What Use Are You, Trash?

"What? You found them? And brought back a Kumogakure spy?"

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been worrying over the disappearance of the three children, lost another measure of beard.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." Minato could neither laugh nor cry. Who could have known that the three little troublemakers would dare run straight out of Konoha just to avoid Kushina?

Even more absurdly, three had gone out, but four had come back.

"Where are they?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked anxiously.

"Uh..." Minato recalled the miserable state of that Kumogakure ninja when they met, then thought of his lost hair. Adding in the Explosive Tag in the man's crotch and the "technique" Jiraiya-sensei had vaguely mentioned, Minato considered his words for a moment before saying,

"The three children are fine. Root personnel took custody of the Kumogakure spy immediately. Judging by his injuries, he probably... hasn't escaped mortal danger yet."

"That guy sure is fast. Every time, he gets there while it's still hot." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed in relief, but then seemed to remember something, and his expression immediately turned serious.

"Minato, keep a close eye on your students for a while, especially when Root investigates this incident with the children. You need to be present the entire time, understand?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly gave him a grave warning.

Minato did not understand why, but he still nodded. "Yes!"

"Boss, five bowls of special ramen! Make one of them later, please!"

"Coming right up!"

Ichiraku Ramen.

Kushina smiled sweetly while the three boys beside her sat ramrod straight.

Once Ichiraku had set down four steaming bowls of ramen one by one, Kushina announced that they could start eating. Only then did the three begin moving their chopsticks like puppets.

"Eat up. Once you're full, you still have to snatch bells. Even if you ran out of the village, you can't give up halfway, okay?"

Kushina offered the reminder kindly.

The three boys immediately shuddered from head to toe!

Today's ramen tasted a little bitter...

Ying Shu felt someone poke his left side. He secretly glanced over, only to find Obito and Kakashi staring at him cautiously yet intensely.

Their looks seemed to say: Think of something already!

Ying Shu sneered inwardly. Heh, didn't you see that even Minato didn't dare show his face? You want me to think of something? Think of my ass!

Still, thinking about it from another angle...

Having Kushina beside them was not entirely a bad thing.

The moment they returned to Konoha, the guards at the gate stopped them. Getting out was easy, but getting back in was difficult, especially since they had brought along a Kumogakure vegetable.

What Ying Shu had never expected was that the first people to come for them were not Minato and Kushina, but several Root ninjas.

Ying Shu had yet to figure out the exact artistic differences between Root and ANBU masks, but he recognized one of them.

It was the very man who had come looking for him at noon.

Thinking back, this day had truly been eventful. First, Team 7 had made its debut. Then Root had sent someone over. Then Kushina had chased them around. Finally, they had engaged in a battle of wits and courage with that Kumogakure ninja.

And just as Ying Shu had expected, after that Root operative took custody of the Kumogakure ninja, he had also intended to settle Ying Shu's matter on the spot.

Root's attitude was forceful, and their reason sounded perfectly righteous: the three of them needed to cooperate with the investigation.

Naturally, Ying Shu refused. He claimed that he had left the gas on at home. It was actually a signal to fight. Kakashi immediately drew his blade, while Obito nearly showed off his newly awakened Uchiha VIP—his One-Tomoe Sharingan.

For six-year-old Obito, it was still too much of a stretch. After all, it had been an accidental incident, basically something he had gotten for free.

Unlike a certain someone...

The atmosphere had been extremely tense at the time. The three little brats were about to resist the injustice of fate and fight for freedom, only to be taught a lesson.

Fortunately, Minato and Kushina arrived in time. Kushina did not say a word, merely raised her fist. Root made a prompt decision and retreated directly without even leaving behind a threat!

Thus, the whole "rather die than submit" act never got to play out.

Then Minato went to make his report, while Kushina brought the three of them here.

What they had ordered looked like mere bowls of ramen, but in truth, they were the result of the three boys' resistance—the symbol of freedom.

Kushina sat beside them, looking as though she was about to smash their heads in, but she was actually a protective talisman that intimidated every petty villain.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm late, I'm late!"

At that moment, Minato's bright voice rang out, like a refreshing breeze and a ray of sunlight that illuminated the hearts of the three boys.

"Sir, your ramen~"

Ichiraku moved quickly, and a steaming bowl of ramen was soon placed on the table.

Team 7's first group meal officially began.

After thanking the owner, Minato was about to start eating when he noticed his three students staring at him eagerly. He immediately understood.

He smiled slightly and gave them a look that said, "Leave it to me."

"Kushina, look..."

"Hm?" Kushina narrowed her eyes in a smile, her red hair drifting without wind.

"Haha! Today's ramen smells so good! Haha..."

"..."

The three boys' gazes changed from hopeful to blank, then from blank to contemptuous.

Trash, what use were you!

And just like that, time quietly slipped away amid a ramen dinner full of mixed emotions.

After they finished their ramen, Minato paid the bill. Kushina suggested taking a walk, and the three little ones did not dare refuse. They could only trail behind her dejectedly.

After walking for a short while, Kushina suddenly turned around, her expression extremely serious.

"From now on, you're not allowed to run outside on your own, understand?"

"Understood, understood." The three boys admitted their mistake in unison, their attitudes thoroughly sincere.

"It's dangerous outside. Today, you happened to run into someone weaker than you, so you could handle him. But what about next time? You won't be this lucky every time, understand?"

"Understood, understood." The three boys apologized again.

"And next time you sneak out, you have to notify me, so I can go with you... I mean, so I can accompany... Anyway, I have to be there with you, understand!?"

"...Understood, understood! We shall heed our master's wife's teachings!" The three boys made their stance clear.

That night, after seeing Minato and Kushina off, the three walked down the street and finally let out a sigh of relief.

Life was not easy. It always launched surprise attacks when people least expected them, leaving them impossible to guard against.

"Obito, when do you plan to tell your clan head about awakening your Sharingan?"

As they walked, Ying Shu suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Obito froze. He really had not considered that question. "Whenever, I guess... Tomorrow morning? What's wrong, Ying Shu?"

"Nothing..." Ying Shu said no more.

Obito had only awakened one tomoe. That was not necessarily one hundred percent a good thing.

Everything had two sides. Obito had grown stronger in this timeline, but evolving his Sharingan again would probably not be so easy.

He could not exactly fake his death again... That would put his acting skills to the test, and after this experience, Obito's mental defenses would be stronger too.

"Forget it. There's no need to worry about that for now."

Ying Shu shook his head, casting away the random clutter in his mind.

What he needed to do now was not anything else, but grow stronger—and repair the wall.

Yes...

At the thought of the two huge holes in his home, Ying Shu felt his chest tighten.

What the hell was with this day!