that Menma was very strong; his six years at the Ninja Academy, thirty-six challenges, and thirty-six failures were enough to prove it.

But it wasn't until just now, seeing the perfect teamwork between Menma, Naruto, and Hinata, and witnessing their seamless tactical coordination, that Sasuke truly realized that this guy he considered his "arch-nemesis" might be even stronger than he had imagined.

What Sasuke cared about even more was what Menma said at that moment.

"It would be strange if we could actually snatch the bell from you."

A seemingly casual remark, yet it pinpointed the core issue of this survival exercise assessment.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi.

This is the former captain of the Dark Guard.

If Kakashi really got serious, let alone three genin, even thirty genin wouldn't be able to take anything from him.

So this assessment...

Some images flashed through Sasuke's mind.

Kakashi's teachings when he led them on missions, his words about "team," "comrades," and "trust."

There were also some things Kakashi told him earlier, when he had just joined the Anbu.

“I see…” Sasuke muttered to himself, glancing again at the location where Sai and Yugao were hiding.

On the training field, Kakashi remained silent for a few seconds after hearing Menma's words.

Then, he sighed softly, his voice carrying a sense of helplessness at being seen through, and a hint of relief at finally not having to act anymore.

“Indeed.” Kakashi nodded, pulled his right hand out of his pocket, and scratched his silver hair. “Your teamwork is better than many teams. I think you guessed it too. The real test isn’t these two bells, is it?”

"Eh?"

Naruto was stunned.

He looked at Kakashi, then at Menma, his blue eyes filled with question marks, and his expression of "I don't understand what you're saying at all" was almost tangible.

"The bells...aren't they part of the assessment?" Naruto scratched his head, making his blond hair a mess. "Then why do we have to fight over the bells? Kakashi-sensei, didn't you say that those who don't get them have to go back to the Ninja Academy to repeat their studies?"

Hinata also looked confused, but instead of asking directly like Naruto, she looked at Menma with her pure white eyes, waiting for his explanation.

Menma turned around to face Naruto and Hinata.

His expression was gentle, as if he were explaining a complex math problem to two students who didn't quite understand the situation.

"Naruto, Hinata," Menma's voice was calm and patient: "Think about it, if the test really was just about 'stealing bells,' then why did Kakashi-sensei set the condition of 'only two bells'?"

Naruto tilted his head and thought for a moment: "Because...because only two people can qualify?"

"Then why 'two'?" Menma continued to guide the toe: "Why not 'one', or 'three'?"

“Because…” Naruto opened his mouth, but couldn’t answer.

Hinata spoke softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty: "Because...there are exactly three of us?"

“That’s right.” Menma nodded: “Three people, two bells. That means that no matter what, one person will be ‘unqualified’.”

He paused, then looked at Kakashi: "But Kakashi-sensei has known from the beginning that the three of us grew up together and have a very good relationship. If one of us really has to go back to the Ninja Academy to repeat our studies..."

"Hinata and I will absolutely not agree!" Naruto shouted immediately, his fists clenched tightly. "We're in this together! If we pass, we pass together! If we have to retake the course, we retake it together!"

Hinata nodded vigorously, her cheeks still flushed, but her eyes were very determined: "I-I think so too!"

Menma smiled, a smile that seemed to say, "See? That's how it is."

He turned back to Kakashi: "So, Kakashi-sensei. The so-called 'bell snatching,' the so-called 'only two people can pass,' was a trap from the very beginning. The real purpose was not to test whether we could snatch something from you; that would be an impossible task for us genin."

Kakashi crossed his arms, a hint of admiration flashing in his dead fish eyes.

"Go on," he said, his voice still languid, but no longer as casual as before.

“Survival drills are completely unnecessary for ninjas who have already graduated.” Menma analyzed calmly, each word clear and forceful: “Then the focus of the assessment is not on ‘combat ability,’ which has already been tested in the graduation exam. In that case, there aren’t many possibilities left.”

His gaze swept over Naruto and Hinata.

"Teamwork, the tacit understanding between team members, and the choices made when faced with dilemmas such as 'insufficient resources' and 'someone must sacrifice'... and most importantly—"

Mianma paused for a second, then uttered the word:

"Bonds".

The word echoed across the training field.

Naruto was stunned.

Hinata's eyes widened slightly.

In the forest, Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly.

Beneath Kakashi's mask, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.

“I think Kakashi-sensei’s original plan was to have two of us ‘qualify’,” Menma continued, “or to prepare some other tricks to make the ‘resources’ unbalanced, causing internal competition, and so on, to test the three of us.”

He looked at Kakashi, his dark eyes fixed on the exposed right eye:
"This must be the key reason why Kakashi-sensei was eliminated. It's not that he wasn't strong enough, but that he couldn't value his comrades, couldn't make the right choices in difficult situations, and couldn't build a true 'bond'."

silence.

The training ground was quiet for a few seconds.

The only sounds were the wind blowing across the scorched earth, the babbling of a distant stream, and the faint chirping of birds in the forest.

Then, Kakashi smiled.

It wasn't a lazy, perfunctory laugh, but a heartfelt laugh filled with relief and nostalgia.

Although the mask covered the lower half of his face, the curve of his eyes and the slightly relaxed posture of his shoulders revealed his current mood.

“Absolutely right.” Kakashi nodded, a hint of emotion in his voice: “If he can’t even respect his teammates, then he really can’t become a ninja, at least not a ninja I would approve of.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the three faces: "Ninjas aren't lone wolves. Missions involve all sorts of unexpected situations; you might get injured, you might find yourself in dire straits, you might face choices where someone has to sacrifice themselves to ensure the survival of the others. If, at that moment, all you think about is yourself..."

Kakashi didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already clear.

Naruto finally understood.

His eyes widened, and the exaggerated "sudden realization" expression on his face was like that of a cartoon character.

"So, Kakashi-sensei, you were testing us from the very beginning to see if we truly valued each other?!" Naruto's voice rose eight octaves, filled with anger at being deceived, but even more so with excitement at understanding: "You actually doubted my friendship with Menma and Hinata! We've been best friends since childhood!"

He almost shouted it out, his blue eyes shining with a pure and fervent light.

Hinata's face turned even redder, but she didn't lower her head. Instead, she looked at Kakashi and said in a small but firm voice, "I also trust Menma and Naruto... No matter what happens, I will not abandon my comrades."

Menma stood between the two without saying a word, but the smile on her lips deepened.

Kakashi looked at the three boys and girls standing together, and saw the unreserved trust and bond in their eyes. A soft spot in his heart was touched.

He felt as if he were seeing himself from more than ten years ago.

Back then, he wasn't called "Copy Ninja," he didn't have the Sharingan, and he wasn't the Kakashi Hatake who was always late, watched Icha Icha Paradise, and used "I'm lost on the road of life" as an excuse.

At that time, he was just a withdrawn and indifferent boy who had become isolated because of his father's suicide. He was assigned to Minato Namikaze's team and became teammates with Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara.

Obito, that loser, is always late, always says naive things, and always argues with himself.

Lin is gentle and kind, and tries her best to reconcile the relationships within the team.

Teacher Minato patiently taught them and never gave up on any of them.

Then, at the Kaminari Bridge.

Obito gave him the Sharingan, which was then buried under rocks.

Lin died under his Raikiri while protecting the village.

Minato sacrificed himself along with Kushina to seal the Nine-Tails.

From that day on, he changed.

He became lazy, lost interest in everything, was always late, always watched Idle Paradise, and hid all his emotions behind a mask and headband.

But he never forgot those things.

"A person who doesn't value his or her companions is worse than a piece of trash."

That's what Obito said.

"Kakashi, you must live well, carrying their share."

That's what Mr. Minato said.

"Kakashi, smile."

Lin said so.

These words, these memories, these bonds—these are what make him who he is today.

Now, looking at these three children, at the pure, unreserved trust and bond in their eyes, he seemed to see his younger self, Obito, and Rin.

Beneath the mask, Kakashi couldn't help but let a slight smile creep up his lips.

'Is this what Kai always calls youth...?'

'It really is... dazzling.'

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging memories deep within his heart.

"Well then—" His voice returned to its usual languid tone, but a subtle hint of gentleness could be detected if one listened carefully, "Congratulations, you've passed."

A brief moment of silence.

“Great!!!!”

Naruto jumped up, raised his hands high, and let out a cheer of extreme excitement.

He spun around in place, his golden hair shimmering in the sunlight, his smile as bright as the midday sun in summer.

"We passed! Menma-nii! Hinata! We passed! We are Kakashi-sensei's students now!"

He shouted as he forcefully patted Mianma's shoulder.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

She looked at Menma, her pure white eyes sparkling with joy, and whispered, "That's wonderful, Menma-kun..."

Menma nodded, his face still displaying an expression of complete control, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.

He looked at the cheering Naruto, at the smiling Hinata, and at Kakashi, who was lazy but had a look of satisfaction in his eyes. A complex emotion welled up in his heart.

Kakashi walked up to the three of them.

Although the three little ones were not even as tall as his shoulder, Kakashi felt that they possessed a radiance beyond their years when he looked at them.

The radiance that comes from mutual trust and support.

"Alright, alright, that's enough for the celebration." Kakashi clapped his hands, interrupting Naruto's incessant cheers: "Stop jumping, Naruto, you're going to stomp holes in the ground if you keep jumping."

"Hehe!" Naruto stopped, but his face still wore that excited smile, his blue eyes sparkling. "Kakashi-sensei! When do we start our mission? What's the first one? Slaying bandits? Escorting a caravan? Or—" "Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock," Kakashi interrupted his rambling. "Meet at the mission hall in front of the Hokage Building. I'll take you there to receive your first mission."

"Okay!" Naruto nodded vigorously!
Kakashi stroked his chin: "Remember, don't be late tomorrow."

"I definitely won't be late!" Naruto patted his chest and promised.

Kakashi looked at his confident expression, a hint of doubt flashing in his dead fish eyes.

Based on his understanding of Naruto, the chances of that kid not being late are about as low as the chances of him not watching Icha Icha Paradise.

However, he didn't say anything, but instead looked at Mianma.

Menma wore a faint smile as he looked tenderly at the elated Naruto.

Kakashi walked up to Menma.

Mianma raised her head and looked at him.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

"You're really annoying to look at," Kakashi said, his voice tinged with a complex emotion.

This was said very directly, but there was no real disgust or hostility in the tone. Rather, it was a helpless sigh that there were smart people in the team, and it would be difficult for him to slack off or cheat them.

Menma tilted his head, his smile deepening: "Then I hope Kakashi-sensei will be understanding in the future."

Looking at his effortless demeanor, Kakashi suddenly understood how Minato had felt when he was being mentored by him.

Back then, he was also a genius, a boy who always appeared calm and collected, seemingly unconcerned about anything except his mission.

Minato-sensei probably often felt this way: he was pleased with his students' excellence, but also a little troubled by the "difficulty in managing" that came with it.

"Never mind." Kakashi waved his hand, resuming his lazy demeanor. "Since you've passed, Team 7 is officially formed. According to tradition—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three of them:
"The teacher should treat the students to a meal to celebrate."

Naruto's eyes lit up instantly.

"Really?! Kakashi-sensei, you're treating?!" He practically pounced on Kakashi, his blue eyes gleaming with anticipation. "What are we eating? What are we eating? Ichiraku Ramen? Or yakiniku? Or—"

"Ichiraku Ramen, please." Kakashi interrupted Naruto's daydream.

"Yay!" Naruto cheered again, "Ichiraku Ramen! Kakashi-sensei is treating us to Ichiraku Ramen!"

Hinata smiled happily and whispered, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei..."

Menma laughed and said, "Then Kakashi-sensei is going to have to pay a hefty price."

"Let's go then." Kakashi turned and walked out of the training ground.

"If you go now, there shouldn't be many people."

"Wait for me! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto immediately followed, hopping and skipping like an excited puppy.

Hinata and Menma exchanged a glance and followed.

The four left the training ground and walked along the forest path towards Konoha Village.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

In the distance, Konoha Village appeared peaceful and serene under the afternoon sun. The statues of the Hokage from past generations on the Hokage Rock silently overlooked the village, like guardians and witnesses.

On the way, Naruto kept talking excitedly.

"Kakashi-sensei! Your Body Flicker Technique was so fast! I didn't even see it!"

"Kakashi-sensei! How strong are you among the Jonin?"

"Kakashi-sensei! What's that book you're reading? It looks really interesting!"

Kakashi responded casually, mostly with "uh-huh," "ah," or "oh," but he didn't seem impatient.

Menma and Hinata walked behind, quietly listening to Naruto and Kakashi's conversation.

"Menma-kun," Hinata said softly, her cheeks slightly flushed, "Thank you for earlier..."

Menma turned to look at her: "Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for always protecting me and Naruto." Hinata's voice was soft but earnest: "And... thank you for always being by our side."

Menma looked into Hinata's pure white eyes, and saw the pure, unreserved trust and reliance in them. A soft spot in his heart was touched.

He reached out and gently ruffled Hinata's hair.

"What are you saying?" His voice was gentle. "Aren't we companions?"

Hinata's face turned even redder, but she didn't flinch. She just lowered her head and whispered an "Mmm."

Naruto, who was walking ahead and talking to Kakashi, suddenly turned around, saw this scene, and grinned.

"Hinata, why is your face so red!" he said loudly, his tone teasing.

"Naruto, Naruto!" Hinata's face instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple.

Mianma smiled helplessly and withdrew his hand.

Kakashi watched this scene, a hint of a smile flashing in his dead fish eyes.

'Youth is so wonderful...'

He sighed in his heart.

Soon, the four of them arrived at the neighborhood where Ichiraku Ramen was located.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street at the moment. The red curtain of Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant swayed gently in the breeze, and a faint aroma of ramen soup wafted out.

"We're here." Kakashi stopped and lifted the curtain.

"go in."

"Oh!" Naruto was the first to rush in: "Uncle Tetsuya! Sister Ayame! We're here!"

Menma and Hinata followed them inside, while Kakashi was the last to enter.

The ramen shop was quiet, with only two or three customers eating their noodles.

The middle-aged man was busy when he heard Naruto's voice. He looked up and smiled.

"It's Naruto." The middle-aged man's voice was gentle: "And Menma and Hinata... Oh, Kakashi, long time no see."

He looked at Kakashi.

"Yo, long time no see, Boss Kakashi." Kakashi was clearly a regular customer, his tone casual: "They passed the test today, so I'm treating to a celebration."

"Oh? Congratulations! Naruto, Menma, and Hinata!" Uncle Tezuka nodded with a smile.

Then the middle-aged man smiled and began preparing: "The usual? Naruto, miso ramen with Naruto rolls; Menma, tonkotsu ramen with bamboo shoots; Hinata..."

He paused, then looked at Hinata: "How many bowls of rice do you want to eat today, Hinata?"

Hinata's face flushed slightly, and she said softly, "Um... a normal portion is fine..."

Kakashi looked at Hinata with some confusion.

Normal serving size?

Why did the middle-aged man ask "How many bowls do you want to eat?"
Before Kakashi could figure it out, Naruto spoke up.

"Hinata, are you sure?" Naruto asked seriously. "Kakashi-sensei is treating! Aren't you going to eat more?"

Menma looked at Hinata, a smile playing on his lips: "Yes, Hinata. Today is a celebration, so feel free to eat as much as you like."

Hinata's face turned even redder. She glanced at Kakashi, then at Menma and Naruto, and finally whispered, "Then...then...eat a little more..."

"Alright!" The hand-beating uncle nodded with a smile, "Then let's start with five large bowls! We can add more if that's not enough!"

"Five bowls? Large portions?" Kakashi was stunned.

He looked at Hinata.

This petite, slender girl, who looks quiet and gentle, can eat five large bowls of ramen in one sitting?
"Kakashi-sensei, didn't you know?" Naruto leaned closer to Kakashi, lowering his voice, but loud enough for everyone to hear: "Hinata can eat a lot! Last time the three of us came to eat ramen, she ate fifteen bowls!"

"Fifteen bowls?!" Kakashi was shocked.

He looked Hinata up and down again.

Those pure white eyes, that fair and delicate face, that shy little girl look... they don't look like a glutton who can eat fifteen bowls of ramen at all.

But both Uncle Tezuka and Naruto had expressions that said, "This is the truth," Menma nodded with a smile, and Hinata herself lowered her head, her face so red it was almost steaming.

"Um...I..." Hinata's voice was barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz: "I actually...don't eat much..."

"No, no, no, you eat a lot." Naruto corrected him seriously: "Last time you ate fifteen bowls and you said you were only six-tenths full!"

Kakashi: "..."

He suddenly had an ominous premonition.

"Boss Tetsuji." Kakashi turned to Tetsuji and asked, "Five large bowls of ramen... how much would that cost?"

The middle-aged man calculated: "A large portion costs seventy taels per bowl, so five bowls would cost three hundred and fifty taels."

He opened his wallet and counted the money inside.

He only had about 1,500 taels left in his wallet.

Five bowls of ramen cost 350 ryo. He, Naruto, and Menma each had one bowl, so the total came to less than 600 ryo.

In addition, we might need to add some more...

"That's enough." Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief.

But he let his guard down too soon.

After one hour.

Kakashi looked at the twenty-first large bowl piled up in front of Hinata, his hand trembling slightly as he opened his wallet again.

Hinata had just put down her twenty-first large bowl, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said softly, "Um... Sensei... I'm already full..."

Her voice was sincere, her expression was sincere, and she really looked like she had eaten her fill.

But as Kakashi looked at the twenty-one empty bowls and then at the 1,500 ryo in his wallet, a complex emotion welled up inside him.

Twenty-one large bowls of ramen.

One bowl costs seventy taels.

That is... 1,470 taels.

In addition, Naruto, Menma, and he each ate a bowl...

"Boss, how much... is it in total?" Kakashi's voice was a little hoarse.

Uncle Teuchi was wiping bowls behind the counter when he heard Kakashi's words. He looked up and said with a smile, "Let me do the math... Hinata has twenty-one large bowls, which is 1,470 ryo; Naruto, Menma, and you each have one medium bowl, which is 1,620 ryo in total. Let's round it down to 1,600 ryo."

Kakashi took a deep breath, took out the remaining 1,500 ryo from his wallet, and then rummaged through his other pockets for some change, making up the difference.

He remained silent for a few seconds before handing the money to his daughter, Changpu, who had made the money by hand.

Sweet flag smiled and said, "Thank you for your patronage!"

Menma couldn't help but smile as he watched this scene.

"Kakashi-sensei," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Do you need any help?"

Kakashi looked at him, a hint of helplessness flashing in his dead fish eyes.

He sighed, "I'm just a little surprised..."

He glanced at Hinata, who was clearly still not satisfied; this little girl could probably eat one of his explosive tags in one sitting.

Hinata was looking down, her face as red as a tomato, her hands nervously twisting together, and she whispered, "I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei... I ate too much..."

Seeing her like this, Kakashi's initial feeling of regret over the money suddenly dissipated.

“No need to apologize, Hinata.” His voice softened, a gentleness rarely heard from him: “Being able to eat is a good thing. Ninjas need stamina, they need chakra, and both require energy. The more you eat, the better your body is, the more chakra you can store, and the greater your future potential.”

Kakashi paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, when a teacher treats a student to a meal, the student is happy, and the teacher is happy too. Money and such... are not important."

He said the last sentence a little reluctantly, but he got the point.

Hinata raised her head and looked at Kakashi, her eyes slightly red.

"Thank you... Kakashi-sensei..."

Naruto grinned at the sight: "That's right! Hinata, don't be shy! Kakashi-sensei is very rich! He's a Jonin, you know!"

Menma rested one hand on the table, propped his chin on his hand, and laughed, "Yes, Hinata. Since Kakashi-sensei said he'd treat, he won't mind these things."

Kakashi's lips twitched slightly beneath his mask as he listened to his two disciples' words.

How come I don't know I'm rich?

He thought of his wallet, which was always empty because he frequently bought limited editions of "Make-Out Paradise" and various ninja tools, and a faint sadness welled up in his heart.

Forget it.

If the money is gone, you can make it again.

"Alright." Kakashi clapped his hands and stood up. "Let's go now that you've finished eating. We have a mission tomorrow, so go home and get some rest."

"Yes!" Naruto immediately stood up, full of energy.

Hinata and Menma also got up.

The four said goodbye to Uncle Tetsu and Ayame, and left Ichiraku Ramen.

It was getting dark outside, and the setting sun had painted the sky orange-red. Scattered lights lit up the streets of Konoha.

"That's all for today." Kakashi stood at the entrance of the ramen shop, looking at his three disciples: "Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, in the mission hall of the Hokage Building. Don't be late."

"I definitely won't be late!" Naruto assured him again.

"Yes." Kakashi nodded, then looked at Menma and Hinata: "You too."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," Menma and Hinata replied simultaneously.

Kakashi glanced at them again, then turned and leaped up, disappearing between the rooftops in a few bounds.

Watching Kakashi leave, Naruto stretched out a big yawn.

"Ah—I'm so happy today!" He had a satisfied smile on his face: "I passed the test, became Kakashi-sensei's student, and even ate Ichiraku Ramen!"

He turned to Menma and Hinata, his blue eyes gleaming: "What will the first mission be? I hope it's to defeat mountain bandits! That way we can get some real combat experience!"

"It could be something like looking for a cat." Menma shattered his fantasy: "Newly graduated genin all start with D-rank missions."

"Huh? Looking for a cat..." Naruto immediately deflated: "That's so boring..."

Hinata whispered, "Being able to do a mission with Menma-kun... even if it's just finding a cat... I'd be very happy..."

Hearing Hinata's words, Naruto perked up again: "That's right! As long as I'm with Menma and Hinata, I'll do any mission!"

Menma looked at the two of them and smiled, "That's settled then. Go back and get some rest today. Tomorrow... let's do our best together."

“Yes!” Naruto and Hinata nodded.

After parting ways with Naruto, Menma, Hinata, and Naruto, they walked together towards home.

The sun has completely set, and night has fallen.

(End of this chapter)