Incomprehensible

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Menma locked eyes with Kakashi, his tone unwavering. "Kakashi-sensei, we should consider abandoning the mission. It's not just about the rules; it's about our responsibility as a team. We have no idea what other dangers lie ahead. We've already faced two Mist-nin. If Gato controls the economy of an entire country, it's possible he could hire more—perhaps even a Jonin from Kirigakure. You might handle one, Kakashi-sensei, but what if there are more? We can't gamble the safety of the entire team on the unknown."

Before Kakashi could respond, Menma pressed on, his voice serious. "At first, I didn't care whether we continued or not. With you here, Kakashi-sensei, facing Jonin could have been a valuable experience for me. But after hearing Naruto and Sakura's perspectives, I've reconsidered."

He couldn't stand their naive, idealistic attitudes. Menma was determined to stop Kakashi from pushing forward with the mission.

In his mind, Menma couldn't tell if Kakashi, in the original timeline, had been overly sympathetic, too confident in his abilities, or if he simply saw this mission as a special test for Naruto and Sasuke. But now, Menma believed that if he laid out the facts clearly, he could convince him otherwise.

Menma's words were a pointed reminder that Kakashi wasn't alone in this mission. His team consisted of rookies—rookies with significant potential. Sure, Kakashi could take on one Jonin, maybe two. But what if there were more? Could he still protect all four of them?

If Haruno Sakura died, it would be tragic. But if Naruto or Sasuke died? The consequences would be disastrous.

Tazuna's expression grew tense as Menma's words sank in, and even Kakashi's face grew more serious. As a trusted ninja of the Third Hokage, Kakashi had a duty to weigh all risks carefully. The burden on him was greater than it seemed.

Kakashi fell silent, lost in thought. Naruto, sensing the tension, grew anxious. Sakura, standing beside him, cast a hesitant glance at Menma, conflicted by his words.

"Menma, how can you say that?" Naruto shouted, his anger flaring. "Ninjas shouldn't be afraid of danger! When we see people in trouble, we should help them! I didn't think you were this kind of person. I guess I misjudged you!"

Sakura, more composed but equally upset, added, "I agree, Menma-kun. Tazuna-san and the people of the Land of Waves are suffering. We should help them."

Her words revealed her stance but also her disapproval of Menma's attitude. To her, he was being too harsh.

"Should? Shouldn't?" Menma's expression hardened. "Do you even understand what you're saying, Naruto? Sakura? Do you think we can help every person in trouble in the world? The shinobi world is filled with suffering. People die every day in smaller nations and villages. Are you planning to save them all? Sure, ninjas shouldn't shy away from challenges, but charging in without thinking—that's just foolish."

His tone grew colder. "I don't know what's going on in your head, Naruto, but I need to think about our team. Our lives are more important than a noble cause. You might be confident in your strength, but are you willing to watch your comrades die? What will you do if we continue this mission, and Sakura dies in front of you? Will you regret it? Or do you think you're strong enough to protect everyone? Even Kakashi-sensei wouldn't make that claim!"

Turning to Sakura, Menma continued, "And you, Sakura—do you know your own limits? You couldn't even handle the enemy we faced earlier. Have you considered that you might not survive this mission? We're just twelve years old, fresh out of the Academy. Do you want your parents to hear about your death so soon?"

Menma's words, though harsh, held a stark truth. His frustration was real, and he couldn't stand that Naruto and Sakura were blind to the gravity of the situation.

Naruto and Sakura fell silent, their expressions shifting as Menma's words sunk in. Kakashi, however, kept his gaze on Menma, thoughtful. Even Sasuke, who had remained quiet, seemed to be reevaluating Menma, curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Tazuna, who had initially resented Menma's cold pragmatism, now remained quiet. From his perspective, Menma had made valid points. Why should Team 7 risk their lives for what was supposed to be a simple C-rank mission?

Tazuna wasn't a naive man. He had seen the world's cruelty firsthand and knew the cost of fighting men like Gato.

'Maybe… this is fate,' Tazuna thought quietly.

Just as the conversation seemed to settle, Naruto suddenly raised his head, his blue eyes blazing with determination. "Maybe you're right, Menma. I can't save everyone. But my ninja way is to never go back on my word. I can't think too far ahead, or make things more complicated than they are. All I can do is what's right in front of me. I'm not asking you to join me, but even if I have to do it alone, I'll protect Tazuna-san!"

---

Naruto's response was filled with passion and a strong sense of justice—the kind of answer that perfectly matched his personality.

But to Menma, it was the most foolish thing his younger brother could have said. In that moment, Menma felt a deep sense of disappointment in Naruto. He wouldn't boast about being right or just, not even to himself.

The path Menma had chosen was driven by self-interest, but he never lied about valuing the bonds between comrades. As long as those bonds were genuine, he held them in high regard. Naruto was his biological brother, even if Naruto was unaware of that fact. The same blood ran through their veins.

Another reason Menma couldn't ignore Naruto was that his brother's character strongly reminded him of his younger brother from his previous life.

For those reasons, Menma couldn't help but care about Naruto.

He genuinely hoped that someday, Naruto would choose to stand by his side in a critical moment, instead of chasing the naive ideal of mutual understanding, as he did in the original timeline. But right now, the Naruto Namikaze of this life and the Uzumaki Naruto of the original timeline were overlapping in a way that filled Menma with unease.

His younger brother was being foolish.

And Menma felt foolish himself.

This situation might not have been of great importance, but the questions it raised were critical.

Because today, Menma felt he could glimpse the future that awaited them both.

At that moment, he had the urge to punch Naruto, to forcibly wake him up.

*"Is this really Naruto? Heh..."*

Menma took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm the anger that was threatening to erupt.

Naruto was resolute.

Meanwhile, Haruno Sakura was far from the strong and brave kunoichi she would eventually become, as seen in *Shippuden*. Right now, she was just the timid, inexperienced Sakura. Every Naruto fan knew the difference: there was the early, immature "Sakura," and then there was the matured "Sakura."

At this point, she was clearly still the former.

Earlier, she had let her pure-hearted sympathy lead her to support Tazuna without fully understanding the danger. But when Menma pointed out the harsh realities, fear began to creep into Sakura's heart.

*"Death...?"*

As someone who grew up in the sheltered environment of Konoha's Ninja Academy, Sakura had never faced the true cruelty and darkness of the ninja world. The concept of real danger was something she had yet to grasp.

But hearing that she might die changed everything.

Sakura couldn't control the wave of negative emotions that washed over her.

*"I'm the weakest in Team 7. If Gato is as powerful as Menma says, he could easily hire strong ninjas. Could Kakashi-sensei really protect us then?"*

The thought alone made Sakura hesitate.

She was still a child, lacking the courage to face death head-on.

While Naruto remained firm in his stance, Sakura's silence spoke volumes. She no longer had the courage to voice her thoughts. If not for her pride, she might have openly sided with Menma.

But even her silence made her position clear.

"Naruto, you idiot!"

Menma didn't care about Sakura's change in attitude, but Naruto's stubbornness was really getting under his skin.

Why was his brother so damn obstinate?

"Hey, Naruto-kun, there's no need to be so insistent. Menma-kun is right. I deceived you all. Your team shouldn't be taking on this mission. You should abandon it. That's the correct decision."

Just as Menma was about to continue arguing, Tazuna, who had been silent until now, spoke up with a sigh.

"Old man Tazuna, that's a separate issue. I already said this is my nindo!"

Naruto shook his head, still clinging to his belief.

"Kakashi-sensei, I want to continue this mission and protect Tazuna-san until we reach the Land of Waves and the bridge is finished."

Naruto knew he couldn't convince Menma with standard logic. Deep down, he even understood that Menma's arguments were probably right.

But he just couldn't take the "right" path. He wanted to follow his heart and do what he believed was right.

"Alright, Naruto, I never said we wouldn't continue the mission."

Kakashi replied with a light-hearted slap to Naruto's head.

"Huh? Kakashi-sensei, what do you mean?"

"!?"

Kakashi's words clearly showed where he stood. Naruto's face lit up with happiness, but Menma's expression turned perplexed.

He had laid out the risks so clearly.

Yet Kakashi was still determined to continue the mission?

Could it be that this Hatake Kakashi was some kind of selfless saint? That would be a joke.

Either Kakashi's brain had sprung a leak, or there was something else Menma wasn't seeing.

But no matter how much Menma thought about it, he couldn't find a reasonable explanation for Kakashi to bring a freshly graduated Team 7 on a mission with uncertain danger.

"Kakashi-sensei, why?"

Menma didn't bother hiding his confusion and looked directly at Kakashi, making his skepticism clear.

"If a ninja abandons a mission, it affects our evaluation, Menma. This is your first C-rank mission. It's important to complete it if possible. I've also taken your concerns into account. Don't worry, it's not easy to hire a Jonin-level opponent, and I have the ability to protect all of you."

Kakashi smiled, his tone filled with confidence.

As a Jonin with a formidable reputation, Kakashi had every right to be confident. Unless they encountered elite shinobi from the major villages, Kakashi was more than capable of handling most threats.

But Menma still couldn't understand why Kakashi was willing to take this risk with their team.

Even if he was confident, why take such a gamble?

However, Kakashi clearly wasn't planning on explaining further, or perhaps it wasn't something he could explain directly.

This made Menma frown.

"I knew Kakashi-sensei wouldn't give up on the mission!"

Naruto beamed with satisfaction at Kakashi's decision.

Sakura, on the other hand, still looked uneasy. She wanted to say something but held back.

And Sasuke? He remained calm and collected, as always.

For Sasuke, it didn't really matter whether they continued the mission or not, though he did agree with Menma's reasoning.

But from his own perspective, Sasuke didn't think there would be any real danger.

In fact, a little danger might be better. After all, ninjas had to endure trials of blood and fire to truly grow.

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