At the Flying Combat Unit's secret training grounds, the thirty members selected as its first recruits had already arrived. They looked around curiously, some lost in thought, others talking with the people beside them about their new assignment.
After a while, a man approached. He was not particularly tall, but something about his presence made everyone fall silent without thinking. They immediately recognized him. He was famous, having been personally decorated by the Hokage at the awards ceremony. Even those who had not attended could learn who had received medals from the subsequent reports.
The man before them was not only a hero of Konoha who had distinguished himself in the war, but also a personal student of the current Hokage. His name was Heizo Hattori. None of them had expected the Flying Combat Unit's commander to be the Hokage's student, and that alone excited them.
Heizo Hattori walked up to them with an expressionless face and surveyed the spirited young people before him. In terms of age, he was not much older than they were. Even the youngest was less than ten years his junior, but in the world of shinobi, that age gap already made an enormous difference.
Heizo Hattori had thoroughly familiarized himself with everyone on the list. Whatever their backgrounds, being selected was proof of their ability. Some had even performed very well in the last war, so he looked forward to seeing what they could do. A few among them also warranted special attention.
For instance, Hiruzen Sarutobi's son, Shinsuke Sarutobi, and Shimura Danzō's daughter, Yukina Shimura, were the children of Kazemori Masaki's fellow students, so he ought to keep an eye on them. There was also someone Kazemori Masaki's adopted daughter, Kushina, had asked him to look after. His name seemed to be Minato