Kakashi lightly patted Sakura's shoulder and said, "Sakura, stop staring. You can look all you want, but you're not getting in."
Sakura's expression twitched. Kakashi Sensei, you're so cruel…
Kakashi smirked under his mask. "Sakura, maybe it's time to change your crush. How about Menma? He's stronger and better-looking than Sasuke."
He grinned wickedly. Heh, Menma, don't blame me for this one.
Boom. Sakura felt her brain short-circuit. Me? Like Brother Menma? NONONO! She shook her head so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. He's terrifying!
"Don't like him?" Kakashi asked teasingly. "You don't think he's handsome? Not strong enough?"
Sakura panicked. "He's handsome! He's strong!" she blurted out. How could she deny it? Brother Menma didn't care if you were male or female — he'd smack you either way.
Her mind flashed back to that awful day when she and Ino got spanked for arguing during training. The pain… the horror…
Like Big Brother Menma? Impossible. Even if he were the last man alive, she'd still pass!
Kakashi saw her about to cry and stopped pushing. He sighed. "Menma, Menma… when will you finally get a girlfriend? Your popularity with women is abysmal."
If Menma had been there, he would've retorted, Says the thirty-year-old single man! I'm twelve! I've got time!
"Kakashi Sensei, can you move faster?" Sasuke called back impatiently. "You're slower than a turtle."
Kakashi sighed and picked up the pace.
Then Sasuke glanced at Sakura struggling behind them and said something that made her heart explode.
"Sakura… if you can't keep up, I'll carry you."
Sakura's heart nearly stopped. Did I just hear that right?! Sasuke wants to carry me?! She was seconds away from pretending to faint just to make it happen.
But then—
Naruto turned to Sasuke with the most judgmental grin imaginable. Oh no.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Naruto?" Sasuke snapped.
Naruto smirked. "No need to explain, Sasuke. Explaining means you're hiding something."
Sasuke twitched. "Naruto, when we get back to the village, I'm fighting you for three hundred rounds!"
Naruto tilted his head innocently. "Three hundred rounds? You think you can last that long?"
Sasuke froze. Kakashi coughed and suddenly found the clouds very interesting. That tone… that line… was pure Menma energy.
Kakashi shuddered at the memory. Three hundred rounds? I couldn't even handle one hundred with that monster!
At the back of the group, Sakura clenched her fists. "Hold me back? I'll show you who's slow!"
Fueled by pride, she sprinted to the front of the team.
"Wow, Sakura, that's awesome!" Naruto cheered.
"Thanks!" Sakura puffed up proudly and glanced at Sasuke. But he didn't even look — just kept walking, expression serious.
Naruto noticed and sighed. So that's it, huh?
He remembered what his brother had told him: talent matters, but hard work matters more.
"Konoha once had a ninja with no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu," Menma had said. "But he never gave up — and created the Eight Gates Formation."
Naruto remembered every word. The Eight Gates — eight points that controlled chakra flow in the body. Opening them granted power, but at a fatal cost. The final gate, the Gate of Death, could make one stronger than the Five Kage for a brief moment — and then burn away their life.
Menma's lesson was clear: success = 1% talent + 99% effort.
He lived it too — training nonstop with hundreds of shadow clones every day.
(Shadow Clones: Do you even have shame?)
(Menma: Nope, thick skin is my ninja way.)
"Sakura," Naruto called, "don't worry about Sasuke's words. He just wants to finish fast so he can go home for his brother's wedding."
Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh! That's right!"
Sasuke, realizing how harsh he'd sounded, sighed. "I'm sorry, Sakura."
"It's okay," Sakura said with a smile. "You're right — I was slowing us down. But one day, I'll catch up to you!"
Naruto gave her a big thumbs-up. "That's the spirit! Sakura, your second Sasuke is just around the corner!"
"Second?" Sasuke asked suspiciously. "Who's the first?"
"Obviously me."
"Go to hell, it's me!"
"Dream on, Sasuke!"
The two bickered all the way to their destination, finishing the mission by midday.
Kakashi suggested resting for the night before heading back, but Sasuke refused — he wanted to return in time for the wedding.
Naruto grinned. "I've got an idea."
He created three shadow clones. "See? We'll take turns carrying each other. Easy."
Kakashi sweatdropped. The student carrying the teacher…? No thanks.
Both Sasuke and Sakura refused, but halfway back Sakura was too tired to continue, and Naruto wordlessly had his clone carry her.
By morning, the four of them finally reached Konoha Village.
"Hey, Sasuke, you owe us a meal!" Naruto said.
"No problem," Sasuke replied, feeling a bit guilty for pushing them so hard.
"Thanks, Pillar," Naruto said casually.
Sasuke froze. "Naruto… don't call me Pillar!"
"Pfft—hahahahahaha!" Naruto burst out laughing.
Sasuke: "Tch…"
(End of Chapter)
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