In the end, the master and his disciples went to the barbecue restaurant across from the ramen shop, missing out on the legendary Otsutsuki Ichiraku's ramen.
After all, the team had just been formed. They had to take good care of the emotions of their teammates and students, since they would be risking their lives together in the future.
In Konoha, there were three kinds of teacher-student relationships, ranked from shallowest to deepest: instructors, team leaders, and mentors.
Instructors were teachers at the Ninja Academy, or tutors hired before a child enrolled, like Iruka and Naruto in the original story.
A step above that were team leaders: the Chunin or Jonin leading a squad when its members had just become ninja. They could help rookies adapt to this world as quickly as possible, like Team 7 in Shippuden.
The last kind were masters who passed on the way and taught their disciples everything they knew. This relationship was the most intimate, like that between Jiraiya and Naruto, or Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke.
The relationship between Senju Tobirama, Danzo, and the Third Hokage probably fell into the second category. Sarutobi Hiruzen's relationship with the Sannin also counted as the second type.
The composition of ordinary squads often changed, and the teacher-student relationship was not necessarily very close. Even if it was close enough, it might not bring many benefits or much capital.
Elite squads were different. Those who could enter them were all exceptionally gifted young people, and their team leaders were basically Jonin. Their composition was relatively fixed.
Moreover, whether it was the captain's strength and status or the team members' talents, they all surpassed those of ordinary squads. The connections and networks woven between them were therefore more valuable.
Whether from an emotional or a practical perspective, it was well worth maintaining the relationships within an elite squad.
Master Minato asked the three children to wait on the commercial street for a moment, then deliberately used the Body Flicker Technique to return home. He was so fast that he even left a golden afterimage across the street.
When Master Minato returned, a beautiful woman had appeared beside him. It was his girlfriend, Uzumaki Kushina.
Uchiha Mai guessed that Master Minato had not brought enough money and had gone home to request funds. Since he could not bring himself to leave his girlfriend at home while he went out for barbecue alone, he had brought Kushina along.
"Minato, are these your two new students? They're so cute."
Kushina clearly knew Kakashi. After nodding to him, she bent down with a beaming smile and rubbed Mai and Might Guy's heads.
"Hello, ma'am." Kakashi nodded in greeting. At this point in time, Kakashi was not particularly withdrawn yet.
Minato stood to the side like an obnoxious little brother following a big sister. He introduced them, saying, "This is my girlfriend. Her name is Uzumaki Kushina.
"These are my two new teammates and students, Uchiha Mai and Might Guy."
"Hello, ma'am." Might Guy followed Kakashi's lead.
"Hello, Big Sister Kushina."
Uchiha Mai was rather sly. In an instant, he had gained seniority over Kakashi and Might Guy, those two obnoxious little brothers.
"Hahaha..."
Being called "Big Sister" made Kushina's eyes narrow into slits. She punched Master Minato in the chest and said, "Your student is pretty interesting."
Amid the laughter and cheerful voices, the five of them entered the barbecue restaurant together and spent lavishly. By the time they had eaten and drunk their fill, it was already eight or nine at night.
Kushina stayed behind at the barbecue restaurant to pay the bill and haggle, while Master Minato led the three children out of the restaurant.
Moonlight spilled across the street as Master Minato said, "Our first dinner together since forming the team has ended perfectly.
"From now on, gather by the small lake west of the village at nine every morning. You'll need to undergo three to five days of cooperative training before you can officially take on more difficult missions.
"If you want to work together seamlessly, you have to understand your teammates' strengths and characteristics. Tomorrow's training will be a team exercise.
"Get a good night's rest and prepare yourselves. Remember to eat breakfast tomorrow morning, and don't be late."
Master Minato was an honest man, unlike the future Kakashi, who liked to use all sorts of crooked methods when leading Team 7.
Master Minato's straightforwardness as a leader was also related to the times they lived in.
By Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke's generation, the strength and resources of the great ninja villages had been almost completely exhausted. The situation was relatively peaceful, so the Ninja Academy naturally resembled a kindergarten or daycare center more closely.
Now, undercurrents were surging, and war could break out at any moment. The Ninja Academy was more like a training base for prospective ninja.
As for all the deceit, intrigue, killing, and dying, Mai's generation might not have seen everything at the Ninja Academy, but they had certainly seen plenty.
After just a few days of basic training, they could be sent out to fight other groups directly.
"Okay."
"Kakashi, Mai, see you tomorrow!"
"Goodbye, Teacher Minato. Goodbye, Big Sister Kushina."
The team disbanded. Uchiha Mai walked home, summarizing what he had gained today and considering tomorrow's team exercise.
After beating Asuma and the others senseless in front of Minato, his Style Points had risen from 35 to 167. It was passable.
If he had guessed correctly, the Third Hokage and Clan Head Fugaku had probably also watched the entire battle from the office. The opponents and audience had both been of higher quality than during his first beating of Asuma, yet the rewards were far lower.
There was probably some mechanism involving "drug resistance" or "diminishing returns." After all, he could not keep harvesting Asuma for easy gains forever.
Tomorrow's team exercise would probably still be a battle. Only a battle could test a ninja's true strength.
The only difference was whether it would simulate a real battlefield or be more like a match on an arena.
It seemed very necessary to do another half-star draw and give Master Minato a "surprise," creating the illusion that his strength was improving rapidly and that he was getting stronger every day. That would make harvesting Style Points more advantageous.
The prerequisite was that he drew something useful.
Before long, Uchiha Mai returned home. Just as he was about to burn incense, bathe, adjust his mindset, and engage in some mystical preparations, a knock sounded from outside the door.
Uchiha Mai opened the door and looked around. When he saw no one, he habitually lowered his head. Sure enough, it was the little Shisui again.
The little brat had a runny nose and was covered in white sugar around the mouth. He held a skewer of red bean dango in each hand and said, "Big Brother Mai.
"Uncle Clan Head told me to ask you to go to his house."
"You passed by the clan head's house again?" Uchiha Mai asked with a smile.
Shisui shook his head like a rattle drum. He bit into a dango and answered while chewing, "No. The clan head sent another uncle to my house. He gave me dango and told me to ask you to go to the clan head's house."
Uchiha Mai narrowed his eyes slightly. Once was an accident, but twice was deliberate. Fugaku had a plan.
When humans faced creatures far larger than themselves, they instinctively became wary and tense.
If a seven- or eight-year-old child who was already "an adult" were approached by an adult far taller, stronger, and more powerful than him and told, "The clan head wants to see you. Come with us," he would certainly become even more nervous.
Especially since Uchiha adult ninja had basically all worked for the Police Force. Every one of them wore a deadpan expression, and even a simple greeting could carry the imposing air of a summons.
Fugaku paid such close attention to details even when dealing with a seven- or eight-year-old child. No wonder he had gained the support of both the radicals and the moderates.
His condition was rather poor, making this a transitional chapter.
Before you continue