Minato Namikaze was halfway through a mission in the Land of Earth with Obito, Kakashi, and Rin when he suddenly received a new assignment from the front lines in the Land of Rain, right at the border of the Land of Earth.
After carefully checking the message he'd taken from the Ninja Hawk's leg, Minato's expression turned somewhat grave.
"For our next mission, we may need to split into two teams."
Minato looked at Kakashi and the others, his expression troubled. When he saw the questions in Kakashi, Obito, and Rin's eyes, he explained,
"I just received an assignment. We need to support a Konoha squad that's been surrounded by Stone Ninja. They have important information about the Stone Ninja's deployment on the front lines."
"The village is facing an unprecedented shortage of manpower."
"To carry out our missions efficiently, I've decided to split our team into two: me, and Team Kakashi."
Minato offered them a reassuring smile. He'd noticed that Obito and Rin couldn't hide their concern when they heard what he'd said.
Hearing this, Obito looked confused. "Split into two teams? Then..."
"Right! Kakashi will lead a three-person team with Obito and Rin, and I'll go alone."
"Kakashi is a Jonin now, so he can lead a team on his own."
As Minato spoke, Rin tugged at Obito's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Obito, didn't we talk about getting Kakashi a present?"
Minato overheard Rin, and only then seemed to realize what was going on. He smiled warmly.
"Come to think of it, I haven't congratulated you on becoming a Jonin, Kakashi."
"Jiuming already gave you a present, so I shouldn't be stingy either."
"This is my gift!"
"This kunai is a little heavier than an ordinary one, but once you get used to it, you'll find