Team Allocation

"Don't push your luck too far. Replace Nawaki, and the others can stay!"

"Impossible. The team assignments are already set. Zhou Duan, as a Konoha ninja, you will obey orders!"

"You're dreaming. It's fine to leave one dead last, but that guy is a dead last who rushes forward without regard for anything. He'd even dare to clash head-on with the Five Kage. Do you want my squad to be wiped out by bringing him along? Replace him with Namikaze Minato, and I guarantee we'll be the squad with the most kills among all Genin teams!"

"Zhou Duan, don't overthink it. The current mission for Genin squads is to ensure their own safety and accumulate experience by any means necessary. Killing enemies isn't required. As for changing personnel, don't even think about it!"

"Heh!"

Zhou Duan wore an expression that clearly said, Are you f**king kidding me? Even facing the Hokage, he showed a look of disdain:

"Lord Hokage, don't try to use those hot-blooded kid stories on me anymore. And if you insist on this, I'll knock Nawaki unconscious during the mission and keep him that way the entire time. Even if he's despised, cursed, and insulted by the entire village in the future, I won't let him wake up!"

"Bang!"

The desk, which had already suffered countless heavy blows, received another fatal strike. The Third Hokage's anger was reignited:

"Zhou Duan, don't go too far!"

"Who's going too far? Just because I have some strength and a bit of brains, you want to dump the most troublesome person on me. If I didn't cause some dog-pulling-hair incident, wouldn't you still pin some crime on me and force me to take Nawaki?

"That's right!"

"What the hell! As the Kage of a village, you actually admit it so shamelessly! Fine, I'll take him, but replace that Tonaiba guy with Namikaze Minato, and triple our squad's supplies compared to other teams!"

"Hss…"

Hiruzen sat in his chair, looking at the unyielding Zhou Duan before him, and felt his teeth ache uncontrollably. Hiruzen knew all too well that with Nawaki's damn personality, Zhou Duan was probably the only one in all of Konohagakure who could manage him!

Since the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha had first fought with the Rain Village. It was thought to be an easy battle, but Hanzo of the Salamander had drained a large number of ninjas. Consequently, when they went to war with the Sand Village of the Land of Wind, who were even stronger than the Rain Village, they were severely understaffed. If not for this, they wouldn't have sent Genin, who had just graduated and hadn't had time to accumulate experience, directly onto the battlefield.

To put it nicely, it was for Genin to gain battlefield experience. To put it bluntly, it was sending a group of cannon fodder to temporarily relieve the strained front lines. Those who survived to the end and stood out were absolutely one in ten!

Senju Nawaki, as the grandson of the First Hokage, had to be protected for both public and private reasons. However, as a descendant of the First Hokage, Nawaki still had to go to the battlefield. This action itself was even more serious than for ordinary people—if the grandson of the First Hokage was afraid to go to the battlefield, the mere gossip behind people's backs would be enough to destroy Nawaki!

He had divided the graduating Genin into two groups: those going directly to the battlefield and those in supply delivery. It was obvious to anyone that those in the supply delivery squads were the promising ones. They were meant to gain some battlefield experience before heading to the front lines. Compared to the Genin going directly to the battlefield, this little bit of experience could save someone's life at a critical moment!

And on this point, all of Konoha's management unanimously agreed!

This was an advantage, but also a disadvantage. Since they were going to the relatively less dangerous supply delivery squads, the combat power of the leading ninja couldn't be too high. There was only one Jonin leading each route, which was the limit. Jonin had too many things to consider and couldn't possibly look after Nawaki properly!

As for a Chunin captain, although there were plenty, assigning a Chunin captain to Nawaki was a small matter. The problem was, could a ninja of Chunin level manage, or even control, this problematic child Nawaki?

Originally, Hiruzen the Third Hokage hadn't paid much attention to Nawaki's combat strength, but as the grandson of the God of Shinobi—Senju Hashirama—he figured Nawaki couldn't be too weak.

Furthermore, someone who could unleash two A-rank ninjutsu at the age of Genin would make anyone think he was a genius. But after witnessing Nawaki's battle yesterday, the Third Hokage had completely despaired of Nawaki's battlefield awareness. With that kind of brain, he would be the first to die on the battlefield!

The Third Hokage hadn't slept all night over this matter. After much thought, the only solution fell on Zhou Duan, who was even more troublesome than Nawaki. But regardless of how troublesome he was, Zhou Duan's actions always took advantage of others, which was precisely what made the Third Hokage consider it!

Just as he was wondering how to trap this stingy fellow who refused to suffer losses, this restless brat pulled off a dog-pulling-hair stunt. But even if he pulled dog hair, Zhou Duan was right; compared to a dog, Nawaki's problem was the most important. Yet, after finally forcing Nawaki onto Zhou Duan, this brat actually wanted Namikaze Minato.

One had to know that Namikaze Minato had shown extraordinary talent in his understanding of combat, battlefield control, and judgment of both sides. The Third Hokage had planned to train Minato well and appoint him as the captain of another squad!

The thought of the normally upright and dedicated Namikaze Minato being corrupted in Zhou Duan's squad made the Third Hokage unable to bear thinking about it. He stared until his eyes were sore at Hatake Sakumo, who had turned into a stunned goose staring at the ceiling. But Hatake Sakumo, who usually fought on the front lines for the village, seemed completely oblivious. Hatake Sakumo's meaning was clear: if you, the Kage, can't control this kid, then I certainly can't!

On one side was the village's rising star, and on the other was the responsibility of caring for the First Hokage's descendant. The Third Hokage didn't need to think about which was more important. For the future of the village, the Third Hokage could only grit his teeth fiercely:

"Zhou Duan, I'll give you Namikaze Minato, but your squad's supplies will be allocated at the average level. However, considering you are a Medical Ninja, the allocation of medical supplies can be triple that of other squads!"

These few words were almost squeezed out of the Third Hokage's throat. He had wanted to see Zhou Duan's ungrateful, eye-rolling expression to calm his anger, but what he saw was Zhou Duan rolling his eyes in discontent:

"Tch, so stingy!"

The air suddenly became oppressive. Accompanied by the uncontrolled surge of Chakra in the Hokage's office, the desk before the Third Hokage could no longer withstand the continuous abuse and turned to powder like burnt paper blown apart by a gale!

The Third Hokage's originally unremarkable body suddenly grew half a foot taller, and the muscles in his right arm bulged, tearing through his sleeve. As the word "Get out" left his lips, only a child-sized hole remained in the office, with a black dot gradually flying away visible through the opening!

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