Choice

"Mm—nothing beats home!" Jin woke up in his own house. It had already been a week since the mission ended and he returned to the village.

That entire week, Jin had done nothing at all. Every day, he just lay at home and slept. When he got hungry, he strolled a few steps over to Mikoto's place to freeload a meal... If Hiruzen had not said he wanted to see him and Minato today, he would never have gotten up so early.

"Wonder what he called me in for." Jin rubbed his eyes and casually grabbed the clothes by his bed to put them on. As for things like a forehead protector, what did he need that for?

Hokage Building

By the time Jin arrived at a leisurely pace, Minato had already been waiting there for ages.

"Where are your forehead protector and flak jacket?" Minato flicked Jin on the forehead. Jin looked at Minato unhappily. "I'm not going on a mission. Why would I wear that?"

"Come on, let's go." Minato sounded helpless. He truly had no way to deal with Jin.

"Lord Hokage."

"Grandpa Hokage."

Their forms of address were completely different. Jin stood off to the side casually, while Minato appeared especially respectful.

"Mm. You two are here." Hiruzen put down the documents in his hands and praised them. "You both did well completing this mission. The mission rank has been set at S-rank. Go on, what reward do you two want?"

Minato said he did not need anything. After all, he lacked nothing. As for ninjutsu, he already knew everything he ought to know.

Jin, however, asked with a face full of anticipation, "Really? Anything at all?"

"As long as it isn't excessive." Hiruzen nodded cheerfully.

"Then I want, mm... preferably not having to do missions... Mm, that's not realistic either. Then preferably fewer missions, and ones with a high rank but low risk..." Jin tilted his head up, thinking as he spoke.

He paid no attention at all to Minato's embarrassment or Hiruzen's darkening expression... In the end, Hiruzen could not listen any longer and directly cut him off. "Pick something else, pick something else. That one is impossible."

"Then..." Jin was not discouraged. After all, if Hiruzen could even agree to that, his brain had to be broken... "I want to learn the Second Hokage's Water Release."

In the end, Jin came up with a reward that was not all that demanding. At the same time, he was a little curious deep down what kind of expression Tobirama, once reincarnated through Impure World Reincarnation in the future, would make when he discovered that his Water Release and Flying Thunder God had been learned by a naturally evil Uchiha...

"Fine. I'll have someone copy Teacher's Water Release ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals and give it to you. Now let's talk about the next matter." Hiruzen nodded. Fortunately, this request was not excessive. Otherwise, he was truly afraid he would lose his temper.

"Huh? There's more?" Jin looked at Minato and found that he did not know either, so he looked back at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen put away his smile and said in a deep voice, "Regarding where you'll go next, Jin, Minato and I originally decided that you would lead genin together with him. But after thinking it over carefully, I still feel this matter should respect your own choice."

"Become a teacher at the Ninja Academy, lead genin, or join the Anbu directly under the Hokage. Choose one..."

After leaving the Hokage Building, Hiruzen's words kept echoing in Jin's ears. Seeing this, Minato said softly, "It's fine. Just think it through."

Jin nodded, somewhat irritated inside, and let out a long breath. "Minato, do you have any good suggestions?"

Without even thinking, Minato analyzed it for Jin. "The Ninja Academy and leading genin are both easy. With your strength, Anbu definitely won't be a problem either. My suggestion is that you go to Anbu and temper yourself a little. After all, you're still young."

Seeing Minato say that, Jin nodded in agreement. "That's true, but once I join Anbu, I won't be able to slack off and goof around anymore..."

"...Uh... don't tell me that's what you're struggling over?" Minato asked uncertainly. Only when he saw Jin nod with certainty did Minato silently say in his heart, It's over. This kid is beyond saving.

"I'll think about it properly. I'm leaving first, Minato." Jin quickly fled the scene, because he had noticed Minato's look... He wanted to flick his forehead again.

Uchiha Clan Compound

Jin made his way familiarly to Mikoto's house and opened the door as if it were his own. "Mikoto... Holy crap, Fugaku, why are you here too?"

Mikoto hurriedly let go of Fugaku's hand and said with a flushed face, "You're here, Jin."

Fugaku's reproachful gaze stayed fixed on Jin. If this guy had not ruined things, then right now he might have... It was all this brat's fault. He had doted on him for nothing.

"Ahem... Should I leave after all?" Jin sneaked a glance at Fugaku and only felt that the man currently wanted to strangle him to death.

"Leave for what? You're already here, so eat before you go." Mikoto stroked Jin's head and said gently.

After the meal, Mikoto went to clean up the bowls and chopsticks. Fugaku and Jin chatted outside. "So, Fugaku, do you think it's better for me to go to Anbu, or somewhere else?"

"If you ask me, you should come back to the Police Force." Fugaku folded his arms across his chest. "As long as you come to the Police Force, I'll get you a captain position at the very least. But since Lord Hokage personally arranged it..."

"Given your personality, you should want to choose the one with less work, right?" Fugaku glanced at Jin.

Jin said in some surprise, "You even guessed that? Am I usually that obvious? Minato said the same thing about me."

"Hmph." Fugaku glared at Jin with disappointment at his lack of ambition. "Then go to Anbu. Anbu tempers people."

"Fine, fine." Jin sighed. "Then I'll go find the Hokage tomorrow."

After Jin left, Mikoto walked over from the side to Fugaku, worry on her face. "Jin is still so young. Will it be dangerous for him to enter Anbu?"

"That kid, since he's someone Lord Hokage has taken notice of, the responsibilities he should bear definitely won't be few." As Fugaku spoke, his hand restlessly took hold of Mikoto...

Early the next morning, Jin arrived at the Hokage Building.

This was his first time coming here alone. Looking at the Hokage's iconic building, he silently hardened his resolve in his heart: Today, I have to negotiate with that old man Hiruzen! Get myself a position that isn't tiring...

"Grandpa Hokage." Jin carefully pushed open the office door and poked his head inside.

"Oh, it's Jin. Well? Have you thought it through?" Hiruzen asked.

"Thought it through. Absolutely thought it through." After Jin walked in, he carefully shut the door. "I agree to join Anbu, but I have a few tiny little requests."

"Oh?" Hiruzen became interested. "Let's hear them. I'd like to see what outrageous request you have this time."

"Ah..." Jin pretended to cough. "Not outrageous, not outrageous. It's just, mm, preferably some kind of cushy Anbu post. Like only needing to work once or twice a week, and it's not tiring. The pay should be high too."

After he finished speaking and saw that Hiruzen did not respond, Jin continued asking, "This request really isn't much. Grandpa Hokage, what do you think?"

"Hmph. How about you go watch the village gate?" Hiruzen glared at Jin in annoyance. Who knew Jin would actually nod? "If it's one day on and four days off, I'm willing."

"Get out. Get out, get out, get out." At this moment, Hiruzen truly wanted to slap the documents on his desk onto Jin's face. Only after taking a deep breath did he say, "Go report to the Anbu First Division, First Squad."

"Ah... fine." Jin still wanted to struggle a little more, but Hiruzen stopped him with a single look... Based on his sixth sense, if he resisted any further, the documents on that desk might come flying at his face in the next second...