My Hokage Teacher!

Dressed in a green Jonin Vest, with dazzling short golden hair and an incomparably warm smile.

Everything pointed to the newcomer's identity.

Minato Namikaze!

The future Fourth Hokage.

Compared to him, every other genius was insignificant—even the protagonist of the ninja world could not compare.

Because he was a true "commoner" ninja.

No ninja clan background, no bloodline—he had risen entirely through his own talent and hard work (good looks).

He was only missing a protagonist's plot armor. Otherwise, he would have unquestionably been the perfect choice to save the world.

Perhaps it was because he was too perfect that he had to die to a "plot-induced death."

If he had truly secured the position of Hokage, the other ninja villages would have had no chance to cause trouble, and there would have been no opportunity for the true protagonist to appear.

Who told him he lacked Otsutsuki blood? Naturally, he could never become the true protagonist.

Now, such a figure had appeared—and he would become his team leader. How could Tang Ping not be shocked? No wonder he had frozen in place.

"My name is Minato Namikaze. I'm the jonin in charge of Team 3. You must be Uchiha Tang Ping and Yamaa Koji, right? Sorry, I'm late!"

Minato Namikaze apologized softly.

All that could be said was that some people did not become Hokage by accident. In terms of how he treated others, he utterly crushed Danzo.

Note that a jonin in charge was a team leader, though it was an official position.

"Teacher Minato!" *2

Tang Ping and Koji immediately stood and bowed.

As they bowed, they also noticed the little white-haired boy standing by the door with an icy expression.

Kakashi!

Tang Ping had not expected him to become a member of Team 3 as well.

But that sent a chill down Tang Ping's spine.

Because teammates around the protagonist were generally there to be sacrificed to the heavens.

If he really became teammates with him, it was easy to imagine just how dangerous that would be.

At the same time, with Minato Namikaze, a top-tier powerhouse, as their team leader, the odds of encountering danger would be even higher.

Of course, there were pros and cons.

As the danger increased, they would also receive the best guidance and protection.

Whether in personality or strength, Minato Namikaze was the ideal team leader.

"Come on, I'll treat you to barbecue!"

As he spoke, Minato Namikaze secretly observed Uchiha Tang Ping.

His originally assigned students had been Kakashi and several others, but the Hokage had summoned him at the last minute before he came and directly changed the lineup to the current Team 3.

He had also learned that Uchiha Tang Ping had defeated Kakashi in yesterday's assessment.

A Summoning Beast... huh?

As the inheritor of the sacred land that had signed a Summoning contract with Mount Myōboku, he naturally understood the benefits of having a powerful Summoning Beast.

Especially a flying Summoning Beast—the support it could provide was astonishing.

The four of them soon arrived at Barbecue Q.

It was a barbecue restaurant run by the Akimichi Clan.

As a ninja clan made up entirely of "fat people," they naturally knew a great deal about food, making this the top choice for barbecue.

Ninjas usually celebrated with barbecue.

Why?

The reason was simple.

Their normal meals were too poor, so whenever they had the chance, they naturally ate something good to replenish their nutrition.

And since a ninja's Chakra came from their cells, replenishing nutrients was only natural.

In other words.

The better they ate, the more Chakra they could extract.

Ninja clans were far stronger than commoner ninjas not only because of knowledge and bloodlines, but also because of resources.

Not only did they start taking Medicinal Baths from a young age, they also ate better. How could commoners compare?

That was why, despite the Second and Third Hokage doing their utmost to support commoner ninjas, most elites still came from ninja clans.

After entering the restaurant.

The four found an empty table and sat down.

Business was excellent.

Even though it was not mealtime yet, more than half the seats were already occupied. By evening, there definitely would not be a single vacant seat.

"Twenty portions of barbecue!" After placing the order, Minato Namikaze smiled at the three of them. "From now on, we are Team 3!"

A warm smile and a sincere tone!

It had to be said, his affinity was truly off the charts. No wonder he had the private nickname "Little Sun."

Of course, his words carried another meaning.

No matter what had happened between Tang Ping and Kakashi yesterday, they would be one whole from now on.

"Yes, Teacher Minato!"

Tang Ping nodded lightly, making his stance clear.

Because he knew very well that yesterday's incident had been orchestrated by Danzo and had nothing to do with Kakashi. At this stage, Kakashi was merely an emotionless mission machine.

"Yes, Teacher Minato!" *2

Yamaa Koji and Kakashi responded as well.

"After we finish the barbecue, we'll head to the training ground. I need to first understand your training progress!"

Minato Namikaze was quite satisfied with their first meeting.

Soon, twenty plates of barbecue were brought over.

Each plate held about a pound of meat, making the portions look extremely generous.

Did that sound like too much?

But in reality, that amount of barbecue was no problem for them at all.

Ninjas!

They were professionals who wielded Chakra, so finishing that amount was no issue at all.

For the future Crown Princess, she could probably easily eat dozens of pounds. As for the Akimichi Clan, they started at ten pounds.

They normally ate little only because there was not enough food to eat.

"Thanks for the meal!" *4

The four began eating.

The fragrant barbecue was so delicious that they could not stop, and they quickly wiped out all twenty portions.

After they finished eating.

Minato Namikaze painfully took out over ten thousand ryo from his wallet to pay the bill.

Fortunately, he had not said, "Eat as much as you want." Otherwise, they would have had to stay behind and wash dishes to settle the bill.

Ninjas might have high incomes, but their expenses were even higher.

Food, ninja tools, training, medical treatment... all of it cost money.

Even an S-Rank Mission only paid a little over a million ryo, and they still had to split it with the village. No wonder they only dared come to Barbecue Q when celebrating.

If they came here normally... what kind of family would that take?

The four slowly made their way toward the training ground.

"Alright, introduce yourselves first."

"My name is Minato Namikaze, and I'm also your team leader. I like ramen, and my dream is to become Hokage. What about you?"

After speaking, Minato Namikaze looked at Kakashi, clearly intending for him to introduce himself first.

Kakashi, wearing a mask and radiating an icy aura, turned his head away in the face of that Little Sun-like smile.

"Hatake Kakashi. I like dogs. As for my dream, it's to wash away the Hatake Clan's disgrace!"

As he spoke, his fist slowly clenched—his father had been so powerful and gentle, yet he had died because of a failed mission...

He still hasn't let it go, has he?

Minato Namikaze noticed his student's reaction.

"My name is Yamaa Koji. I like powerful ninjutsu, and my dream is to revive the Yamaa Clan!"

Yamaa Koji usually wore an expressionless face, and only showed any emotional change when speaking of the Yamaa Clan.

"That's a fine dream!"

Minato Namikaze nodded with a smile, then looked toward Uchiha Tang Ping, wanting to know what his dream was.

He actually had an additional mission—to observe him.

The mission had been assigned by the Third Hokage.

And having him serve as Tang Ping's team leader had also been the result of a deal between the village and the Uchiha Clan.

Neither the village nor the Uchiha Clan wanted to see a talent with such research potential perish.

But he had never expected Tang Ping's dream to be so...