Tonbo Squad

Hokage Office.

"These are all promising seedlings. Do you have the confidence to train them into capable shinobi?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked after Tobitake Tonbo put away the files.

"Absolutely."

Tobitake Tonbo answered firmly.

At the same time, he could tell from those words that this year's students truly lacked talent.

Among the graduates of his own class were Guy, Kakashi, Obito, Hayama Shirakumo, Genma, Kurenai, Asuma, and many others. So many of them would go on to become jōnin.

But this class? Even Iruka counted as outstanding!

There was no denying that he would become an excellent teacher later on, but he was still a student right now. Calling him outstanding was a bit of a stretch.

"Mm, go on. The students should be getting impatient," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

"Yes."

Tobitake Tonbo left the Hokage Office.

"Lord Hokage, isn't Tonbo a little too young to be a team leader?"

The secretary beside him asked.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Only those with the ability to lead a team can become chunin. That is Konoha's rule. He is a jōnin now, so do not doubt yourself."

"Yes," the secretary replied.

Ninja Academy.

"I wonder who our team leader will be?" Mibu Shinobu asked his soon-to-be teammates expectantly.

With his head wrapped up and his young age, he looked a little mischievous.

"It would be great if Lord Homura could be our captain." Teksen Shiso played with a shuriken, spinning it constantly between his fingers.

Mitokado Homura was Konoha's master of ninja tools and had always been his idol. He had always hoped to learn a more powerful Tool Manipulation Technique from him.

Mitokado Homura

Meanwhile, Iruka sat quietly, staring ahead as though lost in thought.

If Dad hadn't died, he should have been the one leading the team, right?

He did not snap out of his thoughts until his two teammates poked him.

"As long as I can learn something, that'll be enough." Iruka smiled.

After receiving comfort from the Third Hokage, he no longer dwelled in grief. Over the past year or so, he had studied diligently and found a new dream: becoming a teacher who educated and nurtured others.

But before that, he needed to learn more about being a shinobi and devote himself seriously to shinobi work, rather than merely teaching theory.

Without experiencing the path of a shinobi himself, he would never be able to teach students well. That was what the Third Hokage had said.

Tap, tap!

Hearing footsteps, the three of them immediately stared expectantly toward the classroom door.

Who would it be?

A young man wearing a shinobi flak jacket, his hands in his pockets, his head entirely wrapped in bandages, with a Konoha forehead protector tied over his eyes.

"Umino Iruka, Teksen Shiso, Mibu Shinobu."

Tobitake Tonbo spoke.

"Here!"

The three answered in unison upon hearing their names.

"I am your captain, Tobitake Tonbo. Until the Hokage gives other orders, I will remain your captain. Are you prepared to become shinobi?"

"We are!"

"Very good. Gather at Training Ground No. 98 tomorrow morning. Don't eat too much; your captain will treat you to something delicious. Dismissed. Go home and rest.

Starting tomorrow, you won't have nearly so much time to rest." Tobitake Tonbo gave the order.

Bang!

After speaking, he formed hand seals with both hands and vanished from before them in an instant.

"That was amazing! He just disappeared!" Mibu Shinobu praised.

Teksen Shiso said, "Was that some kind of Body Flicker Technique?"

"No, that was the Shadow Clone Technique, a high-level ninjutsu that only jōnin can learn." Iruka analyzed.

"Huh? A jōnin is leading our team?" Mibu Shinobu asked excitedly.

"I don't know if you noticed, but our captain seems really young!" Teksen Shiso said.

Tobitake Tonbo's face was wrapped in bandages, leaving only his chin and nose exposed, so it was difficult to judge.

"We'll find out tomorrow."

Konoha Street.

"Before I knew it, I was about to become a team leader. I've worked in the Analysis Division, but I've never personally led a proper team."

Tobitake Tonbo stretched lazily.

Since he would be starting as a team leader tomorrow, he figured he should go back and make some preparations.

He had no interest in tricks like the bell-grabbing test used by the Third Hokage and Kakashi. He only planned to test the three's true abilities first, then decide how to teach them.

As their captain, he needed to show a little strength and earn the three little ones' basic trust.

"Speaking of which, Ebisu really is talented. He'd only been a chunin for half a month, yet his teaching ability had shot up like crazy."

Speaking of teaching, he could not help thinking of the future elite teacher.

Recently, he had gone to teach at the Ninja Academy, and it seemed like he was doing quite well.

Watching these future pillars of Konoha grow bit by bit felt pretty nice.

Before he realized it, he had arrived in front of Ichiraku Ramen again.

A rose woven from brown palm leaves appeared in his hand, and he walked inside with a bright smile on his face.

"Ayame, look what your big brother brought you again—a rose I wove myself."

But the moment he walked in, he became awkward.

Because two pairs of eyes turned to look at him.

"Yosh! Such youth! Tonbo has found true love!" Guy gave him a thumbs-up, baring his teeth as they flashed brilliantly.

Kakashi said, "Impressive."

Ayame, who was busy behind them, chuckled softly at the sight.

Then she accepted his rose and placed it in a decorative vase nearby. It already held several other woven flowers, all lifelike.

"Haha, what are you two doing here?" Tobitake Tonbo asked when he saw them.

Guy was already a Special Jonin, while Kakashi was a jōnin. Yet during this difficult period for Konoha, they still had time to spare.

Guy pointed at Kakashi. "Kakashi just got back from a mission in the Land of Snow, and I happened to finish a mission too, so we came to have a meal together."

Kakashi nodded.

"The Land of Snow, huh? That's really far away. I heard it's covered in ice and snow all year round and is incredibly beautiful. Did you bring back any local specialties?"

Hearing about the Land of Snow, Tobitake Tonbo figured the movie's plot was happening too. He just did not know whether Naruto would go to the Land of Snow again.

That place had chakra technology from the Shinobi World. He wondered whether Kakashi had brought any back.

"The daimyo there had already been replaced, and I nearly died in that place. Forget local specialties—I nearly became a local specialty myself." Kakashi sounded helpless.

"Oh? The Land of Snow is only a small country, yet it nearly got you killed?"

"Don't underestimate any enemy. They have chakra-enhancing devices that can greatly increase a shinobi's strength, and every one of them can use Ice Release. The Snow Ninja are very strong too!"

"Enough about that. What about you? Still working diligently in the Analysis Division?" Kakashi asked in return.

"Don't mention it. I just received a mission. Starting tomorrow, I'll be leading a team—a baby class that just graduated from the Ninja Academy." Tobitake Tonbo sat down, then slurped up the ramen Ayame brought over.

"Haha, that's a perfect description. But we all came from the baby class, so thinking about it is kind of exciting!" Guy laughed without restraint.

...Don't talk nonsense. I wasn't. Kakashi thought.