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Kakashi always had a soft spot for sincere, motivated kids.
After hearing Megumi's heartfelt plea, even his single visible eye seemed to smile. He quickly finished his ramen and pulled out a summoning contract scroll.
"Come on, sign your name here."
"Eh…! Thank you so much, Kakashi-sensei!"
Megumi hadn't expected Kakashi to agree so easily. She thought it was her sincerity that had moved him—and she wasn't wrong.
If Natsuki had been the one asking, Kakashi might've joked around or acted aloof. But it was indeed Megumi's sincerity that earned her this chance.
When she opened the scroll, she noticed the last two names were Hatake Sakumo and Hatake Kakashi. But she didn't ask any questions—she simply bit her finger and wrote her name in blood.
After Kakashi put the scroll away, he began forming hand seals. "Watch closely. The seals go like this."
Megumi mimicked the hand signs and slammed her palm on the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Technique!)"
Poof! A small dog appeared in a puff of smoke—slightly scruffy-looking but somehow charming.
It was none other than Pakkun—the most frequently seen ninja hound.
"Kakashi, what did you summon me for this time? Another mission?" Pakkun asked in his usual flat tone, glancing around with his deadpan expression.
"It wasn't me," Kakashi replied, pointing at Megumi. "She summoned you."
"Hello, Pakkun! I'm Katō Megumi. I just signed the contract scroll, and I summoned you for the first time. I heard you have amazing tracking skills—please take care of me in the future!" Megumi's face lit up with joy. She hadn't expected her first summoning to succeed.
Yamashiro Aoba gave her a thumbs up. "Megumi's got talent—succeeded on the first try."
Rinya puffed up proudly. "Of course! Look who her boyfriend is!"
Everyone else rolled their eyes. What does her talent have to do with who she's dating? What a show-off!
Pakkun, however, wasn't surprised. Seeing Megumi's bright, genuine smile, he found her quite likable. He had no issues with kind-hearted girls like her.
"Then I'll call you Megumi too. Megumi, let's work well together."
"Mm! Pakkun, is there something you like to eat? I'll buy it for you," Megumi asked enthusiastically, eager to build a good relationship from the start so he'd be more willing to help her later.
"Oh? Then get me some high-quality dog food. I know which store in Konoha has the best. You're very considerate, Megumi. I'll even let you squish my paw pads."
"Wow! They're so soft and squishy—so cute!"
"Hehe, aren't they?"
The two got along instantly, chatting happily. Kakashi scratched his head awkwardly—he'd never spoiled Pakkun like that before. But maybe this wasn't so bad. At least Pakkun wouldn't be complaining anymore.
Sakura, watching the scene, clenched her fists again.
She now felt completely overshadowed by Megumi. She finally understood—this wasn't the academy anymore. If she didn't improve fast, she really would be useless.
Then, Pakkun suddenly looked in her direction.
"Hmm, I just smelled something familiar… Oh! Pink-haired girl, you have good taste. You're using the same shampoo as me. But my fur's still softer."
Sakura turned to stone.
Her taste… was the same as a dog's?!
Devastating blow!
Natsuki just had to add, "Not just the shampoo—even your forehead protector's in the same spot."
Pakkun nodded sagely. "Indeed, she has excellent taste."
"I do not want to have the same taste as a dog!" Sakura screamed in her head. She was on the verge of losing it. But she managed to hold back, because… well, from everyone else's perspective, it was true.
She felt tainted now. Would Sasuke-kun look down on her?
Not that Sasuke really cared. In fact, he barely spared her a thought.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei!"
Megumi hugged Pakkun happily, full of gratitude. "I don't even know how to repay you! Why don't I treat everyone to lunch?"
Kakashi waved her off. "No need. We teachers love seeing students like you who are eager to improve. Save your money to buy Pakkun some good dog food. He's always complaining about mine."
Pakkun nodded. "Exactly! Kakashi's just a single guy—no need to save his money. Better spend it on me!"
Kakashi's face darkened. This dog's got a new owner now and suddenly thinks he can say whatever he wants.
Megumi was a little embarrassed but still expressed her thanks again. Then she led Team 9 toward the market—their next stop: the pet food store.
Kakashi watched them leave, then suddenly turned toward Sakura.
He'd clearly noticed something off about her.
"Sakura… seeing a former classmate you once looked down on suddenly grow so much—feels tough, huh?"
Sakura clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms.
"Kakashi-sensei… I really felt what Megumi said. I don't want to be useless anymore. I want to be able to help Sasuke-kun and Naruto. What should I do?"
Kakashi nodded, satisfied. "Knowing your own shortcomings and being frustrated about them—that's part of growth. Here's a suggestion: you have excellent chakra control. Why not follow Megumi's path and start learning medical ninjutsu? That way, even if Sasuke or Naruto get hurt, you can heal them."
Sakura nodded firmly. "Alright! I'll do it!"
Sasuke let out a quiet "hmph." At least she wasn't totally useless. If Sakura had stayed weak, he, Uchiha Sasuke, wouldn't have accepted such a teammate. Bonds may be important, but no one wants a comrade who just drags them down.
Naruto, on the other hand, shouted with joy, "Sakura's so smart! If she learns medical ninjutsu, she'll be better than Megumi for sure!"
Sakura ignored him completely—she didn't take Naruto seriously at all.
Back with Team 9, Megumi had bought Pakkun a generous supply of premium dog food, which delighted him.
He even promised to help her with training—mainly to demonstrate his tracking skills.
After just one session, Megumi realized Pakkun wasn't just good at tracking—he was smart. He could analyze situations, weigh pros and cons, and even devise tactics.
She was amazed.
"Pakkun, since you're the leader of the Eight Ninja Dogs… does that mean you can command the others?"
"Of course! The others have great noses too, but none of them are as sharp or as smart as me. Naturally, I lead them. Don't worry, Megumi. When it comes to tracking, leave it to me!"
"Mm! Our Pakkun is the best!"
(End of Chapter)
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