Hatake Sakumo

"You're not wrong."

Namikaze Minato nodded slightly. "Then, starting today, you and Might Guy are my students."

Yes!

Uchiha Mai could hardly wait to pump her fist in celebration. Now that she had established a connection with Master Minato, and was on the same team as him, how could she worry about not earning more Style Points?

On top of that, as Master Minato's student and teammate—and with the Uchiha name behind her—she would basically be able to walk sideways through Konoha from now on.

Please call me the Uchiha Young Master!

Might Guy scratched his head, feeling happy too. From what Mai had said, this Big Blondie was a Jonin. A Jonin had to be stronger than his dad, right?

How had a Ninja Academy graduate who only knew taijutsu, and had done absolutely nothing, somehow ended up becoming a Jonin's student?

Namikaze Minato looked around the training field. The three children Mai had knocked out were sprawled on the ground, urgently needing to be taken to Konoha Hospital for treatment.

"So next, let's take Asuma and the others to Konoha Hospital."

"After that, I'll take you two out for dinner and introduce you to your other teammate. We can treat it as our team's first meal together."

As he spoke, Namikaze Minato took out his wallet and checked it over. After making sure he had enough pocket money to pay for everyone, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Yuhi Kurenai had forfeited voluntarily and hadn't suffered so much as a scratch, so naturally, there was no need to take her to the hospital.

Mai's thoughts shifted, and she asked, "Is your other student, Teacher Minato, Kakashi?"

She had still been calling him Minato-senpai a moment ago, but now she was calling him Teacher Minato. The change was utterly seamless.

"Oh? You know him?" Namikaze Minato asked, a little surprised.

Mai smiled and began making things up on the spot. "He's the most outstanding student in our year at the Ninja Academy, after all. It's only natural that I'd pay him extra attention."

"I heard he joined an elite squad led by a handsome and powerful Jonin with golden hair. I was just wondering if that Jonin might be you, Teacher Minato."

If you know how to flatter people, then keep going.

"Haha."

Master Minato scratched his head sheepishly, looking a little embarrassed. "Since you already know each other, that's even better."

"You're all quite strong. Once we've had a little time to get used to working together, we can start taking on some moderately difficult missions."

This is getting embarrassing.

The three of them each carried one of the injured children on their backs as they walked beneath the setting sun through Konoha's streets toward Konoha Hospital.

As they walked, Namikaze Minato rambled on. "Mai, you defeated three fairly capable Genin in less than a minute just now. You performed exceptionally well."

"Your talent may not be inferior to Kakashi's."

"However, there's one thing I have to warn you about. If you ever go to war or encounter a three-man squad from an enemy village during a mission, don't get careless and assume you can handle them alone."

"A three-man Genin squad with good teamwork can easily defeat three Genin fighting separately."

"I know." Mai nodded.

Small-scale group combat—having three to five people coordinate their attacks—could fuse individual strength together perfectly.

Whether it was the shinobi of the Ninja World, the armies of various countries in her previous life, or major team sports, they all placed great importance on this principle.

Mai hadn't actually defeated three Genin just now. She had used a succession of one-on-one fights to defeat three Genin who had no sense of teamwork and didn't know how to read the battlefield.

The difference between the two was enormous.

A short while later, the three arrived at the hospital. The medical ninja on duty barely reacted upon seeing several more brats brought in.

During wartime, the training intensity and brutality of exercises in the various great ninja villages far exceeded those of peacetime. Children being beaten into intensive care during sparring matches was simply routine.

After taking care of the miscellaneous matters, Namikaze Minato led the two brats toward the Hatake Clan compound to invite Kakashi.

The Hatake Clan had once been one of the clans that followed the two shinobi heroes of the Ninja World in establishing Konoha. Every Hatake possessed extraordinary talent, and they were not necessarily inferior to the Uchiha.

Unfortunately, the clan had always been small in number. After enduring the Warring States Era and two Shinobi World Wars, only a single heir remained by Kakashi's generation.

The Hatake Clan's territory was far better situated than the Uchiha's, though it was somewhat smaller—less than one-twentieth the size of the Uchiha compound.

Namikaze Minato lightly knocked several times on the Hatake Clan's gate, very politely.

In her previous life, knocking like that definitely wouldn't have received a response. Even the cicadas chirping in the trees were louder than Master Minato's knocks.

But this was the Ninja World. Kakashi and his father were both exceptionally skilled ninja with keen senses. Unless they were asleep, they would definitely hear the knocking.

A short while later, the Hatake Clan's gate opened from within. A middle-aged man with silver-white, medium-length hair stepped out, wearing the standard Konoha Jonin vest. He was none other than Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo.

Mai's pupils contracted slightly. Did this man really make no sound even when he walked normally?

Ninja were like assassins. They needed to conceal their movements and sounds as much as possible so their opponents wouldn't detect them.

Mai had seen many of the clan's Jonin. Their ability to conceal their presence was first-rate, but none of them walked around without making the slightest sound, leaving people completely unable to grasp their movements.

Come to think of it, Hatake Sakumo's death would probably happen around this time, wouldn't it? Mai suddenly thought of the matter.

In the original story, Hatake Sakumo died five years before the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. Kakashi had been around thirteen at the time.

The Third Shinobi World War had dragged on intermittently for three to five years, with the Battle of Kannabi Bridge serving as the war's finale. Five years earlier, Kakashi would have been about eight. This was probably the point in time.

Seeing that it was Kakashi's team leader, Hatake Sakumo smiled. "So it's you, Minato. Are you here to see Kakashi?"

"Mm."

Master Minato replied, "I recruited two excellent students from the Ninja Academy today, and my team is officially complete."

"So I wanted to invite Kakashi to dinner with us."

Hatake Sakumo glanced at the two brats behind Master Minato: the Uchiha and Guy, who was always pestering Kakashi. This team was rather interesting.

There was no need to say much about the Uchiha. Even the most useless Uchiha had a very high chance of becoming a Jonin upon reaching adulthood, as long as they awakened the Sharingan.

As for Guy, Hatake Sakumo knew him. A little over a year ago, Guy had been bullied, and Hatake Sakumo had happened to encounter it while taking Kakashi home.

Kakashi had driven off those delinquent ninja, after which he and Guy properly became acquainted—and Guy began pestering him. Almost every time Kakashi returned from a mission, Guy would invite him to have a spar.

From Kakashi's condition whenever he came home, Hatake Sakumo could tell that Guy's strength was improving at an astonishing rate.

This was an outstanding team with great prospects—one that could also help Kakashi grow.