Bonds!

Upon learning the roster of his teammates, Shinichi Hyuga barely had any time to worry about his future. The very next day, he received a summons from his captain, Shibi Aburame.

It was not because the higher-ups had assigned some important mission. The team had merely just been formed, and as captain, Shibi Aburame wanted the members to meet and get acquainted first.

Shibi Aburame was a man of strong initiative. When Minato appointed him captain of this team, Minato had also briefly explained what sort of missions the team would most likely be sent to carry out.

They were unlikely to set foot on the front lines. The most routine assignment for their squad would be supporting reconnaissance missions.

While they could avoid the large-scale army battles of the front lines, the opponents encountered during reconnaissance missions were often the enemy's elite. Such missions placed rather high demands on a squad's composition: high mobility, solid reconnaissance capabilities, and outstanding combat strength.

Minato Namikaze had naturally given considerable thought to forming such a squad. To a certain extent, he greatly approved of Hiashi's arrangements for Shinichi.

As a genius himself, he understood that for a ninja like Shinichi, a label such as "genin" was actually a restraint.

Now that he had become a Special Jonin, he needed to accumulate ninja experience as quickly as possible.

Shibi Aburame was one of his closest companions, and he did not bear too deeply the "Third Hokage's label." Moreover, Shibi Aburame was an insect controller with a broad sensory range, and enemies found this type of Jonin difficult to handle. With him leading the team, they could at least avoid invincible enemies to the greatest extent possible.

Adding Shisui Uchiha to the team was likewise the result of Minato's careful consideration. He hoped the ninjas in this squad would become an important core force under him in the future.

Shisui was an orphan, and his talent was exceptional. Though still very young, he was already a chunin. Minato had also interacted with Shisui and had developed a very favorable impression of the gentle, mature child despite his being only ten years old.

Minato believed that a ninja like Shisui would surely get along well with Shinichi Hyuga. The two were only five years apart, and with someone like Shisui as an example, Shinichi Hyuga would surely be guided by him.

As for Might Guy, Minato valued his formidable taijutsu abilities and his fiery youthful spirit. As one of the village's young Jonin, not only had he strengthened the team's combat power, but his personality should also have an influence on young Shinichi.

Minato Namikaze had put quite a bit of thought into safeguarding the Hyuga Main Family.

Konoha Training Ground No. 1.

As captain, Shibi Aburame had arrived at the meeting place early. Ever meticulous, he was carefully reading a dossier on his subordinates.

Of these three team members, Shibi Aburame was only somewhat familiar with Might Guy. He was the eternal rival of genius Kakashi, after all... Might Guy, the azure beast specializing in taijutsu, was quite famous in Konoha.

As for Shisui Uchiha, Shibi Aburame had only heard of his name and had never met him.

There was even less to say about Shinichi Hyuga. Shibi Aburame had also only heard of him and had never truly met him.

"A genius youth of the Uchiha, the 'treasure' of the Hyuga Main Family, and an airheaded azure beast..."

"Minato, that guy, is putting me under a lot of pressure..."

Sensing someone approaching, Shibi Aburame muttered a complaint under his breath and quietly tucked the dossier into his clothes.

Just from reading the dossiers, Shibi Aburame already felt immense pressure.

He did not yet know what sort of missions they would undertake in the future, but for him, leading three subordinates like these was undoubtedly as difficult as an S-rank Mission...

"Captain Shibi Aburame?"

"Hello. I'm Shisui Uchiha. Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."

A clear, youthful voice rang out beside Shibi Aburame's ear. Looking up, he saw a handsome young boy with short black hair and a short blade strapped to his back.

Shisui was not tall and looked thin and slight. There was not the slightest trace of a ninja's presence about him. The gentle, sincere smile on his face immediately gave Shibi Aburame a strong favorable impression of the boy.

"Oh!"

"Shisui! I'll call you that from now on. We'll be comrades and teammates in the future, so let's address each other more familiarly."

"I'm Shibi Aburame. You don't need to call me Captain either. Just call me Brother Shibi."

As one of Minato's closest friends, Shibi Aburame naturally was not the unpleasant sort.

Though it was his first time meeting Shisui Uchiha, just a few words quickly shortened the distance between them. Shisui was thoughtful and perceptive; from this brief conversation alone, he could tell that his captain was easy to get along with. Smiling, he nodded and replied:

"Brother Shibi, please take care of me from now on."

After their simple greetings, the two seemed to sense something and simultaneously turned toward the small forest path in the distance.

"Such immense Chakra..."

Shisui murmured softly. Shibi Aburame beside him silently nodded as well. The Kikaichū resting on his shoulder flew up uneasily, rapidly circling around Shibi Aburame.

A moment later, they saw a little boy in a Training Suit slowly emerge from the forest and stroll toward the clearing where they stood.

His azure eyes met theirs from afar, complex emotions showing in their depths.

Shinichi Hyuga looked at the two teammates who had arrived before him, gathered his spirits, and walked toward them.

Becoming Shisui Uchiha's teammate had indeed made Shinichi uneasy for a time, but he quickly came to terms with it.

They were only teammates. A shallow relationship was nothing to fear.

Even if he and Shisui truly formed a deep bond, given Shisui's character, he naturally would not turn on a close companion to awaken his eyes.

That... was enough!

If some external danger were to take his life, then it made no difference whether his teammate was Shisui Uchiha or someone else. From that perspective, having Shisui Uchiha as a teammate was actually a good thing, because Shinichi knew that Shisui was not a useless teammate.

If he changed teammates and formed another group, he would not know what kind of people they were or what their backgrounds might be.

In the end, it still came down to whether he was strong enough and whether his life was tough enough.

Those who constantly looked ahead and behind could never grow into true powerhouses.

"You're Shinichi Hyuga, right?"

"You really are as young as the rumors say."

"Hello, I'm Shibi Aburame. This is Shisui Uchiha."

"I'm glad to become your companion."

Seeing Shinichi approach, Shibi Aburame warmly draped an arm over his shoulder and introduced them with a smile. He did not treat Shinichi or Shisui as children at all; his manner of speaking was one of equals.

"Hello, Captain."

"Hello, Brother Shisui."

Shinichi gave the two a slight bow, a smile appearing on his face as well. His first impression of them both was very good, and that sense of warmth made Shinichi feel comfortable.

Before Shinichi, Shisui, and Shibi Aburame could speak further, a strange cry suddenly came from above.

The next instant, a fierce gust descended from the sky, along with a figure rapidly dropping down.

"Konoha's Azure Beast—Might Guy!"

"Has arrived!!!"