Stop! Go drink water, you need it.
Chapter 137: Comrades
"Alright, this should be fine now, while Kakashi-sensei hasn't returned."
Naruto slightly loosened the ropes binding Sakura, allowing her to barely free her hands to eat. His own lunch box, which he had barely touched, was taken over by Satsuki without question.
"Um... thank you both so much..."
Sakura's eyes reddened slightly, her voice choked with emotion as she carefully held Satsuki's lunch box and began eating in small bites. The warm food not only dispelled her hunger but brought a warming current through her body.
On the other side, Satsuki held Naruto's lunch box, a barely perceptible blush rising on her cheeks. She feigned composure as she picked up a piece of tamagoyaki with chopsticks, her gaze somewhat evasive yet forcing an air of naturalness.
"Alright, Naruto, come here. Since there's only one pair of chopsticks, it can't be helped."
She slightly raised her hand, offering the food toward Naruto—clearly intending to feed him personally.
Seeing this, Naruto was momentarily stunned, then smiled knowingly and cooperatively lowered his head, opening his mouth to approach the chopsticks.
Watching Naruto's face draw closer and his lips about to touch the food, Satsuki's heartbeat involuntarily accelerated. An irrepressible surge of joy and excitement rose in her heart as she could barely suppress the upward curve of her lips—
BANG!
The next moment, a tremendous thudding sound exploded! Accompanied by scattering smoke and sharp momentum, a silver figure appeared before the three like a phantom.
Kakashi had obviously witnessed that "rule-breaking" scene and landed with an extremely oppressive stance, causing the ground to tremble slightly. He emanated a terrifying low pressure, and though his mask covered most of his face, that single exposed eye was filled with "anger" and "disappointment."
"You guys!"
This sudden roar and Kakashi's appearance instantly froze the subtly atmospheric scene! Sakura was so startled she nearly dropped her lunch box, all color draining from her face.
Satsuki's chopsticks holding the food suddenly trembled as she quickly withdrew her hand, instinctively trying to hide the lunch box behind her.
"How dare you!"
The chakra Kakashi deliberately released formed tangible pressure, causing the clear sky to rumble with low thunder as dark clouds began gathering.
"To openly violate the rules I set? You should understand very well what this means, right?"
The substantial oppressive force made Sakura tremble all over, but seeing Kakashi's truly thunderous fury, an unprecedented courage suddenly erupted from deep in her heart.
"W-wait a minute!" She practically screamed out.
"Hmm?" Kakashi's oppressive gaze instantly locked onto her. "What? Does the rule-breaking brat have something more to say?"
"That... it's not their fault! It wasn't Naruto-kun and Satsuki-san who decided on their own!"
Sakura gathered all her courage, her voice growing louder. "It was... it was me! I begged them to share some food with me! It's all my responsibility!"
Watching Sakura actually step forward at this moment, trying to take all the responsibility onto herself alone, Kakashi could barely control the upward curve of his mouth beneath his mask, feeling incredibly relieved.
But on the surface he still maintained that stormy angry appearance, slowly turning his gaze toward Naruto and Satsuki.
"Oh? Is that so?" He waited expectantly for their answer.
Satsuki nearby bit her lower lip tightly. Why? Why did a teacher always have to jump out and complicate things at crucial moments like this!
Strong unwillingness and irritation surged in her heart. Just... just a little bit more! She had finally found a legitimate reason...
"That's not how it was at all!" Satsuki seemed to have her fuse lit, suddenly raising her head and shouting in desperate refutation, tightly grasping Naruto's sleeve beside her.
"This was all my initiative! I wanted to give her the lunch! Fine, I was already prepared to repeat the year anyway!" She shouted as if throwing caution to the wind. "Failing is failing! What's the big deal!"
Anyway, Naruto already promised me! If something unexpected happens, he'll repeat the year with me!
This thought gave her endless confidence. It didn't matter where she was! As long as it was a place where Naruto could be with her!
Besides... Naruto cares about me the most! He'll definitely take my side!
Finally, Kakashi directed that extremely oppressive gaze toward Naruto, who had remained silent throughout.
Naruto looked at this Jonin teacher who was scaring children and found it somewhat amusing, but decided to give the teacher proper respect.
"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei. We violated your rules, and we admit that. But..."
His gaze swept over Satsuki who was tightly gripping his sleeve, then looked at Sakura who, despite her fear, was still trying to straighten her spine, before finally turning back to Kakashi.
"I'm just the kind of person who can't abandon my comrades! Watching teammates go hungry and suffer while standing by for the sake of so-called qualification... that's something I, Uzumaki Naruto, absolutely cannot do!"
"I see..."
The next second, the terrifying chakra pressure and cold anger around Kakashi receded like a tide, and even the thunder in the sky quietly dissipated.
The next moment, his face showed an incredibly relieved and warm smile.
"Then all of you—pass!"
"...Eh? P-pass? Wh-why?"
This sudden dramatic reversal completely bewildered Sakura as she stared wide-eyed, completely unable to understand this rapidly changing plot.
Satsuki beside her was also stunned, unconsciously loosening her grip on Naruto's sleeve.
"Because this was the real test—a test of team spirit." Kakashi restrained his smile, his tone becoming gentle yet serious. "In the past, too many brats would only rigidly follow surface rules, and for their own qualification, could watch comrades go hungry and suffer punishment, even celebrating that they weren't the ones eliminated..."
His gaze became distant.
"Indeed, those who break the rules and iron laws of the ninja world are called trash... but—those who don't know how to cherish their comrades are worse than trash!"
...Though Naruto had no fondness for that bastard Uchiha Obito, he thought this saying was quite good.
"Therefore, I declare—everyone passes! Team 7 will officially begin missions starting tomorrow!"
"So... so wonderful!!"
Enormous joy instantly washed away the fear and anxiety in Sakura's heart like a warm current. Tears of excitement sparkled in the corners of her eyes as she couldn't help but cheer.
Just then, Naruto suddenly felt a weight carrying a faint fragrance gently lean against his arm.
He looked down to see Satsuki burying her face deeply against his arm, her black hair brushing against his skin as she repeated in a muffled, small voice:
"So wonderful..."
Naruto smiled, just about to suggest celebrating by going to eat something together when—
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host: Initial bond established with original character "Hatake Kakashi"!]
[Points earned: 350!]
This unexpected harvest put Naruto in an even better mood as he immediately looked up and enthusiastically suggested:
"Then, Kakashi-sensei! To celebrate Team 7's official formation! Let me treat everyone to dinner! Let sensei try my cooking!"
"Hmm?"
Kakashi blinked his single exposed eye somewhat puzzledly, instinctively looking at the lunch he had prepared. "Is my lunch not to your taste?"
Logically, his cooking was quite good—Rin and Obito used to like his food...
"It won't go to waste!"
Naruto quickly waved his hands. "This has been sitting out all morning, sensei's lunch must be completely cold! The taste definitely suffered! Come on, come on, trust me, sensei definitely won't be disappointed!"
"...I really can't do anything about you."
Looking at the three highly spirited students before him, especially Naruto's expectant and confident gaze, Kakashi ultimately smiled and shook his head, accepting the proposal. "Alright then, let me look forward to your cooking."
Watching Naruto enthusiastically go to completely untie the jubilant Sakura's restraints, Kakashi stood in place, a wonderful warmth and sense of responsibility rising in his heart.
He had finally... become a teacher too.
Just like Minato-sensei...
He slightly turned his head, concealing the deeper smile at the corner of his mouth, then habitually pulled out an orange-covered book that looked extremely improper from his ninja pouch. While pretending to read leisurely, he slowly followed behind those three laughing and chattering students.
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