A green jonin vest, golden short hair shining like sunlight, and that warm, reassuring smile—
Those traits alone made his identity unmistakable.
Namikaze Minato!
The future Fourth Hokage.
Compared to him, every other so-called "genius" paled in significance. Even the protagonist of the shinobi world couldn't quite match up.
Because Minato was the real "civilian-born" ninja.
No clan heritage. No special bloodline. Just raw talent, relentless effort… and perhaps a bit of unfairly good looks.
If not for lacking that fateful "main character halo," he would have been the perfect savior of the ninja world.
Perhaps he was too perfect—so perfect the "plot" itself had to kill him off. Otherwise, if he'd lived long enough to stabilize the Hokage's seat, no other village would have dared to stir trouble, and the real "main character" would never have had his turn to shine.
After all, without any Otsutsuki bloodline, how could he ever become the protagonist?
Now this man—this legend-in-the-making—was standing before Uchiha Shien as his assigned sensei. No wonder Uchiha Shien was frozen in disbelief.
"I'm Namikaze Minato, your supervising jonin for Team Three. You must be Uchiha Shien and Yamanaka Koji, right? Sorry to keep you waiting."
Minato's tone was gentle and sincere, his apology natural rather than forced.
There are reasons men like him become Hokage—it wasn't just strength. In terms of grace and diplomacy, he absolutely outclassed someone like Danzo.
(Note: "Supervising jonin" is the formal title for a team instructor.)
"Minato-sensei!"
"Minato-sensei!" x2
Uchiha Shien and Kōji both stood up and bowed in unison.
And in doing so, Uchiha Shien caught sight of a familiar figure by the doorway— a pale-haired boy, expression cold as ice.
Hatake Kakashi.
So he was in their squad too.
Uchiha Shien felt a chill run down his spine. Because everyone knew—main characters' teammates were basically sacrificial lambs.
Being on the same team as the "hero"? That meant your death flag was already halfway raised.
And with a top-tier sensei like Namikaze Minato, the missions they'd face would only be more dangerous.
Of course… the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
Being under Minato's tutelage meant receiving the best possible guidance—and protection. In both character and ability, Minato was the ideal sensei.
"Let's go. I'll treat you all to some barbecue," Minato said warmly, though his eyes discreetly studied Uchiha Shien.
Originally, his students were supposed to be Kakashi and two others. But midway through, the Hokage himself had summoned him and changed the lineup—resulting in the current Team Three.
And Minato already knew that Uchiha Shien had defeated Kakashi during yesterday's graduation exam.
"A summoning beast, huh…"
As a summoner himself—one under contract with Mount Myōboku—Minato deeply understood the value of a powerful summon, especially a flying one. Its battlefield utility was immeasurable.
Soon, the four of them arrived at Barbecue Q, the Akimichi clan's famous grillhouse.
As expected of a clan of professional gluttons, their food was impeccable— this place was the go-to celebration spot for Konoha's shinobi.
Why barbecue, of all things?
Simple. Most ninja diets were miserable, so whenever they had the chance to celebrate, they made sure to eat well.
Chakra came from one's cells, and cells needed nourishment. The better you ate, the more chakra you could produce.
That was why the great clans had such a huge advantage over civilian ninja— not just in bloodline or jutsu, but resources.
While commoners starved, clan children were raised on tonics, baths, and balanced diets. How could the two ever compete?
It was no wonder the Second and Third Hokage worked so hard to support "civilian ninja"… yet the elite still came mostly from the great clans.
They entered the restaurant and found a table. Despite it not being peak hours, the place was already half full—by evening it would be standing room only.
"Twenty plates of barbecue," Minato ordered cheerfully. Then, smiling at his new students, he said,
"From today onward, we're Team Three!"
That warm smile and sincere tone… no wonder people called him the 'Little Sun.' His very presence seemed to brighten the air.
Of course, the subtext of his words was clear: Whatever had happened between Uchiha Shien and Kakashi yesterday—it stayed in the past. From now on, they were a team.
"Yes, Minato-sensei."
Uchiha Shien nodded firmly, making his stance clear.
He knew perfectly well that yesterday's mess had been orchestrated by Danzo, not Kakashi. The silver-haired boy had simply been an emotionless weapon following orders.
"Yes, Minato-sensei!"
"Yes, Minato-sensei!" x2
Kōji and Kakashi echoed in unison.
"After we eat, we'll head to the training grounds. I need to gauge your current skill levels,"
"After we eat, we'll head to the training grounds. I need to gauge your current skill levels," Minato continued, clearly pleased with his first impression of them.
Before long, twenty plates of meat—each about a pound—were served, sizzling and fragrant.
Sound excessive?
Not for ninja. With chakra-enhanced metabolisms, this much food was nothing.
Some shinobi—like the future Akimichi heiress—could easily devour several dozen pounds. The Akimichi themselves? Ten pounds was a light snack.
Ordinary ninja ate less only because they couldn't afford to eat more.
"I'm digging in!"
"I'm digging in!" x4
The four began to eat, and within minutes, the plates were wiped clean.
Afterward, Minato grimaced as he pulled out his wallet and handed over more than ten thousand ryō.
Good thing he hadn't said "eat all you want," or he'd be washing dishes till midnight.
Sure, ninja pay was high—but their expenses were higher: food, weapons, training, medical costs… it all added up.
Even an S-rank mission only paid about a million ryō, and most of that went to the village. No wonder they only came to Barbecue Q for special occasions.
If they ate here regularly… only the daimyō could afford that.
After their meal, the four strolled toward the training grounds.
"All right," Minato said,
"let's start with introductions."
"I'm Namikaze Minato—your team leader. I like ramen, and my dream is to become Hokage. What about you three?"
He turned to Kakashi first.
The silver-haired boy, face hidden by his mask and aura colder than frost, looked away and said quietly:
"Hatake Kakashi. I like dogs. My dream… is to wash away the shame of the Hatake clan."
His fists clenched slightly.
A father so strong, so kind—yet condemned and driven to suicide for a single failed mission.
"Still hasn't let it go, huh…"
Minato noted silently, his gentle gaze softening.
Next was Kōji.
"I'm Yamanaka Koji. I like powerful jutsu. My dream is to restore the Yamanaka clan's glory."
For someone usually expressionless, his face flickered with rare emotion when mentioning his family.
"A fine dream," Minato said with a smile, then turned to Uchiha Shien.
He was genuinely curious about this one—Uchiha Shien, the boy who'd shocked the Academy and whose research potential had both the Hokage and the Uchiha clan on edge.
This was more than a casual introduction; Minato had a side mission directly from the Third Hokage himself: observe Uchiha Shien.
His appointment as team leader had been part of the delicate deal struck between the village and the Uchiha clan.
Neither side wanted to see such a promising talent fall into darkness.
But what Minato never expected—was that Uchiha Shien's "dream"… would be that.
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