Kotaro huddled in the corner, his lips moving a few times before he finally offered a suggestion in a tiny voice. "I... I can do more of the work that needs strength, and take a smaller share of the food..." His voice was so faint it was almost lost.
Shinji, meanwhile, calmly watched the argument unfold without any clear direction, finding its inefficiency irritating. Rather than join in, he turned and walked over to the simulated environment. His gaze swept across the contours of the "terrain" like a precision surveying instrument, rapidly assessing the available "raw materials" (some imitation branches, stones, and vines), as well as the crucial "Small Rock Cave in the southeast corner" that could serve as their base. A moment later, he returned to the discussion circle and picked up the stack of resource cards.
"The argument ends here," he said calmly. His voice was quiet, but carried an unquestionable force grounded in facts and logic. "Based on observation and analysis of the environment, the cave in the southeast corner has a stable main structure. With a few modifications, it can serve as the basis for a shelter. Our immediate priorities are reinforcing the entrance and addressing potential leaks overhead. Therefore, the tool cards should first be exchanged for a stone axe and rope. As for the food cards..." He looked at Choza, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Allocate them according to the minimum energy requirements for basic activity. As long as we don't starve and can keep working, that's enough. The water source is thirty meters behind and to the side of the cave, clearly visible. There's no need to waste extra resource cards on clean water. Use the resources we save to get that medium-sized tarp and basic fire-starting tools, to cover the contingencies Inoichi raised."
In a few brief sentences, like an experienced commander drawing on a field survey and rational deduction, he laid out a complete plan of action that appeared optimal under the current conditions. This almost "autocratic" approach to decision-making stunned the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who were used to consulting one another and sometimes even settling things with rock-paper-scissors.
Shikaku narrowed his eyes, his mind racing faster than ever as he compared Shinji's plan against his own deductions and the constraints on-site. A few seconds later, he pursed his lips, reluctant but forced to concede. "...Clear reasoning, sensible allocation. Jumping straight to a conclusion like that is kind of annoying, but as things stand, this really is the most efficient plan."
The moment Choza heard that food would be allocated according to "minimum energy requirements," his round face fell. But when he heard they could finish the task as quickly as possible, perhaps even in time for snacks, he could only pout and grudgingly accept it.
Inoichi nodded, approval showing in his eyes. "It accounts for both efficiency and risk management. A very balanced allocation."
Kotaro nodded even more vigorously, without the slightest objection to Shinji's decision.
Under Shinji's command, which was so efficient it bordered on overbearing, the group's ability to act became remarkable. Shinji did not take everything upon himself. Instead, he assigned roles based on his preliminary observations of each member's strengths: Shikaku would plan the specifics of reinforcing and expanding the cave (making full use of his exceptional strategic and spatial thinking); Choza and Kotaro would handle all material gathering and transport that required physical labor (Choza had ample strength, while Kotaro displayed unexpected dexterity and speed); Inoichi would organize the shelter's interior details, arrange their supplies, and devise a plan for subsequent maintenance (drawing on his meticulous nature and keen powers of observation); and Shinji himself volunteered for the most critical and technically demanding tasks-reinforcing structural support points and waterproofing the shelter with the tarp and available materials (thanks to his extraordinarily precise chakra control, he could fine-tune and reinforce individual joints on an almost molecular level).
There were still minor disagreements and incidents along the way (such as Choza constantly trying to sneak a little extra when the "food" was allocated, only for Shikaku to mercilessly expose him). But with a clear, shared goal, a sensible division of labor, and Shinji's supervision as he calmly pointed out crucial details from time to time, their overall progress far outpaced the other groups. In the end, they not only finished building their "shelter" first, but also earned Teacher Kakumatsu's highest praise for its structural stability, sensible layout, and thorough consideration of potential risks.
This highly successful collaboration brought a qualitative improvement in the group's cohesion. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio began to truly see Shinji Uchiha as a trustworthy teammate, someone they could even rely on at certain critical moments, though his approach remained distinctive and strongly individualistic. As Kotaro repeatedly completed his assigned tasks without trouble and occasionally even offered useful suggestions, he gradually built up a little confidence. During group discussions, he now dared to raise his eyes and express some of his observations and ideas in a quiet but clear voice.
Shinji remained sparing with words, spending most of his time observing in silence. Deep down, however, he vaguely sensed that the process of leading a small team, analyzing problems, devising strategies, assigning tasks, and ultimately solving practical problems efficiently resonated, in a subtle way, with the deep satisfaction he had experienced as a project lead in his previous life-the pleasure of overseeing the whole picture and overcoming challenges. Although the stage before him was merely a simulated exercise at the Ninja Academy, his opponents were only a bunch of kids with different agendas, and the project itself was little more than playing house, the underlying logic of goal management, resource optimization, and cooperation remained the same. He still considered most group activities full of pointless noise and inefficiency, but occasionally, tasks like this, which demanded both intellect and execution and produced quick results, were not entirely unbearable.
His gaze swept across the classroom. On one side, Shikaku Nara had pulled Choza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka into a review of the details of their division of labor, trying to identify areas they could improve next time. On the other, Kotaro was quietly wiping down the tools they had used and putting them neatly back in place, his expression more focused and earnest than ever before.
Shinji silently rubbed his chin. Strip away all the warm, sentimental rhetoric, and teamwork is nothing more than defining a shared goal, dividing the work sensibly, ensuring effective communication, and minimizing internal friction. These basic principles of management seem much the same in any world or field, he thought, letting his mind wander. Still, getting a bunch of "kids" with wildly different personalities, complicated backgrounds, and minds that are still developing to truly understand and effectively put those principles into practice does require some... unconventional methods. Perhaps next time I could introduce a more game-like, competitive system? After all, one of the most effective fuels for children-and even most adults-is just the right amount of competitive drive and fun. When dealing with quick-thinking kids who are also prone to
Before you continue