"I'll make a trip to the archives."
After quietly packing up his lunchbox, Chiba glanced at Minato Namikaze, who had finished his bun and wore a rather strange expression, then stood and spoke.
Under normal circumstances, without any special or urgent situation, he did not need to report in before freely going wherever he deemed necessary. Still, since he and Minato Namikaze shared an office, Chiba felt it would be rather distant if he simply left without saying anything.
After all, for some time to come, he would be seeing Minato Namikaze every day. It would not do to make the atmosphere too unfamiliar. Besides, although Minato Namikaze had not interacted with him much, he had helped Chiba greatly. Without Minato Namikaze passing on his experience with Shape Transformation at its pinnacle, as well as his experience of incorporating Nature Transformation when Shape Transformation was nearing its pinnacle, Chiba's understanding of Shape Transformation and Nature Transformation could not have improved so much.
It could be said that Minato Namikaze was half a mentor to him.
And given that he was Kushina's fiancé and future husband, Chiba could not possibly make things so distant and awkward.
"Oh... you'll need to come back here later. I want to have a proper talk with you about your suggestions for the expansion project."
At those words, the strange expression on Minato Namikaze's face vanished. He nodded and spoke solemnly.
"Mm, I understand."
Chiba was neither surprised nor particularly concerned. He answered casually.
Minato Namikaze wanting to discuss matters concerning the expansion plan was within his expectations. Some of the suggestions he had given Minato Namikaze had to be discussed in detail; a simple outline could not settle everything.
"Mm."
Minato Namikaze nodded at that and said no more, tacitly allowing Chiba to leave.
"Then