Hearing Rin's words, Mikami Yu froze for a moment, instinctively sensing that something was off.
Oki had told Rin to wait for him here...
What did that mean?
Just then, the auditorium doors were thrown open from outside with a bang. A figure wearing yellow goggles and sporting spiky hair appeared in the doorway—it was Uchiha Obito, a full two and a half hours late.
Obito braced himself against the doorframe, bent over and panting heavily. "Huff... huff... Rin! You're still here! And Yu... I'm not too late, am I?!"
"..."
After a brief silence, Rin sighed helplessly, though she could not help finding it amusing. "Obito, the graduation ceremony is already over. Everyone has been assigned to their teams and left... But there's still one forehead protector here. Teacher Oki specifically asked Yu and me to give it to you."
"Wow, I can graduate too?"
Obito was thrilled at first, then a beat later, he realized something. "The team assignments are already over? Then what team are you on, Rin? Are you on the same team as me?"
"..."
That was a good question.
Konoha had always assigned teams in groups of three. Those with bonds were grouped together first; those without them were distributed according to their grades.
Furthermore, Mikami Yu and Rin had been childhood sweethearts who grew up together, while Obito was Rin's devoted simp. In theory, there were bonds between every pair of them. As for their grades, they ranked first in the year, above average, and dead last among the graduates...
Alarm bells blared in Mikami Yu's mind. He immediately stood up, preparing to ask whether the team assignments could still be changed. But before he could take a step, a hand quietly landed on his shoulder, accompanied by a gentle, bright male voice.
"Looks like everyone is here."
"!!"
Mikami Yu's eyelid twitched.
Rin and Obito looked up at the same time and saw a tall blond man who had appeared in the auditorium at some unknown point. The dark green flak jacket he wore marked him as a Konoha Jonin. His azure eyes were calm and gentle, carrying a natural warmth.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Namikaze Minato. Starting today, I'll be your Jonin instructor."
"..."
Damn.
His worst premonition had been confirmed.
At that moment, Mikami Yu's head buzzed as scenes from the original plot flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern... This, this was not right, was it? Had he become Kakashi? Then where had Kakashi gone? Was it too late to drop out and start making ramen?
Beside him,
Obito gazed at Namikaze Minato with admiration. "A Jonin instructor? Then you must be amazing, right? You're way stronger than that stuck-up Kakashi guy, aren't you?"
"Well... I suppose I'm just a tiny bit stronger than him."
Namikaze Minato used his other hand to make a gesture showing "just a tiny bit," then gave a light cough. "All right, we can discuss the rest later. Since this is our first meeting, we should have a little sense of ceremony. Come on, stand closer together and hold hands."
"?"
Mikami Yu was still reeling from the mental slideshow.
Obito glanced at Rin, somewhat hesitant.
Rin, however, took the initiative. She grabbed Mikami Yu's hand, then used her other hand to seize Obito's wrist. "Like this, Teacher Minato?"
"Exactly."
Namikaze Minato stepped closer and placed a hand on each of Mikami Yu and Obito's shoulders. "Hold tight."
Bzz—
At that instant, Mikami Yu and the others felt their vision blur. A sensation of the world spinning swept through their bodies in a single moment. When they regained their senses, they had already gone from the grand auditorium to a forest, surrounded by bright sunlight and dense undergrowth.
[ Ding! An overpowered potential target to conquer has been detected: "Flying Thunder God"! ] [ The requirements for conquest are not currently met. Unable to conquer. ]
The Gala System displayed two notifications.
Based on his earlier experience, conquering these high-level Ninjutsu did indeed require certain conditions. For example, the mission for the Eight Gates had only been triggered after Mikami Yu's physique had improved by more than ten points. Flying Thunder God was an S-Rank Ninjutsu, so it was presumably the same.
Thus, Mikami Yu was not especially disappointed. He merely took a deep breath and looked around.
All right.
Although he was somewhat concerned about having somehow joined Team Minato... objectively speaking, this was already the best possible choice under the circumstances.
At this point in time, aside from Orochimaru, the other two of the Three Ninja no longer publicly accepted disciples. Namikaze Minato was the only remaining inheritor of the Hokage lineage who still led a team. His strength itself placed him among the very best, and according to Konoha's customs, his disciples had a chance of entering the lineup of Hokage candidates.
Hiruzen Sarutobi assigning him to Minato's command showed just how much he was valued. Trying to switch teams under such circumstances would only make things awkward for everyone involved.
So...
Since he was already here,
he might as well make the best of it.
According to the original plot, Team Minato would not face any irresistible life-or-death crisis before Kannabi Bridge. At worst, he could spend the next two years or so finding ways to learn from Namikaze Minato and expand his own conquest list, then figure out how to avoid that mission when the time came.
At this moment,
Rin and Obito also came back to their senses a moment later.
"Wow, this is..."
"This is a training ground on Konoha's outskirts! Teacher Minato, can you... teleport instantly?"
Faced with Obito's question,
Namikaze Minato smiled. "More or less. This is a Space–Time Ninjutsu called Flying Thunder God. As long as coordinates are set in advance, you can leap to a designated location in an instant. It's very convenient when you need to travel long distances."
"Huh, isn't that just Yu's Substitution Technique?" Obito glanced at Mikami Yu.
Namikaze Minato laughed. "You could understand it that way. It's an enhanced version of the Substitution Technique... It seems Yu adapts more quickly. You were already composed the moment we arrived."
"..."
Mikami Yu thought, If I really reacted that quickly, I'd probably be able to conquer Flying Thunder God. Still, compared with Obito and Rin, who were experiencing that kind of instant displacement for the first time, he was indeed much better off.
"All right, everyone, sit down. Let's introduce ourselves first and talk about things like your dreams."
Namikaze Minato clapped his hands and sat down on the grass first.
All right.
Introductions, talking about dreams, and snatching bells—these were mandatory experiences in the hidden corners of Konoha. In the spirit of adapting to local customs, Mikami Yu went along with it.
But...
When they reached the final part, Namikaze Minato paused. "According to procedure, every newly formed team needs to undergo a practice exercise to build teamwork. But before that, I need to explain something.
"My missions are usually quite demanding, so I may not always be able to stay by your side. Therefore, I applied to the Hokage for an assistant instructor. Whenever I'm absent, he will temporarily take on the responsibilities of team captain and guide your daily training and basic missions. He will also handle this teamwork exercise."
"An assistant instructor?"
Obito blinked. "Where is he?"
Before you continue